Udit Mitra was part of the supporters who were cheering for Mohun Bagan at the Balewadi Stadium here at Pune on sunday. Udit reports from the ground.

"The story of two halves…. The atmosphere in the ground was not electric (as the great ravi shastri wud hve described empty stands)..but underlying situation was bit tensed for bagan players as they approach to take field. Understandable, as unfamiliar territory in I league question their ability along with a limping Tolgay raised further doubt. 2 players were indeed very focussed..Odafa and Nirmal.

 

With their customary prayers they sprung into the field. (On a side track a small story, urs truly was fortunate enough to climb up stairs with a limping and visibly upset/frustrated Tolgay. Had a quick chat with him..had weird smile on his face and said not sure what’s happening in life, got himself injured in Knee in last practise session. Told him take your time Mate, come back fully fit and take us to glory. Shook hand, took a snap, then moved on to the match). The players from both side were in customary hurdles, ended with hand raised 2wards sky and sharapova like grunt. Meanwhile we were busy cheering the boys and fitting the Mariners dream flag in a gd location. Weather was good…wheeeeeeee…went the whistle..the match started on time. There were 80prcnt support (in numbers for AI) but 50:50 in volume…as we decided to take Mamata didi route. Raised the decible with choicest of words…not repeating here. But will share few gems later. The game was at best sublimely (pardon me for using this adjective) bad, players were more intended in playing towards sky, as if god would touch the ball and bless it. AI was more effective on left side whereas MB on the right side. Credits due on both side to 2 bongs..rahim nabi and snehasish. Meanwhile defence was settling down nicely without a non existent half line..as Jewel was hell bent to not justify his name. Manish maithani was decent while attacking and holding the ball quite a few occassion feeding the ball nicely to Odafa and Stanley. In one such case..stanley got a ball within the box, dribble passed one..the goalie (a good one) was unable to stop him…we all cried GOOOOOL…it was..but, stan with all the hard work passed the ball to Odafa, who was in offside..goal cancelled. Why stan din’t take the shot..I dnt know the reason but suspect a person who might know is MMS ..so chances of you knowing in future is very very (can add your side very s) remote, as he is a person going to die with lotsa secrets!!..Meanwhile Gogonacchio continued…bagan fans, started wondering is it going to be another day of grief nd pain? Suddenly AI got a corner…the ball was flicked into goal…the scorer was faster than the reff. To change the scoreline…we saw the linesman..and ws satisfied..it was an offside. Yours truly used the best of slangs 2wards the scoreman!! First half ended..nothing more to write about..second half started with unchanged team..story continued with gogonachio and sporadic run from nabi in right..suddenly Mridul Bannerjee decided to make a change..jewel raja..who was aimlessly running around the field so far..as if to find, which direction his home lies..got solace..reserve bench where heart lies. DD (denson devdas) took his place and the turn around started..he started holding the ball…playing it to odafa and nabi nicely. Meanwhile suddenly left wing became very active too..thanks to stanley..he just realised..left is the place to be!! 60mins over bagan attacking..AI defending..suddenly Amitava ..used choicest of adjectives for DD and AM . AI supporters…equally confused…started thinking which of their players will fit into these acronyms!! Suddenly odafa dribble passed 2 AI defenders..inside box, of a pass from stan was about 2 unleash a venomous left footer was tackled beautifully by Mickey..but as the luck wud have it..the ball rocket past their goalkeeper to the goal…suddenly sweet city of pune turned into noisy neighbourhood of north kolkata fish market….we screamed danced in joy…after a cursory look @ linesman!!!! Yesssss…it just happened…the deadlock is broken…Bagan started playing better..organised..midfield started working..snatching..blocking all is well!!! We smell another one is around the corner!! We raised the tempo..and started screaming our advice to MB players!! Suddenly there was a clearance from AI defence high in the air..slowly coming 2wards middle third of MB half…we turned..and to our horror found Shilton is playing in the midfield!!! Amitava reminded shiton of his father, along with 14 generations..the ball finally landed from atmosphere…aibor was getting ready to head it away…but shilton being shilton…climbed up Aibor’s shoulder and headed the ball 2wards Henry’s feet (ala Rakesh Masi style). And by mistake if you think all these happening near MB goal line ur mistaken, happening near MB box…ur wrong again..action was in midfield…henry dutifully lobbed the ball 2wards empty/naked MB goal…Saikat turned back…amitava trying to remind Shilton the existence of his family in this planet..and shilton tried to sprint back..by the time he reached top of box..the ball just went outside. I closed my mouth as the heart was about to pop out!!! Followed…slangs from all other players to Shilton and some 2wards Hemanta dora. Rest of the match was MB dominating..and Odafa hitting bar twice..once a fierce left footer another a deft placement by right foot. Finally after 4 added minutes match ended…we got 3points..much needed. Some photos were clicked..sharing it here. Best dialect of the match towards 80th minute..nabi was creating pressure from right, with 2 AI defenders not able to stop him, Amitava said "jiyoo nabi!! Tui bharoter maradona"..it was loud..

towards the side were nabi was dribbling these guys..net result..nabi immediately oder ekjon er paye ball ta joma diye dilo."

 

 

Mohun Bagan is undergoing a sorrow phase – and an ardent Mohun Bagan fan shares his feelings nervously hoping that a day will come soon when we shall smile again. Mithun Banerjee pens down his feeling herewith.

A few days or months back, the tone of this article could at best have been somewhat obtusely conciliatory, but as long suffering fans of the most significant sporting institution in the country, we must voice our disillusionment in the severest possible terms. The ignominies on the “Field of greens” aside, we are almost, as much as it pains to admit, on course to the crevices of a historical footnote and an irrelevant anachronism in the annals of Indian sporting archives. We could, of course, suspend our collective sense of disbelief and live in denial, ruminating on halcyon days, silverware, epithets and the works. But to turn a blind eye to the present travails as a transient interlude in our otherwise glittering sojourn would tantamount to inhabiting fools’ paradise.

Santosh Kashyap submitted his resignation letter to Bagan officials. Today he told that it is the best time to resign, because new coach will get more time to settle. Though he added that Odafa, Tolgey and other players have to work hard for their fitness. News from source that his resignation has been accepted by the club officials, they are looking for a German coach for the team.

mohun Bagan fans and supporters will have to undergo a nervous wait to discover if Bagan manages to avoid relegation in iLeague this season. The current head coach will surely put in Bagan to relegation zone. Add to it an absolute miserable recruitment by the bosses made the equation tough for Bagan. Bagan played with Odafa and 10 players, of whom perhaps Nabi was somewhat aware of the weight of the green-and-maroon gersey. Others seem to be at a loss! Santosh Kashyap, an unpopular appointment, would definitely lead Bagan to relegation zone.

Bagan has conceded 4 goals in 2 matches in iLeague so far, and is yet to win a point. The team somehow avoided a loss by a bigger margin as Ranty failed to score in 2 occassions. The hard working captain – Odafa would be definitely be upset that his thoughts and hopes on Stanley have misfired.

Already let, Bagan officials should now look for a replacement of Kashyap – now that Bagan will get some time before the next game – scheduled to play Air India on 28th October.

Kashyap’s miserable match reading, thoughts against the opponents and wrong strategies have already costed Bagan Federation Cup and 2 matches in iLeague. Add to it, wrong decisions and whims of the officials are definitely responsible for today’s situation.

mohunbaganclub.com has learnt that smelling trouble, as Bagan was pathetic in the field today, some of the top officials and their kins left the ground in the middle of the game.

Team Mohun Bagan needs to gear up for the match against Prayag United on 12th October. The coach has been criticized for his match readings and team selection. Here is an article that talks about ‘Half time psychology’ as published in http://www.pponline.co.uk

Make sure your football coaching mentally prepares you for the second half!

One of the things that should be taught in any football coaching is that the half-time period in a match is not just about refuelling and physical therapy. It’s also an absolutely crucial time for the coach and team to gather their thoughts and prepare mentally for the challenges of the second half. And, according to Jim Petruzzi, the importance of effective communication is hard to overestimate

Looking back to half-time in the 2005 European Champions League final, with Liverpool 3-0 down to AC Milan, according to his Liverpool colleagues, captain Steven Gerrard was in a state of disbelief and was ready to concede defeat. Afterwards, all he could remember of half-time was the manager getting his pen out, writing down the changes he wanted on the board and telling the team to try and get an early goal, as that could make the opposition nervous. But Gerrard said that, to be honest, he just couldn’t concentrate. There were all sorts of things going through his head. He just sat there with his head in his hands. He really thought it was over.

The half-time period in a game tends to create an emotional experience amongst the players and the coach. A full review might take place a day or two after the game, which can be generally analysed free of the emotional reactions associated with the game itself. However, at half-time the outcome of the game is yet to be decided. The interval is only around 15 minutes in duration, and is the only direct opportunity the coach will have to speak to all the players and to influence the second-half performance and result.

The half-time team talk will, of course, depend on the score and the coach’s perspective of the match. It is also important to note other variable factors, such as the context of the game – eg is it a cup match in which the loser gets knocked out? Is it a league game and what are the league positions of the teams contesting the game? Is one team an overwhelming favourite to win the game? Is the team winning but not performing well?

Football, in particular, is a game with many psychological demands, such as confidence, motivation and concentration, and these demands can be influenced by the situation in the game at half-time. For example, if a team is winning 3-0 and performing very well, it will go into the half-time break with a different psychological perspective from that of the team that is losing. However, if the same team is winning 2-0, and just before the half-time break the losing team score and make it 2-1, the psychological perspective of both teams would be different; the losing team would gain renewed optimism by scoring the late goal, and the team conceding the goal may become frustrated! Half-time is also psychologically important because it’s the first time in the game that the players have an opportunity to reflect consciously for a sustained period on the game.

The coach’s role at half-time

The main goal of the coach during the half-time interval is to influence positively the second-half performance as much as possible. The coach may give the players feedback on how they are performing individually or collectively as a team, and discuss technical, tactical and physical aspects of the game, including formations, styles of play, changing tempos and pitch conditions.

A key element of a successful half-time talk is communication. This is a two-way process that consists of giving and receiving information. Coaches can learn a lot about the development of the game at half-time by listening and asking the members of the team questions to prompt a two-way discussion. However, while coaches are typically good at talking, being in charge and giving instructions, they are often poor listeners.

It is also important to note that communication is not only verbal. As early as the late 1960s, research in communication had indicated that non-verbal behaviour (ie body language) plays an important role in communication(1-3). Researchers have determined that just 7% of what we communicate is the result of the words that we use or the content of our communication; 38% of our communication to others is a result of our verbal behaviour, which includes tone of voice, timbre, tempo and volume; and 55% of our communication to others is a result of our non-verbal communication, our body posture, breathing, skin colour and our movement.

Leadership styles

The leadership style also has a major influence on the effectiveness of a half-time team talk. There are several types of leadership styles, including ‘authoritarian’, ‘democratic’ and ‘laissez-faire’ (see box, page 6). It is possible for coaches to use different methods in different situations, and it’s important to note that personality types, cultural behaviour and other factors also contribute to coaching styles.

Some coaches display a combination of the different leadership traits, whereas others favour one style in particular. A good coach will adapt his or her leadership style to expectations, knowledge, experience and group members. For example, if a group is hostile, the leader may prefer to adopt an autocratic style. If the group is friendly the leader may choose a more democratic, person-centred style. Problems can arise if strategies for preparation used by the leader do not match the group expectations of the team.

Psychology of half-time substitutions

As with other factors in a match, like scoring a goal or a poor refereeing decision, the psychology of a second-half substitution can change the tactical aspect of the game and give an insight to what the manager’s state of mind may be. For example, if a team is winning 2-0 at half-time and the manager of the winning team substitutes an attacking player with a defensive player, this could be perceived as being a negative tactic, and possibly that the manager doesn’t have confidence in the team to carry on playing the same style; or as a statement by the manager saying ‘we are going to hang on to our 2-0 lead, rather than seize the initiative and extend the scoreline’.

Earlier this year, England rugby union coach Andy Robinson came in for criticism for replacing captain Martin Corry during their 18-12 Six Nations defeat to Scotland. Brian Moore (ex-England player, now working as a sports commentator) commented: ‘I don’t think you should ever take your captain off, unless there is an injury; it’s a huge psychological blow once your captain is substituted.’

The criteria in deciding who to take off depends on the context of the match, and there are many tactical factors that could influence whether a player should be substituted, and who to bring on at half-time. However, substituting your captain when he or she may not be playing well can have a massive impact on the team’s mental state. It may, for example, have a negative effect, producing the belief in the team that the coach is panicking. It can also be a good idea to bring on a substitute who regularly performs well against the opposition you are playing – this may induce panic in the opposing team.

Sometimes a team’s performance isn’t always reflected in the scoreline. If the team is playing well and goes into the interval losing against the run of play, is it worth keeping faith in the team to carry on performing well in the second half and hoping that the breaks will come, or does the manager make changes and risk disrupting the flow of the game thereby affecting the team’s performance?

Using neuro-linguistic programming in half-time psychology

Essentially, neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) is the study of excellence in how we think, how we behave and how we communicate. It provides a series of techniques, skills and methodologies that can be used to create strategies to enable us to fulfil our potential in all areas of our lives. The brain not only controls the application of skills and strategic movements, but it also affects actual body movements that people used to consider automatic. NLP can help sportsmen and women to gain control over what many consider to be ‘automatic’ functions of our own neurology. Research has shown that imagining an event can produce the same effect on structures in the brain as performing that event in reality!

For example, research carried out at the University of Chicago into visualisation in basketballers divided a number of people into three groups(4). Each was tested shooting a number of penalty shots in basketball. The groups were then given different instructions:

• Group 1 did not practise penalty shots for 30 days;
• Group 2 practised shots every day for 30 days;
• Group 3 practised shots only in their mind (visualisation) for 30 days.

After 30 days the three groups were tested again:

• Group 1 showed no improvement at all (as expected);
• Group 2 showed a 24% improvement (not especially satisfactory given that they had been practising with the ball for one month);
• Group 3 improved by 23% (impressive considering they had not even seen a ball for 30 days!).

Applying NLP at half-time

NLP can be applied at half-time in a number of different ways, just by using the principle of positive instruction. Stating what you want rather than what you don’t want can have a powerful positive effect on the mind, but many coaches still tell players what they don’t want, producing negative thoughts.

‘When you shoot don’t miss the target’ might be the instruction from the coach to player, but would it not be better to instruct the player when he shoots to hit the target? If somebody asks you not to think of the colour black, what immediately comes to mind? The very thing you were asked not to think of! Phrases such as ‘don’t foul’, ‘don’t lose the ball’, ‘don’t lose the game’ can all be replaced by more positive instructions.

Here are some half-time techniques that can be used in sequence to create the right state of mind for the coach and the players. These techniques are ‘dissociation’, ‘reframing’ and ‘anchoring’. They are aimed at creating a logical state of mind for the coach at half-time and getting the players to go out into the second half in peak mental state to achieve their desired outcome.

Dissociation

Dissociation is about recreating a past experience from the perspective of an onlooker or observer. This means that the person does not re-experience the original emotion but instead experiences the detached emotions of an ‘observer’. This enables the coach to think logically and not emotionally. The technique of dissociation is useful just before half-time, so the coach can think logically and not emotionally when delivering the half-time team talk.

Reframing

Reframing is the process of shifting the nature of the problem. It is the process of changing a negative statement into a positive one by changing the frame of reference used to interpret the experience. If all meaning is context dependent, changing the context will change the meaning.

Depending on the situation at the end of the first half, we can decide from what perspective we want to go out in the second half. A perfect example of a reframe was in the 2005 European Champions League final when Liverpool’s manager Rafa Benítez urged his players to ‘go out and score the first goal and see what happens from there’. If he had said ‘go out and score three goals’ the size of the task may have been too great. Another possible reframe is when a team comes in losing; the coach can reframe the situation by asking them to wipe the first half from their minds and just focus on winning the second half.

Anchoring

An anchor is a stimulus that creates a response either in you or in another person. When an individual is at the peak of an experience during an intense emotional state, an applied specific stimulus can establish a neurological link between the emotional state and the stimulus. Anchoring can occur naturally or be set up intentionally and can assist in gaining access to past states and linking the past state to the present and future. Anchors can be used by both coaches and players to produce a state of mind or mood needed for a given situation.

Jim Petruzzi is a performance coach, specialising in sports science and sports psychology, who works with several professional football clubs and international teams

References
1. J Counselling Psych 1967; 31:248-52
2. European J Social Psych 1970; 1:385-402
3. RL Birdwhistle (1970) Kinesics and Context, Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania
4. J Curriculum Studies 1985; 18:197-209

 

Source : http://www.pponline.co.uk/encyc/football-coaching-half-time-psychology

Kashyap has been working hard on the team formation. Interestingly he is banking more on Eche – and as a result, in spite of having a weak midfield, is compromising either on Tolgay or on Stanley. mohunbaganclub.com recommends trusting Indian brigade for defense and taking consolidating the attacking third.

Eche has failed to save Bagan from conceding goals. Mr. Kashyap and the think tank must understand that a match is not won just by defending well – you need to score goals. We have lost two matches- one against Air India and the other against Shillong Lajong. Mr. Kashyap will agree that on both occasions we got plenty of opportunities to score but failed miserably.

 

A suggested formation can be that of a 5-3-2 (which at times become 3-5-2) to go against Prayag United. With no Bello Razaq, PRayag will go for an out and out attacking formation with Kayne Vincent, Carlos Hernández  and Ranti Martins in the playing XI. Deepak Mandal with have Gourmangi Singh next to him. Deepak at times go up for an attack and this can only be restricted if he has the task to stop Odafa, Tolgay and Stanley – as he would need to assist Gourmangi for the same. Mama’s moves can be stopped by Nabi, Masih or Mehraj’s experience would server Bagan to stop Lal from passing to the Prayag strikers in the final third.  Denson can not only cut short Hernández’ runs but also can operate from behind and supply the balls to Stanley. Both Jewel and Snehasish can provide that extra effort in supplying the balls to Tolgay and Odafa respectively.

Eche can be in the bench – and can be used tactically ( may be at the libero position in the second half) – and Maithani can be used in the central midfield if Stanley is taken out for Eche.

Kashyap must include Dipendu Biswas as his confidant – Dipendu’s huge experience can bolster Kashyap’s thoughts and decisions.

Mohun Bagan was thrashed by Shillong Lajong FC here at Shillong today. Bagan conceded 2 goals, both in the second half. In the 62nd minute Boithang scored a brilliant goal. In the 89th minute Lalramluaha scored from a counter attack.

Mohun bagan reached Shillong in a 4-hour car ride yesterday. Bagan got down at the Guwahati airport but the players were unhappy to see the condition of the bus that was supposed to pick up. Officials arranged for 4 cars and the players reached the Shillong Hotel after a four and half hour of ride.

There was a press conference in Shillong on 3rd October 2012 by the local organising committee – that included the Meghalaya Football Association (MFA) and Shillong Lajong FC.

The committee announced that the stadium has been cleaned and the tickets will be on sale from today, 4th October 2012. The prices will be Rs. 100 (open gallery), Rs. 250 (covered gallery) and Rs. 300 (VIP gallery with chairs). Tickets will be available at Shillong Sports Association (SSA) counters, Polo ground, Aircel Coco near Tata Indicom, Police Bazar, Sport Spirit, MUDA Complex, Meba Stationery, Jingkieng, DJ Stall, Mawngap, Kit Enterprise, Rynjah, Sport Centre, Polo, Orion, Mawlai Nonglum and Sunny Auto Parts, Ummulong. Aircel might explore the idea of selling tickets online.

Team mohun Bagan did not appear for the practice session on wednesday and will have practice on 4th and 5th October afternoons. Santosh Kashyap mentioned that he is relieved that both his key players Odafa and Tolgay have recovered from injury.

The match is set to take place at the JN  Sports Complex at 2:45 PM.

Mohun Bagan will play Shillong Lajong FC on 6th October in their iLeague opener here at Shillong. Captain Odafa led the 18-member squad from the NSC Bose Airport and he has been guiding the team well. Coach Kashyap seem to be a bit relieved since the Captain of the ship has geared up with the team for the Lajong match. mohunbaganclub.com brings you a match preview of the game. Scottish coach Desmond “Des” Bulpin (the ex- U-23 India Coach) will put on his best combination against Bagan – and would like to retain Lajong’s outstanding performance in their home ground.

Lajong usually go for a 3-4-3 combination. The team is expected to field the following squad –

Basant, Lallawmzuala, Passah, Lalchhuan, Boithang, Jibon, Eugeneson, Samson, Friday, Sushil, Sukore. Lajong was not outstanding in their recent performace in Federation Cup. They won against mumbai FC but went down to Dempo and Pailan Arrows.

Desmond Bulpin’s side go for attack right from the word GO. They try to keep pressure on the opponents constantly with 7 men attacking – and during counter attack they defend with 7 men once again. The players really do well in running on the same speed for 90 mins!

Sukore and Friday are to be taken care of – as they constantly keep pressure on the opposition defense and proper marking is required. Sukore should definitely be marked through out the game as he can convert any half chance to a goal.

Lajong’s most experienced player – Renedy Singh is expected to join the team in the second half. The ex-Bagan captain’s brilliant off the ball moves and free kicks are definitely something one should take care of.

Lalramluaha would come in as a substitute as well – and his down the middle runs can create panic as well. This ex-Bagan boy would definitely like to prove his worth in the game.

Double coverages are expected for Odafa and Tolgay. Bulpin’s boys would try to cut off the supply lines to these strikers in central midfield- and hence Bagan needs to take care of the two wings effectively. Considering the fact that the Lajong boys are faster than the current Bagan squad in the midfield, and with no Manish Bhargav in the team, coach Kashyap would have to decide whether he would have Masih before the  defenders to cover Sukore or should he have  Jewel playing in the central midfield with Nabi operating from right.

Nabi’s experience will definitely a key to Bagan’s success in the match.

With an excellent home match track record and a team with players able to run in the same speed for 90 mins – Bulpin would definitely like to get 3 points from the match. Hence Kashyap must field the right combination in the game. 

Expected team :

Arindam, Nirmal, Eche, Khelemba, Biswajit, Nabi, Jewel, Denson, Snehasish, Odafa, Tolgay

 

Mohun Bagan’s team for the 1st match of the I-League 2012-013 has been announced. The squad consists of 18 players.

 

 

 

 Mohun Bagan’s team for the first I-league match against Shillong Lajong F.C. is:

 

Goalkeepers: Arindam Bhattacharya,Shilton Paul.



Defenders: Echezona Celestine,Khelemba Singh,Aibor Khonjee,Nirmal Chettri,Syed Rahim Nabi,Biswajit Saha,Lalrozama Fanai.



Midfielders: Jewel Raja,Denson Devadasan,Snehashis Chakrabarthy,Manish Maithani,Rakesh Masih,Stanley Cyprian.



Forwards: CS Sabeeth,Odafa Onyeka Okolie,Tolgay Ozbey.

Officials: Santosh Kashyap(Coach), Uttam Saha(Manager), Dr. Protim Ray(Team Doctor), Joseph Ronald(Fitness Coach), Jonathan Corner(Physiotherapist).

The team will leave for Shillong tomorrow.