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O/T - Interest in international football

milo said:
More and more people seem to have lost interest in international football. Can anything be done to reverse this or is it just a poor relation of club football outside of major tournaments?
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Have not read the whole thread but i will reply and say stuff im sure others are saying.

England have a bunch of absolute c**ts playing for them now, the worst we have at spurs is a diver in bale which when you compare to the behaviour of some of the england players is not to serious.

International football is so tactical now with the smaller teams being able to defend well, the likes of Poland etc that the is no pressure on them when they play england so they can defend and hit on the counter attack if they want.

Other nations actually focus on developing their young players and their skill level, so when we play them they actually pass and hold onto the ball and it depresses me that we do not do similar.

For political reasons and nothing to do with football i change my mind often about whether i actually like England or hate England the country.

The is also a sense of over kill, i love Tottenham and can not give it up and frankly enjoy the international breaks because it gives me time off and i can talk to my family and friends again.
 
It's kinda hard to get excited for a International when the team doesen't look bothered at all. Norway just lost at home to Albania looking like they've never kicked a ball in their life. Then It's the usuall we'll be back, better next time etc etc. Can't be arsed anymore.
 
Is this a Spurs thing? Watching England used to be a chance to support a team with better players, but we play the better football these days, with relatively more success.
Seem to remember Man U or Scousers saying they didn't care about England years ago.
 
milo said:
More and more people seem to have lost interest in international football. Can anything be done to reverse this or is it just a poor relation of club football outside of major tournaments?
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I think international football is not exciting as before due to the emergence of too many minor teams whose standard of football is very low. I think they should reduce meaningless friendlies and qualification matches involving minor teams like San Marino, Malta, Faroe Islands, Andorra and Liechenstein. They should have a separate qualification round for those minor teams and only the strongest of those be allowed to play against the traditional powers. This will enable more games between strong teams like France, Italy, England, Germany etc. This will also prevent stronger teams missing out on WC or Euro.
 
Whilst I agree with the general sentiment that International Football died in the 90's for a lot of England fans, you have to credit the thousands who still follow the national team to all corners of the world.

No other international team has the level of away support that England get.
 
As others have said, England is full of a bunch of players I hate every other day of the year so don't feel much like cheering for them in an England shirt. Maybe it's because I've gotten older, but I never hated Beckham, Shearer, Owen or any of the late 90s players. Maybe they were just more respectable people in general.

As for qualifiers, why would anybody care about seeing us play against a bunch of nobodies in San Marino? I'll follow the major tournaments, but in qualifiers we'll either beat the teams we're supposed to beat and it'll be a boring one sided affair or we'll struggle against the minnows and everyone will try and do it all alone. It's lose/lose.
 
Also those who say they've stopped following (of whom I include myself), do you follow England in other sports? I still cheer on the English Rugby and Cricket teams with as much passion as ever.
 
Richie said:
Also those who say they've stopped following (of whom I include myself), do you follow England in other sports? I still cheer on the English Rugby and Cricket teams with as much passion as ever.
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Certainly support the cricket team in the Ashes. Rugby has never been my thing but I'm going to the Lions game against Australia in Melbourne.
 
I think most people have hit the tickle my balls with a feather, how can you support a team full of players you spend 95% of your time despising?

You get the same gonads every England game. Will Rooney weave some magic? Will Lampard boss the midfield? Will Walcott decide he is brick or world class today?
And the answer is always the same, they are awful. Has a player ever played as consistently brick as Rooney for England and yet continually got picked?

Full of players who think they are doing the world a favour by turning up and putting on the shirt and have absolutely no passion. Used to love watching England but ever since the McLaren-era they aren't worth me caring.
 
I think it's mainly due to the rise of the plastics (ie. the Sky supporters). A greater proportion of people now support the traditional 'Top Four' clubs than ever before, so they spend most of their time ragging on (and usually underrating, due to bias) the exact same players who comprise most of the England national team. I mean, a Barnsley supporter doesn't really care about Walcott or Rooney or whatever, but Spurs fans aren't going to be kind on Walcott, and Liverpool fans will never say a nice word about Rooney.

Plus, people tend to dislike footballers in general more than ever. Go to any football board and you'll see people talking about how apathetic they're becoming to the game in general.
 
skyfarer said:
Plus, people tend to dislike footballers in general more than ever. Go to any football board and you'll see people talking about how apathetic they're becoming to the game in general.
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Absolutely this. Every season I care less and less about football, Tottenham included.
 
I say the same thing. Until the summer is here and there's not Spurs and football in general on at all.
 
Qualifiers are often tedious. Poor quality, nervous performances and an unwelcome distraction from the league campaign that we are all more emotionally involved in.

I want England to win, and do watch the games, but I don't clear my schedule for it like I would for a Spurs game. Plus, the team is/was filled with players that we - as Spurs fans - dislike every other week of the year.

I really enjoy the summer tournaments and try to watch as many games as possible, even if England suck.
 
To boost the international game I'd like to see the introduction of mini summer tournaments in odd years (i.e. non WC or EC years) in place of all frendlies, based around the model of the rugby six nations.

In a compressed two-week block at the end of May, I'd have a northern european group of England, Germany, Holland and Russia play each other once (alternating home and away each tournament). The winner of that group would then play the winner of the southern european group consisting of Spain, Italy, France and Portugual.

That would certainly restore my interest in the international game - it would build rivalries and focus teams on always being competitive.
 
awesome dawson said:
Whilst I agree with the general sentiment that International Football died in the 90's for a lot of England fans, you have to credit the thousands who still follow the national team to all corners of the world.

No other international team has the level of away support that England get.
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I could think of nothing worse that spending a shed load of cash and days following this England team to places all over Europe and watching people like Walcott and Milner play in pointlessly one-sided training games like they did the other night. I have better ways to spend my time and money.

The only reason I could accept they do it is if there is a group of them that are mates and enjoy the road trips and the drinking, even then I think I would rather just have the european road trip and the drinking without the interuption of the England game getting in our way.
 
parklane1 said:
No interest whatsoever in England anymore, i lost interest during the so called golden generation of Goldenballs, Lampard etc.
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I think it was world cup 2006 which did it for most people. That group were just a bunch a self indulged pre-madonnas - also the wags as well just made everyone realize how spoilt they were. Combined with the fact that we majorly disappointed at that tournament as well. Blame it all on Sven.....

Euro 96 was easily the best tournament -you loved everyone in that team as well.
 
From a welsh perspective i be there tonight at the Liberty hopefully seeing our golden boy giving one over our ex golden boy(or boys).

Bale at the moment is a gleaming diamond amongst a backdrop of mediocrity in international football........we treasure him and its a privilage he's welsh and makes an effort in turning up.

'We'll take good care of you ........Gareth Bale'
 
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