International football

[Bruce Wayne]

Wank - they stop league fixtures for this? Time to scrap the pointless disruptive qualifiers and friendlies and restructure the World cup/ Euro cup with a month of K/O football.

This weekend has been painfully boring.

 

[wizadry]

Wank - they stop league fixtures for this? Time to scrap the pointless disruptive qualifiers and friendlies and restructure the World cup/ Euro cup with a month of K/O football.

This weekend has been painfully boring.

You need to get or have some alternative hobbies mate, do you want to borrow Debbie does Dallas?

 

[seanbeenstattoo]

The op is right. The quality of football on offer in theses interminable qualifyers is beyond abysmal. More to the point I couldn`t give a fuck about any of them.
Ideally England win and the rest of the leeching cunts lose but even that isn`t enough to give up a league programme.

 

[Bath Blade]

Even as an international football devotee who was at Wembley last night, I agree that something has to be done to stop international football dying. There are far too many mismatches both in qualifiers and even in finals, which are terrible to watch, and a 48 team World Cup is only going to make this worse. There is no incentive for the major clubs to want this to change as it's in their interest to see international football die.

How do we change this? I know there's not a lot of enthusiasm for international football on this forum but it's surely preferable to watch the best footballers in a setting which isn't just about the money (England players don't get paid for playing for their country). International football has got to be worth saving purely on this basis.

 

[Kenilworth]

England players do get paid for playing for their country but they choose to give their fees to this they and the other as its insignificant to tbe money they are paid by their clubs.

The qualifiers are a waste of time.
England invariably waltz the group then are shit in the tourno as they are little boys playing in a competition where mental strength, togetherness and teamwork are the answer. He majority of them play for their own interests and are not bothered about the others one iota - Sturridge is a prime example of that type

 

[CarlMcBlade]

When United aren't playing I find it very easy to disconnect myself from all things football (including England). I'm probably much too partisan to enjoy watching other teams. Like today, I couldn't be arsed to buy a Sunday paper because we didn't play. When people I meet ask me if I'm into football, I usually say No! But then I follow that by saying "I love SUFC like expectant father."

 

[derfblade]

Wank - they stop league fixtures for this? Time to scrap the pointless disruptive qualifiers and friendlies and restructure the World cup/ Euro cup with a month of K/O football.

This weekend has been painfully boring.

Wank - they stop league fixtures for this? Time to scrap the pointless disruptive qualifiers and friendlies and restructure the World cup/ Euro cup with a month of K/O football.

This weekend has been painfully boring.

That my friend, is a great idea. Play 3 qualifiers a week for a month or so and get it over with, then 2 years later do the same again.

 

[Dkc]

Nee nah nee nah nee nah

 

[8lade]

'ello 'ello 'ello, what do we 'ave 'ere then?

 

[itsinyerblood]

When United aren't playing I find it very easy to disconnect myself from all things football (including England). I'm probably much too partisan to enjoy watching other teams. Like today, I couldn't be arsed to buy a Sunday paper because we didn't play. When people I meet ask me if I'm into football, I usually say No! But then I follow that by saying "I love SUFC like expectant father."

Presumably in a faux Saudi accent?

 

[PokerBlade]

One of the major problems of international football is that it's not the top level of football any more. Top players move across the globe to play in the highest division in a few European countries. When teams like Man City, Barcelona, Real, Bayern Munich, and such are assembling their squads from the best players across the entire globe, that means they have the best teams and the players are playing within systems they're best suited to.

The Champions League is better football and it doesn't have a four year gap between meaningful games. It's not surprising that England vs. Malta is less attractive.

 

[s35blade]

Yeah all international football that isn't part of a major tournament tends to be absolutely dire and is designed to be so, after all Fifa and UEFA want the big boys with their well known players at the tournament. That's why I tend to spend more time following the ROI for international football, not because I support Ireland but because their matches have consequence and it's a battle for them to qualify. As England, well you know 99% of the time they're going to win their qualifier relatively easily.

 

[sitwell]

On the flip side ,Sky football was much better today ,Oxford v Wimbledon and MK v Port Vale was much better than Arsenal v Swansea or whatever.

 

[Tyler Durden]

Engerland remind me too much of the Pigs, everything about them is drenched in cuntitude, which is why I'm not remotely interested in their fortunes.

I don't even like football in general that much anymore. I'm too involved in United to care about anything external.

 

[Stretch]

Have been saying this for years although personally I could not give a flying phuck about the national team and haven't done for a long long time. It's United, United, United as far as I am concerned and if we aren't playing for whatever reason then I take my leave watching the rest of of the league fixtures.

It's about time all friendlies were scrapped and the qualifier schedule seriously reviewed. Twats the lot of em.

 

[blade too long]

I always was under the impression a country selected its best players of that time to honour them . Yet we keep picking spent players like Rooney who have lost their zest of the game .to then make him captain is an affront to Bobby Moore and the like.

 

[ghandi]

Wank - they stop league fixtures for this? Time to scrap the pointless disruptive qualifiers and friendlies and restructure the World cup/ Euro cup with a month of K/O football.

This weekend has been painfully boring.

Never going to happen unless people post in the correct forum

 

[JohnDenver]

On the flip side ,Sky football was much better today ,Oxford v Wimbledon and MK v Port Vale was much better than Arsenal v Swansea or whatever.

My first weekend since binning Sky Sports. Was horrified to discover Radio 5 had some bloke who sounds like Ben Fogle commentating on rugby union all bastard afternoon, and no live coverage of stickball whatsoever.

Hard times.

 

[Wapping Blade]

My first weekend since binning Sky Sports. Was horrified to discover Radio 5 had some bloke who sounds like Ben Fogle commentating on rugby union all bastard afternoon, and no live coverage of stickball whatsoever.

Hard times.

I found out last week that "Talksport 2" has the radio coverage for the whole tour, couldn't find it on my DAB so who knows how many are listening.

 

[sitwell]

I always was under the impression a country selected its best players of that time to honour them . Yet we keep picking spent players like Rooney who have lost their zest of the game .to then make him captain is an affront to Bobby Moore and the like.

If his country and his club would play him in his best position ,he is still one of the top strikers in the world. You wouldn't see Lineker or Shearer being played in midfield would you. Fuck the tippy tappy shit ,play Rooney and Vardy up front and play in an English style instead of trying to be Spain and it would be worth watching. No mark yes men like Southgate wont do it though ,he will just ask Rooney where he likes to play and bow down to him.
Its like when Jagielka thought he was a midfielder , he wasn't even though he wanted to be.

 

[blade too long]

If his country and his club would play him in his best position ,he WAS one of the top strikers in the world.

Corrected it for you
his goal ratio has plummeted in recent years
17 2014 12 in 2015 8 last year only 1 league goal so far this
hes old slow and cant cross for toffee now
32 soon some strikers just lose the fox in the box value , he has

he was booed yesterday for too many misplaced passes
if he played for Burnley hed have been dropped 2 years ago
hes surviving on past glories , with man utd , not england

 

[sitwell]

Corrected it for you
his goal ratio has plummeted in recent years
17 2014 12 in 2015 8 last year only 1 league goal so far this
hes old slow and cant cross for toffee now
32 soon some strikers just lose the fox in the box value , he has

he was booed yesterday for too many misplaced passes
if he played for Burnley hed have been dropped 2 years ago
hes surviving on past glories , with man utd , not england

He hasn't played as a striker. That's the point

 

[blade too long]

He hasn't played as a striker. That's the point

well is he the best midfield player available to England
again no

why is he not played as a striker , by his club , they have better options in Rashford and Zlatan
rashford fit enough to defend and attack , Rooneys engine is running with a worn out timing belt

Brian Deane at 32 wasnt any where near as good
its just what happens

I cant see why hes in this world cup squad , he will be 34 when the finals come round
we cant let players who will need zimmer frames then near the team

 

[Pinchy]

"England" don't have anyone who is "one of the top..." in the world.

How often do they have to get beat by so-called lesser nations with unknowns of far better quality and technique?

How many Golden Generations have to come home with their tails between the legs, whilst teams that can play contest the meaningful games?

 

[super_pig]

the last world class player that we had was (love him or loathe him) ashley cole.. he's still better than Rose/Shaw now

 

[cahill]

Lost interest in England ( Ingeerlllaaand) several decades ago, around about the time when Ingerland fans invariably booed others National Anthems and support for the national team became conflated with xenophobia and nationalism. Witness this summers antics in France, drunken fans boorishly singing " you can stick your fucking Europe up your ..." etc, i know I know xenophobia is not just the preserve of English fans but we've set that ball rolling years ago. The other thing is that England teams over the decades have been boring.

Up the Blades

 

[sitwell]

When I was on the German end v Poland at the Euros ,the Germans told me that only 2 players would get anywhere near the German squad that was Vardy ,and Rooney ,but Rooney as a striker. This was partly because they don't have much faith in Gomez and Gotze. They also couldn't believe how poor England were (this was before Iceland) and didn't think they would get to the semis. The conclusion was too many foreigners playing in the premier league. They weren't being arsey either it was a good discussion.

 

[seanbeenstattoo]

Rooney on the bench tonight.

 

[Dkc]

On the flip side ,Sky football was much better today ,Oxford v Wimbledon and MK v Port Vale was much better than Arsenal v Swansea or whatever.

Agreed in general but Arsenal aren't the best example. They are the only team I regularly watch when on TV. Wenger's teams are always good to watch, they always try ultra-fast, one-touch passing stuff to create goalscoring opportunities. It's great when it comes off, or nearly comes off. Liverpool this season are decent to watch too. Not so much Chelsea or Man U, and even watching Man City can be dull.

 

[blade too long]

thing is people who base their view on Rooney on highlights are being conned,
Im sure if you got all dean Hammonds highlights and only show them ,someone might offer him a job

If you watch Rooney over 90 minutes these days he looks like Scougal , occasionally flattering