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.
