‘We can use the defeats to make team stronger’
MOORES SAYS POOR END TO SEASON CAN HELP NEXT TIME
IF Peter Moores were hooked up to a seismograph, the emotional line would be so horizontal a spirit level would be perfectly centred - at least that is the perception he gives off in public.
Win or lose, the Nottinghamshire head coach rarely projects a different mood, with the message staying constant.
Whether the veneer cracks in private is another matter as the former England coach insists results impact on him whether they are positive or negative.
Regardless, Moores is determined the emotions his players feel in victory and in particular defeat are put to good use.
The last six weeks of this summer certainly gave plenty of chances to learn from losses as results collapsed in the County Championship, with Notts staying in Division One by virtue of winning one more game than Lancashire.
Moores wants to use those defeats to ensure he is a better coach and his team is stronger collectively and individually.
“How I act after results doesn’t relate to how it affects me. Where you become philosophical is you look at what you can do to become better,” he said.
“My theory is that team spirit is important, but not as important as individuals being skillful enough to play well when it counts.
“You want them to be resilient when it’s tough and they’re tired. We try to create an environment for people to perform.
“In losses there has to be room for people to grow. That helps me stay focused as a coach. You ask what is happening and why is something happening.
“If it all becomes a drama you miss chances to grow.
“You have tough defeats but you have to evolve because you don’t want to feel the pain again.
“Is there something we can take from the last six weeks over the season that will make us better?
“We must do anything we can to become the team we want to be.
“You learn every year as a coach. It’s mentally more draining when it’s not going well. Losing sticks to you for longer. I learned a lot about myself this year, but also the players I was working with.
“Sometimes you see things you don’t want to have seen, you think we’ve let ourselves down there.
“What we did well was we kept putting the effort in. The losses that hurt most is when you think teams haven’t gone at the game as they should. My big disappointment is that we didn’t play well enough at home in any format.”
Moores began coaching 20 years ago. His assistant, Paul Franks, is still at the embryonic stage of his coaching career.
His first season as assistant coach was a roaring success as Notts won two white ball trophies and promotion. This summer was more of a challenge.
“I learned it’s easier to win than lose, in terms of how you accept it. Occasionally I take losses hard,” Franks said.
“If you play well and get outplayed I can live with that more. There was a lot more thinking time away from Trent Bridge, as well as at work.
“The hard thing to do is win games. It’s a lot more enjoyable than losing.
“You can go around circles when you lose asking the same questions until you get back to where you started.
“If you strongly believe in what you’re doing then you’ll go back to Plan A. If you don’t you go to a place you don’t want to go.
“I’m fortunate the people around me are calm and calculating in what they want to achieve. I’m grateful for the break but I’ll be looking forward to the winter.”