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This is Part Two of our deep dive into elite recovery with Dr. Robin Thorpe — the man who managed player regeneration and performance at Manchester United for a decade.
In this episode, we go even deeper behind the scenes of Premier League recovery and uncover what most fans never see:
How travel, fixture congestion and European away days affect player readiness
The data + monitoring systems that predict injury before it happens
How clubs decide whether to travel home or stay overnight after matches
The psychology of recovery — switching off, mental fatigue, emotional reset
What happens when managers, medical, and sports science teams don’t agree
Why some players love recovery… and others fight it
You’ll also hear never-before-told stories about working with world-class players — including Zlatan Ibrahimović, Robin van Persie, Alexis Sánchez, and Chicharito — and how different personalities respond to recovery demands.
If Part One explained what recovery is, this episode explains how it works under real pressure.
About Dr. Robin Thorpe:
Former Senior Performance Scientist & Head of Recovery at Manchester United (2009–2019)
Worked under Sir Alex Ferguson, David Moyes, Ryan Giggs, Louis van Gaal, José Mourinho & Ole Gunnar Solskjær
Contributed to 10 national & international titles at Man United
Consulted across the EPL, NBA, MLS, MLB, PGA Tour & Olympic Track and Field
Former Director of Performance at Red Bull (LA)
Robin now consults globally, helping elite players and organisations reduce injury risk and maximise availability.
By Strain on the gameThis is Part Two of our deep dive into elite recovery with Dr. Robin Thorpe — the man who managed player regeneration and performance at Manchester United for a decade.
In this episode, we go even deeper behind the scenes of Premier League recovery and uncover what most fans never see:
How travel, fixture congestion and European away days affect player readiness
The data + monitoring systems that predict injury before it happens
How clubs decide whether to travel home or stay overnight after matches
The psychology of recovery — switching off, mental fatigue, emotional reset
What happens when managers, medical, and sports science teams don’t agree
Why some players love recovery… and others fight it
You’ll also hear never-before-told stories about working with world-class players — including Zlatan Ibrahimović, Robin van Persie, Alexis Sánchez, and Chicharito — and how different personalities respond to recovery demands.
If Part One explained what recovery is, this episode explains how it works under real pressure.
About Dr. Robin Thorpe:
Former Senior Performance Scientist & Head of Recovery at Manchester United (2009–2019)
Worked under Sir Alex Ferguson, David Moyes, Ryan Giggs, Louis van Gaal, José Mourinho & Ole Gunnar Solskjær
Contributed to 10 national & international titles at Man United
Consulted across the EPL, NBA, MLS, MLB, PGA Tour & Olympic Track and Field
Former Director of Performance at Red Bull (LA)
Robin now consults globally, helping elite players and organisations reduce injury risk and maximise availability.