The Book of Tells (Peter Collett)[unlocked]

ANXIETY TELLS
on to the final, and England would be out of the competition.
When Southgate placed the ball, walked back
and started his run he knew how important it was to get
the ball into the net. Maybe it was the weight of responsibility
resting on his shoulders, or maybe he had a
momentary loss of concentration - but, instead of striking
the ball cleanly, he tapped it softly, and the German goalkeeper
had no problem stopping it before it got near the
goal mouth. As Southgate turned and began his lonely
walk back across the pitch, he realized the grave consequences
of his missed penalty. While he was walking
back towards his team mates, with his eyes downcast,
Southgate did what so many football players do when
they're in the depth of despair - he 'cradled' the back of
his head in his hands.
There isn't much that a football player can do to console
himself in this kind of situation - he can't talk to himself or
pat himself on the back or give himself a hug. However he
can comfort himself by performing the 'cradle'. Although
he doesn't realize it, by placing his hands round the back
of his head he is repeating the action that his mother used
to support his head when he was a helpless baby. The
sense of security that he felt then is intimately connected
in his mind with the sensation of having the back of his
head supported. By clasping the back of his head in
his own hands, the player is therefore substituting himself
for his mother.
The 'cradle posture' isn't only seen on the football pitch
- it can be found wherever people feel insecure and need
to protect themselves from threats, either real or imagined.
If you watch a heated boardroom meeting you're likely to
witness a few examples of the 'cradle'. In fact there are
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