teamtalks for new signings and youngsters

[DaSilva9]

Had a great season last year and overachieved just missing out on promotion.

This year we're struggling somewhat because of poor form from new signings and young players.

Does anyone know useful teamtalks that can help improve the performance of new signings especially foreigners?

Also how long should the "no pressure" teamtalks be used for young players?

[smex36]

I have faith in you?

[ZdlR]

Also how long should the "no pressure" teamtalks be used for young players?

Perhaps never. Depends on the personality of the young player. I have a 17 MC who plays awfully if I don't tell him that I expect a performance from him. He is described as a "perfectionist" so it makes sense that I should demand perfection from him, lest he lose interest.

Dominant personalities - either positive or negative - are fairly easy to deal with in that there is an intuitive feel to their reactions. Spirited or light-hearted players will not take things as seriously as a professional player, and so heaping pressure and making outlandish demands of them is not always the best way to go. Balanced personalities are much more difficult to discern and it takes time to discover what makes them tick.

With all team talks, you must take as much into context as you possibly can - the individual player, the match score, the situation and meaning within the match, external off-the-pitch morale of the player, form, derby rivalry and even whether the player has ever played for the opposition before. If you are a title-challenging team losing 1v0 at home against relegation fodder in a key match during the run-in then their individual personalities are not really of any consequence - it's hairdryer time. If they don't respond then they probably aren't the right sort of personality for that kind of team and it might be worthwhile moving them on and replacing them with proper professionals who get the job done - even if they don't necessarily have the same level of talent. Conversely, if you are relegation fodder yourself losing 1v0 away to a fellow basement battler in a key fight to stay up, then studying the individual personalities and learning the reactions of each player will yield dividends. If your, otherwise dependable, keeper was responsible for the goal and is playing without confidence and has a balanced personality then it is probably best to show some faith in him or relieve the pressure on him, rather than reduce him to tears in front of the rest of the squad.

The game is aware of far more situational context than most people give it credit for.