I Hate International Breaks
Tags: Emile Heskey, international break, Peter Crouch, Yossi Benyaoun
There exists within the confines of the Soccerati offices a long simmering and divisive issue. It is an issue that has resulted in fisticuffs, lewd questioning of one’s parentage, and once the kidnapping of a beloved pet (never let it be said that Soccerati is a mature institution ). I have never admired the format of international breaks during a season. I find it disrupts the dramatic narrative of a season, and imposes undue pressures on clubs who are in a relegation or title battle. The only reason I find myself paying attention to any of the results is to scan the injury lists and pray no Liverpool player has sustained a knock or worse. Quite frankly there are too many games spread out over an unjust period of time. Eventually the qualification process has to become more efficient. I would rather see the qualifying process be compacted to the summer before a major international tournament. Friendlies could be played out during the first half of a season so as to give national managers time to organize an effective squad. Spreading the process out over months only endangers both club and country.
P.S. Yossi Benyaoun injured his calf playing against Greece. Peter Crouch almost suffered a leg injury that could have kept him out for an extended period of time. Both players’ clubs are in tight relegation and league title fights.
P.P.S. Emile Heskey injures his calf against Slovakia. Aston Villa loses a key cog in their race to secure a Champions League spot.
March 30th, 2009 at 12:33 pm
I wonder if you would feel the same way if Liverpool had more depth than other teams, and therefore International breaks gave them an edge.
March 30th, 2009 at 7:02 pm
No I wouldn’t, Fox’s Jamie Trecker alludes to fatigue issues following the 2001-2002 season that affected top class players during the 2002 World Cup. In fact the scope and number of writing out there on the subject ranges from quarters of the press from South America to Europe and Asia. If you break down CONMEBOL’s qualification process teams have to play 18 games to make to a world cup. In other words people who aren’t LIverpool nor even EPL fans find the process convoluted.
March 30th, 2009 at 7:06 pm
Hey, all we supporters of international play are trying to do is
settle warsmake it so your beloved club players can make more money.But hey, if you’d rather have player salaries relegated to something more blue-collar, and you want to make it so the next Peter Crouch decides to play basketball instead … well then that’s on you and your ridiculous concept of athletic protectionism.
March 30th, 2009 at 7:28 pm
You’re making a massive assumption here that tells your reading skills have deteriorated to a third grade level. Streamlining the process is far far from “ridiculous protectionism” of any sort. Fatigued players devalue the quality of play, an argument many people make year in and year out. If you look at what African players must go through with World Cup and African Nations Cup games, the amount of games played is staggering. Once again the fixture lists for international games affects the player, club, and national team.
March 30th, 2009 at 7:30 pm
The amount of games played is in reference to only qualifying for the competitions I named and doesn’t include what games they may play during the tourneys.
March 31st, 2009 at 4:19 am
I am relieved my team, Bolton, doesn’t have anyone good enough to play in the friendlies.
Having said that I think Kevin Davies should be called into the England team for his good work ethic and ability to leave those marking him with broken noses.
March 31st, 2009 at 9:05 am
ScouseyFarha, aren’t you more upset that the break couldn’t have come at a better time for the World Champions to get the house in order and at a worse time for the sudden uptick for your gang of thieves? Or is it that every time the lads travel during the break, a crime wave sweeps across vacated luxury homes in Liverpool?
April 7th, 2009 at 2:13 pm
Unfortunately for the Mancs the international break in no way has resolved the issues of form that seems to plague Man U. They looked weak against AV, and currently have given away an away goal to Porto. As for the issue of theft I suspect an insidious Manc plot ala Chile under Pinochet to defame the honor of LIverpool.
April 8th, 2009 at 9:47 am
Defamation claims require proof of damage.
And if Pinochet hated Liverpool, maybe he wasn’t all bad.