prath92, you really need to read up a bit on sports psychology. Yes getting results is obviously important but a positive attitude is also a large part of creating a winning mentality which contributes to that success to begin with. The physical and mental aspects are a cycle which feed one another.
Why do you think Alex Ferguson after a bad result would always state with a lot of confidence, "There will be an improvement/reaction next week, no doubt about that"? It was his way of sending a message 1) to the players of the higher standard they were expected to reach 2) to the next opponents they should be worried 3) to the world that he expected nothing less than a win. That is a winning mentality. And the result would almost invariably be that the players would raise their game, the opponent would shrink and United would win.
In contrast, when Moyes states Sunderland are in a relegation battle and the players he has aren't good enough, or sends out an unclear message about pressure and their poor league position, how does that affect his player confidence, encourage the opposition and where does it set expectations? It almost encourages the team to fail. And so they do.
Top sports players need that positive mental attitude to perform to the best of their ability and a good manager plays a large part in encouraging that.
