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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Sport
Alex Reid

Guns for hire and gegenpress eggheads bring World Cup subplots aplenty

Thomas Tuchel throws a ceremonial first pitch before the game at the St Louis Cardinals v Kansas City Royals MLB game
Thomas Tuchel throws a ceremonial first pitch before a Kansas City Royals baseball game. Photograph: Peter Aiken/IMAGN IMAGES/Reuters

MANAGING EXPECTATIONS

The awesome thing about a World Cup is that – unlike the Premier League where almost every elite-grade head coach comes from the same scenic Spanish town – we get to enjoy some wonderfully varied managerial match-ups. Where else can we see grizzled international specialists against Big Cup-winning club gurus? Or retired national team legends opposite some bloke who got sacked by Everton? Or Ronald Koeman, who is both?

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