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The differences between coaching international teams and club sides have always been obvious. Sometimes, it does not even feel like the two are the same sport. Where international teams are more likely to be risk averse, club football tends to produce more adventurous and daring sides.  

The reason for this? A higher margin of error for clubs, unlike for national teams. The nature of international football just does not allow for the same luxury; either you are playing qualifiers or playing in tournaments, with pretty much every game being significant and little opportunities to make up for mistakes. 

Ultimately, it is hard to tell which is harder to coach, considering the fact that each one comes with its own unique challenges and positives. The contrasting demands, expectations, and dynamics mean that some coaches are better suited to one more than the other. 

**What Makes International Football Tick**

On the club side, managers get to work with players on a daily basis, getting all the time they need to implement their philosophy, test new ideas and correct mistakes. They also get a full pre-season to work with players, before the pressure of high stakes games kicks in. On top of that, they have a large pool of players to pick from, depending on the size of their transfer budgets and whatever it is they want to implement. 

Managers of the wealthiest clubs enjoy significant advantages; they have big budgets, access to the best players money can buy, and environments that enable them to thrive. In international football, however, there are no transfer budgets. The player pool is limited based on nationality and the kind of talent being produced at a particular time. For many countries, talent production is cyclical. They can go from having a special generation of players emerging at the same time – often referred to as the golden generation – to producing only a few/no world class players in a different generation. 

This is especially true for smaller countries with smaller populations. But even countries with massive populations like India and China have also failed to produce any memorable generation of talents. That variance is what makes international football unique and more valuable in the eyes of many. Everyone has to work with whatever hand they have been dealt, with money playing a lesser role. The unpredictability and rarity of these golden generations is what adds that extra layer of value that club football does not have. 

**Coaching National Teams**

The evolution of club football and tactics over the past two decades, as well as the accessibility of matches worldwide, has changed how international football is perceived compared to club football. But that has not made it any easier for coaches or any less valuable when triumphs occur.

International tournaments remain the holy grail, and those who win them continue to have their legacies redefined. The advent of social media has driven pressure up to dizzying levels, across the board, even though international football has always been pressure-filled. Even coming close is no longer applauded; you either win tournaments or face ridicule and overwhelming criticism. 

Football coaches tend to come in four categories: the floor raisers, ceiling raisers, maximalists and the minimalists. Whether in club football or international football, all kinds of managers fall within these three categories. It is, perhaps, less evident in international football because of the overwhelming focus on winning and the nature of tournament football. However, anybody who has paid proper attention to these tournaments would be able to distinguish between them and categorize accordingly.  

**The Floor Raisers**

These are the coaches that focus specifically on improving a team’s minimum level, making them solid in the fundamentals. They tend to plug obvious holes and adapt their tactics to the players they have, giving them the structure and tools they need to thrive in spite of obvious talent deficiencies. 

The most important part of their work is making sure they set a new standard of expectations. These coaches tend to be result-oriented and very adaptable to the opposition. That adaptability is what makes them competitive against all kinds of opposition, especially teams that can parade a more impressive line-up of star players.  

One coach who has shown himself to be a floor raiser is Ralf Rangnick, who has been in charge of the Austrian national team since 2022. His 59.26% win percentage is the highest in their history for managers with a minimum of 10 games played. Since taking over, he has improved the team structurally, while giving them a proactive style suited to their strengths. 

One of the faces of gegenpressing, Ragnick’s work has raised Austria’s floor, ensuring that they rarely struggle against teams of comparable strengths while giving headaches to teams expected to beat them.  
Over the past 2 years, his team has lost only three times in twenty games; 2-3 against Belgium, 0-1 against France at Euro 2024 and 1-2 against Turkey at Euro 2024. Their opponents had to sweat to take those wins, as Ragnick’s boys fought back, with all three relying on goalkeeping heroics to scale through.  

**The Ceiling Raisers** 

These are the coaches that elevate their teams to heights beyond what is widely predicted. Regardless of the talent at their disposal, they tend to be adventurous, usually possessing a clear identity and purpose. They impose their style on opponents, no matter who they are up against, controlling the flow of games. Football is a sport designed to favour the brave; the ceiling raisers tap into that.  

A clear example is the latest Euros winning coach, Luis de la Fuente. When he announced his squad for Euro 2024, not many were optimistic about Spain’s chances. The team contained no genuine superstar, with Rodri being the only truly big name. They also had quite a young team, full of players lacking the experience of the rigours of international tournaments. 

Simply put, they looked uninspiring, nothing like their previous Euros winning teams. But de la Fuente smacked opposition after opposition, including heavyweights Italy, Germany, France and England. It wasn’t only the fact that they did it, it was the manner in which they did it. Barrage after barrage of attacks, a clear identity, control over the tempo and flow of games, imposing their will on their opponents. Spain dictated, others adapted, and still they beat everyone.  

Doing this with such an unfancied group of players is what ceiling raisers do, and de la Fuente proved to be just that. 

**The Minimalists**

These are the coaches that believe that less is more, the risk averse ones, the ones who play what is called “tournament ball”. They are typically the ones who receive the most criticism for their “end justifies the means” approach to games, showing rigidity that upsets many.  

“If you don’t like it, change the channel” is the standout quote from Euro 2024, from none other than a true minimalist; France coach Didier Deschamps. Criticism of Deschamps and his conservative nature faded after he led France to the 2018 World Cup trophy. 

That triumph gave him credit in the bank, which he used up to survive after France’s early disappointing exit at Euro 2020. Reaching the World Cup final again in 2022 once again validated his methods, but question marks are now finally appearing again after his team stumbled to the Euro 2024 semi before bowing out without a real fight.  

Another manager that has come under fire is Gareth Southgate, with many suggesting that he is merely a lucky manager who benefits from individual brilliance that occurs in spite of him. But he too has gotten validation from outcomes; back-to-back Euros finals and a World Cup semi. England have never had that kind of run with any manager before him. 

After losing another Euros final, however, he seems to have finally lost some credit in the bank. The end may justify the means, but without actually winning the trophy, the knives always come out.  

That is the only outcome that insulates anyone, although not forever, as Didier Deschamps can attest.  

**The Maximalists**

These are the coaches that believe that more is more, the ones who throw caution to the wind and go all out. They tend to be methodical and glued to their philosophy because they have the luxury to be by virtue of coaching teams with an array of stars. These coaches want everything exactly as they have scripted it in their heads, and will not accept less than that. 

While their teams play with clear ideas and an identity, their idealism often puts them in trouble. One suspects that Roberto Martinez sees himself as a maximalist, and it was certainly true when he was coaching at club level. Even when he coached Belgium, it was largely that although he showed a little adaptability. The golden generation of Belgian footballers reached the semifinals of the 2018 World Cup under him, somewhat validating his approach. 

With managers like him, however, when it is bad, it is really awful. He came under a lot of criticism for his work with the Portuguese team at Euro 2024, ironically because he went minimalist against a French team that was there for the taking, playing Kevin de Bruyne deep and surrendering the initiative. 

Germany coach, Julian Nagelsmann, is more arrogant, as arrogant as maximalists are expected to be. That has been a double edged sword for him at club level, and it happened again at Euro 2024, where he couldn’t take Germany all the way. His team created enough to win but were ultimately undone by their penchant for adventure against a side coached by a ceiling raiser.  

**How to Use This Information**

With the Euros coming to an end, attention will turn to club football again where things are more predictable. Managers are more likely to be a mix of two categories, and even when they are stuck in just one category, the chances of success are higher. 

As is known, there are no sure odds in football because of intangibles that cannot be accounted for. Regardless, club football simply has less variance, a huge positive for anybody looking to book a bet.  

Understanding coaches and their tendencies is a surefire way to improve one's chances where football prediction is concerned, especially with club football back. Minimalist coaches, for instance, are less likely to take any chances in the first half of games. 

When making bets on teams with such coaches, that knowledge would favour a highest scoring half prediction.  

For example, when the EPL returns next month, a team coached by a minimalist manager like Sean Dyche is more likely to have a low-scoring first half than Tottenham, who are coached by maximalist Ange Postecoglou.  

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Understanding the past can give you an edge in predicting future occurrences. This EURO 2024 review will help you place better informed betting tips.

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