As Hart's current run of form has suggested with the analogy and comparison, it's quite easy and possible for a goalkeeper to backslide and run into a patch of poor form if they aren't pushed to compete, or are given too much free rein to feel comfortable and get complacent as a result. Just as Reina worked himself into trouble by thinking that he was irreplacable at a Liverpool team that are now potential league title challengers because of Mignolet's intense approach and high energy game, you need to offer your coach a reason to be in the team you're in, especially if it's a first eleven at a high standard! You should be there on merit, not past performances! So when considering your own self evaluation of how well you're doing over the course of a (or this!) season, it's good to consider how things are going in this regard.
Although of course, if things aren't going well for your team and you're not being helped out (or given the blame pointlessly), then you need to do the opposite and focus on the positives and get a battling mentality, putting the past behind you if you've had "a bad day at the office", so that you don't get affected negatively by what's happening in front of you week in week out, to help you refind sparkling form.
Whilst some goalkeepers can't mentally work with the idea of having to fight for every game, as they want to get comfortable with being first choice and not worry about someone breathing down their neck for a game, for most of us, it's actually a great psychological tool. A trigger that sparks us and motivates us to "switch it on" with impressive goalkeeping. So in this way it's good to compete with goalkeepers of a similar standard and ability at club training sessions etc. to encourage you to work hard, which will then pay dividends come game time.
But what I really wanted to talk about was getting lazy because things are going too well! True champions don't focus on the dream of being league winners, instead they focus on winning each game, game by game; they take it game by game, even to the point of minute by minute, so that they have an intense level of concentration that doesn't allow for mistakes or slip-ups. They're not worrying about the bigger picture. On each shot or scoring opportunity, they're making sure they're communicating with their defence before an attack even takes place, they're then getting "square" and on angle to the potential shot, setting up with a suitable depth to attack said shot and then make sure they make a good save! For each and every shot they face, being aware of rebounds and being smart with where they put the redirect, to kill off said consequential scoring chance.
They don't get put off by having to face a lot of shots, but love "playing in the zone" (which I'll cover at some point in some way!), but enjoy the pressure of having to make save after save. But either way, they work hard on and off the pitch, giving it 100% and more week in week at, at training sessions as well as games, so that they perform to their best all season long, rather than getting fazed by their own success. As they say in football, "when things get easy, that's when you have to work twice as hard".
Although of course, if things aren't going well for your team and you're not being helped out (or given the blame pointlessly), then you need to do the opposite and focus on the positives and get a battling mentality, putting the past behind you if you've had "a bad day at the office", so that you don't get affected negatively by what's happening in front of you week in week out, to help you refind sparkling form.
Whilst some goalkeepers can't mentally work with the idea of having to fight for every game, as they want to get comfortable with being first choice and not worry about someone breathing down their neck for a game, for most of us, it's actually a great psychological tool. A trigger that sparks us and motivates us to "switch it on" with impressive goalkeeping. So in this way it's good to compete with goalkeepers of a similar standard and ability at club training sessions etc. to encourage you to work hard, which will then pay dividends come game time.
But what I really wanted to talk about was getting lazy because things are going too well! True champions don't focus on the dream of being league winners, instead they focus on winning each game, game by game; they take it game by game, even to the point of minute by minute, so that they have an intense level of concentration that doesn't allow for mistakes or slip-ups. They're not worrying about the bigger picture. On each shot or scoring opportunity, they're making sure they're communicating with their defence before an attack even takes place, they're then getting "square" and on angle to the potential shot, setting up with a suitable depth to attack said shot and then make sure they make a good save! For each and every shot they face, being aware of rebounds and being smart with where they put the redirect, to kill off said consequential scoring chance.
They don't get put off by having to face a lot of shots, but love "playing in the zone" (which I'll cover at some point in some way!), but enjoy the pressure of having to make save after save. But either way, they work hard on and off the pitch, giving it 100% and more week in week at, at training sessions as well as games, so that they perform to their best all season long, rather than getting fazed by their own success. As they say in football, "when things get easy, that's when you have to work twice as hard".
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