adminMUCH has been written about the potential danger of Premier League clubs welcoming back fatigued players or those crestfallen by World Cup disappointment.
Less considered has been the question of how players ‘recover’ from winning the World Cup. Scaling an emotional summit with your nation can make the prospect of Southampton away seem a little trifling, and refocusing can be difficult.
This will apply to Tottenham Hotspur’s Cristian Romero, Manchester United’s Lisandro Martinez, Manchester City’s Julian Alvarez, Brighton’s Alexis Mac Allister and Aston Villa goalkeeper Emi Martinez who are still celebrating with Argentina.
Former Arsenal defender Per Mertesacker once spoke about needing half a season to reset after winning the World Cup with Germany in 2014 and that his form dipped badly.
Those of us on the outside of elite sport tend to assume that recovering from negative experiences – such as Harry Kane’s missed penalty against France – is harder than moving on from success, but that is not necessarily the case. Kane, like a number of Spurs’ World Cup players, were thrown straight back into the action yesterday, starting with the lunchtime match against Brentford.
Most seasons end in disappointment for the vast majority of players, and responding to adversity is something all Premier League footballers have been through before.
While the quality of football at the World Cup probably surpassed expectations, there is no doubt that the Premier League’s return heralds matches with greater intensity and complexity.
The World Cup might be football’s most grand spectacle, but cannot replace what club fans have missed for the past six weeks. — Telegraph Football.
Online Reporter