Combatting mental fatigue in the SPFL play-offs
“The games are crazy.”
These were the words of Partick Thistle striker Brian Graham after his late strike gave his side a 4-3 victory over Queens Park. A goal which means Thistle have taken one step closer to top-flight football following the first leg of their Scottish Premiership quarter final play-off match.
You’d be forgiven if you thought the words ‘quarter final’ shouldn’t appear anywhere near a play-off descriptor. But that’s because for those teams finishing 3rd or 4th in the Championship, each forward step in the play-offs is couched in the context of Scottish Football’s very own marathon. A marathon which, in the history of the play offs, only Livingston have successfully completed. The prize of Premiership football brings added prestige, income, and umpteen opportunities to complain about VAR… but only if they can navigate six highly pressurised games.
You’ll no doubt hear pundits trot out the cliché that the players will need to treat each of these matches like a cup final. But cup finals are notorious for being physically and mentally draining. In part because of the stress-induced effects pressure can bring on the body and brain. Football’s dynamic, fast-paced and unpredictable environment means precise and fast decision making is needed over the 90 minutes. But mental fatigue has a negative impact on players’ decision-making abilities as well as their discipline, motivation, and ultimately their overall performance. So where does this leave the Thistle and Queens Park players?
With another potential five ‘cup final’ games to come, here are some strategies they could consider to limit the effects of mental fatigue taking over:
Keep the message simple
There’s likely a lot of things going on in the players heads already. Coaches should try and keep any pre-game instructions simple to avoid adding to the ‘noise’ and the potential for further distractions.
Build in adequate recovery time between games
The games come round quickly but trying to find ways to help the players recharge both physically and mentally will be vital. Each of us relax in different ways, allowing the players to have a beer or two post match may be no bad thing.
Limit phone use
Scrolling through news, social media and replying to messages can add to mental fatigue. Keeping phones away from the dressing room would be advisable and trying to encourage players to limit their use in between games would even better.
Don’t look too far ahead
Talking of or thinking about multiple upcoming ‘cup finals’ could be overwhelming and add to mental fatigue. Coaches should focus on breaking the task down. Yes, I’m turning to another cliché… but taking ‘one game at a time’ is the order of the day here. Keeping the pre-match preparations as normal as possible should help them to do so.
Best of luck to both teams and, as a neutral, here’s hoping for the crazy games to continue!
