Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee

A craftsman at work: Psychology at its best, football players take note. (If you have the patience to watch this, trust me its worth it)




What can i say...the Champions League is just a couple of hours away and the war of words started between Chelsea and Manchester United days ago, but the most interesting topic is why did Cristiano Ronaldo change his mind suddenly about his future at Manchester United? Most importantly why pick a crucial period like this to express his wishes of playing in Spain? It leaves a bitter taste in the mouth of United fans.

I can't help but think, could this be a psychological ploy to get Chelsea players resting on their laurels? Muhammad Ali used psychology greatly in his matches against his opponents taunting them and even predicting he would beat them at certain rounds. He did this in that famous match against Sonny Liston, when all things were equal, Ali knew how to squeeze a victory peppered with some "verbal punches" before the big fight.

In the Champions League Drogba, lampard, Joe Cole, Obi Mikel, Ronaldo, Ferdinand, Fletcher, Tevez, etc went on about why the other team are not fit to win. None were with substance, the most audacious one was Tevez saying we won the Champions League!!! Where did that come from? I don't know, but these bragging rights might seem to excite the average school kid, but not the "real" fans.

The irony of it is when the the Champions League was called the European Cup and the world once a upon a time did not have the media explosion as now, it was more menacing to read the players' comments before the big games.

Reading the comments of both United and Chelsea players are like wild punches thrown by Ali's opponents none proving lethal. Only God knows if these words have any effect on each other. Ali was king in this and I think every sportsman should know where the origins of sport psychology actually started it was not in an academic institution, it started in a policeman's basement when a kid named Cassius Marcellus Clay (his name at that time) came crying to report about his bicycle getting stolen. The kind officer took him to the boxing gym in the police basement and told him that the next time to prepare himself if a someone wants to harm him in anyway and he never looked back.

Watch this famous video of the weigh-in before the famous match with Sonny Liston in 1964. Looking at Liston's face here you know he already lost the match, now that is psychology at its best, meanwhile it is getting cold here..hmmm my train is getting nearer to Moscow.