Andrew Robertson

[Patricks_Berger]

Makes you wonder how people in the armed forces cope. No excuses for them.

[ChesterDave]

Armed forces are, I would expect as part of their training to kill other humans, psychologically conditioned to be more detached. Completely different for a group of young lads in their 20s and 30s who are in a world without the danger of war.

[Rowan]

Armed forces are, I would expect as part of their training to kill other humans, psychologically conditioned to be more detached. Completely different for a group of young lads in their 20s and 30s who are in a world without the danger of war.

There’s a raft of research that shows higher than average levels of PTSD, drug and alcohol dependency and (in the case of early leavers) suicide rates than the general population which would suggest that they aren’t always.

I think Jota’s passing must have been a huge factor this year. Take the suddenness of it, the fact that it was totally unexpected but compounded by the fact there’s no escape for the players. His tribute is there everytime they set foot in the ground, his song gets sung regularly, opposition fans genuinely want to show respect at times but again it’s just putting it all back in the view of the players again. Everywhere they look there’s a reminder of this huge part of their community that’s just been ripped away and after a while I’d imagine for some that it goes from motivational to exhausting and demoralising.

Basically no time to grieve and a constant and ongoing visible reminder of what they’ve lost. It must be truly awful for them. Especially those who were closest to Jota. No wonder they’re all over the shop.

[Fosterbloke]

I'm hoping we can get a full pre-season without drama, with our new signings out of their injury hells, and if Slot is staying, that he reverts somewhat to his first season with more brave and front pressing football.

[Kenneth]

(Gulp) Time to move this to the legends and former players forum.

[Daniel 7]

Just looking at him he looks well out of his depth.

Welcome Andy, make that LB position your own for the next decade!

Taken from Page One of this thread, all those years ago...

BigChief - wherever you are, Robbo nearly did make it to ten years!

[Buzzo]

(Gulp) Time to move this to the legends and former players forum.

Hopefully nobody knows how to do this yet

[MosRay]

There’s a raft of research that shows higher than average levels of PTSD, drug and alcohol dependency and (in the case of early leavers) suicide rates than the general population which would suggest that they aren’t always.

I think Jota’s passing must have been a huge factor this year. Take the suddenness of it, the fact that it was totally unexpected but compounded by the fact there’s no escape for the players. His tribute is there everytime they set foot in the ground, his song gets sung regularly, opposition fans genuinely want to show respect at times but again it’s just putting it all back in the view of the players again. Everywhere they look there’s a reminder of this huge part of their community that’s just been ripped away and after a while I’d imagine for some that it goes from motivational to exhausting and demoralising.

Basically no time to grieve and a constant and ongoing visible reminder of what they’ve lost. It must be truly awful for them. Especially those who were closest to Jota. No wonder they’re all over the shop.

On the Jota part of your post.
I don't think many of us can ever comprehend the collective and personal grief these players feel.

Those of us that have lost loved ones know grief, some of us know, sudden or unexpected lose, but even fewer of us understand a collective lose, a lose that is compounded everyday by the working environment.

There is no doubt that the lose of Diogo has had a massive bearing on the disastrous season we have just witnessed and probably a reason for some players leaving or looking to move.

For all those that remain, being away from the environment will now allow them some to grive, come to terms with what has happened and hopefully they will return in a better place.