5 managers who will be under the scanner in the upcoming FIFA WC 2018 qualifiers
The second round of the World Cup 2018 qualifiers will get underway from tomorrow. There are many interesting fixtures lined up with Italy set to go head to head against 2010 World Champions Spain.
England play Malta, under caretaker manager Gareth Southgate, after Sam Allardyce was let go off by the English FA.
Here we take a look at five international managers who will be looked at under the microscope in the coming round of fixtures:
#5 Roberto Martinez – Belgium
There is no doubting that Roberto Martinez is a manager of high pedigree. The success that he had at clubs like Swansea and Wigan Athletic are really commendable. But his time at Everton ended in a disappointing note and resulted in him getting the sack.
Taking over the Belgium national team from Marc Wilmots, the Spaniard began his international journey with a 2-0 loss against Spain in a friendly game in Brussels, but won his first competitive game 3-0 away against Cyprus in the Group H qualifier tie.
Romelu Lukaku scored a brace against Cyprus and the manager will be hoping for a similar performance from the Everton player.
Martinez will be looking to carry the momentum from that victory as his side face Bosnia and Herzegovina at home followed by an away game against Gibraltar. With one of the most talented squads in the world football at his disposal, Martinez is expected to deliver in a big way for the Belgium national team.