Is it time to lose International football?

[nottsblue]

Has International football had its day? I think for a lot of fans, the International breaks are just a distraction from the main event, which is their domestic team. The risk of injury, jet lag and fatigue are just some of the things domestic managers have to contend with. Throw in the lack of training time for the next game and it's a headache most could do without I'm sure.

Sure, the World Cup is a great spectacle, but is it any more exciting than the domestic league or cup? Plus it has implications for the following season. And it's as corrupt as anything. Russia 2018? Qatar 2022? Really?

If it was abandoned tomorrow, I for one would not shed any tears for its loss. Does it have a future in its present guise or is the way forward to go backwards and just play annual games v the local nations?

[Im_Spartacus]

I think the minute profit becomes a key motive in a national, regional or global footballing organization, international football suffers.

Having said that, it's only 20 years since we would trounce the likes of Turkey 8.0 so the speed of development in some countries has been remarkable. It would be churlish not to give Uefa and Fifa some credit for that - although one could equally cite the decline of the home nations in the same period as being examples where nations fortunes have badly declined.

I don't watch international football other than the actual tournaments when there is something to play for. The qualifying is just too drawn out and the disparity in quality in each group really does suggest that everyone would be happier having a 2 tier qualification system to remove the real dross from the groups.

[dazby]

It's only poms who don't like it.

[Pretty Boy Lee]

I love the wc and the euros, but international breaks are a joke. Condense the qualifying path and do it in one hit at the end of the season. Do we really need to keep beating San marino during the bloody season.

[carl_feedthegoat]

Once upon a time I was a fanatcial supporter who would move heaven and earth to see us play live.............then I did a massive U turn who rarely, if ever, watch us play at all.

The reasons are :

Too many friendlies with unlimited subs.

Too many Munchens that are playing purely because they play for the munchens.

Too many fucking clueless cunts as managers.

The FA old bastards who havent got a clue.

Shrek.

Id rather watch netball...at least I get to see a flash of white knickers now and again.

[Dameerto]

I love the wc and the euros, but international breaks are a joke. Condense the qualifying path and do it in one hit at the end of the season. Do we really need to keep beating San marino during the bloody season.

I'd quite like to see that - make qualifying a tournament in itself. I would also like to see pre-qualifying for any team below a certain world ranking (IE San Marino and Andorra).

[Peter Doherty (AGAIG)]

Nation states are legal fictions. Manchester first and last for me.

[Pretty Boy Lee]

I love the wc and the euros, but international breaks are a joke. Condense the qualifying path and do it in one hit at the end of the season. Do we really need to keep beating San marino during the bloody season.

I'd quite like to see that - make qualifying a tournament in itself. I would also like to see pre-qualifying for any team below a certain world ranking (IE San Marino and Andorra).

Take away the bloody breaks and you'd have time at the end as well, so no lengthening. Other sports have internationals at the end and its a reward for best performers that season. Seems so easy doesn't it?

[john@staustell]

Yep get rid asap

[Piccsnumberoneblue]

These Euro qualifications are pathetic. The only decent side being eliminated are Holland.
Although it's been good that Sweaties got excited by their chances, only to see them dashed again late on :)

[Wonderwall]

I have disliked international football for a long time now. However it's not the football that's the issue. I have disliked every england manager which helps me to hate it.

[sheblue]

There is no doubt that for many international football has lost its appeal. However we will never loose international football, its not going to happen.
With fixture congestion its hard to see how the international break format will be changed, although something needs to be done with the format of the qualification process.

[iwasthere2012]

These Euro qualifications are pathetic. The only decent side being eliminated are Holland.
Although it's been good that Sweaties got excited by their chances, only to see them dashed again late on :)

I've mixed feelings. I wouldn't like to see them done away with, but maybe they could be restructured into something more meaningful.
For the smaller nations, and I mean the likes of us (Ireland) Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland etc. the thrill of qualifying is enormous and really lifts the country.
The hope is that they can do well and give a good account of themselves and the fans can go and enjoy themselves on the international stage. We don't expect to win it.
The down side for me of watching Ireland is that we seem to have regressed irretrievably in football terms and I can't see any hope of us producing players with the necessary technical ability to deal with the modern game. For that I blame the FAI for having no vision of the big picture back in the days when an Ireland international was a licence to print money for them. I used to attend all games mainly through the Charlton/Mccarthy era and football style aside, there was always a full house even for the shittiest of friendlies. It all unravelled under the Kerr/Staunton debacle and the FAI are left with poor attendances and nothing to show at grass roots level for all the years they were flush.

In essence and in answer to the OP question: We are piss poor but I'd still prefer the excitement and hope of us in a good tournament finals, although I understand that they are no more than a nuisance to most premiership teams.

[Moonchesteri]

The major tournaments are nice and worth keeping. (not that I give a fuck about anything else than WC & Euros tbh)

but A) Friendlies must be banned apart from the three or four weeks before major tournament.

B) The qualifiers has to be squeezed into two or three international breaks with games played every three days.
for example WC2018 qualifiers could be played like this: first two and half week break in October 2016 with games on Wednesday, Saturday, Wednesday, Saturday, Wednesday (5/10 done) and the rest played once european seasons are finished, again 5 games in fifteen days and Boom we're done. qualifiers can be played the following october again.

Simples.

[iwasthere2012]

The major tournaments are nice and worth keeping. (not that I give a fuck about anything else than WC & Euros tbh)

but A) Friendlies must be banned apart from the three or four weeks before major tournament.

B) The qualifiers has to be squeezed into two or three international breaks with games played every three days.
for example WC2018 qualifiers could be played like this: first two and half week break in October 2016 with games on Wednesday, Saturday, Wednesday, Saturday, Wednesday (5/10 done) and the rest played once european seasons are finished, again 5 games in fifteen days and Boom we're done. qualifiers can be played the following october again.

Simples.

Moonchesteri for President.
Fatini out.

[DoomMerchant]

Once upon a time I was a fanatcial supporter who would move heaven and earth to see us play live.............then I did a massive U turn who rarely, if ever, watch us play at all.

The reasons are :

Too many friendlies with unlimited subs.

Too many Munchens that are playing purely because they play for the munchens.

Too many fucking clueless cunts as managers.

The FA old bastards who havent got a clue.

Shrek.

Id rather watch netball...at least I get to see a flash of white knickers now and again.

Bang on about the netball. I could watch it with my pants around my ankles. Better than tennis.

Cheers

[Hutch's Shoulder]

I think it's largely England fans who hate internationals; many other nations, especially the new or small ones, are very proud of their national teams.

Some of the England fans' boredom is because the team is crap, but more because the primary allegiance is to the club. I don't think the format of international or club competitions influences this much.

[Wonderwall]

I think it's largely England fans who hate internationals; many other nations, especially the new or small ones, are very proud of their national teams.

Some of the England fans' boredom is because the team is crap, but more because the primary allegiance is to the club. I don't think the format of international or club competitions influences this much.

This is true. England rarely excite the fans.
I went to England v Wales game at the swamp years ago. It was a great atmosphere until the match started.

[Slim]

I still watch England games because...England. However they still piss me off, especially when we head into a season and then right away there is a break so we can play qualifiers, this got even worse last season when they took a break to play a pair of friendlies. What I am really annoyed about is we always seem to come out of the matches with injuries, in this case Delph and Sagna. What if that was Silva and Aguero? Yaya and Hart? That could derail our season and if it was last season, for a fucking friendly.

So while I think it needs fixing I don't want to see it gone.
1. International friendlies are only to be played in the weeks prior to major tournaments.
2. Introduction of a winter break, other leagues have them and manage quite well, might even help in the Europa/CL for our club teams.
3. Qualifiers for the Euros and the WC to be split among three "windows". 2 Winter breaks and 1 Summer break.

Lastly, I really really want country FA's to cover the wages of international players during these international break. If I don't show up at work for two weeks, I wouldn't get paid and there is no good reason for why the clubs have to cover this. Any players injured on international duty is covered by the clubs insurance, however there have been times where a player has been selected when he was quite clearly a high risk for injury(just returned from injury usually), they get selected because "fuck the club, that player will be healed by the next lot of internationals". Let the FA's cover this as well, how many times would Reyna or RSC have gotten selected if that were the case?

[DoomMerchant]

I still watch England games because...England. However they still piss me off, especially when we head into a season and then right away there is a break so we can play qualifiers, this got even worse last season when they took a break to play a pair of friendlies. What I am really annoyed about is we always seem to come out of the matches with injuries, in this case Delph and Sagna. What if that was Silva and Aguero? Yaya and Hart? That could derail our season and if it was last season, for a fucking friendly.

So while I think it needs fixing I don't want to see it gone.
1. International friendlies are only to be played in the weeks prior to major tournaments.
2. Introduction of a winter break, other leagues have them and manage quite well, might even help in the Europa/CL for our club teams.
3. Qualifiers for the Euros and the WC to be split among three "windows". 2 Winter breaks and 1 Summer break.

Lastly, I really really want country FA's to cover the wages of international players during these international break. If I don't show up at work for two weeks, I wouldn't get paid and there is no good reason for why the clubs have to cover this. Any players injured on international duty is covered by the clubs insurance, however there have been times where a player has been selected when he was quite clearly a high risk for injury(just returned from injury usually), they get selected because "fuck the club, that player will be healed by the next lot of internationals". Let the FA's cover this as well, how many times would Reyna or RSC have gotten selected if that were the case?

while i agree with 90% of that, it's true that if you don't show up for work for two weeks the rest of the team has a fucking party and enjoys themselves wildly. FACT.

cheers