The 4 most difficult managerial jobs in world football

What could be better than being a football manager, you say?

You collect a massive salary, work with some of the best players in the sport, and spend your time bossing these stars around, day dreaming about tactical adjustments.

Well, if only it was as cushy as that.

With the recent news of Gareth Southgate's appointment as the next England manager, it only seems fitting to take a look at some of the places that managers have night sweats about, hellish spots full of demand and expectation, but perhaps lacking genuine talent, cohesion, or support from the board.

Related: Southgate confirmed as full-time England manager

England

Being the manager of the Three Lions is not exactly a stroll through Victoria Park.

In a country where people grow up watching the Premier League's dazzling football on a weekly basis, the ante is through the roof.

Couple this with the tendency for many British fans to become armchair managers - barking insults and suggestions at the television when they watch their national team - and the spotlight is looking unbearably bright.

Apart from constant scrutiny and criticism from the public, the England boss must deal with overly high expectations from the Football Association, combined with a firestorm from the media.

One poor performance can put a manager's future in doubt, and this is even more preposterous when you consider the fact that England has not won any major international competitions since 1966.

Since reaching the semi-final at Euro 1996, England failed to progress past the quarter-final stage at any major international competition. During this time period, the FA has employed 11 different managers, including eight full-time positions.

Real Madrid

There is a good reason why Real Madrid has the nickname Los Galacticos.

It is one of the richest teams in world football, optimized by its golden egg, Cristiano Ronaldo. (And Gareth Bale, for that matter.)

Such wealth in football is expected to equate to all-out dominance on the pitch, something that has not been achievable for Madrid. Since 2008, it has only won La Liga once, the Copa del Rey twice, and the Champions League twice.

Although these are still impressive figures - particularly on the continent - the league returns are not good enough for a team whose board and ownership expect it to win every competition it enters.

Combine this with the fact that Barcelona is arguably the strongest team in world football at the moment, and it is enough to give even the most astute manager a wobbly lip.

"The question is Barcelona winning, and that is difficult to manage for Real Madrid," ex-manager Rafa Benitez told BT Sport, as reported by SPORT EN. "They have to keep winning, but even if they do Barcelona are still doing well and that is a really big problem for Madrid."

Barcelona is truly relentless.

Since 2008, the Blaugrana have won La Liga on six of eight attempts, finishing second place in the other two campaigns. Apart from recent league triumphs, Barca is the reigning Copa del Rey champion and has enjoyed a victory drink from the league cup three times in the last five years.

Another issue that the manager of Madrid must face on a daily basis is the inevitability of being replaced.

Since the ejection of Vicente del Bosque in 2003, Madrid's unforgiving board room has cycled through 12 different managers before settling on current boss Zinedine Zidane.

Manchester United

Between 1990 and 2010, Manchester United won the Premier League on 11 different occasions, making it the most successful team in English League history.

During this period there was only one man in charge.

Sir Alex Ferguson is the managerial equivalent of The Godfather's Michael Corleone in Premier League history.

He led the Red Devils for 27 years of greatness, winning 49 trophies throughout the duration of his highly successful time in charge.

In the last five years, United has only won the Premier League on one occasion in 2013, and since a certain important Sir left the club in May 2013, things have not been the same.

United is dealing with a squad that is lacking a world-class defender, injuries have left Jose Mourinho gasping for fresh legs, and talisman Wayne Rooney is not exactly getting faster as he gets older.

In 2014, Manchester United suffered its worst league finish since 1989-90, ending the season in seventh place under the control of Scotsman David Moyes.

The club hired three managers in five years and the only meaningful trophy it acquired was the FA Cup, earlier this year.

The end of the Ferguson era has produced a battlefield for aspiring managers looking to replicate success from recent years past.

Could Jose Mourinho be the next addition to Manchester United's managerial graveyard?

Argentina

Poor Argentina.

Apart from whining fans, an onslaught of abuse from the media, and more than a couple of stars who under perform in the blue of the Albiceleste, the South American side has greater worries than how the team performs on the pitch.

Julio Grondona - president of the Argentine Football Association - passed away in 2014, and this marked the start of a downhill trip for the federation.

La Albiceleste have had five different managers in the last five years, which sums up the stability of the job to a tee.

Even Argentine footballing icon Lionel Messi released an Instagram picture earlier this year, calling the Argentine Football Association "a disaster."

Related: Messi brands Argentine Football Association a 'disaster

Another example of the financial situation in Argentina was reported earlier this month by The Independent's Charlie Doris, who claims Messi bailed out the AFA by paying the national team security guards who had gone six months without pay.

Although this is not confirmed, it is just another indicator of the AFA's horrible financial situation.

The fiscal crises behind the scenes appears to be affecting on-field performance as well, and Argentina currently sits in fifth place in the CONMEBOL qualification standings for the 2018 World Cup.

Only the top four teams are guaranteed a spot in the biggest international event on the footballing calendar, and Argentina still faces stern tests in the form of Chile, Uruguay, and Ecuador, who all sit above La Albiceleste in the table.

Edgardo Bauza will undoubtedly be out of a job if Argentina somehow misses out on the 2018 spectacle.