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Player can't cope with pressure?


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I'm Ajax. It's semi final of the Champions league. First leg at home against Barcelona. I'm not expected to reach that far, the board is expecting us to reach 1st knockout round, so semi-final is already an achievement.

So, first leg at home. Barcelona are slight favourites for bookies and match preview says it could as well end up in a draw. Before game I tell my team "wish luck".

First half is pretty even game with Barca having a bit more initiative until in 37' Messi fires low - 0:1.

In half time I say to players "I want to see more from you" and in 55' following happens: Barca plays long ball, there's a race between Guilherme and Oleguer, Stekelenburg runs forward to hit the bal away, kicks it to midfield, but exactly onto the foot of Xavi, who shoots 55 yard strike into empty net. 0:2. Unacceptable error from my keeper and his rating is 5.2 after game. (Cvitanich made it 1:2 so it was final score).

I told the whole team "good effort", "pleased" to Cvitanich and "dissappointed" to Stekelenburg.

So after game, my assman reports that non of my team talks had real effect on players, neither positive or negative (nothing special noticed), but after game Stekelenburg was angered because of my "disappointed" evaluation.

So. Therefore few questions:

1) Assuming that I did nothing wrong with my team talks, is it possible that Stekelenburg is just a player that couldn't cope with pressure in CL semi finals? Is there some sort of hidden attribute? At least my coaches and scouts doesn't report that about him.

2) Why is he angered with fair evaluation. 5.2 isn't acceptable rating from my point of view and he hasn't done anything that stupid for the whole season.

3) What sort of team talk would you have used instead of me?

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I would have told them do it for the fans as the team talk, and seeing as though stekelenburg is a good professional at Ajax, I would have left his team talk blank at the end. Let him stew in his own poor performance, and not been seen to single him out at the end of the match.

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one mistake against a top team in the CL semi finals, which you weren't expected to get to, which gets him the rating of 5.2 is hardly something to go over the top about.

obviously it was a bad performance but its to be expected. so you say good effort or something.

would you be happy if you were stekelenburg? you haven't done anything particularly wrong all season, your up against barcelona and then your manager basically makes it known that he blames you for losing the game by singling you out for a 'disappointed' team talk after seeing everyone else getting pats on teh back?

yes it was a mistake but you basically tell him that thats all it was and to get back in the thick of things the next game.

i'd be surprised if benitez told reina he was disappointed after the chelsea 4.4 game even though liverpool would have been expected to get that far in the competition and be able to beat chelsea.

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