Players on the beach? Why lack of motivation is difficult to deal with

"But, being completely honest, a lack of motivation can be difficult to deal with if you are in charge of a team that find themselves in the middle of the table with, in their minds, nothing to play for. Clubs generally pay players bonus money for staying up, yet I have been at places where reaching 40 points has guaranteed us safety and, having received the extra payments, results have dropped off afterwards. It's never like that for a manager, though."

"The Premier League has always had positional prize money with a difference of several million between, say, eighth and 12th. So the club itself is always motivated to finish as high as possible, even if you know that is going to be in mid-table. It could add a couple of million to your transfer budget for the following season but, even if you don't get to spend it yourself, you know it will pay a bill somewhere. The players don't think like that though, and as a manager it is really tough to maintain that relentless focus you have demanded from the group for the previous nine months"

"Giving them a financial incentive is probably the only way to solve the issue. Premier League players are paid enormous basic wages, but at times like this you'd prefer to cut that figure and replace it with winning, appearance and league-position bonuses that run right up to the last game of every season."

"Another bone of contention at the moment, especially for fans of teams who are desperate for other results to go their way, is seeing managers prioritise certain games over others. By making seven changes for his side's Premier League game against Tottenham, Aston Villa boss Unai Emery was accused of focusing on his side's Europa League tie with Nottingham Forest, rather than sele"

Players can be accused of being “on the beach” after poor performances when motivation drops for teams stuck in mid-table. Managers struggle to maintain the relentless focus demanded earlier in the season because the cutting edge from a specific target disappears. Clubs remain motivated by Premier League positional prize money, which can differ by several million between league positions and can increase the transfer budget or pay bills. Players often do not think in those terms, so managers may need to use financial incentives. Replacing some basic wages with winning, appearance, and league-position bonuses tied to the final games could help. Fans also question managers prioritizing certain matches, such as making multiple changes for a league game while focusing on European fixtures.

Read at www.bbc.com