As Chris Wilder calls for the team to bounce back from disappointment, a growing body of research suggests resilience can and should be a core part of United’s recruitment and development strategy.
Very interesting. I’ve always thought that, aside from the ultimate elite level of player, much of the differences come down to the mental aspects of the game. I don’t think there’s necessarily a huge difference in how a PL player can (to be crass) kick a ball, compared with someone in League 1/2. The real separator are things like resilience and concentration. I suppose a good example of this was when a lot of United players from that L1 promotion side, managed to finish 9th in the PL just 3 years later.
Really interesting reading. I’d also suggest “how a player acts in response to pressures or challenges” also relates to decisions that go against them and in response to deliberate attempts from the opposition to get a reaction. As shown by the spiralling costs in failing to control our players over 24/25, it’s an area we really need to improve on.
Very interesting. I’ve always thought that, aside from the ultimate elite level of player, much of the differences come down to the mental aspects of the game. I don’t think there’s necessarily a huge difference in how a PL player can (to be crass) kick a ball, compared with someone in League 1/2. The real separator are things like resilience and concentration. I suppose a good example of this was when a lot of United players from that L1 promotion side, managed to finish 9th in the PL just 3 years later.
Thank you, Ben - a very interesting aspect of football that's often overlooked, especially by fans. Definitely food for thought.
Sue.
Really interesting reading. I’d also suggest “how a player acts in response to pressures or challenges” also relates to decisions that go against them and in response to deliberate attempts from the opposition to get a reaction. As shown by the spiralling costs in failing to control our players over 24/25, it’s an area we really need to improve on.