The evolution of the playmaker position has a direct effect on the transfer market.
Brains are the most important trait in football these days and it could be seen in Bleacher Report’s 25 most wanted footballers list. At least 15 out of 25 wanted players are what you might call “creators”.
After checking out Bleacher Report’s Top 50 under 21 players list, we can learn that the battle for creativity will intensify. 17 out of the best 25 are ”thinkers”.
Why is that?
Creativity, imagination and intuition are rarer than other traits in football, hence, more expensive (It’s all a simple manner of supply and demand). These features are rare because the adequate skills (mainly coordination) which allow them to come to fruition on the field are honed in a very limited time slot – childhood.
The problem is that most footballers did not have enough time (or patience) in their childhood to work on their neurological skills, thus limiting their creative potential.
Speed and strength, unlike high levels of coordination, can be added later on in the process of player development. Even a higher work rate is just a mental switch away – as can be seen in Didier Drogba’s career. Drogba, up until his late 20′s liked McDonald’s more than the gym – When that changed, his career really took off.
The human brain is the hottest commodity in football. Clubs should start investing more in it.
WHAT TO DO NOW?