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It is not unusual for a player to be described as having his brains in his feet. If an individual is given this label then does it qualify him as an intelligent footballer?

Being a clever footballer, it would seem, is not dependent on being intelligent in the other sense, as most coaches and players would say that game awareness and vision come from natural talent combined with good instruction.

I think that most would tend to associate these types of players as being forward-thinking and creative types, usually playing in a more advanced midfield role or just off the striker.

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There has been one phrase dominating Scottish football this week. The term and its connotations have been discussed and debated by pundits and fans alike.

There is, of course, a division of opinion on the merits of a side producing a defensive display, but how do players feel about it? Do they not enjoy being part of a side that is aimed at restricting the opposition, or do they simply accept such occasions and even relish them as another test of their football capabilities and resolve?

Firstly, players, like everyone who loves the game, would prefer to play in a side or be part of a performance that is easy on the eye and which secures victories by scoring several goals.

However, the nature of the sport suggests that there will always be sides stronger than others and, in these cases, is it more admirable to stand toe-to-toe with the opposition and accept a beating, or to look for alternative methods of gaining an advantage?

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How often have we heard a manager or player make the comment "it's part of the game"?

This remark is usually accompanied by a shrug of the shoulders and is a sign of a grudging acceptance of some of the more difficult aspects of football. Injuries are one such area, but in the week that saw , criticism is another.

I do not believe that many people in any walk of life enjoy being criticised and in that respect footballers are no different.

The criticism that a player can face comes in varying forms, from being pilloried by their manager to being booed and abused by their own supporters and hammered by the press.

While the reason for any of this unfavourable judgement is usually a poor performance or result, it is fair to say that individual players will respond very differently to being faulted by coaches, fans or pundits.

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When an estate agent describes a property as having character, do we smile in the knowledge that they really mean it requires major refurbishment?

If we do, then we must also believe that, when a football agent describes a client as being a free agent, he is in effect an unemployed footballer!

It gives me no satisfaction to accept that at the present moment I would fall into such a category, but having found myself in such a position the challenge then becomes dealing with it and finding a way out of it.

The most obvious escape from being an out of work footballer is, of course, to simply sign for another club.

But this is a route which has become more troublesome than previously for a higher number of players as a consequence of a difficult economic climate and significant reduction in squad sizes.

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