Are fans to blame?

[cpwigan]

Tony and Cp how do you rectify the confidence issue for each game since everyone has a different personality, ie some are agressive and focussed while others who may be returning from injury etc are quite cautious for a while..how do you get everyone to be confident all at the same time? it's such a difficult area.

Irrespective of their own traits, if anybody is part of an incredibly positive, successful environment they tend to do far, far better than they would otherwise do.

Confidence from the atmosphere within a club kicks things off. Ian Millward exemplified how you can destroy players' clubs' confidence with negativity. Success then breeds/develops confidence.

We are part of the workplace environment for Wigan RLFC I think every fan acknowledges how good our away support is at encouraging, being positive but at home, the story is very different. We have things like the Brigantes/Ultras trying to add/create an atmosphere but they cannot do it alone. Indeed, their efforts are minimal compared to 000's groaning/moaning or cheering enthusiastically.

Think back to when Brian Noble came in. He only had to tell players they could play and not be Ian Millward and things improved. We the fans were fabulous in that spell. Did we play our part? I think we did so that shows we (support) matter. That mood soon went. I don't think we really celebrated/supported enough in 2010 but the players confidence level overcame that. I know the St George players thought the WCC atmosphere was excellent but as a Wigan fan I thought it sucked comparing it to other past big games.

Our away results = our away fans ?
Our home results = our home fans ?

Somebody tell me why there is such a difference. We easily beat IMO the best team of 2011 so far, Huddersfield away. At home it almost needs a sending off, a fight, a fabulous biblical comeback to stir Wigan fans.

[cpwigan]

Confidence comes from within. It comes from knowing your opposition and knowing that you've trained hard, to play easy. It comes from knowing your team mates and having that trust in them and the pre match/half time team talk. If that first tackle was a big one. If that first touch was a defence splitting one. If that break resulted in a try. If that kick went over. These are all issues that give a team confidence. For goodness sake folks, are we suggesting that we cheer that dropped ball, shout for a tackle to be missed and half heartedly celebrate a try? No! The fans are humans too and they're not collectively wrong. We played Catalans on Friday. Who? We are champions! Who are they? No, the fans do as the fans see and it's certainly not their fault for not politely tolerating an embarassment at the hands of Catalans. The fans pay the money. The players receive the money. Fans opinion counts, won't go away and is here to stay, in every sport! We have been lacking in a few key positions recently and we need some continuity in those positions, even if the player isn't a regular in the position. A good team will always rally round, like they had to when LIMA was sin binned v Leeds. We're lacking organisation and the 'team spirit' is not there like last year. You only need to look at Warrington or Hudds for that team spirit.

Confidence can be destroyed externally.

Ian Millward exemplified that.

IMO, fans are approaching home games negatively, expecting/anticipating the worst. Sarcastically cheering Catalans was the pits for me. Clap/praise a team at the end of a match but during? A Wigan Walker is more of a fan.

Many of you are parents. Does any parent moan/complain constantly at their child. Belittle every mistake they make, humiliate them publically? Why not?

[highland convert]

If you believe one word of what you have written, CP, I will accept your appology, I have been poopahed on this site for singing this tune for three years and you have been the first to shout, Mathers, Pryce and a few others have been shot down. Destroyed by the dydtem of unrelenting abuse,
Jim

[cpwigan]

If you believe one word of what you have written, CP, I will accept your appology, I have been poopahed on this site for singing this tune for three years and you have been the first to shout, Mathers, Pryce and a few others have been shot down. Destroyed by the dydtem of unrelenting abuse,
Jim

Jim, you may well be right. I personally never criticise players/the team, or hopefully incredibly rarely at matches. I tend to vent my anger at match officials. Although, like most I become mute and go into funeral mode. I now think that does not help.

The net I am more open minded about as I believe players should not look at the net but maybe some do and if they do then yes Houston we have a problem.

We have IMO an outstanding coaching team incl conditioning etc; we have a successul team suffering badly with injuries/player losses etc etc AND a team that can beat the best in SL away from home but lose to all and sundry at home. Given all those factors; I and others have to start looking at why. I do think, teams are working out how to play v 2nd man attacks and have a better idea how to play v Wigan, they are more motivated and we have personnel problems BUT even accepting all that then you have to ask why is the home form so bad compared to away form (home form 99% of the time is much better in all sports/clubs) so the only conclusion I can reach Jim is Support so yes you can say I (HC) was right unless somebody else can explain it. I cannot do so.

[Wandering Warrior]

CP
Your post is absolutely spot on.
There was booing at HT & walking 20 minutes into the second half on Friday.
For so called supporters replace with followers, because support is positive only I'm afraid & those that boo & walk can only be doing a negative action!
I remember Rocket Ronnie, he stepped up to the plate in adversity & every fan knew this, never good enough but like all underdogs gave 110% & was willed on by every fan to a person!

[exile in Tiger country]

The volume of a concentrated minority (the away fans) will often drown out the less concentrated volume of a majority( home supporters)
At the DW if a chant starts halfway along the East stand, by the time the South stand have picked up on it, the originators have often ended or changed a chant.
The sheer size of the ground means ths is inevitable. A full North stand of 3000 vociferous away fans will often drown oput the home supporters.
Wigan's away supporters are usually those most vociferous at the DW, but as at the DW they are spread throughout 12,000 supporters, and not concentrated in one stand, as they usually are at an away game, they do not create the same wall of noise as they do whrn away from home.
It's just simple physics really.

[the winky one]

Thank you Tony, that's quite true, sometimes there is such a clash of personalities within a team that it must be hard to keep a lid on things and not let it spill over and become destructive, I once read that when Wigan were enjoying their success years ago, it was mainly because of the fact that Edwards and Gregory, whilst both being superb players would be continually trying to better one another,and for the majority of the time this actually helped the team but occasionaly it would be a detriment.
It seems to me from the comments we have seen in the last couple of days that coaches have several factors to contend with on top of the usual fitness,defence and attack issues etc, it also becomes a battle of wills.What a complex job it can very often be.
Also as has been mentioned, we are all starting to bicker amongst ourselves on these forums following Fridays game.
Who would be a coach in any sport?,it certainly takes strong nerves.

:conf:

[cpwigan]

Winky I think British people, sports people are incredibly difficult to manage, even moreso than the incredible complexities you rightly mention.

Mentally our sportsmen/women are by and large fragile say compared to ther countries which IMO is increasingly an explanation as to why we constantly lose to Australia and now NZ in RL, why our football team blow out repeatedly at big events.

The mental weakness personifies itself in the poor off field behaviour (albeit Aus/NRl have off field issues) but moreso in terms of professionalism in approach/game play. The fragility of attitude/approach is compounded by issues re confidence/belief.

[jaws1]

The volume of a concentrated minority (the away fans) will often drown out the less concentrated volume of a majority( home supporters)
At the DW if a chant starts halfway along the East stand, by the time the South stand have picked up on it, the originators have often ended or changed a chant.
The sheer size of the ground means ths is inevitable. A full North stand of 3000 vociferous away fans will often drown oput the home supporters.
Wigan's away supporters are usually those most vociferous at the DW, but as at the DW they are spread throughout 12,000 supporters, and not concentrated in one stand, as they usually are at an away game, they do not create the same wall of noise as they do whrn away from home.
It's just simple physics really.

A thousand in the North stand will drown out any Wigan support this should be the home stand IT HAS A SOLID ROOF unlike the South stand which has a pertial glass roof.

[cpwigan]

The volume of a concentrated minority (the away fans) will often drown out the less concentrated volume of a majority( home supporters)
At the DW if a chant starts halfway along the East stand, by the time the South stand have picked up on it, the originators have often ended or changed a chant.
The sheer size of the ground means ths is inevitable. A full North stand of 3000 vociferous away fans will often drown oput the home supporters.
Wigan's away supporters are usually those most vociferous at the DW, but as at the DW they are spread throughout 12,000 supporters, and not concentrated in one stand, as they usually are at an away game, they do not create the same wall of noise as they do whrn away from home.
It's just simple physics really.

Point taken Exile but I concur with Alex. Why no resounding 'Sam will tear you apart before kick off / after his early score' I fully accept the diffusion of support but when we avoided relegation, same scenario ground wise but a very different atmosphere.

It's not a recent phenomenon either. I can remember plenty at CP who would tell you Shaun Edwards was garbage etc etc, we all know fans at the DW who seem to be willing/hoping to find something to criticise/player to berate.