Brendan Rodgers insists that mind-games are 'stupid'

Brendan Rodgers believes mind games are stupid

Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho turned his attention on Arsene Wenger on Friday, branding the Arsenal boss “a specialist in failure”, but Brendan Rodgers insists things are getting silly.

“It is getting stupid now, isn’t it?” he said. “It is probably more for the media, who will make more of it than it actually is.

“As a modern-day manager there are so many elements you have to have to your profile at this level; it is more than just the coaching on the field, it is managing the welfare of the players, media, and the psychology of it all has always been the case.

“That is always about dealing with the human nature of people and getting the best out of them while managing expectations.

“That psychological side is as important as dealing with technical, tactical and physical elements of football.

“I can only speak for myself and it [mind games] has nothing to do with me.

“I focus on the players and let them do the talking on the field. It is the job of the manager to release the pressure on the players to go and perform.

“It may affect some players but I think the majority of players with a strong mentality it goes over their head.”