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.
