Hot Seat Watch for World Football Players, Coaches After Week of October 9-14
As most of the world prepares to re-focus on domestic action, we take a last look back at the recent international break and cast our eye over those whose performances, decisions or results have been poorer than expected, and thus are likely to have questions and headlines coming their way.
Our main focus is the European Championships qualifiers, but we also take a brief look at the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, which are now halfway through the final group stage.
Here is our Hot Seat Watch for the week, international style.
Guus Hiddink
1 of 10
The new Dutch national team manager, Guus Hiddink, is coming in for plenty of stick after a dreadful start to Euro 2016 qualifying, following off the back of a successful Netherlands World Cup campaign in Brazil 2014.
Hiddink's team have won just one of their three qualifiers, a late comeback win over Kazakhstan, while they were defeated 2-0 by Iceland in their most recent fixture. The Netherlands are third in Group A, still in a playoff spot, but are six points behind the top two.
Iker Casillas
2 of 10
Spanish legendary goalkeeper Iker Casillas seems to have won the battle to play domestically—but he has now been left out of Spain's most recent starting XI at international level.
Two more goals conceded in which he was partly or fully culpable for both, in the defeat to Slovakia, once again saw the spotlight on the faded star, and his place was taken by David de Gea against Luxembourg.
With over 150 caps to his name, it might simply be that the 33-year-old will never reach his previous levels again and has to be the latest member of the all-conquering squad to step aside.
Stephen Keshi
3 of 10
Nigeria head coach Stephen Keshi led the team to the 2013 AFCON victory, but it is looking increasingly likely that they will not even be at the 2015 edition of the finals to defend their trophy.
Having only taken one point from their first two group-stage matches, Nigeria were beaten 1-0 by bottom-of-the-group Sudan at the weekend, increasing the pressure on both Keshi and his group of players.
The return match, the fourth of six group games, takes place on Wednesday, and Nigeria cannot afford anything other than three points.
The Football Association of Serbia
4 of 10
Serbia and Albania being drawn in the same group was always potentially troublesome, but even so, the extent of the issues to take in from Tuesday's suspended match will cause plenty of alarm.
A remote-controlled drone bearing a "Greater Albania" flag incited Serbian fans and players alike, which only escalated from that point once a Serbian player had jumped up and pulled the flag down. The crowd spilled onto the pitch, attacked more than one Albanian player and, eventually, the referee called the game off.
See the videos, read the accounts and blame who you want for starting things off—but the game took place in Serbia, with Serbian militia patrolling the pitch and supposed to be keeping crowd trouble at bay. That didn't happen, and for that reason alone, the Serbian Football Federation are going to be in all kinds of trouble.
Fabio Capello
5 of 10
Russia and Fabio Capello on our list once more.
As if a dreadful World Cup showing wasn't bad enough, Russia's strategy of improvement and competence under the Italian simply isn't going to plan whatsoever. They drew in Sweden—not terrible, but a missed opportunity considering the Swedes were missing Zlatan Ibrahimovic—but then also drew, at home, against Moldova.
Just one win from three now for Russia in Euro 2016 qualification.
Wayne Rooney
6 of 10
England are top of their group with maximum points, no goals conceded and the captain scored the winning goal in their most recent match.
Read that way, the Three Lions are in rude health...watching games in context, though, gives an altogether different impression. Wayne Rooney scored a penalty against San Marino and a free-kick against Estonia this week, but he continues to hugely divide opinion over whether he should be in the England team or not. The captain put in a faltering display, missed plenty of chances and has not looked near his best this season.
Joachim Low? Mats Hummels? Thomas Muller?
7 of 10
Nobody seems quite sure who should be getting the blame, if any need be apportioned, for Germany's post-World Cup slump.
The reigning world champions are only fourth in Group D after three matches, having lost to Poland and then drawn with Ireland over the last few days. It's unthinkable that this kind of form will continue for long, but for now, changes seem to be needed.
Centre-back Mats Hummels was unable to reach the ball in time in the last minute of the Ireland match, allowing rival defender John O'Shea to nick an equaliser. Thomas Muller played up front in both games, yet didn't score. And manager Joachim Low is in charge of them all.
Who needs shaking up and questioning?
Vasilis Torosidis
8 of 10
Over to Group F in the Euro 2016 qualifiers now, where Greece have managed to fail to win any of three games and sit above only Faroe Islands in their table.
Having only drawn 1-1 with Finland last time out, captain Vasilis Torosidis and his team were defeated 2-0 by Northern Ireland—who top the group with nine points, incredible—in their most recent game.
Torosidis was inexplicably lax in his defending for both goals conceded, firstly ducking out the way of a corner that was scored by a rival positioned behind him, then being nowhere to be seen as Northern Ireland counter-attacked down his channel for the second.
Asmir Begovic
9 of 10
Another World Cup side struggling to get started in their European Championships group is Bosnia-Herzegovina, where goalkeeper Asmir Begovic produced another of his criminally, continually overlooked blunders against Belgium to deny his own team three big points.
Bosnia were leading 1-0 until Radja Nainggolan hit a low, skidding shot almost straight at Begovic—but he allowed it to squirm in, between his hands and into the net. Bosnia remain without a win and fifth in their group of six, below Cyprus, Belgium, Israel and Wales.
Fatih Terim
10 of 10
Fatih Terim is a bit of a legendary name in Turkish football, but his qualifying campaign for Euro 2016 isn't going well at all.
A home defeat to Czech Republic was difficult to take after Turkey initially went in front, but Terim was then also unable to guide the side to victory over Latvia, only earning a 1-1 draw. Turkey are bottom of Group A after three games, eight points off the top two already, and are even below Kazakhstan on goals scored.
