Interrupting the football season for this Mickey Mouse competition is ridiculous. One of the selling points of international football is its rarity. If international games become common they lose interest. See what has happened to test cricket with so many test matches. Football clubs should refuse to release players except for world and continental championship games.

comment by Spart-Ho sempre ragione (U4603)
posted 29 minutes ago
Interrupting the football season for this Mickey Mouse competition is ridiculous. One of the selling points of international football is its rarity. If international games become common they lose interest. See what has happened to test cricket with so many test matches. Football clubs should refuse to release players except for world and continental championship games.
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I can't believe I'm saying this, but Spart has hit the nail on the head! 😳😂

That's one point of view Spart. Another point of view is that for the Euros and World Cup qualifiers, the vast majority of fixtures for a team like England are against substantially weaker teams. These matches, while meaningful, are rarely competitive. So when a major tournament comes around the national team may have had lfew or no opportunities to test itself against good opponents. If it achieves it's aim then this competition will at least allow us to play against the better European teams which might prepare us a bit better than if we try to squeeze in friendlies, where people like yourself would presumably harbour similar objections to those just expressed.

Many fans of clubs don't care two hoots about the national team so resent any intrusion into the football calendar, but there are many others who do want to see us have the best possible chance of success. Looking back historically there is little difference in the number of fixtures per year now compared to the 70s, 80s or 90s for example, but there are fewer friendlies and of course we don't have the Home International tournament any more. I think the Nations League is better than those when it comes to tthe competitiveness of the fixtures and the sell-out crowds home and away suggests many feel similarly.

Vidal has hit the nail on the head!

Kane made a match-changing pass, no doubt, but wow, how slow has he got?

God help us in the next WC if he's still our talisman (are you allowed to play in a wheelchair)!

Good servant no doubt, but over the hill now.

Depends a bit on what Tuchel will be asking him to do. He can't run past anybody, that's for sure.

One of my pet hates in football today is the screaming and rolling about by players when the slightest touch is applied, also the feigning injury to disrupt the game or time waste. Yes I know Jacob has had a few tactical injuries from time to time but did anyone notice in the second half of the Plymouth match after a Derby corner was cleared the Plymouth goalkeeper dropped to the floor and was waving to the ref to stop the game, fair play to the ref he new there was nothing wrong with him and told him to get up, realising the ref was not stopping the game a miracle happened the goalie leapt to his feet with no ill effects. Here lies the solution when the ref feels the player is wasting time and says he doesn’t need treatment he should tell the medical staff to come on and then the player will have to go off for 30 seconds I bet that will cut down on players going down for no reason.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/cn8ld8z1nv8o

Recognise the name? Feel for the club with their troubles and having this incompetent company handling their financial affairs.

Who's next Desi? Morecambe are certainly struggling.

Quantuma are hyenas but if it wasn’t them it would be somebody else. I don’t know the details. “Non-receipt of significant funds...”? You just hope that a way through this can be found for the club and for the fans. It was a horrific period for us that still makes me shudder to look back on.

"The club employs 18 playing staff, six football staff and three club staff whose roles are secure"

Incredible that they can even run a club with so few people.

Having lost out on a couple of occasions due to insolvency of 'customers', all administrators are hyenas in my experience.

comment by FinlandRam (U3621)
posted 2 days, 1 hour ago
Vidal has hit the nail on the head!
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He takes the party line....

Most who go to England games expect to win & win handsomely every time. They don't see the importance of using so called friendlies to bring new players in& lose sometimes. I suppose that it could be argued that Carsley did this against Greece at Wembley.
I take your point/view about the nations league but all I can see is more football that isn't really needed in the top part of our game. Even the top managers in the EPL moan about the amount of games they play even when they get replays banned in games that they don't even play in.

Well the entitled 'top managers' have certainly killed any Golden Goose for the non-league clubs in the FA Cup.

Selfish barstards.

I don't know how it is possible to speak on behalf of "most" England fans to know what their expectations are. Have you spoken to them all?

I also don't know if I am taking a party line or not, it's just my opinion of it. Of course Premiership managers have their own vested interests and naturally don't care about the national team. I can definitely understand why fans might also think that the Nations Cup is a bit Mickey Mouse. It certainly is compared to the biggies and I would be lying if I said I get very excited by it, but I just think it does have a bit of merit.

comment by lastapostleofvidal (U1491)
posted 3 hours, 10 minutes ago
I don't know how it is possible to speak on behalf of "most" England fans to know what their expectations are. Have you spoken to them all?

I also don't know if I am taking a party line or not, it's just my opinion of it. Of course Premiership managers have their own vested interests and naturally don't care about the national team. I can definitely understand why fans might also think that the Nations Cup is a bit Mickey Mouse. It certainly is compared to the biggies and I would be lying if I said I get very excited by it, but I just think it does have a bit of merit.
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Perhaps I was painting with the same brush with that, should have said the ones I know who go to games.

Just a joke Vidal, I meant nothing by it just tongue in cheek.

You are of course entitled to your opinion, I just disagree with you, apart from the Mickey Mouse bit.

I am honestly glad that you enjoy it, I just find it tedious, just my opinion...

No worries, we are all friends here. The weather forecast is looking a bit tasty for Saturday. Scouse may get soaked externally as well as internally.

comment by lastapostleofvidal (U1491)
posted 2 hours, 6 minutes ago
No worries, we are all friends here. The weather forecast is looking a bit tasty for Saturday. Scouse may get soaked externally as well as internally.
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I'll wear me big coat .

Nearly there everyone, almost match thread time !
😵‍💫
Lets hope theres some footy to go with it !

I was debating whether to go to Preston - there are tickets available - but I don't fancy the weather in the north west on Saturday.

comment by ViewFromNNUH - am gonna love the Championship (U1581)
posted 1 hour, 4 minutes ago
I was debating whether to go to Preston - there are tickets available - but I don't fancy the weather in the north west on Saturday.
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It's a lot milder here today.

Biggest threat is incessant rain.

comment by Scouse (U9675)
posted 4 hours, 43 minutes ago
comment by ViewFromNNUH - am gonna love the Championship (U1581)
posted 1 hour, 4 minutes ago
I was debating whether to go to Preston - there are tickets available - but I don't fancy the weather in the north west on Saturday.
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It's a lot milder here today.

Biggest threat is incessant rain.
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I don't like getting wet unless I'm running in a T and shorts