The Euros are up-and-running and excitement is at an all-time high following French euphoria in the opening match which was nearly matched by Wales’ heroics against Slovakia.
As the net continues to bulge, the hopes of nations rest heavily on the shoulders of eleven men, but many are quick to forget the orchestrators of such magic – the managers.
Yes, the sideline-standers will have as much of an impact on your nation’s progression at this summer’s tournament as your favourite fearsome frontman or midfield maestro; the job is considered to be an awful lot tougher than club management for a select number of reasons, here’s a look at five differences between the two...
1) Domestic dosh
In club football, money talks. If a manager sees a vulnerability in the hub of their side, it can easily be plugged by dipping into the transfer kitty and offering top players superior wages to what their current club has on the table; ultimately, club managers play a crucial part in deciding who walks in and out of the club door.
At the international level, however, this is not the case, nationality is invariant (barring dual-nationality circumstances), meaning a manager of a national outfit has to deal with what he’s got at his disposal.
This makes for a far more even playing field; success is determined by a team’s unity and ability on match day, not on who has the biggest wallet and so many regard international football as the only avenue of the beautiful game untainted by financial firepower.
It magnifies the work of the gaffer in greater detail, as they have to rely on their tactical know how to sort out a tricky situation, rather than turning to money.
2) Greater emphasis on man-management
Following on rather appropriately from the preceding point, it is evident that international managers have fewer resources available to them which can boost their chances of success and so a lot of the time it comes down to how well they can organise a group.
At club level, players are together week-in-week-out on the training pitch and in regular fixtures, but at international level, managers may have to wait months on end before they can re-evaluate their squad and train everybody together as one group.
International sides also boast players of the greatest pedigree; every player is there on merit and has to be a reasonable standard. With this, comes a group of egos to manage, which requires mental resilience and assertiveness.
It’s not the end of the world for a player if they’re are left out for the odd league match; they can try to worm their way back into the team ahead of the next match a week later.
With national sides, missing a game can prove heart-breaking as players only get the opportunity to stroll out onto the field in their colours every few months and it’s up to managers to keep the group content, competing regularly and assured in their ability.
3) It’s all long-term...
Nearly every football fan has had the delight of hearing the words ‘we’ll take each game as it comes’ in a dry, post-match interview and this is the mantra by which many club managers operate.
In the Premier League or La Liga, long-term ambitions are broken down into more achievable short-term targets (Leicester City went the whole season taking it match-by-match and were triumphant at the close) but in international football, there’s nearly always a major tournament on the horizon or qualifying campaign to battle in and these games are scattered throughout the year.
Therefore, managers at the international standard have no option but to test their team’s resolve by laying down long-term markers and making drafts of tactics and team sheets months prior to a game.
The gap between fixtures also means players can fall out of favour quickly. In December, a national side could be placing all faith in an in-form striker, only for him to see a decline in form for his club and fail to make the cut come March, so international managers have to be on their toes and it can be difficult to plan their team months in advance.
4) Elevated expectations
It’s surprising I’ve got so far into an article about the struggles of international management without touching upon the gargantuan stress-load it offers in comparison to club management.
Arsene Wenger and Pep Guardiola are among many who’d be quick to claim that taking charge of a club can turn a fair few hairs grey, but ultimately there’s time to turn things around when things spoil and there are places to hide.
At the international level, though, managers carry the hopes of an entire nation of hungry football fans on their shoulders and there’s little opportunity to bounce back from a poor showing in a major competition because matches are so far apart.
Given that the likes of Vicente Del Bosque, Joachim Loew and Roy Hodgson have so much time to formulate the best tactical approach to tournaments and individual matches, fans expect success and come down heavier on the group after a defeat than they would do at club level because it’s their country and pride that’s been compromised, not merely their ‘favourite’ club side.
5) Minimal room for experimentation
While Jose Mourinho has reaped rewards from throwing in young guns like nobody’s business, international managers get fewer opportunities to develop young talent and experiment with their squad.
Matches are nearly always competitive and so throwing in inexperienced youngsters or players with few caps is incredibly risky. Meanwhile, international managers don’t have a long enough time span to work with their players and see physical improvements which club managers lay eyes on each week.
Defeat in any realm of football is despised and feared, but losing one league game has far less of an impact than losing the opener at a major competition, which ultimately leaves a team playing catch-up from the off.
National teams are expected to play a certain way and while Premier League football cries out for experimentation and young players being worked into a team, there is little time to tamper when carrying the burdening pressures that international management throws up.
