Why play Rice and Foden for 180 minutes in friendlies?

Isn’t Southgate aware of what they’re capable of yet?

It could be because he wants to see how two of his more important players mesh with others in the squad and who best accommodates their styles?

I get the club Vs country debate and fans wanting their players fresh for club games especially one like the upcoming weekend which is HUGE for both teams but Southgate has one focus albeit he might do some favours with certain players after a chat with the club?

That said nothing worse than losing a big player in an international but I have a degree of sympathy for international managers

Did Foden play for 180 mins as well?

They're not pointless. They're supposed to help the managers prepare for the euros, which they can't do if their best players pretend to be injured.

Anyone that fakes an injury to get out of playing for their country should be banned from their clubs' next 5 matches.

comment by Jenius99 (U4918)
posted 52 minutes ago
Did Foden play for 180 mins as well?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Yes

Rice didn't sound like he thought it was pointless.

comment by SirCastic (U8772)
posted 38 minutes ago
Rice didn't sound like he thought it was pointless.
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And players wouldn’t especially when you’re made captain for the first time.

I don’t think games before a major tournament would be regarded as pointless by anyone involved, including the players.

3 International breaks between Sept and Nov followed by this one just as we are getting to the business end of things!!?

For years I've wondered why the various European Leagues/clubs don't get together and refuse to release their players during the season?

Instead they allow their ridiculously well paid employees to disappear off round the world and if they're lucky they won't come back injured and knackered.

Losing the International breaks during the season means the league can resume in Sept giving an extra month for qualifiers to be played during the spring/summer months.

No need for friendlies, the only time England should meet Brazil is at a World Cup. Less is more.

Clubs that refuse to release their players for international duty should be suspended from competing in any competitions run by FIFA and the undetlying national and international FAs until they comply.

comment by 115 reasons why ours is better (U22832)
posted 1 minute ago
Clubs that refuse to release their players for international duty should be suspended from competing in any competitions run by FIFA and the undetlying national and international FAs until they comply.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
If they all stuck together FIFA, UEFA.....etc would very quickly back down and we could all enjoy the football season without these silly interruptions.

comment by Boris 'Inky’ Gibson (U5901)
posted 1 hour, 34 minutes ago
comment by Jenius99 (U4918)
posted 52 minutes ago
Did Foden play for 180 mins as well?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Yes
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Oh! Didn't notice.

comment by Jenius99 (U4918)
posted 24 minutes ago
comment by Boris 'Inky’ Gibson (U5901)
posted 1 hour, 34 minutes ago
comment by Jenius99 (U4918)
posted 52 minutes ago
Did Foden play for 180 mins as well?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Yes
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Oh! Didn't notice.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Were you watching Wales?

comment by Boris 'Inky’ Gibson (U5901)
posted 3 hours, 7 minutes ago
Why play Rice and Foden for 180 minutes in friendlies?

Isn’t Southgate aware of what they’re capable of yet?
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Foden isn't ripping up trees for England though Boris. 4 goals in 35 caps.

Maybe he's trying to get him some confidence in an England shirt.

Losing the International breaks during the season means the league can resume in Sept giving an extra month for qualifiers to be played during the spring/summer months.


—

I like international breaks the PL gets boring

comment by Glazers Out (SE85) (U21241)
posted 29 minutes ago
comment by Boris 'Inky’ Gibson (U5901)
posted 3 hours, 7 minutes ago
Why play Rice and Foden for 180 minutes in friendlies?

Isn’t Southgate aware of what they’re capable of yet?
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Foden isn't ripping up trees for England though Boris. 4 goals in 35 caps.

Maybe he's trying to get him some confidence in an England shirt.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Is that Foden’s fault or your future managers?

So I suppose Saka and Gabriel will be out at the weekend due to their injuries that kept them out of the internationals.?

comment by Glazers Out (SE85) (U21241)
posted 41 minutes ago
comment by Boris 'Inky’ Gibson (U5901)
posted 3 hours, 7 minutes ago
Why play Rice and Foden for 180 minutes in friendlies?

Isn’t Southgate aware of what they’re capable of yet?
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Foden isn't ripping up trees for England though Boris. 4 goals in 35 caps.

Maybe he's trying to get him some confidence in an England shirt.
----------------------------------------------------------------------

He wasnt great last night, not at his City levels.

But it was poor that Maddison got 20 minutes over the 2 games, and Palmer zero, when they could have replaced Foden or Bellingham a lot earlier, in both games.

comment by Jenius99 (U4918)
posted 1 hour, 14 minutes ago
comment by Boris 'Inky’ Gibson (U5901)
posted 1 hour, 34 minutes ago
comment by Jenius99 (U4918)
posted 52 minutes ago
Did Foden play for 180 mins as well?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Yes
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Oh! Didn't notice.
----------------------------------------------------------------------

comment by Devonshirespur (U6316)
posted 4 minutes ago
So I suppose Saka and Gabriel will be out at the weekend due to their injuries that kept them out of the internationals.?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Hopefully not, hopefully they've had enough time to recuperate, apparently both had been playing through an injury, Southgate already knows about Saka.

Gabrielle is the worry, no way he would quit if it wasn't a true injury, he's still fighting for his place in the Brazil squad

comment by Baz tard - Ineos your face, proud owner of the 100k comment, fack you Michael Edward’s and your 5m, th (U19119)
posted 20 minutes ago
Losing the International breaks during the season means the league can resume in Sept giving an extra month for qualifiers to be played during the spring/summer months.


—

I like international breaks the PL gets boring
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I like football to matter which why I watched the Wales game last night.

There are many things wrong with the Prem (look at the current mess surrounding ffp) but boring it most certainly isn't.

Spurs generally cause me nothing but frustration and pain but give me that over the empty nothingness of an International friendly.

I think the timing of these games is crazy, why not finish the season a week or two earlier and have friendlies after the end of the club season?

comment by Devonshirespur (U6316)
posted 1 hour, 13 minutes ago
comment by Glazers Out (SE85) (U21241)
posted 41 minutes ago
comment by Boris 'Inky’ Gibson (U5901)
posted 3 hours, 7 minutes ago
Why play Rice and Foden for 180 minutes in friendlies?

Isn’t Southgate aware of what they’re capable of yet?
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Foden isn't ripping up trees for England though Boris. 4 goals in 35 caps.

Maybe he's trying to get him some confidence in an England shirt.
----------------------------------------------------------------------

He wasnt great last night, not at his City levels.

But it was poor that Maddison got 20 minutes over the 2 games, and Palmer zero, when they could have replaced Foden or Bellingham a lot earlier, in both games.
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Palmer was injured. He'd have definitely played some mins and probably started one of the two games otherwise. I think he wasn't played as a precaution.

Yet he started John Stones

Cole Palmer didn't get a look in...should be fresh for Burnley then...FF Capt this week