There was a time where access all areas was a given in football, but since the advent of the Premier League the ability to get closer to players has become difficult, unless a club happens to become a subject of a documentary.
The appeal of watching what really goes on inside a football club is obvious, given that not only does it bring a human element to proceedings, but also allows the match going fan to see all aspects of their club laid bare.
Footage from inside dressing rooms during particularly important matches are gold dust for broadcasters because they capture the true essence of the pressure on both manager and players to deliver.
It also gives everyone a chance to see what it’s really like to get a dressing down from Messrs. Mourinho, Arteta and Guardiola et al, when the mask slips and there’s no opportunity for a second take.
There is a tendency to take things too far, however, and that could largely be the reason why, as The Times report, Premier League clubs have rejected a request from Netflix for three years of behind the scenes access at various English top-flight clubs.
It’s believed that the broadcaster wanted to make a documentary similar to their Formula 1: Drive to Survive programme, but that will not become a reality.
That’s surely for the best because there’s a real sense of overkill at this stage. As the saying goes… it is possible to have too much of a good thing.