Matthew Syed is a British journalist, author, broadcaster, and former British number one table tennis player. We met with Matthew at Acast Studios near Old Street on a hot day in central London. We started our conversation by talking about the challenges facing top coaches in sport and in particular the ongoing success and adaptability of top football managers like Sir Alex Ferguson. Matthew told about his journey to becoming Britains No.1 Table Tennis player and how he sustained that position for 10 years. We talked about the power of camaraderie in team sports allowing the victors a greater sense of achievement and enjoyment at winning, than in individual sports. In discussing his new book 'Rebel Ideas' Matthew tells us about how he been looking into anthropology, performance and the echo chambers so many of us find ourselves. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/theblankpodcast.   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices