Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has revealed he always tries to exude confidence in front of his players on a matchday, even though he is gripped by nerves ahead of kickoff.
Wenger's tension prior to a big match does not seem to have diminished throughout his lengthy career on the touchline, with the 65-year-old tactician telling the Arsenal website he sees it as his duty to remain calm in front of his players in the final minutes before a match.
"Everybody is different and approaches a matchday differently, but I always try to be confident," Wenger said. "I'm always confident that my team will do well and I want to show that.
"But you never know exactly the mental energy that will be in the team during the game, nor the physical energy that will be in everybody that day. Why? Because we are all human beings and don't wake up every day in exactly the same state.
"That goes for each of the players as well, so if you multiply by 18, it shows you the uncertainty that can create. So I'm confident but also a bit uncertain and curious as to what kind of mental and physical energy will be in the tank for the team.
"I make sure that everybody around the team fills that tank as much as we can. Of course there is a certainty about the quality of my players but an uncertainty about the energy level that will be available on the day of the game."
Wenger went on to suggest the uncertainty of football is one of the reasons why he has been so captivated by it, with his passion for the game burning as brightly as it did when he first arrived at Arsenal back in 1996.
"Of course I get nervous before the games because football is not mathematics," he added. "In math, every day you know that one plus one is two. In football, one player plus one player doesn't always add up to two players.
"I've asked people many times why they think that football, that didn't even exist in 1850, is so popular. I think there are two main reasons. The first one is that it's completely unpredictable. More so than any other sport.
"The second reason is that everybody has a chance to play this sport, no matter how small or tall. That's why football is becoming stronger and bigger all over the world.
"It's so unpredictable that Bradford can go to Chelsea and win, Diego Maradona can be the best player in the world and is very small and Per Mertesacker can make over 100 caps and is very tall.
"This uncertainty and this huge potential is in your mind when you're a manager as well, so of course it makes you nervous, because nobody knows what will happen."
Wenger's is certain to feel the tension once again on Saturday, as his Arsenal side take on Liverpool in a game that will have big ramifications on the race for a top four finish in the Premier League.