Another pointless international break beckons!
After Arsenal play Aston Villa in this weekend’s latest round of Premier League games, players will then move on to their respective international teams for the next round of rather pointless fixtures that couldn’t have come at a worse time.
In a season that already had a short pre-season preparation and is full of jam-packed fixtures before a possible go ahead in the Euro’s next year, the footballing hierarchy have added yet more games for the players to take part in during their season.
Some of the teams will play friendlies and some will play a little more meaningful European Qualifier games, and I am sure a number of our boys will be called up to their teams as they were last time. Arsenal will be going into a rather critical period of fixtures after the break, and as the winter time normally brings about a lot of injuries for our boys we should be a little bit worried.
I hope we have yet another successful break for all of our players, because we really need them to come back fit and firing if we want to push on, and really stake a place in the Premier League and other respective competitions.
The international break is something I really hate and I am sure a lot of fans feel the same. Of course the players feel a sense of pride to play for their countries and I am sure they love to do so, but if it ever came down to a choice of internationals or domestic games, I would really love to see the response in which players will give, especially if they are not important.
But I suppose clubs have no choice but to follow the rules and I hope that the Arsenal boys who are called up do not play every minute in every single game, and if they do then they do not pick up and niggling or serious injuries, otherwise it will be an uphill battle for Arteta and his team to really try and have a successful enough season. Gooners?
Shenel Osman
Agreed ,another pointless Break when they could have a weeks rest or better play another premier league game ,flying around Europe When we are on lockdown is absolutely absurd ,and I would have thought against the laws that was set out when the lockdown came into effect ,seeing it was for essential travel only ,unless 22 men kicking a football around in Belgium is essential .
I know absolutely no one who enjoys international football and havent done for years and by the amount of dropouts we will see from so called injured players (mainly manutd) they don’t enjoy them either .
yep totally pointless and yet there are some that want more international tournaments!~
Just stupid imo
As a fan of international football I don’t see this as pointless at all. It’s the one occasion I can relate to players I would normally detest (are you reading this Harry Kane?) and enjoy a few pints with Spurs & Chelsea supporters. Not going to happen this time of course but I’ll be watching out for the results of all matches our players are involved in and hope they do well.
Shenel, you must live in a very small & sheltered world if you know “no one who enjoys international football”, because round here we love it and the pubs are usually full for England games.
Fcuk this latest lockdown.
Playing national team football is not pointless,it’s a source of pride to all players to represent their countries.if you don’t like it,don’t watch rather than calling it pointless…most teams are going to play qualifiers for next year’s tournaments&i wonder if they don’t play qualifiers how they can determine who plays in the tournaments or if they don’t play friendlies how they can know their best performing players.this your article seems rather pointless
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You might just as well say that there should be no qualifying rounds for Champions League and Europa League games and go straight to knock out from the start (like FA cup), but nobody here (or elsewhere) complains of that.
…that was addressed to lykmatt.
That’s club football though ,the argument is internationals .
Yes Dan, but people complain of injuries incurred in international qualification matches and say how unnecessary they are, but not a word of complaint of the qualifying system in European club games which as you probably remember were straight knock out (and with no complaints) when it all began in the 1960’s.
I’m just making what I consider a valid comparison, but
as an international fan I’m obviously very biased of course.
I think the point people are trying to make is at the moment with Covid, the very short break between last season and the start of this season and now that covid has gathered speed again, is it worth adding more fixtures the already strained fixture list?
IMO no, its not.
I do like international football, i do but I really do not think its right, right now to play more games than is needed
Spot on VAL! The great false “God” of money is the real reason for it. Sigh!
I like both but get more of a buzz from the EPL.
That said, with Covid surging across Europe and the rest of the world, to increase the odds of the participants catching it whilst on international duty is daft to me.
Keeping footballers in line in the home front with the protocols is hard enough as it is
Funny you should bring that up Sue as I’ve read elsewhere that there’s a good chance of England’s Iceland game being put off due to them having played in Denmark (on our travel ban list) three days before the scheduled Nov 18 game.
Exactly Jax
Denmark could be in a very tricky position
My personal view on internationals is that most are a damned nuisance and I can do without them! I go further thansome on this subject, as apart from WC and POSSIBLY(as in I am in two minds on it) Euro championships, I would happily do without ALL other international comps for evermore.
I may not relish tribalism in life generally but I recognise that it is here to stay, certainly in football clubs and is a vital part of the game – (though it should always be carefully controlled to keep out the violent fanatics who spoil it for others).
I suspect many fans would agree with most, even if not all of what I want!