Should they bring back home internationals

bigmike · by **bigmike** » 18 Oct 2007 16:34

Rather than playing pointless friendlys should they bring back home internationals?

At this time it looks like there may be no teams from the UK and Ireland in Euro 2008 . I personally believe that playing home internationals would improve the standard of our teams.

Behindu · by **Behindu** » 18 Oct 2007 16:37

No.
Why play the same teams every year ? Can see absolutely no benefit in it at all, especially for England.
Let Wales, Scotland and N ireland play each other if they like.

Wax Jacket · by **Wax Jacket** » 18 Oct 2007 16:42

actually big mike could be onto something here, why not ahve a home internationals tournament - maybe the B teams could play or something

Row Z Royal · by **Row Z Royal** » 18 Oct 2007 16:50

Behindu No.
Why play the same teams every year ? Can see absolutely no benefit in it at all, especially for England.
Let Wales, Scotland and N ireland play each other if they like.

That sounds like the sort of attitude that cost us three points last night.

I think reigniting some local rivalry and national pride in our elite players would do them the world of good.

bigmike · by **bigmike** » 18 Oct 2007 17:03

Behindu No.
Why play the same teams every year ? Can see absolutely no benefit in it at all, especially for England.
Let Wales, Scotland and N ireland play each other if they like.

I am starting to think that you are an automated bot that has been set up to contradict anything that I post on here

Hoop Blah · by **Hoop Blah** » 18 Oct 2007 17:05

bigmike
Behindu No.
Why play the same teams every year ? Can see absolutely no benefit in it at all, especially for England.
Let Wales, Scotland and N ireland play each other if they like.

I am starting to think that you are an automated bot that has been set up to contradict anything that I post on here

No he's not.

Kes · by **Kes** » 18 Oct 2007 17:09

Too much trouble.

The likes of Ireland, wales and Scotland have an inferiority complex so they hate the English. Not a good idea playing each other if they can avoid it.

Hoop Blah · by **Hoop Blah** » 18 Oct 2007 17:14

I like the sound of Wax Jackets B international idea.

I'm sure it's a bit unrealistic to expect our players bother to turn out and make it competitve though. In theory I think it would be a great way to test some of those fringe players and see how they might adapt to playing for England.

Coppelled Streets · by **Coppelled Streets** » 18 Oct 2007 17:30

Yes please.

Behindu · by **Behindu** » 18 Oct 2007 19:10

bigmike
Behindu No.
Why play the same teams every year ? Can see absolutely no benefit in it at all, especially for England.
Let Wales, Scotland and N ireland play each other if they like.

I am starting to think that you are an automated bot that has been set up to contradict anything that I post on here

Well get some good ideas then !!

Why on earth would England set themselves up to play 3 games every year against sides just desperate to stick one over on them ? And sides not playing the type of football England would see in Euro and WC games ?
I'd rather see games against Brazil, Argentina, Germany, France than Wales and Northern Ireland.
We would have to play other friendlies as well and we already play too many games (disrupting the more important club programme.).
I simply don;t see what it would do for England (and see no reason why I should care what it would do for the other countries)

Starfish · by **Starfish** » 18 Oct 2007 20:50

Kes Too much trouble.

The likes of Ireland, wales and Scotland have an inferiority complex so they hate the English. Not a good idea playing each other if they can avoid it.

Only when Ireland go 1-0 up.

Stranded · by **Stranded** » 19 Oct 2007 08:52

Behindu
bigmike
Behindu No.
Why play the same teams every year ? Can see absolutely no benefit in it at all, especially for England.
Let Wales, Scotland and N ireland play each other if they like.

I am starting to think that you are an automated bot that has been set up to contradict anything that I post on here

Well get some good ideas then !!

Why on earth would England set themselves up to play 3 games every year against sides just desperate to stick one over on them ? And sides not playing the type of football England would see in Euro and WC games ?
I'd rather see games against Brazil, Argentina, Germany, France than Wales and Northern Ireland.
We would have to play other friendlies as well and we already play too many games (disrupting the more important club programme.).
I simply don;t see what it would do for England (and see no reason why I should care what it would do for the other countries)

Why not play it in odd numbered years rather than pointless tours to the US or wherever. Throw in the Republic and have a Five Nations event every two years - as WJ says, it could be used as a "B" competition to look at fringe players/returning injured players.

Behindu · by **Behindu** » 19 Oct 2007 08:55

Stranded Why not play it in odd numbered years rather than pointless tours to the US or wherever. Throw in the Republic and have a Five Nations event every two years - as WJ says, it could be used as a "B" competition to look at fringe players/returning injured players.

Fair suggestion.
Although would you play it in the summer (when the US tour was ?). Might be a problem in terms of crowds / availability of stadium. And putting 4 extra games into the schedule, especially when those games are likley to be quite hard fought may not go down too well with the clubs.

bigmike · by **bigmike** » 19 Oct 2007 09:13

Kes Too much trouble.

The likes of Ireland, wales and Scotland have an inferiority complex so they hate the English. Not a good idea playing each other if they can avoid it.

I wouldn't say that Scotland Wales and Ireland have an inferiority complex. I think and know that England have a superiority complex and cant take it when the lose to nations such as northern ireland.

Look what adding an extra team has done to the old Five nations. As there is now more competition 4 out of the 6 made it through to the last stages of the world cup. 2 through to the semis unfortunatly they met each other in that semi. I would also suspect that England won the last world cup due to the amount of competitive rugby that they have played previously to the tournament.

I personally think it would be a good thing and realisticly do you think that playing a friendly against Brazil or Argentina would be better than playing what would be classed as a competitive match and and I suspect that if FIFA sanction it as an offical tournament it would count towards the world rankings. We could also add France and possibly Italy to the tournament and have a six nations of football.

Stranded · by **Stranded** » 19 Oct 2007 09:14

Behindu
Stranded Why not play it in odd numbered years rather than pointless tours to the US or wherever. Throw in the Republic and have a Five Nations event every two years - as WJ says, it could be used as a "B" competition to look at fringe players/returning injured players.

Fair suggestion.
Although would you play it in the summer (when the US tour was ?). Might be a problem in terms of crowds / availability of stadium. And putting 4 extra games into the schedule, especially when those games are likley to be quite hard fought may not go down too well with the clubs.

Perhaps, wouldn't necessarily take too long to complete. The only problem could be if there are June qualifiers for the WC/Euros.

Otherwise could be done in say two weeks, using this June's dates could have been:

6/6 - Game 1
9/6 - Game 2
13/6 - Game 3
16/6 - Game 4
20/6 - Game 5

Each team would obviously miss a round so would have at worst 4 games in two weeks (but start later/finish earlier) and at best a week off at some stage.

bigmike · by **bigmike** » 19 Oct 2007 09:31

Behindu
bigmike
Behindu No.
Why play the same teams every year ? Can see absolutely no benefit in it at all, especially for England.
Let Wales, Scotland and N ireland play each other if they like.

I am starting to think that you are an automated bot that has been set up to contradict anything that I post on here

Well get some good ideas then !!

Why on earth would England set themselves up to play 3 games every year against sides just desperate to stick one over on them ? And sides not playing the type of football England would see in Euro and WC games ?
I'd rather see games against Brazil, Argentina, Germany, France than Wales and Northern Ireland.
We would have to play other friendlies as well and we already play too many games (disrupting the more important club programme.).
I simply don;t see what it would do for England (and see no reason why I should care what it would do for the other countries)

"sides not playing the type of football England would see in Euro and WC games"

Thats is excatly the point England may not be seeing anyone in the Euros in 2008 which I take no pleasure in as it is looking pretty bad for football within the UK on the whole. We all know that England won the world cup in 1966 which in my opinion they would not have qualified for if they had to. What have they won or come close to winning since?

As for these players like Frank LOLampard who moan about playing 6 games of football a month they need to grow a brain they are professional footballers and payed more in a week than most familys get in a year. Is playing 3 or 4 competitive games instead of pointless friendlys going to upset the balance?

I agree that over the Christmas period there is severe fixture issues but that is only down to the fact that the premier league and the football leagues in this country are rather stupid. Theres plenty of other times that these extra games can be played. I am sure you are aware that we played 1 game in i think 15 days then we played 3 in 6 days this happens more than once in a season as well. Mind you I suppose asking the FA and the football leagues to use some common sence is asking a bit much just look at the way the delt with the Tevez + West Ham affair .

AF1 · by **AF1** » 19 Oct 2007 09:37

Behindu · by **Behindu** » 19 Oct 2007 09:59

Stranded Perhaps, wouldn't necessarily take too long to complete. The only problem could be if there are June qualifiers for the WC/Euros.

Otherwise could be done in say two weeks, using this June's dates could have been:

6/6 - Game 1
9/6 - Game 2
13/6 - Game 3
16/6 - Game 4
20/6 - Game 5

Each team would obviously miss a round so would have at worst 4 games in two weeks (but start later/finish earlier) and at best a week off at some stage.

And back in for preseason training a week or so later !
Another 4 games added to the schedule, palyers asked to put in another 4 games fater having completed their season.
And the benefits would be ?

Stranded · by **Stranded** » 19 Oct 2007 10:09

Behindu
Stranded Perhaps, wouldn't necessarily take too long to complete. The only problem could be if there are June qualifiers for the WC/Euros.

Otherwise could be done in say two weeks, using this June's dates could have been:

6/6 - Game 1
9/6 - Game 2
13/6 - Game 3
16/6 - Game 4
20/6 - Game 5

Each team would obviously miss a round so would have at worst 4 games in two weeks (but start later/finish earlier) and at best a week off at some stage.

And back in for preseason training a week or so later !
Another 4 games added to the schedule, palyers asked to put in another 4 games fater having completed their season.
And the benefits would be ?

Those were just rough dates, could be earlier if needs be. Players involved would go back to training later just as they currently do if they are involved in a summer competition.

Benefits would be giving players on the fringe of say the England squad the chance to play in a tournement atmosphere the year before a major competition (should we have qualified) to see who of those on the fringe could handle that step up if needed.

sheshnu · by **sheshnu** » 19 Oct 2007 10:13

We should (probably) definitely have a 'five nations' next year during the Euros, or indeed any year that everyone fails to qualify for the major tournament.

Other than that I don't think England should waste their time playing the lesser nations too much, bigger fish to fry and all that.