We've just got an exciting new season under way and suddenly it all comes to a halt.These international games are boring and unneccessary.Why not just seed the top 16 teams and let the rest play each other for the remaining places? Flying off to play the Faeroe Islands is all very well but, IMO completely pointless,a distraction and risks injury to players.
Great idea Cruyff Top 16 in World/Europe to play in Finals. Save all the faffing around with these boring games. Its now middle of Sept and I have seen only 1 live game (QPR)
Totally agree. False start to the season, transfer window frenzy, start number two, international break, start number three. It really is no way to run a football league.
If we had a mid season winter break, like they do in Scandinavia, etc, qualifiers could be allocated a slot within that window, so as not to disrupt the flow of each countries domestic leagues
Firstly: I completely agree with the original post. Have seeded nations and then have the weaker nations play off to go to enter the competition proper. It would save a huge amount of time and effort in having the likes of San Marino walloped every game and give them more games against teams they actually have a chance of beating. sadly it will never happen as more matches = more cash and games for the likes of San Marino and Moldova against the top teams must contribute a huge amount to their income and exposure. Secondly: when could you have a winter break in the UK? There are probably 8 months in which we can have snow or radically inclement weather. It would be a bit poor if we had a mid-winter break in say January and then lost a fornight in Feb or Mar. It could cause a number of problems in getting the seaosn finished.
I do share the frustration with the stop/start nature of the PL season, but how else can international rankings be determined other than by playing competitive games? Without the qualifying group games, the current top 16 would be fixed and permanent.
The Rugby Premiership plays games even if the top players are missing on tour. And games aren't cancelled because of the Copa America or African Nations. Why cancel the games? Teams have 25 player squads now. If they want to fill it full of internationals then tough, stick the academy in. And why play them at the weekend? Play them midweek so that Saturdays aren't disrupted. Then we might find out who really runs football when players are pulled out of their international sides.
I have become almost completely disinterested in international football. Really not bothered about the England v Moldova game. Don't. Are that it was 5-0 and I don't care who scored. I'm just getting ready or the Norwich game next week. It will effectively be the start of the season for me so I just want it to get started.
On the plus side I suppose I watched sides like Southend,Plymouth and Exeter in the absence of any other proper football.Saw that Cureton got a brace,not bad for 37.
it makes you wonder how we managed in 60,s?? Internationals were played mid-week (Wed afternoon sometimes),no fixtures cancelled.Cup games were played to a result,no penalties. We still won World Cup,European Cup (Celtic and ManU) plus Cup Winners Cup,Inter City etc. And please don't bleat on about how faster the game is now, players are better looked after now,they travel first class now. They play less games now (Smaller Premier league) There are no Home Championship now. Our game has been sold out to TV. We are all to blame.
Completely agree the first post-in fact posted much the same thoughts on the OTBC website,this am. I suppose if we want a share of the TV revenues we've got to grin and bear it.
The friendly matches three days before the season started were utter madness, any teams first match of the season is allways an important one, and there were many teams in the first two divisions who had several players missing, not only is there a tiredness issue, obviously if players are not there they can not work with the ones that are. Think actually there was a championship match on the friday. Jordan Rhodes was one who played in the international friendlies, and his then team Huddersfield played two days later. What baffles me is that they seem to count the goals scored in these friendlies, yet in club friendlies, they do not. No goals scored in any friendly match should count, because in nearly all matches, more than three subs per side are used, which obviously is not the case in a first class match, so the rules have been infringed, so they should not be recorded.
