I’ve adored the World Cup ever since I watched Denmark at Mexico ’86 as a kid — my dad would tape the late games so my sister and I could catch them before school, just like plenty of kids still do 40 years on!
I can still take it in like a supporter, but when I’m working as a pundit my mind flips into manager mode.
The emotion and spectacle from fans following teams like Scotland, Norway and the Netherlands still excites me, but I watch games more analytically now — looking for tactical patterns and how different coaches set up their sides.
I also enjoy discovering new players firsthand. Even with all the data out there, football still has a few surprises.
You might stumble upon someone you’ve never heard of who catches your eye — or finally get to study a well-known name properly for the first time.
This World Cup has already given me that with two Ivory Coast players.
RB Leipzig’s Yan Diomande is the talk of the moment, and we actually looked at him when I was at Brentford, back when he was at Leganés.
He’s been on our radar for a while, so I knew of him — but mainly through clips and a few downloaded highlights. That’s usually how scouting material reaches you unless he’s a top priority and you’re watching full matches.
Now I’ve seen him over a full game against Germany, so I’ve taken in his whole performance. Hopefully I’ll catch him two or three more times in the coming weeks.
I can always pull up clips or data, but now his qualities are saved on the hard drive in my head. As a coach, that’s the best way to remember a player and what he offers.