Has club football killed international football ?

[PPT]

Might offend someone if you put a st George's flag on a car

Yep. You’d be a racist, bigoted, gammon. Your bank account would be closed and you would be cancelled. However put a Saltire flag on your car and you are a patriotic supporter who loves his country and is proud to do so. Funny old world innit?

 

[Metal Biker]

There's too much football in general. Too many club matches and too many international friendlies.

The players that play for club teams that have competed all season in multiple competitions are knackered and those who haven't are fresh and energised and giving invigorating performances to watch. So all the England players are serving up dross and the Georgia players, for example, are entertaining.

The international competitions, held at the end of the season, then suffer as a result. Scrap the mediocre Nations League, reduce the number of pointless friendlies and make internationals mean something again, not as an additional cash cow for UEFA and FIFA.

 

[JASR]

Aside Brazil, Argentina and some classic moments in World Cup/Euros history when has international football ever been a glamorous spectacle ? Some have some nostalgia that it was all so much fun and free flowing. it never was.

International teams dont gel like club football, players under different types of pressue and scrutiny than in their domestic leagues - they're playing with different team mates also. the whole vibe for a player is a compleyely different.

The lesser teams have the best attitude, i'm quite envious of watching the Scotland fans recently - they know they're shit, they have a party, they support their players 100% and just enjoy come what may. English fans are constantly moaning, obsessed about players for opposition clubs they don't like, obsessed about tactics and formations, if we win it's only because the other team are shit or we were lucky, it's rather depressing. I don't think football has lost its way, i think the fans have.

I vaguely remember 78, being young and the matches played late at night, but it was exciting - unlike the general borefest of most of Div1/fa cup - as Liverpool (In Particular) played it back to the goalie to pick up. Some games were great, some were dire.
82 - I think I missed a lot of it, being on holiday with a non footballing family.
86 - seems from memory quite exciting, watching how close England came to coming back against the cheating hand of god.
90 - probably the pinnacle of English football after 66, was the 1st tournament I fully engaged with.
The rest since then kind of blurs as life took over, but when England did qualify, they seemed to play reasonably exciting football.
This tournament is the 1st I’ve watched a lot of for a long time, and it’s been for the most part pretty unexciting- especially the 3 England snoozefests - foden aside on the midfield/attacking front it’s been pretty dire, even golden ego boy Bellingham goal only came from a sublime pass to Saka from (hardly mentioned) Walker.

Clearly the heights reached by the stunning seasons City have had since 2011, and the sheer amount of talent we are blessed with, means you know what good football and good intelligent, well trained footballers we have… and then you see them being stifled, under performing due to hyped up egoistic fellow players, with no tactical sense or anything like style from the manager…
It’s no wonder it’s ’coming home’ to bite England on the overhyped arse, in the media.
If England do go out at any point in the knock-out, before the Semi’s, I bet it will be City player who will be the media generated pantomine villain… coz it clearly isn’t going to be the dire taa, Bellingham, rice or Kane. I think city players only hope, is if the scapegoat becomes the real reason - Southgate

 

[VOOMER]

There's too much football in general. Too many club matches and too many international friendlies.

The players that play for club teams that have competed all season are knackered and those who haven't are fresh and energised and giving invigorating performances to watch. So all the England players are serving up dross and the Georgia players, for example, are entertaining.

The international competitions, held at the end of the season, then suffer as a result. Scrap the mediocre Nations League, reduce the number of pointless friendlies and make internationals mean something again, not as an additional cash cow for UEFA and FIFA.

City would beat any national team on the planet 9 times out of ten. Its to keep the old boys in cash

 

[remember arthur mann]

Not many people with those flags on their cars any more, for any nation, They used to be everywhere when the tournament was on.

Seeing as you are now not allowed to be a national in this globalised world, what's the point ?

 

[Brewster's millions]

I’ve never really been fussed about international games - certainly since I was a kid I’ve lost a lot of interest. Italia 90 was probably the last tournament where I was particularly bothered.

Too many meaningless international games, like the Nations League, hasn’t helped and even in this tournament, the fact that so many teams have qualified in third place has removed the jeopardy from many games.

Things may improve in the next round and I generally think competitions get better once England are booted out.

Fundamentally though I think the attraction of international football has simply been reduced by having so many foreign players in the domestic league, and by so many European games being played. You can watch the top foreign players and see all the big foreign stadiums week in, week out, and so there’s really no need to watch the international games now.

Sounds simplistic and it probably is, but I think that what international games offer to viewers vis a vis domestic games has changed fundamentally over the past couple of decades.

 

[BrianW]

I just have zero interest in international football.

There, I've said it. City first, anything else nowhere. I can't remember when I last watched an England match. Maybe the Euros in Russia. Wasn't that bothered even then.

 

[mexico1970]

International football seemed to be better when it was more exotic and you didn't know all of the players because they didn't play in this league, it's run of the mill now.

 

[SilverFox2]

Club sides can use the best players in the world whereas say England can only use best English players.

Our PL attracts the global tv money so it's top clubs attract the best players.

How can England possibly play a team game when it's PL clubs play different styles week in week out and rely on their foreign players with complete trust and method.

We watch England play and expect a team performance from individuals.

 

[give it to gordon]

Club sides can use the best players in the world whereas say England can only use best English players.

Our PL attracts the global tv money so it's top clubs attract the best players.

How can England possibly play a team game when it's PL clubs play different styles week in week out and rely on their foreign players with complete trust and method.

We watch England play and expect a team performance from individuals.

That's my point, it's wrong of international fans to boo their team. The fans need to lower their expectations.