Trust, in aspect of elite sport, is hard to manage. But it isn't in a space away from a club. This is something I have increasingly focussed on in my work.
We need to talk about trust. In my fifteen years or so of researching professional football, I have had many conversations with professional players, parents, and younger players, where trust has been at the centre of the conversation.
These past few weeks have been dominated by it.
"You can never trust what they say", "don't trust anyone in football", "we trusted them and felt let down", "all you can do is trust the process".
We might look at the high number of under-21 players used by Sunderland and think, this is a good place for a career. BUT, a further move or loan has been necessary for these players.
The confidence of being on the pitch, present, in the moment, unshackled, unburdened, all because you have a plan, that is where performance peaks. That is how you shift the needle.
Biological age in a football academy refers to how physically developed a player is compared to their actual chronological age. What does the research say about the impact of this?
