Half way through the Euro 2024 Round of 16 we’re nearing the business end of the competition, and the remaining nations all know we are at the jeopardy stage.
Lose now and you can pack your bags.
Once they cross the white line the players have it all to do but, in the run up to the big match it is the head coach who calls the shots. You can see when his plan works, a fluid, well organised side dispatches its opponents in style; and then it is also plainly evident when the best laid plans go wrong.
Let’s take a look at the SBOTOP pick of five head coaches who have had varying degrees of success so far.
Julian Nagelsmann – Germany
There is a good feeling in the Germany camp at the moment as the hosts have made it through to the quarter finals in some style, topping their group and beating a dangerous Denmark in the Round of 16.
Nagelsmann, the former TSG Hoffenheim, Red Bull Leipzig and Bayern Munich coach has been credited with transforming the nation’s fortunes since he took over less than a year ago. At 36 years of age he is Germany’s youngest head coach in history but he and his coaching team exude authority over a squad which is playing with a smile. He has a relaxed style but with a steely focus and everybody, from veteran keeper Manuel Neuer, to the flying wingers Florian Wirtz and Jamal Musiala know their job.
Nagelsmann could be the man to end Germany’s decade of malaise.
Gareth Southgate – England
If you take a look at the Euro 2024 highlights package so far you are unlikely to see much of England, apart from Jude Bellingham’s spectacular goal which saved the Three Lions’ skins in their Round of 16 clash against Slovakia. Aside from their first 20 minutes of the tournament, a 1-0 win over Serbia, England have been difficult to watch and Southgate’s tactics have been mystifying at times as they stumbled through their group with five points. At one point in the extra time win over Slovakia there were four wingers on the pitch and no left back, while there was no width in attack, Phil Foden and Bukayo Saka drifting in to cramp Cole Palmer’s space. It almost looked like they had never played together at times.
But England are on the easier side of the draw and Southgate has a reprieve, with a week to sort his team out before they meet Switzerland.
Ralf Rangnick – Austria
After an ill-fated stint as manager of Manchester United, Rangnick has re-invented himself as an international manager and transformed Austria into serious dark horses. Under his guidance, Austria have attracted a lot of attention over the last two weeks, topping a group containing France and the Netherlands. And, playing Rangnick’s brand of high energy, pressing football to great effect Austria have a tasty Round of 16 clash against Turkey lined up on Tuesday night.
Captain Marcel Sabitzer has been the driving force on the pitch, and the Borussia Dortmund man scored a screamer to give Austria a 3-2 win over the Oranje, but this Austria team is more than the sum of its parts, and that’s down to Rangnick.
Roberto Martinez – Portugal
Former Belgium manager Martinez has another chance to show that he can win something on the international stage, having missed out with the Red Devils’ Golden Generation. The trick he has to master is to mould a tournament winning team out of a collection of clearly gifted players (much like Southgate). And with the Manchester City duo of Ruben Dias and Bernardo Silva at either end of the pitch this is a team of winners, not to mention the legendary Cristiano Ronaldo of course; though CR7 will probably be limited to cameo roles.
A 3-0 win over Turkey showed just how good Portugal can be; but are they ready to take their European crown back, which they won in 2016 and conceded in 2020?
Luciano Spalletti – Italy
What next for Spalletti after Italy crashed out of the Euros in a 2-0 defeat to Switzerland on Sunday? The Azzurri went out with a whimper but, in all honesty, the Euro 2024 betting odds never had much faith in Italy defending their title. Spalletti had great success at Napoli, leading the Partenopei to its first Scudetto since the days of Diego Maradona, and he could be the man to re-invent Italy, given time.
He has said he may need to rip up the current squad and has taken a swipe at Inter Milan players, including David Frattesi and Nicola Barella, suggesting they weren’t fully focussed after winning the 2024 Serie A title so easily.
A bit harsh maybe, but Spalletti doesn’t care who he upsets at the moment!
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