Tony Cascarino on TimesOnLine written about Shevchenko “a blip or the yips?”.

The yips are when athletes are so affected by nerves that they cannot perform a basic action and he talks obviously about the six games without scoring of Andriy Shevchenko.
It happens, of course: whether you are the most useless amateur or a top professional, the yips can get you.

To him footballers are as vulnerable to the yips as anyone — particularly strikers.

He remembers when, at Aston Villa in 1990, Graham Taylor was his manager and somehow Taylor saw what he wouldn’t admit — that beneath his bubbly exterior he was troubled. The manager told him to see a sports psychologist who helped him to think positively.

It’s like José Mourinho, his manager, said: Chelsea are winning without Shevchenko’s goals. How good will they be when he is on peak form? The thought is enough to give Chelsea’s title rivals the yips.

STRIKING DIFFERENCE

Except for a blip in form four years ago (2002-03: 35 apps, 9 goals = 26%), Andriy Shevchenko has had a superb strike-rate throughout his career. Since he joined Chelsea, his rate of goals per game has dropped off the scale:

Domestic league and European cups (Champions League/Uefa Cup)

2006-07 (Chelsea): 8 apps, 1 goal = 13%
2005-06: 40 apps, 28 goals = 70%
2004-05: 39 apps, 23 goals = 59%
2003-04: 41 apps, 28 goals = 68%
2002-03: 35 apps, 9 goals = 26%
2001-02: 35 apps, 17 goals = 49%
2000-01: 48 apps, 33 goals = 69%
1999-2000 (AC Milan): 38 apps, 25 goals = 66%
1998-99: 40 apps, 28 goals = 70%
1997-98 (Dynamo Kiev): 33 apps, 25 goals = 76%

Form: TimesOnLine.co.uk