I have quit jobs, moved countries and become – to use my friend’s words – an ‘intellectual hobo’ in search of these seven words. Those seven words have consumed my life for 18 months. They are seven words that I believe hold the key to understanding creativity in football players. ‘Who we are is how we play’ These seven words are the conclusion to my thesis; 35,661 words deftly reinterpreted by my ‘old man’ as: ‘You can take the boy out of Liverpool,…
Gerrard
Throughout his tenure as head coach of FC Barcelona, Pep Guardiola prioritised one message above all others, a message that built a dynasty, defined a generation and changed a game. PDP Lead Researcher James Vaughan discusses the value of a style of play and how Pep Guardiola has influenced a generation of coaches and players. The message was simple: ‘The target is not to win titles; the target is to achieve a unique style of play.’ The simplicity and eloquence of this message are as profound…
Over the course of his professional career, Joey Barton has been on a rollercoaster ride of news headlines, breakdowns, and ashes of brilliance on the football eld. The turbulence of his career seems to have culminated in a level headedness and reflective nature which adds another new twist to the Joey Barton story so far. I don’t know Joey Barton and I’d imagine very few really do, but at school I must have met a hundred lads like him. Boys who survived the rough, tough estates that…