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#159097 - Sun Feb 16 2003 06:39 AM International football friendlies
Biggles Forum Adept Registered: Thu Jan 09 2003 Posts: 170 Loc: England	We have recently seen the England football team playing in a friendly where it was clear that the main players were not motivated to try very hard. They are currently in the middle of a busy season with important club games a few days before and after the friendly and neither the players nor their club managers want to risk injuries. I suspect that most managers and fans would gladly trade England losing if it meant that their club stood a better chance of winning their league, cup or promotion. The financial gains to a club come from domestic and European league and cup competitions, so is it unreasonable to ask them to risk their top players in a relatively meaningless friendly? Together with the other tens of thousands who support my club each week I would rather see them win their league than England beat another country in a friendly.
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#159098 - Mon Feb 17 2003 09:57 AM Re: International football friendlies
Islingtonian Enthusiast Registered: Thu May 16 2002 Posts: 403 Loc: Er, Islington. London, UK	Personally, my club's winning the league is more important to me than England's winning anything (even the World Cup, although frankly I doubt that'll be tested too much in my lifetime). By the way, no disrespect to the Aussies - you played well, and deserved to win on the night.
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#159099 - Sat Mar 08 2003 01:58 AM Re: International football friendlies
Anonymous No longer registered	Quote: We have recently seen the England football team playing in a friendly where it was clear that the main players were not motivated to try very hard. They are currently in the middle of a busy season with important club games a few days before and after the friendly and neither the players nor their club managers want to risk injuries. I suspect that most managers and fans would gladly trade England losing if it meant that their club stood a better chance of winning their league, cup or promotion. The financial gains to a club come from domestic and European league and cup competitions, so is it unreasonable to ask them to risk their top players in a relatively meaningless friendly? Together with the other tens of thousands who support my club each week I would rather see them win their league than England beat another country in a friendly. Well guys, you see the thing is, as an Aussie, one or two things are very clear ! Let me firat start by saying I have been playing/watching football since 1972 and NEVER thought I would see the day when Australia beat England. However in recent years I have been of the opposite opinion. We have beated Argentina, Brazil, France, etc in recent years. Were they taking the matches seriously you may ask ? You may well. I am sure if you were any of those national players you would not relish a trip home after losing to Australia. The thing that was obvious to me in the leadup to the match was the relaxed attitude England was taking into the game. It's only Australia. That would have played right into Frank Farina's game plan. I think those of you who claim that it is just a meaningless friendly should not forget that when England came out here in the early 80's we played them in a series of matches and they were given the royal treatment everywhere they went. We certainly didn't view them as meaningless friendlies. Please don't forget that from my point of view you are very spoiled in the football you have access to. Australia's match against England was their first for 14 months. Now we face the prospect of playing most of our games based in Europe as that is the only likely way we will get the co-operation of the leading clubs (yes and including the one I support) to release the players. I've gotta say that the whole concept of the way the game was conducted, the wholesale swapping of the team at half-time when 2-0 down (brave under the circs, but a ridiculous thing to have agreed to in the first place), Becks sitting with Posh on his lap (?) rather then be on the bench offering encouragement to his less experienced team mates, and the refusal to swap shirts after the match (which was reported here but I still find incredibly petty if it really happened - please feel free to tell me that was NOT the case), left a feeling in my mind that England got exactly what they thought could never happen, and therein lies the problem. Two closing thoughts : I am old-fashioned perhaps but I still believe that a player's main aim has to be to play for his country. I understand the financial rewards are much greater at club level, but there also something called pride ? (2) If only we could have beaten you guys at Wembley - that would have been really special ! Please note, this reply is NOT intended to be from an Aussie rubbing anyone's noses in the result. I have spent my entire adult life watching my countrie's team lurch from one disaster to another (e.g. World Cup qualifying play-offs). It is simply to give you a perspective of someone who wishes that from a football point of view, I was there not here, and to try to suggest that you really don't know how good you have it. FB
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