Yeah I think there’s a lot of truth in that. Gomes has always been hugely talented but there’s some weird mental thing with him where his performance level can fluctuate maybe more than anyone I’ve ever seen. Sometimes he’s the best player on the pitch one week and then looks like he’s never seen a ball before the next. Holgate’s a weird one, I feel like he’s a talented lad but he has a number of weaknesses in his game and I’m not sure he’s ever done a lot to address them. I’ve been saying for years though, real coaching can see players improve massively and I’m not sure there’s been a huge amount of it going on in recent years.
Yes all true. Gomes inconsistency is astonishing really. Even when he first came, he could go from being MOTM at Anfield or Stamford bridge and just go missing the next week. Hes probably one of the most inconsistent players we have had in my lifetime.
I can only put it down to confidence. He was very central to training drills in the week, and I hope that "arm around the shoulder" will work for him. I'll be honest I think Benitez and Ancelotti tried to hide him, playing him wide or in a 10 position, which is not his game. You need to get him on the ball regularly.
As for Holgate, hes not as "high ceiling" as Gomes, but hes quite quick, good on the ball and a decent tackler. I'm going to be a little harsh and caveat it, but he hasnt kicked on in the last 2 years (from the original positive spell he had late Silva early Ancelotti). The caveat to it, is he did kick on a fair bit before that, so I'm not going to say it's a situation just around attitude.
I think you're right to highlight coaching. The very best players just get it, and dont need a huge amount of coaching. The most talented player I've seen for us was Rooney, and he didnt need coaching at all really. He needed tactically managing and motivating, which Ancelotti and to a degree Benitez specialised in.
Townsend would speak of how Benitez would never praise him, and always say what he could do more. He seems like a mentally strong, confident individual who is just that bit older and it probably works for him. But for other players, younger, maybe less aware of their game, maybe more prone to anxiety etc, that sort of approach can really kill confidence. They probably need that high level of coaching as a scaffold, and the more "arm around the shoulder" approach.
I actually think Silva was good at this. He was good on the training ground, but just couldn't manage games very effectively. I'd say he may have been the best coach weve had since Moyes, and maybe even better than him as a pure coach. Lampard is clearly a good young coach too, but also is a better speaker, connects with fans better and has a bigger name. I'd imagine praise from Lampard, for Holgate/Gomes etc will mean more than from Silva.
That's the hope anyway. Its the hope that kills you! And while Holgate and Gomes will not be able to replicate that performance every week, against sides I'm the bottom Gomes should really be dominating the game as he did there. There was a point in that 2and half where he was almost taking liberties, just too quick, too strong too powerful for the opponents.
More broadly I think the squad suffers the same continuum Holgate/Gomes are on but not as sharp. They are not awful, they are not even lazy (I dont think its laziness) but they are mentally quite fragile compared to elite players and need quite specificn management. They seem to go to peices when expectation is on against poor teams, rather than seeing it as a moment to shine.
I hope Lampards "enjoy the ball" positive message can filter through. That it's an opportunity to impose yourself.
