Trust your gut, even when I tell you not to

We’ve started training football again. We got the go ahead to start the season and we have slowly started to do more and more of the regular stuff we would be doing pre-corona. Obviously with rigorous security regulations to stay healthy.

Relationships in football are very important. By that I mean the connection that occurs while on the pitch between you, on the ball, and another player that is trying to get on the ball. A team that has played together for a long time has had a great deal of situations where these small relationships form. I’ve already had a few conversations with teammates on how we together can improve the situation where I play a through ball to their feet, to hold and then pass to a third player. These first sessions have not come without failure.

Another type of relationship that affects me when playing has more to do with how safe one feel in the team or with certain players. Do you feel safe enough to trust your own judgement or do you always go on the instruction another player gives you.

When I played in Linköping during the years 2004-2008 I once played with a very strong character. She was at the time a nationalteam player, so was I, but she had more experience and was also a very strong personality. I remember how we played a game home in Linköping, at the former arena Folkungavallen, and she called for the ball. She played full-back at the time and I felt in my whole being how I should probably not play it.

Most times I don’t listen to my gut feeling, shit hits the fan. This time was no different. Of course I played her into trouble as that is what I saw was going to happen. Numerous times after this I’ve been faced with different situations. A player might feel that they have the best solution for your current situation but you, and only you, know the exact feeling in the very moment you are in. You know if you are off balance or if you are ready to play, you know you own capacity and you know what you saw with a certain pass that you decided to do. Sure, if you fail and you took your own decision, you only have yourself to blame but I am certain you will fail less often if you trust you more than let someone else choose for you. I have found this to be a tough thing to handle as I am very keep to show respect and I often become quiet if the social status of the other player are higher than mine. Of course, I have taken some fights over the years, but with the risk of being angrily looked at after, especially if you ignore the instructions of a senior or a very strong/famous character. Luckily, most things that happen while on the pitch is gone when training is done. And most strong characters play with a lot of passion and may say things in the heat of the moment.

Anyway, the other day, when back in training I had a situation where I didn’t listen to myself. I played the ball and it failed. In order to succeed with your football, I think it is essential to listen to yourself and trust your feeling. Not only trust it, but to act on it. Of course, always be open for suggestions of improvement but never let people walk over you just because they can or for social reasons. When you know, you know. If you need to improve, you know that too. Always show respect for those that have played the game longer and are more experienced, but always listen to your gut and when these two things crash, ask yourself if you need to improve or if you let someone else make the decision for you and if that was right or not.