John Barnes

So as much as you say the effects alcohol has on your performances, because everybody was doing it, you know, everybody was at the same level.

Once one team stops doing it, they're going to go ahead.

And that's why Wenger really came and changed it.

And the players had to buy into it.

At the start, most players go to weekends, you'd all come in a bit rough.

And we saw it in Europe, when we played in Europe and stuff, and these foreign players, and after the game, it was like, well, why don't you just have a glass of wine?

That is why I was able to move into midfield.

Because when I wrote to Michael Eastendon and I couldn't do what I did on the left wing anymore, I felt very comfortable going in there.

Now, you're playing in midfield and I'm going to have to try and play not in the same tackling way as Ronnie Wheeler, but getting the ball off the back front, playing it simple.

but then the fans aren't happy.

What's he doing?

John Barnes is not doing that.

But I understood that this is the way I have to play in this team, in that position.

So it was easy for me to make that transition because of the way I'd been brought up in Watford, playing in different positions.

Now, the fans aren't going to appreciate me because Barnes is not the same, because he's not doing what he did.

But I knew I had to play in that way, in that position.

Because the laws of the game has changed as well, which means that if you're very technical and you're playing in midfield and the Roy wants to come and kind of just be a bit over physical, it's going to be a free kick, whereas back then it wasn't.

So as much as having technical ability, you had to have that resilience as well, which meant that technical players now, look at Andrea Pirlo, for example, you know, and players like Iniesta, because you could still tackle them.

Whereas now it's so much easier for technical players because you can't tackle them.

You can't tackle them at all.