21 June 2026
What makes a winning team? So often, player recruitment involves working out if players fit within a team style. A team formation. Or a team culture.
But, sometimes, this can be like fitting a round peg into a square hole. It does not always work out. The team suffers. The fans bemoan a fractured style of play.
Let us take for example Manchester United. Players like Ángel Di Maria, Antony Santos, Jadon Sancho and Rasmus Højlund have graced the turf at Carrington, United’s primary training ground.
But none have brought the glory times back to United. Back when Sir Alex Ferguson managed United for 26 years and secured 38 trophies.
What if football clubs gave greater consideration to a player’s upbringing, character and mentality to hard work?
This article proposes that elite teams have undervalued the importance of hard work compared to talent. Sure, talent plus hard work can assist in improving a team’s chances of winning games and ultimately silverware.
But also, character and mentality are critical in sustaining success. Let us take for example Sunderland AFC. After achieving their long-awaited return to the English Premier League, Sunderland spent 165 million euros on transfer signings in the 2025/26 season.
From the outside, the club appeared to be splashing the cash to ensure it remained competitive with the likes of other Premier League clubs. But this is only a small portion of the story.
Sunderland’s long-term philosophy is to recruit, develop and eventually sell undervalued young footballers. The club operates under a core set of values including hard work, team spirit, positivity, and relentless obsession.
Long-standing club players like Luke O’Nien may not have played regular first team minutes in 2025/26, but they formed a crucial part of the club’s DNA behind the scenes. Their energy and passion drives a culture of excellence and boldness within the club, inspiring the club’s crop of talented youngsters; Christopher Rigg, Trai Hume and Habib Diarra.
In-house culture. That is where long-term success is formed. And player recruitment should involve a detailed look at the background of a player. Instagram likes, YouTube shorts and highlight reels are great for exciting fans.
But it is only when you look at where a player has come from, their attitude to setbacks and their work ethic that you know whether they have the tools to go from being a good footballer to a GREAT one.
So, what do the successful football clubs do? All and more to be discussed in the next blog articles.
From
Yours truly,
The Football Independent
The Football Independent 