What does a football manager actually do?

The person in the technical area gets the credit and the blame, but what does a football manager actually do all week? Far more than shout from the touchline.

Picking the team and the tactics

The most visible job is selection — choosing the starting eleven and the formation — and the game plan: how the team presses, defends, attacks and adapts to each opponent. On match day the manager makes the calls that can swing a game: when to change shape, who to bring off the bench, and how to react to the score.

Coaching and training

Most of the work happens away from cameras, on the training ground. The manager and their staff design the week's sessions — fitness, set pieces, shape, opposition analysis — to prepare the squad physically and tactically for the next match.

Managing people

A squad is a group of competitive professionals, and keeping them motivated, fit and onside is a huge part of the job. Handling egos, rotating fairly, supporting players through poor form and building team spirit can matter as much as any tactic.

Manager vs head coach

The titles aren't the same everywhere:

• A manager (the traditional British model) often controls both the team and transfer decisions.
• A head coach (common across Europe) focuses on coaching and selection, while a sporting director or director of football leads recruitment and strategy.

Many modern clubs use the head-coach model so that long-term squad planning survives a change of coach.

Why managers get sacked so often

Results are ruthless and patience is short. A run of defeats, a poor relationship with the boardroom, or a squad that "downs tools" can end a tenure quickly — which is why management is one of the most high-pressure jobs in sport.

See how managers' decisions play out across the season in our match centre and tables.