Club football, at least at the elite level, is meticulously planned. Teams of analysts pore over the data, find the patterns, identify the signings who will fit the style and mitigate areas of weakness, highlight potential flaws in opponents. The richest teams can buy not only the best players but also the best coaches and the best analysts and, as a result, elite club football, in as much as a sport as capricious as football ever can be, is predictable.
International football is wild. You can’t buy to fill the gaps. Squads end up so unbalanced and incoherent that coaches may as well be working at Manchester United. Managers can prepare but time is limited. History is always present; cultures even now remain defined. Spain will pass. France will grind. Portugal will defer to Cristiano Ronaldo. England will retreat inexplicably in defence of a lead (and, at times, a draw). Coaches have limited time with players who are being trained week-to-week in a vast range of different styles.
