MANAGING EXPECTATIONS

Forget the WAGS (players’ wives and girlfriends). It’s all about the managers now. Here’s why…

They’re just as well dressed Touchline chic can be traced back to José Mourinho’s Armani coat. The Premier League’s current style leader is Manchester City’s Pep Guardiola (pictured), and the debonair trend has continued at this World Cup – as well as Gareth Southgate, see also Germany’s Joachim Löw, Croatia’s Zlatko Dalić and Spain’s Fernando Hierro. They’re better groomed Mourinho’s silver foxy stubble, Guardiola’s brooding facial fuzz and Southgate’s tidily trimmed beard all show that today’s managers are no strangers to on-trend barbering. Best managerial hair at the World Cup is a play-off between Senegal’s dreadlocked dude Aliou Cissé, and Morocco’s floppy-fringed Hervé Renard (pictured).

They’re owning their look There was a time when managers were in denial about their baldness – see Steve Mclaren’s undignified “hair island”, or former Dutch coach Dick Advocaat’s comb-over. Nowadays they embrace their baldness. Following Guardiola’s lead, Real Madrid’s Zinedine Zidane, Belgium’s Roberto Martinez and Argentina’s Jorge Sampaoli (pictured) have opted for a sleek shaved head. Much sexier.

They’re younger

England’s previous three bosses, Sam Allardyce, Roy Hodgson and Fabio Capello, were all in their 60s. Southgate got the gig at the tender age of 46. Alongside the likes of Jürgen Klopp, Antonio Conte, Eddie Howe and Mauricio Pochettino, he’s part of the new breed of HYMS (Hot Young Managers). They’re fitter – and more fashionconscious.