Will we ever recover the plague of psychologists which has struck at the heart of big business and major sporting events?

I have a great deal of respect Kevin Keegan, who ranks England's finest football managers, but I feel sorry England's players who still have to rely psychologists to prepare them for big matches.

Keegan's predecessor, Glenn Hoddle was equally qualified the job of national football coach, yet his solution the problem of mental preparation was to employ a faith-healer. Hoddle had to leave his post because he did not appear to be sympathetic mentally and physically handicapped people. He suggested that the problems they were suffering were the consequences of sins they had committed in an earlier life and that they were therefore responsible their own handicaps.

After succeeding getting rid Hoddle, you would have thought that English football would have little room managers with eccentric beliefs. However, The Guardian reports the use by Keegan of Watt Nicoll, a former stage hypnotist, to motivate the England squad before their match against Poland. The result the match was 3: 1 in England's favour. It would appear that Keegan is serious motivational psychology. Had England lost to Poland, we could all have smiled him. In the light of the home victory, Nicoll was presented with an England shirt for his trouble and no money was subtracted his wages.

I am very suspicious psychologists and find it hard to credit Nicoll with any responsibility the favourable England result. His business card describes him as Watt Nicoll MP. The letters MP usually stand "Member of Parliament", but here they merely stand "Motivated Person". Nicoll is said to have qualified Motivational Psychology in the United States, before returning to England to reinvent himself as a business guru.

The England players' reactions their psychology session were mixed. Some of them believe that a good score-line is related the motivation of the team; others are sick hypnotists and faith healers, but are reluctant to quarrel Kevin Keegan. In any case, a little distraction before a big match probably saves everyone nerves and they are at least safe Glenn Hoddle's strange views about reincarnation.