Nations League 2022

[Super_horns]

1 hour ago, grobyfox1990 said:

Broadcast and commercial contracts. That’s the only point of these games. I read Tuesdays game is sold out. I am in disbelief. Tens of thousands paying their own money to watch some lads counting down to their vegas flight pointlessly hoof a ball about on a work night 

And then complain when it's not exciting and there are loads of changes/subs etc.

 

England don't use the competition thinking  we might win the thing and we don't need to rely on the competition for a play-off spot to get into a major tournament so it does have that kind of empty feel to the games. 

 

So the management just set up the team in the same way each time using different players without a lot of variety. 

 

We probably would have seen the same type of match had it been a World Cup or European game. 

 

Edited 12 June 2022 by Super_horns

[Leicesterpool]

Personally I'm trying not allow the recent performances and results to judge my opinion on this squad, it's a good team that's just basically tired and in need of a rest. I think it's safe to say we would much rather win the world cup than the nations league. Maybe we needed this run, to just show there's improvements required and there's still places to played for. Still time for things to change.

[Lako42]

Lol

 

Called this years ago. Southgate is a fraud and interest in the national team is rock bottom. 

 

Not watched one of these farcical games and won't bother watching us again whilst the prime minister is in charge. 

[StanSP]

Just now, Lako42 said:

Lol

 

Called this years ago. Southgate is a fraud and interest in the national team is rock bottom. 

 

Not watched one of these farcical games and won't bother watching us again whilst the prime minister is in charge. 

What's the Prime Minister got to do with international games? 

[Lako42]

3 minutes ago, StanSP said:

What's the Prime Minister got to do with international games? 

Southgate MP

[Lako42]

3 minutes ago, StanSP said:

What's the Prime Minister got to do with international games? 

Tbh I'd rather have GS running the country rather than the international team

[grobyfox1990]

2 hours ago, Leicesterpool said:

Personally I'm trying not allow the recent performances and results to judge my opinion on this squad, it's a good team that's just basically tired and in need of a rest. I think it's safe to say we would much rather win the world cup than the nations league. Maybe we needed this run, to just show there's improvements required and there's still places to played for. Still time for things to change.

Your comment intrigued me so i looked up what ‘winning the nations league’ meant and it’s a full tournament with promotion, relegation and a ‘finals’ day!!! The concept came about as broadcasters wanted more meaningful matches instead of friendlies. But these games are basically friendlies! Does any football fan yearn for their team to win this pot?! It would interesting to see the financials behind the tournament. Surely interest is low and broadcasters/sponsors will want it canned in the next few years 

[Dan LCFC]

19 hours ago, MattFox said:

Feel like you could probably count the amount of open play goals scored under Southgate on two hands

Yep. Never seen a team get as many penalties as England.

[Unabomber]

No one actually rates Southgate as a manager he has just got extremely lucky with his runs in tourneys and doesn’t cause any drama for the FA. He wouldn’t get a prem job which says it all. 

[Leicesterpool]

47 minutes ago, grobyfox1990 said:

Your comment intrigued me so i looked up what ‘winning the nations league’ meant and it’s a full tournament with promotion, relegation and a ‘finals’ day!!! The concept came about as broadcasters wanted more meaningful matches instead of friendlies. But these games are basically friendlies! Does any football fan yearn for their team to win this pot?! It would interesting to see the financials behind the tournament. Surely interest is low and broadcasters/sponsors will want it canned in the next few years 

Let's not forget we ain't won the world cup since 1966! the nations league only was created in 2019 I believe. Of course I want to win every competition going, I want us to the best team in the world. We have got to take things step by step. 

 

The nations league I think is unwelcome introduction for most teams, as it's more game to a already packed schedule. The whole point was as they say was to make Friendlies to more interesting and something at steak, while it means at the same time back when had friendlies it opportunity for nations to pick players they don't usual get into starting XI, giving them a chance try and break into starting XI for qualifies or major tournaments. Now that we haven't may friendlies, means teams are having to play their best XI for competition. Leaving players outside of the usual XI struggling to get game time. 

Edited 12 June 2022 by Leicesterpool

[Wymsey]

21 minutes ago, Unabomber said:

No one actually rates Southgate as a manager he has just got extremely lucky with his runs in tourneys and doesn’t cause any drama for the FA. He wouldn’t get a prem job which says it all. 

He's very much a 'yes' man for The Football Association, personally.

Wouldn't be surprised if someone high up tells him to play certain players, as it's part of their contracts or what not - perhaps this could be an institutional thing that's happened within The FA for a while

Nevertheless, the top England football job does appear like a poisoned chalice for whoever gets appointed.

Edited 12 June 2022 by Wymsey

[Facecloth]

4 minutes ago, Wymsey said:

He's very much a 'yes' man for The Football Association, personally.

Wouldn't be surprised if someone high up tells him to play certain players, as it's part of their contracts or what not.

Nevertheless, the top England football job does appear like a poisoned chalice for whoever gets appointed.

It's been like that for a while. Nobody in these organisations wants to create marketing material with certain players on to find they've been dropped. You see it all the time, especially in the lead up to tournaments players from the big 6 teams plastered all over supermarkets, sports shops, TV adverts etc. Imagine if golden boy Mount with his mug plastered all over Sports Direct in an England shirt, appearing in adverts for England's sponsors, gets dropped for Maddison. Not gonna go down well.

[Leicesterpool]

7 minutes ago, Facecloth said:

It's been like that for a while. Nobody in these organisations wants to create marketing material with certain players on to find they've been dropped. You see it all the time, especially in the lead up to tournaments players from the big 6 teams plastered all over supermarkets, sports shops, TV adverts etc. Imagine if golden boy Mount with his mug plastered all over Sports Direct in an England shirt, appearing in adverts for England's sponsors, gets dropped for Maddison. Not gonna go down well.

To be fair Jack Grealish is on all the posters yet he's hasn't feature enough. But agree what you say, this has happened so many times. It does seem like money talks when it comes who gets picked. Rashford getting dropped must have a big blow for the sponsors. 

Edited 12 June 2022 by Leicesterpool

[Facecloth]

6 minutes ago, Leicesterpool said:

To be fair Jack Grealish is on all the posters yet he's hasn't feature enough. But agree what you say, this has happened so many times. It does seem like money talks when it comes who gets picked. Rashford getting dropped must have a big blow for the sponsors. 

Think there's a limit even when it comes to this, no way could Rashford be picked based on current form and playing time. Grealish is still in the squad though, so doesn't make it as bad him still being on adverts in an England top.

[The Year Of The Fox]

1 hour ago, grobyfox1990 said:

Your comment intrigued me so i looked up what ‘winning the nations league’ meant and it’s a full tournament with promotion, relegation and a ‘finals’ day!!! The concept came about as broadcasters wanted more meaningful matches instead of friendlies. But these games are basically friendlies! Does any football fan yearn for their team to win this pot?! It would interesting to see the financials behind the tournament. Surely interest is low and broadcasters/sponsors will want it canned in the next few years 

All tournaments have to start somewhere

 

Many years ago, football fans would’ve  been very dubious about the first World Cup and European Cup. Particularly with transport limitations as they were back then. 
 

We took about 14k over to Porto/Guimaraes for the Nations League Finals 3 years ago- Roughly 10k had tickets. The Dutch turned out in numbers too

 

I’d argue winning the Nations League is tougher than winning the Euros too. Particularly for the likes of Greece 

 

 

[Leicesterpool]

1 minute ago, Facecloth said:

Think there's a limit even when it comes to this, no way could Rashford be picked based on current form and playing time. Grealish is still in the squad though, so doesn't make it as bad him still being on adverts in an England top.

Rashford's had terrible couple of years, can't really blame him for that its Man United that's let him down. The negativity there is really dragged a lot of players including Maguire, he had great world cup in 2018, but since his move to United he ain't that same player. Best thing for Rashford is move, I mean a move to Germany might help him, as I think his style of play suits German football. 

[The Year Of The Fox]

11 hours ago, grobyfox1990 said:

Broadcast and commercial contracts. That’s the only point of these games. I read Tuesdays game is sold out. I am in disbelief. Tens of thousands paying their own money to watch some lads counting down to their vegas flight pointlessly hoof a ball about on a work night 

People are jumping at the chance to watch us play away from the soulless crappy Wembley. That’s all. I’m looking forward to it 

[Super_horns]

The Nations league is a good thing if you win it or want another route to get into a major tournament like the Welsh and Scots have benefitted from in the past .

 

Trouble is for us we won’t do the former in all probability and need to rely about the latter (well hopefully!) ..

 

So it does feel kind of pointless- particularly when we clearly looked half arsed or bothered about it all for these games .

 

 

Edited 12 June 2022 by Super_horns

[Foxdiamond]

Who remembers the Home Internationals? These may have been parochial but they were certainly not friendlies  

[grobyfox1990]

2 hours ago, The Year Of The Fox said:

All tournaments have to start somewhere

 

Many years ago, football fans would’ve  been very dubious about the first World Cup and European Cup. Particularly with transport limitations as they were back then. 
 

We took about 14k over to Porto/Guimaraes for the Nations League Finals 3 years ago- Roughly 10k had tickets. The Dutch turned out in numbers too

 

I’d argue winning the Nations League is tougher than winning the Euros too. Particularly for the likes of Greece 

 

 

The Porto comment further intrigued me so I googled that. England got to the finals day of this pot in 2019?! I had no idea, struggling to think how I missed that…

 

edit - rechecked dates and I was in Uzbekistan at the time. Completely missed it 

Edited 12 June 2022 by grobyfox1990

[Guest Col city fan]

13 hours ago, purpleronnie said:

They might be, laying England at tournaments is one of best value bets you can make.....maybe one day you'll lose a bit of dosh but so many years of winning you could afford to lose once.

What do you mean mate? Genuinely confused?

[Guest Col city fan]

2 hours ago, Foxdiamond said:

Who remembers the Home Internationals? These may have been parochial but they were certainly not friendlies  

I always used to watch the Home Internationals. For some reason they felt more ‘watchable’ than the Nations League

I think I know why… I feel saturated with watching football actually. I definitely know I need some time away from it, to do something else for a month or two, to then return to next season feeling excited about watching it again.

I think it’s probably the same with many of the players too. They’ve had a really really long season, many including European games, to then have to play in this tournament too. Like we all get sick of work sometimes, so too do these lads. It’s a ‘job’ at the end of the day.

Why it seems to be affecting English players more than many of the other nations, is a whole different debate. And I can’t answer that. 
What I do know is that this tourno is not doing the England national side any good. The media is crawling all over how we haven’t scored from open play for over 4 hours, Southgate is getting scrutinized and Maguire et al… keep on being criticized. And for what really? A tournament that doesn’t mean shit being played at a time when footballers and fans probably need a break from football.

It’s serving no purpose to England other than actually being quite destructive 

[fuchsntf]

4 minutes ago, Col city fan said:

I always used to watch the Home Internationals. For some reason they felt more ‘watchable’ than the Nations League

I think I know why… I feel saturated with watching football actually. I definitely know I need some time away from it, to do something else for a month or two, to then return to next season feeling excited about watching it again.

I think it’s probably the same with many of the players too. They’ve had a really really long season, many including European games, to then have to play in this tournament too. Like we all get sick of work sometimes, so too do these lads. It’s a ‘job’ at the end of the day.

Why it seems to be affecting English players more than many of the other nations, is a whole different debate. And I can’t answer that. 
What I do know is that this tourno is not doing the England national side any good. The media is crawling all over how we haven’t scored from open play for over 4 hours, Southgate is getting scrutinized and Maguire et al… keep on being criticized. And for what really? A tournament that doesn’t mean shit being played at a time when footballers and fans probably need a break from football.

It’s serving no purpose to England other than actually being quite destructive 

totally agree...

[grobyfox1990]

7 minutes ago, Col city fan said:

I always used to watch the Home Internationals. For some reason they felt more ‘watchable’ than the Nations League

I think I know why… I feel saturated with watching football actually. I definitely know I need some time away from it, to do something else for a month or two, to then return to next season feeling excited about watching it again.

I think it’s probably the same with many of the players too. They’ve had a really really long season, many including European games, to then have to play in this tournament too. Like we all get sick of work sometimes, so too do these lads. It’s a ‘job’ at the end of the day.

Why it seems to be affecting English players more than many of the other nations, is a whole different debate. And I can’t answer that. 
What I do know is that this tourno is not doing the England national side any good. The media is crawling all over how we haven’t scored from open play for over 4 hours, Southgate is getting scrutinized and Maguire et al… keep on being criticized. And for what really? A tournament that doesn’t mean shit being played at a time when footballers and fans probably need a break from football.

It’s serving no purpose to England other than actually being quite destructive 

I don’t think I could put it better.
 

As I said on my previous post, all players on Tuesday will have their minds on their upcoming flight to vegas, instead of the pointless game, and so they should

[The Year Of The Fox]

38 minutes ago, grobyfox1990 said:

The Porto comment further intrigued me so I googled that. England got to the finals day of this pot in 2019?! I had no idea, struggling to think how I missed that…

 

edit - rechecked dates and I was in Uzbekistan at the time. Completely missed it 

It probably wasn’t televised there

 

Stones got caught fcking around with the ball (ball playing CBs- who needs them?) and it was the first occasion VAR did me over as a fan