The timing of the 2022 World Cup, unlike any other in the competition’s storied history, has left every top-level domestic coach with plenty to think about, including our own Graham Potter.
Potter watched on as 12 of his players departed for Qatar in November to represent their national teams with mixed fortunes. Mateo Kovacic ended up doing best of anyone as Croatia beat Hakim Ziyech’s Morocco to third place, while others, such as Conor Gallagher, didn’t play a minute at the tournament but gained valuable experience.
That the return to domestic action comes in time for the traditionally busy festive calendar has given managers extra cause for caution as they seek to ease their players back into the swing of it. Potter has discussed his strategy.
‘We’ve given all the guys who were at the World Cup some time off,’ he said, with Kovacic and Ziyech the last two to return.
‘They’ve had a bit of a holiday, and a bit of time with their families. It’s not so easy to get the balance right, we’re all learning because it’s never happened before, so we don’t know how that’s going to go.
‘You have to constantly evaluate the players because you might get two or three months down the line and think you have to do something just to refresh, because we don’t know what the effects of a World Cup will be long term.
‘Now we’re confident with the guys and where they are. We can work and prepare normally for the games.’
That work in the past few weeks has included time at a warm-weather training camp in Abu Dhabi, when Potter and the players out there would spend most evenings watching the action unfold from Qatar.
From Potter’s point of view, the most interesting tactical aspect he spotted at the World Cup was the defensive strategy the teams deployed.
‘They were mostly relatively passive,’ he pointed out.
‘There wasn’t too much pressing, or pressing high. It was a bit more of a drop-off. It could be down to a bit of everything. The heat plays a part.
‘Also, if you’re going to coordinate any pressing, you’d argue you need some time to work on that. With the lack of time the international teams had, you have to select with what you need to work with and what the priority is.
‘Dropping off and defending that way is an easier way to do it, because you haven’t got the time to make it any more progressive.’