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.
