We have to be honest from the off: a player's mental health matters, full stop. To be fair, that doesn't sit easily alongside the cold pragmatism of a title race. Fans worry because every selection feels like it could swing the whole season.

Mental health isn't an on/off switch

Mental struggles don't automatically make someone useless. Players can have bad patches and still contribute when it counts. But the point being made here is simple — if a player isn't mentally available for a big game, picking them can be the same as playing a man down. It's the intensity, the concentration, the off-the-ball work that suffers. You can see why supporters who want full commitment from eleven men on the pitch feel uneasy.

No one's saying we shouldn't care

Wishing Olsen well and wanting the club to provide support aren't contradictory to expecting the manager to pick the team that gives us the best chance of winning. Care off the park; competitiveness on it. We need players who will press, track back and fight every minute. Fans can want both — compassion for the individual and ruthlessness in pursuit of the title.

Tough choices are part of the job

This is about pragmatism, not being heartless. Every season throws up selection headaches — form dips, personal issues, small knocks. The staff have to judge who is ready, who can cope with the pressure, who lifts the team. Supporters can back a player while also expecting the best possible eleven on the day.

So yes, be human. But be realistic too. If leaving someone out while they recover mentally is what the team needs right now, that's not neglect — it's balancing individual welfare with the collective cause. We can want him supported and still demand the standard required to bring success.

Written by Boyne: 12 June 2026

Tags: squad