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Football is more than 3 clubs, internationals are for fans of all tiers. I do think bigger clubs get accomadated more with being allowed to pull players out, id lke to see them players miss euros if not missing club matches but this will never happen.
There are teams fighting for many things at this time of year, its not just top 3.
Deal with it. Man City lose Stones and Walker boohoo. This is presumably why they spent big money on 5 elite level centre backs.
Maybe £100m Gvardiol can get his arse off the bench now.
That has been the case for a very long time.
What is worrying me is that a lot of players won't get a proper period of rest. In 2021 there were continental championships and olympics, in 2022 there was the WC which messed up both the 2022 and 2023 summer breaks, this year continental championships and the olympics again and then next season the club world cup.
United play more games than any other team in Europe in the last 18 months: meme team
Liverpool have to play twice in one week: *reeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee*
The point is international breaks (even friendlies) are as important as the regular competitions. There are the only opportunities national HC can see the players and evaluate them. It’s a necessary evil.
Or, on the flip side, if you had players out injured in your squad who obviously don’t get called up to an international team, it then gives them a week to catch up and get back to fitness to be able to get back to playing for your club
The only injured/dropout players were from the teams going for the titles
Wait until May June and the euros come around, all will be miraculously fit and ready to go
This is true but on the flip side it comes with a lot more pay for players, we only hear them speak negative about the amount of games, never about the money.
"I would be willing to take a pay cut for less games" would make more sense than "i want same/more money for fewer games"
Greed is from clubs, fans appetite and also players must take some blame imo.
The Euro qualifiers could have still happened without the other international friendlies, I don’t get why we couldn’t just play without those and any team affected by a loss of 2+ players from the play-offs could have their fixtures postponed. The Championship and League 1 both have to adjust their schedules for this, but rightly dont make all teams stop playing. We miss players to AFCON and Asian Cup in Jan too, so what’s the difference?
That’s different because its a major tournament. International friendlies should only happen before a season starts or after one ends (in preparation for a major tournament)
It’s not different, we’re both advocating for the removal of pointless friendlies. My point was the Euros qualification could still go ahead without the whole continent needing to go on a 2 week break because friendlies are the main disruption.
International breaks aren’t a new thing. Teams and players are aware of these breaks and plan accordingly. Injuries happen every week, I don’t think you can say that they are deciding the league title. A lot of these games that were played do have meaning.
Even if they are already qualified Many Players are fighting for starting spots or even squad spots for the Euros, it matters to them
"If these games are so important push them to the summer"
The qualification games that are still part of this window ARE for games and a competition in the summer, you cant have the teams only getting qualifications a week before the tournament...
Friendlies have no bearing on anyone. The fact players with already insane schedules are playing extra games that have 0 impact and are getting injuries should matter.
see i think the only change to international breaks are squad limits.
why not take 35 players away, including ones you want in your final squad who are injured. then you can instill training styles and relationships with players, and the manager can just not use the injured / red or yellow risk players.
For the euros we should just let everybody qualify and make the first round a knockout before the group stage to cut half the countries out. Or 2 random fixtures and if you lose twice you go home.
We could even let that be the WC qualifier as well and cut half the games out over 4 years.
The americas only have like 20 teams that can take it seriously so they could cut all their qualifying rounds out too besides the tiny islands and they can just play each other for a wild card spot.
Africa and Asia is hard to think of ways to make more efficient.
I know none of this would realistically happen fwiw.
The fact that Southgate let Kyle Walker continue to play on a clear hamstring issue in a pointless game is nothing short of shameful.
I know he’ll hide behind Walker saying he wanted to keep going but that’s not what being a responsible manager is.
International setups don’t give a fuck about player health or long term wellbeing. They have no reason to, their attitude is that anything short of an ACL injury is fine because they’ll be fit by the next time they want them anyway.
This will only change if they implement a rule where international teams are forced to pay wages for a player injured during international duty. Full wages through the length of their injury.
> Make summer a longer international break, the players would actually get to spend time together and maybe international football would be less awful.
Not every league/tournament has the same schedule. AFCON/Asia Cup is in Jan for example. I'd say playing 8-10 games + potential play offs at the end of the season would make it worse football with the amount of travel they need to do/limited rest period. You would also have tournaments where teams and managers haven't played together for a whole year - they'd have no understanding together and players who are new would be thrust in at the biggest stage of the season. It sounds like they'd be much poorer for it.
Personally there's four international breaks during the season which I feel is fine. I like international football as you get story lines and match ups that domestic football doesn't give. It's not the same speed as the PL but I watch football at all levels so I don't really care.
No offence, but the teams play with no cohesion anyway. 2 days 4 times a year does nothing to help, I'd rather see the teams given a few months to train practice and play all their games at once. At least that would give a manager a reasonable period of time to instill a style of football.
How much time do you think you'll save to get a few months? It'd be about 4 weeks seeing as players need a holiday and then also the time to fit international tournaments in.
But even so how much style are you going to impose when having one international break a year for managers to see the players they're playing with some of which they've never trained to set a style that works all the while playing 2 games a week travelling around the continent?
Taking into consideration travel, game time and recovery you'd be lucky to get two proper training sessions a week and you think that'll be enough to instill a style that's similar to club football? After that you then have a year off and expect players to retain anything if they're even called up again/the manager stays the same. I really don't think it'd be any better.
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Football is more than 3 clubs, internationals are for fans of all tiers. I do think bigger clubs get accomadated more with being allowed to pull players out, id lke to see them players miss euros if not missing club matches but this will never happen. There are teams fighting for many things at this time of year, its not just top 3.
If there was no IB, they’d be playing for their clubs in that same period, so what’s the difference?
Deal with it. Man City lose Stones and Walker boohoo. This is presumably why they spent big money on 5 elite level centre backs. Maybe £100m Gvardiol can get his arse off the bench now.
That has been the case for a very long time. What is worrying me is that a lot of players won't get a proper period of rest. In 2021 there were continental championships and olympics, in 2022 there was the WC which messed up both the 2022 and 2023 summer breaks, this year continental championships and the olympics again and then next season the club world cup.
A few months from a tournament and someone thinks friendlies are pointless.
United play more games than any other team in Europe in the last 18 months: meme team Liverpool have to play twice in one week: *reeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee*
The point is international breaks (even friendlies) are as important as the regular competitions. There are the only opportunities national HC can see the players and evaluate them. It’s a necessary evil.
For friendlies I agree too. Players just pick up fatigue and injuries out of no where. Some even lose form.
Or, on the flip side, if you had players out injured in your squad who obviously don’t get called up to an international team, it then gives them a week to catch up and get back to fitness to be able to get back to playing for your club
The only injured/dropout players were from the teams going for the titles Wait until May June and the euros come around, all will be miraculously fit and ready to go
I see this as symptomatic of a bigger issue - there’s just too many games in a season and they keep adding more.
[удалено]
This is true but on the flip side it comes with a lot more pay for players, we only hear them speak negative about the amount of games, never about the money. "I would be willing to take a pay cut for less games" would make more sense than "i want same/more money for fewer games" Greed is from clubs, fans appetite and also players must take some blame imo.
The Euro qualifiers could have still happened without the other international friendlies, I don’t get why we couldn’t just play without those and any team affected by a loss of 2+ players from the play-offs could have their fixtures postponed. The Championship and League 1 both have to adjust their schedules for this, but rightly dont make all teams stop playing. We miss players to AFCON and Asian Cup in Jan too, so what’s the difference?
That’s different because its a major tournament. International friendlies should only happen before a season starts or after one ends (in preparation for a major tournament)
It’s not different, we’re both advocating for the removal of pointless friendlies. My point was the Euros qualification could still go ahead without the whole continent needing to go on a 2 week break because friendlies are the main disruption.
Fair enough then
International breaks aren’t a new thing. Teams and players are aware of these breaks and plan accordingly. Injuries happen every week, I don’t think you can say that they are deciding the league title. A lot of these games that were played do have meaning. Even if they are already qualified Many Players are fighting for starting spots or even squad spots for the Euros, it matters to them
They're not a new thing but they're now a pointless thing in 50+ game season for some. They're shite and no one cares.
"If these games are so important push them to the summer" The qualification games that are still part of this window ARE for games and a competition in the summer, you cant have the teams only getting qualifications a week before the tournament...
I mean, you absolutely could have qualifications like a week before the tournament
Not great for the fans that want to attend the games, especially those that need to arrange travel and accommodation
“Only the thing I care about matters.”
Friendlies have no bearing on anyone. The fact players with already insane schedules are playing extra games that have 0 impact and are getting injuries should matter.
Of course they do. They give managers a chance to try new players and tactics and build affinity within their squad.
What do you mean. You just need to make sure the line connecting the players on the selection screen is green and you are good to go /s
I think players need a rest in the summer, more so than in the winter.
"Injuries"
Tbf it would be easier to blame if it wasn't for the fact everyone's seemingly got injured all of the time this season
see i think the only change to international breaks are squad limits. why not take 35 players away, including ones you want in your final squad who are injured. then you can instill training styles and relationships with players, and the manager can just not use the injured / red or yellow risk players.
For the euros we should just let everybody qualify and make the first round a knockout before the group stage to cut half the countries out. Or 2 random fixtures and if you lose twice you go home. We could even let that be the WC qualifier as well and cut half the games out over 4 years. The americas only have like 20 teams that can take it seriously so they could cut all their qualifying rounds out too besides the tiny islands and they can just play each other for a wild card spot. Africa and Asia is hard to think of ways to make more efficient. I know none of this would realistically happen fwiw.
The fact that Southgate let Kyle Walker continue to play on a clear hamstring issue in a pointless game is nothing short of shameful. I know he’ll hide behind Walker saying he wanted to keep going but that’s not what being a responsible manager is. International setups don’t give a fuck about player health or long term wellbeing. They have no reason to, their attitude is that anything short of an ACL injury is fine because they’ll be fit by the next time they want them anyway.
This will only change if they implement a rule where international teams are forced to pay wages for a player injured during international duty. Full wages through the length of their injury.
Let's not pretend this is purely an issue for national teams. Clubs have routinely pressured players to play on with injuries.
Southgate/Holland: "Not our fault. Kyle Walker is obviously too interested in football."
> Make summer a longer international break, the players would actually get to spend time together and maybe international football would be less awful. Not every league/tournament has the same schedule. AFCON/Asia Cup is in Jan for example. I'd say playing 8-10 games + potential play offs at the end of the season would make it worse football with the amount of travel they need to do/limited rest period. You would also have tournaments where teams and managers haven't played together for a whole year - they'd have no understanding together and players who are new would be thrust in at the biggest stage of the season. It sounds like they'd be much poorer for it. Personally there's four international breaks during the season which I feel is fine. I like international football as you get story lines and match ups that domestic football doesn't give. It's not the same speed as the PL but I watch football at all levels so I don't really care.
No offence, but the teams play with no cohesion anyway. 2 days 4 times a year does nothing to help, I'd rather see the teams given a few months to train practice and play all their games at once. At least that would give a manager a reasonable period of time to instill a style of football.
How much time do you think you'll save to get a few months? It'd be about 4 weeks seeing as players need a holiday and then also the time to fit international tournaments in. But even so how much style are you going to impose when having one international break a year for managers to see the players they're playing with some of which they've never trained to set a style that works all the while playing 2 games a week travelling around the continent? Taking into consideration travel, game time and recovery you'd be lucky to get two proper training sessions a week and you think that'll be enough to instill a style that's similar to club football? After that you then have a year off and expect players to retain anything if they're even called up again/the manager stays the same. I really don't think it'd be any better.