This Week’s Friendlies: Why Oh Why Oh Why
Who wins? Not football fans.
What are the various FA’s around the World and FIFA thinking? International friendlies 3 days before the start of the Premier League season? What’s the point? The clubs don’t want their pre-season preps ruined, the players don’t fancy the travel and the fans are focused on the new season (except me, this week I welcome the distraction) and Carling cup games to be played without their teams stars!
Gerrard has dropped out of England’s friendly with Holland because of a groin injury and Craig Bellamy has dropped out of the Wales trip to Montenegro with an ‘on going knee injury’. Both will play for their clubs this weekend and used the ‘injuries’ to avoid this game. I am actually quite surprised that more have not dropped out. What smart Alec scheduled this fixture?
As for the players who do play, are they going to be up for it? The risk of injury so close to the competitive seasons kick off. If those who do play are subbed after 45 mins or scared of risking injury, then the game just becomes a useless farce. And the main players WILL only play 45 mins. You can bet your mortgage that Capello has promised Wenger, Fergie, Ancelotti and O’Neil that he won’t ruin their players 3 days from the start of the season.
It’s not just Premiership teams that get screwed. Colaship and League One teams are affected and they have to play Carling Cup games this week without key players. Dave Jones at Cardiff is fuming that the Cup games are taking place this week, but he should be more angry at the idiots that scheduled a pointless trip to Montenegro. That said, he has also lost 2 Scots and their game with Norway is a World Cup qualifier. Another brilliant piece of scheduling, not played in a FIFA recognized ‘international week’. The difference is that a recognized international week allows teams to reschedule their domestic fixtures should they lose 3 or more players to international duty. Tonight Norwich play Yeovil without Welshman Owain Tudur-Jones in midfield but after last weekend, I’m not sure that I object to his absence!
“It seems a crazy decision to take your players away and then throw in a cup game which you cannot cancel because you’ve got international players away.” -Cardiff manager Dave Jones.
12 of Wales’ squad to face Montenegro are from below the Premiership, from teams who have games tonight and tomorrow. Throw in the under 21 fixtures and some teams cannot even use their youngsters!
Don’t get me wrong, I am all for England testing themselves against top opposition but the timing of this one is ridiculous. If the players cannot give it their all or play a full 90 mins and teams have to lose key players and still play domestic games, then the friendly is of no use to anyone, especially not football fans.
Comments
You mean there’s friendlies going on during this non-FIFA sanctioned week? Weird. What must the Bristol City gaffer think about this?
He is fuming like most managers and fans. Shocking stupidity. FIFA are becoming like the MLS.
“You can bet your mortgage that Capello has promised Wenger [...] he won’t ruin [his] players 3 days from the start of the season.”
And who might that be?
Er..Walcott
My poitn exactly. Hardly an integral part of the first 11 is he?
Er..Yes he is Wengers starting right winger Joep and possibly the most exciting young talent that’s been there in many years. Keep up son!
disculpa. was he out injured last year? I made sure to glance at the stats before posting that and from what I saw he played somewhere around 20 games last season. regardless, the point I tried to make is that its a shame Arsenal has but one player, and not a solid starter as far as I knew although that may have been wrong, who is eligible for the national team.
@Joep: Hush your mouth! We have Ingerlund’s next great hope in Jack Wilshire. At least that’s what the Gooner message boards have been saying.
I’m sure Bigus would have been pleased with the Canaries 4-0 win today…
@Joep-Walcott did in fact spend much of last season injured. Shoulder injury, if I recall correctly.
Yeah, Theo spent a great deal of the season out injured but when fit he was Arsenal’s first choice on the right side of midfield. Now that Arsene has seemingly switched to a 4-3-3 he’ll start on the right wing.