A fascinating book that delves into many aspects of the highly competqtive world of elite professinal football.

I am not sure if the title of the book is completely accurate but enjoyed the content nevertheless.

My favourite chapter was about Athlectic Bilbao and I hope they continue with their culture into the future.

If you want a slightly different book about top level football then you will enjoy this.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

Thank you NET GALLEY for the copy

Nothing wrong with this book at all but for me there was nothing NEW about it either. If you are new to this genre you will enjoy.

Found this heavy going and unsure if it should not have been edited into a more punchy publication. I recently read Scramble by Marty Neumeier and, whilst very different in content, this managed to get over the concept and practice of agile strategy in an entertaining and interesting way. I can see a lot of hard work has gone into Ben's book but worry about whether that will translate into sales.

good ideas, useful bits of advice about how to lead and manage people who have differences, not entirely independent ideas though.

Management lessons that give insight to how different high performing managers yield the desired results in different teams that they find themselves.

Have you ever wondered why high-performing managers move organisations only to reassemble their teams to get the results expected of them? Or why last year's multimillion dollar superstar isn't as good in their new team? Or how someone written off by their last boss becomes a proven genius after a few weeks with a new manager? This management book has good hints for those answers.
There is also the reason why we shouldn't scoff at news of footballers training with ballet dancers and keys for developing sporting talent in a resilient way. You have stories of the managers and players who are the headlines. You'll also understand the links between a small town teacher, the reinvention of football and the philosophy of Arsenal's player development. While money can buy results in the short term, transfer fees can be wasted. There are other secrets in the approach of the big clubs in Europe to spending the investors money wisely.
Management coach, football parent and soccer fan will all be educated about how to get the performance edge they want. For those that want to look deeper, the references and footnotes are a rich supply of signposts. It's a fascinating book told as the author's journey to meet some of the most successful coaches of our time.

I'm probably not the target reader for this book, given that I hate football and all, but I did find it interesting. The writer has done a good job and manage to hold my interest throughout. I would recommend this.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for the opportunity to read.

I enjoyed this and found it valuable and thought provoking. The author has visited a number of groundbreaking football clubs around the world who seek to gain an advantage, however minute, through the use of new and original methodology perhaps more usually applied in business than in sport.

I was more interested din the football application rather than in reading bout the business side and as a supporter of a team in Brentford who have prided themselves in thinking out of the box in order to make a small budget stretch as far as possible I found the contents original and invaluable.

I am sure that at least some of the more hidebound clubs might be shaken out of their lethargy of they take the time and trouble to read this book - but somehow I doubt if they will bother.

Let's be frank - the crazy world of elite football profligacy, obscene salaries and endorsements has almost nothing in common with the corporate world of business, unless we are taking about CEO salaries (but I digress).

Ben Lyttleton does make a commendable attempt to draw parallels and even endeavours to transpose lessons for the business world. But who are we kidding? That would be like using karate to teach ballet, both involve physical activity, but they are worlds apart in style and execution.

So did I hate this book for fundamentally failing to address it's very own premise?

No, Ben Lyttleton still takes the reader on a fascinating journey behind the football scenes and interviews some of the most progressive thinkers in football today.

The social model engrained at Athletic Club de Bilbao flies in the face of the globalised football industry and yet works for the club and their devoted supporters.

Ben Darwin's analytical tools such as TeamWork Index (TWI) and Team Shared Experience (TSE) provides quantitative insights into team performance. We have England's disastrous Euro 2016 campaign on the one side and Leicester's one season wonder on the other side.

A detailed examination of the partnership between Michels and Cruyff that revolutionised Dutch and global football with Total Football. The subsequent crossover in child development between the philosophies of Cruyff and Montessori to address the Relative Age Effect in sport teams.

AZ Alkmaar utilisation of an Israeli neural-tracking software tool called Intelligym to significantly improve the skills of players. Let's not forget the Moneyball type recruitment analytics that are infusing football with indispensable modern technology.

Even though this book may not give you the proclaimed edge in business, it is still an absorbing read for any football enthusiast who seeks a better understanding of the finer mechanics of the beautiful game.