This week on Strain on the Game, we’re turning the mic over to you.

In our first-ever Ask Me Anything episode, Stephen Warnock and Adrian Lamb dive into a brilliant mix of questions sent in by listeners covering everything from elite player preparation and recovery routines, to Premier League dressing-room dynamics, training misconceptions, mindset, motivation, and the realities of life inside professional football.

Nothing is off limits.
Nothing is too niche.
And nothing escapes Stephen and Adrian’s first-hand experience across decades in the game.

Whether you're a coach, a parent, a player, or just obsessed with understanding what really goes on behind the scenes, this AMA is packed with insight, practical takeaways, and a few stories that definitely don’t make it onto Match of the Day.

Tune in, send your questions for the next one and enjoy a deeper look at the strain behind the game.

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.

This week on Strain on the Game, Stephen Warnock and Adrian Lamb sit down with Dr. Robin Thorpe, one of the world’s leading performance and recovery experts and the former Senior Performance Scientist & Head of Recovery at Manchester United.

For a decade (2009–2019), Robin worked directly with the first team under Sir Alex Ferguson, David Moyes, Ryan Giggs, Louis van Gaal, José Mourinho and Ole Gunnar Solskjær, overseeing the recovery and regeneration of elite players. During that time, United won 10 national and international titles, and Robin became known as the person players trusted to get them physically and mentally ready for the next match.

In this episode, Robin reveals what really happens behind the scenes of Premier League recovery and answers the questions fans never get to hear:

• What does recovery actually mean in elite football?

• How do clubs monitor fatigue and predict injury risk?

• What do players do immediately after a match?

• Cryotherapy, compression, hydrotherapy, what works, what doesn’t?

• How do travel, fixture congestion, and December chaos impact performance?

• Why is mental and emotional recovery just as important as physical?

Plus: real stories from working with world-class athletes including Zlatan Ibrahimović, Wayne Rooney, Alexis Sánchez, Robin van Persie and Chicharito and how different personalities respond to recovery demands.

Beyond football, Robin has consulted across the NBA, MLB, MLS, PGA Tour, Olympic Track & Field, and was Director of Performance at Red Bull, supporting global sports projects and building systems to maximise performance and availability.

👉 If you’ve ever wondered what the pros really do after a game, this episode takes you inside the recovery rooms, onto the training pitches, and into the decisions that keep elite players on the field.