Form and Confidence.

Ok where to start...

I play Under 17s Division 1. Its high level football. I am playing in a team with about 5 decent players, myself and 4 others. Lately my team have struggled for goals but really been making errors at the back and it has affected all of us, the whole team has forgotten what it feels like to win or even draw a game. Today we made a flying start, 30 seconds in and goal. Our first goal in 3 games. But for some reason after the goal the whole team fell asleep and a soft goal was conceded from a corner kick. A lack of communication or maybe even ignorance from our sweeper and me resulted in him kicking the ball from my hands as I dived on it and it sat in front of the goal for a tap-in. 1-1. I thought the team wasn't alert after the goal...f*ck me that was a mistake, conceding an equaliser killed them and we barely hung on to half-time to keep it 1-1. All that stopped them from scoring again was I made some lucky saves and they were constantly offside.

I was very nervous during the first half, I have been like this the last 3 games, not very confident in my own abilities or my teams. Though they stll expect if the ball gets through the defence i'll rescue them how I used to.

Early into the second half my team really failed to get going. They held a weak defensive line and the midfield failed to drop back and mark up. The opposition strikers were playing off the shoulders of our defence and had 2 (or more) on 1 situations for all of their 5 goals in this half, the game finished 6-1.

Normally when my team play like this it fires me up, I hit a rich vein of form and nothing gets past me, I dfominate the game but lately I have felt nervous, almost scared when these situations arise and I feel like I am not playing well at all and letting my team down, despite them letting opposition teams into these positions.

I guess what I really wanna know is how can I regain some of my previous form and confidence? It feels sh*t to be playing like this when only 4 weeks ago I was playing some of the best football of my life so far...

Have you got laid lately? You might need to go out and bag a hottie, regain your mojo.

But when youre in the act you gotta get her to say things like, "youre the man Boris", "you rock my world Boris" etc as you do muscle poses in the mirror looking at yourself like the dude out of American Psycho.

Maybe its to much sex before games cause I really don't think thats my problem!

Give up playing football and start a new sport. Hit the drink. You will feel better aftwards

Is that what you did? What fi you had the ability to do something in football, actually play top level? I'm still aiming to achieve that, i've just hit a rough patch

i have never had the build and i new i was a good coach so i choose to be a coach. Still play now and again.
I know my cousin he use to play for watford and i remember him scoring against Chelsea in the epl. Best minute of his life that was. Soon as he hit drugs everything changed. Now plays for bury. You just got to try your best and play to the best of your ability. Once your playing all that should matter is winning. Nothing else should matter

But playing in a team like this its hard to play to my best, thats the point of the thread, I want tips on how to regain my best...I knew you and a few other coaches use the forum and could possibly help.

Most of it can be mentally. Before your going on the pitch your thinking negative. Thinking Negative gets you no where in life. You got to think positive about your own play. You know yourself you can play top football. No need for the negative thinking. Your the one who is going to go on the field and be the man of the show. Your going to be the one who everyone says at the end of the game well done boris did really well.

Thinking positive in my opinion can be a key to success

Thanks mate. I got another game today in about 10 hours, yesterdays game really killed me though. I'm off to bed, i'll keep your positive thinking tips in my mind. Thanks mate.

your cousin is Allan Smart?

Yeah why?

Bet you a tenner he wikipedia'd that.

Haha. Maybe he supports watford or bury?

Positive thinking is good. Also recommend going into a more "aggressive" state of mind, sort of like I will destroy anything that gets into my path mentality.

Also, if you feel your defenders are playing bad or out of alignment, shout orders at them. Do like Buffon and direct the traffic.

And also, remember the most important thing, if you need to lose the fear and loosen up, like I said before a shot or two of vodka or whiskey will really do the trick in calming your nerves. No joke.

Ok played again today. My useless defence was even more useless when we only had 7 capable players turn up... yet my brilliant coach still decided to play a formation with a sweeper and 3 defenders in front...

Our line-up was:

--------------------------------------Reagan (GK)

------------------------------------Useless sweeper

-------------------Stewey-------------Powe------------Tails

--------Deadhair----------Pommie-------Asian-----------Nath

-----------------------------------Diyap----Woody


The 7 capable mentioned were me, powe, deadhair, pom, asian, diyap and kiwi who was left on the bench for the useless sweeper. Nicknames have been used for everyone except me and diyap by the way.

We started terribly, off our own kickoff the ball was played around and it got to the sweeper who tried to clear it on a bounce but sliced it back towards my goal, I had called him to leave it and was runnign froward and it was going over my head, I ran back, dived and tipped it over but it set my nerves on fire and before the game I felt fine. I always feel like i can't rely on alot of players in my team.

Off the resulting corner I punched it out the ball was played around and with 8 mintues to go until half-time they made a 3-man break away, my sweeper, hacked hown a player with out the ball and they had a freekick on the edge of the area. The ball cleared the wall and I saved it but they scored off the rebound - slightly offside.

Off our kickoff they once again gained possession 2 on 1 situation, I saved, saved again and then they scored. 2-0, 6 minutes until HT.
From there it went downhill and couldn't regain my concentration or maintain any form. We went in at half-time 4-0 down.

At half-time the coach tore strips off everyone but put no blame on me which made me more nervous because I didn't know how he felt I was playing and he could see I was dimoralised. Coach packed the defence, 5 man defence, sweeper, 2 centres, left and right. Start of second half.

The second half was better I didn't see the ball until 25 to go and I started to hit form, and I conceded 1 in the second half but my defence was even shakier because no one spread out and they all got in each others way.

I felt better after the game but still don't feel confident... I ran over in my head everything graham told em about positive thinkign and what my coach told me, he said the same as Max - be aggressive-minded.

@ Max - I direct my team all over the pitch, I have the loudest, deepest voice on my team and everyone hears me its just that select group of players mentioned above are the only guys who listen and understand what they should be doing.

I might give the vodka or whiskey a go, sucks if they do a random blood test

Asian? he sounds quality!

-------------------------------------Reagan (GK)

------------------------------------Useless sweeper

-------------------Stewey-------------Powe------------Tails

--------Deadhair----------Pommie-------Asian-----------Nath

-----------------------------------Diyap----Woody

what kind of a line up is that?

you should put Asian on the left wing and bring Big Nath inside, drop Woody and put that new kid up front.

dont get me started on Deadhair. hopeless lump of sh*t. Powe should be given the skippers armband and 'useless sweeper' should be given a more pro-active nickname

You don't know sh*T Steely. You need to drop Powe and bring in Kiwi as he's slow as arseholes, Shift Deadyhair up top and drop Diyap cause he was never the same after that injury.

Diyap will return to form. mark my words. he just needs an arm round his shoulder and a bit of a confidence boost. you dont just lose the kind of talent he has over night.

as for Powe, yes he is a bit slow but he reads the game so well he never has to break into a sprint. i cant believe you would put Deadhair up front. you are on crack mate.

[beep!] to that namby pamby stuff, Diyap is finished, he's lost that yard of pace and couldn't hit a barn door with a banjo these days.

They aint getting the best of ol' deady on that wing, give him a chance man.