Blind Hammer looks at how some players seem to thrive under pressure.
It is generally supposed that stress is not a good thing. A relaxed state of mind is a better bedrock to work performance than debilitating pressure elsewhere in life. Elite athletes seem to made of different, sterner stuff however.
You might be forgiven for assuming Paqueta would want to sink into a hole at this current time, clutching a pillow over his head. Not only has a potentially career transforming move to Manchester City been snatched away from his grasp, but now this dream has been transformed into a nightmare of possible charges in relation to alleged betting irregularities.
At their worst these alleged irregularities could possibly result in criminal sanctions for Paqueta and others. From a purely selfish West Ham perspective we can hope that nothing concrete arises from these issues and that Paqueta’s career, hopefully at West Ham, undisturbed…
Nevertheless Paqueta is definitely a man under unusual pressure. Yet to observe his performance at the weekend you would never believe it.
Moyes was fulsome in his praise of Paqueta’s brilliance in helping West Ham withstand the Chelsea onslaught and helping West Ham secure an unlikely win.
It places me in mind of another West Ham midfielder of old, Lee Bowyer. West Ham supporting Bowyer spent some time in the twilight of his career at West Ham, but the years of his pomp was most definitely at Leeds United. I checked out his record on Wikipedia.
Bowyer even in the infancy of his career at Leeds was no stranger to controversy. He signed for Leeds from Charlton in 1996 but in the same year he was convicted of affray and fined £4,500 following CCTV footage displaying him throwing chairs at, and racially abusing a Macdonald’s Asian staff member.
Nevertheless, Bowyer went on to play the best football of his life. He was voted Leeds Player of the Season for 4 successive seasons, in 1998, 1999, 2000 and 2001.
At the peak of his footballing powers he was once again mired in legal controversy.
Wikipedia describes how Bowyer was involved in 2 successive Court cases surrounding the serious assault of an Asian student.
Whilst team mate Jonathan Woodgate was eventually convicted in the second trial, Bowyer was cleared. However Bowyer settled a legal action from the victim by paying £175,000 as an out of court settlement in 2005.
The following is directly quoted from Wikipedia.
“Bowyer was generally recognised as playing some of the finest football of his career during this period[16 and would often go straight from court to play for Leeds.[17]”
Bowyer’s recruitment at West Ham in 2003 was controversial to many supporters, including me, at the time of his first arrival. He departed after the club’s relegation but returned after a spell at Newcastle.
His time at Newcastle was most famously marked by his on pitch brawl with team mate Kieran Dyer. This punching of future Hammer Dyer, was not just fined by Newcastle but resulted in a further conviction and fine by Northumberland Police.
Bowyer’s second spell at West Ham was unspectacular. Whilst never under the same legal pressure of his past career he lacked the spark of his performances at previous clubs. The energy and dynamism was gone. He was at best a journeyman midfield performer.
It is almost as if Bowyer needed the drama of off field pressure to drive him to heights on the football pitch.
There is absolutely no suggestion from me that Paqueta is anything like Bowyer in terms of character or personality. ?Their only connection is that they both faced off-field pressures and played for West Ham.
It did make me think though, that there might be a unique case in which football players, facing pressure elsewhere in their lives, would embrace football as a relief.
Football, even at the highest level would not be a pressure to perform, but a vehicle for relieving stress through the expression of energy and footballing joy. Its provides a mechanism for spectacular escape.to levels above the norm.
If Paqueta helps West Ham during his time of tribulation, anything like ,to the extent of Bowyer’s Leeds’ performance, we may face exciting foot balling times.
David Griffith
Really thoughtful article David, yes when I think of those players it also reminds me of DiCanio, Bellamy, Tevez from West Ham, Cantona of Utd, they seemed to elevate their games when under the spotlight or having drama in the background and used to create it on the pitch to trigger sometimes unnaturally great performances.