'He's stored in a hard disk in my head' - watching the World Cup as a manager

'He's stored in a hard disk in my head' - watching the World Cup as a manager

I've loved the World Cup since I saw Denmark at Mexico '86 as a boy - my dad would record the matches overnight so I could watch them with my sister before school the next morning, a lot like kids today are still doing 40 years later!

I can still enjoy it like a fan now, but of course I think like a manager when I am covering games as a pundit.

While I still get excited by the emotion and the whole spectacle of the supporters who are following teams like Scotland, Norway and the Netherlands at this tournament, I see matches more analytically - what the tactical trends are and what different coaches are doing.

I also love to see new players for myself. Even with all the data that is available about almost everyone, there are still some surprises out there.

You might find someone who you've not heard of who is interesting - or, with someone you do know about, get a chance to watch them properly yourself for the first time.

At this World Cup, for example, I've already done that with two Ivory Coast players.

RB Leipzig's Yan Diomande is the talk of the town for everyone at the moment and we actually looked at him when I was at Brentford, when he played for Spanish side Leganes.

He was always on our radar then so he is a player I have been aware of for a while, and of course I had seen him - but that was just a lot of clips maybe, or a few highlights from a downloaded game. That is how it is presented to you when you are scouting someone to sign them, unless it is a top priority and you would watch full games.

Now, though, I have just watched him play a whole match against Germany, so I saw everything about him. I will hopefully see him again over two or three, or even more, matches in the coming weeks too.

I could look up some clips or study his data any time, but now what he can do is stored in the hard disk in my head. As a coach, that is always how you prefer to remember players, and what they can bring.

The other Ivory Coast player I've seen and liked was not someone I knew myself before this World Cup, although of course the big clubs know everything about everyone so he will not be unknown to them.

But I have seen Trabzonspor midfielder Christ Inao Oulai for myself now and, although his side ended up being beaten by Germany, I thought he made some really good actions. I liked the way he turned, and the way he played forward, and how mobile he was. Technically he was very strong.

Again, you only get this kind of full impression of a player from seeing him with your own eyes. There's no other way of doing it.

It was actually similar with watching the Germany players properly, too. Of course I know who they are but, because I've been working in the Premier League, I watch the Premier League all the time - that is what I am focused on to get updated on the players and teams there.

After that, it is the Champions League. So I know them from there too, but I might only watch a big Bundesliga game, say Bayern Munich against Borussia Dortmund, because that's the way it is. I only saw a little bit more of Bayer Leverkusen last year because my friend Kasper Hjulmand was head coach there.

I'd love to watch more games, and see more of these players, but it's just not possible. Even though I think about football 24/7, you only have so many hours each day.

Who would I sign?

As a fan, Lionel Messi is still the player I love the most at this World Cup. He is the GOAT - the greatest of all time - and we all need to watch him while we can.

When Argentina play Austria on Monday (18:00 BST) I have arranged to watch that game with my son, who is a huge Messi fan. He is 22 - so for his entire life that he has followed Messi, he has been the best in the world.

We've been privileged to see him live several times but just to watch him together on TV this time will be special, because this is probably his last World Cup.

As a manager, though, if you asked me who I would sign first out of the 1,428 players who are at this tournament, I'd have to remember that Messi is 38 now - even if he is still a genius.

With my manager hat on, my answer to that question would be different. It would depend on what I want for my team, and who else I already had there, but I would probably still go for the midfielder who I think is the most unique in that position.

I have always loved Pedri, of Spain and Barcelona, but right now that player would probably be Vitinha, of Portugal and Paris St-Germain - he has been exceptional this season.

I don't know if I would say it was a privilege - because we had to try to stop him! - but I faced him twice with Spurs, in the Uefa Super Cup and the Champions League, and seeing him close... wow. Just wow.

He was so good, especially in the second game we played against PSG, in Paris, when he scored two goals from outside the box. He is phenomenal and he is probably playing the best football he can right now.

Who could be the player of the tournament?

The other player I would mention here is Michael Olise, of Bayern Munich and France.

While I can dream of signing Vitinha or Pedri, with Olise I almost did. We came close to bringing him to Brentford from Reading before he joined Crystal Palace instead.

I had a talk with him for Brentford and he wanted to come, but for whatever reason we could not make it happen.

I have followed him closely since then and the way he has developed. There are other superstar players just for France, of course, but what I've always liked about Olise is that he works so hard for the team. Every player has got an ego, but it seems like he is on top of his.

In France's first game against Senegal, I know Kylian Mbappe scored two goals but actually Olise for me was the man of the match. He was exceptional.

Olise was running so hard - I love that in a player - and working hard too, so he was always involved, and then he can do things out of nothing with his left foot.

He can shoot, he can cross and his range of passing is brilliant too. For Mbappe's first goal, his through-ball had to be absolutely inch-perfect, and weighted exactly right too.

When you try to stop France, you have to try to stop four or five players, but there is always one player in every big team that is more influential than others - and I think Olise is that player for them.

Maybe when this World Cup is gone, he will be remembered as the player of the tournament.

There are going to be some surprises in the next few weeks, but for me that would not be one of them.

Thomas Frank was speaking to BBC Sport's Chris Bevan