This doesnt make sense at all SI!

Ok here is the deal.

Im playing with AFC Wimbledon and im the main contender for the title. Im on the top of the table with 15 games played (won 14 and drawn 1) so you could say my team is in a flow.

Now here is the thing. I play Merthyr at home who are on a 5 match losing streak. The press conference was normal and my players reacted in a good way. My teamtalk was normal as always and i didnt expect anything or desired anything from any players. Just the 'You can win tonight' phrase. My players were in form (Strikers both scoring 17/15 and 20/14) and they were all 100% fit.

Now the match starts and after 5 minutes all my players have a Nervously motivation... I mean come on SI that is just plain BS!! The score was still 0-0 so there was absolutly no need to be nervous. Eventually we lost to a penalty in the dying moments of the game (frustrating)

It seems to me the motivation of players is random and has nothing to do with the form or flow of your team. I mean ok when we get behind with a fast goal or a quick red card i can understand players could be nervous so soon in the game. But now when there is absolutly (after freaking 5 minutes in which we were the better team) nothing to be nervous about it just doest add up.

anybody else feeling the same way about the motivation?

it might be because the team talk you selected means something along the lines of, "i expect this to be a tight game to night, if we play the best we can, we can win this" which is not exactly going to fill your team who have gone 15 games unbeaten who are playing a team on a 5 match loosing streak with much confidence, and therefore could make them nervous.

You might have had better luck selecting the option, "for the fans" which means something a long the lines of "i want a good professional job out there to get us all 3 points, now go out there and give the fans their moneys worth".

there was a huge post on here a few weeks ago where it was posted about the actual meaning of the team talks etc, your "normal" press conference was probably not as normal as you believe it to be either, which could have also effected the moral on the pitch.

Also, in real life, very occasionally a winning streak team comes up head-to-head with a losing streak team, and things just turn on their head from the moment the referee's whistle is blown. I saw it in December, when my team Torquay went to Eastbourne. We'd been on great form, unbeaten in sixteen, playing some great, confident stuff. But for the first twenty minutes at Eastbourne, we could barely get out of our half. Their wingers tormented us, their midfield out battled us, and we always looked uncomfortable in defence, and as a result, suffered a disappointing record-denying 4-2 defeat.

All I'm saying is, football is a weird game sometimes.

I would have said something alone the lines of 'I expect a win' sounds harsh but its a fair comment for an inform team at home.

As Blaupunkt said, that team talk is actually for tight games where your only slight favourites.

Now granted team talks sometimes have way to big an effect, but if you choose the right one your players rarely start 'nervously', problem is what they appear to mean and what they actually mean are totally different.

Heres the list which someone else on the forum compiled about the specifics of team talks (its not my work)

Pre-Match

We can win this = This will be a tight match, but if we play to the best of our ability we can win this

Wish luck = I think we'll struggle here, but with some luck we might get something out of the game, so good luck boys

I expect a win = We are by far and away the better side so I expect us to get all three points

For the fans = A good professional job should bring us the three points, so go out and give the fans their money's worth

No pressure = We have next to no chance here, so go out and do the best you can.

Result will come = We are far and away the superior side so as long as you play in the manner you are capable, we'll win this.

Half-Time

Encourage = We've played well, but with a little more effort we can make sure of the result

Pleased = You've done far better than expected. Well done boys and keep it up.

Delighted = Unbelievable performance. Beyond my wildest dreams.

No team talk = You've done about as well as expected

For the fans = Keep it professional and get the result

Disappointed = You aren't playing well. Sort it out.

Angry = Totally unacceptable performance. Pull your fingers out or else

Don't let your performance drop = You haven't played well but are leading. Make sure they don't get back into this

These are supplemented by a few slightly different options that mean almost the same thing, but appear in different scenarios:

We can win this = With a little more effort and luck, we can grab a win here

See more from you = You are losing because you aren't putting enough effort in

Get a result = You have put next to no effort in and deserve to be losing. However, this is no excuse and I expect a big performance second half.

Unlucky not to be winning = You have played far better than I expected and should be leading. Keep it up and we can win this.

Don't get complacent = You are winning, but not putting enough effort in. I want you to work harder this half

You can then use the individual team talks to cover players who are doing far better/worse than the team average.

Also it might not mean anything but how well does your team handle the pressure? You are on a high and have not lost in your last 15 games and the opposition should be a cakewalk seeing that you are in an excellent form while they have lost their last five games...if your players' ability to handle pressure is low, then they can be nervous against a team that they were expected to get a comfortable result

Overconfidence? was this mentionbed in the Asst pre match report? This one can be a real problem.

maybe it's because the more winning run a team is gathering, the more PRESSURE the players would feel in order to keep it up.