International Break

International Window

  • Aug 30, Sep 7 : A steady start

    Votes: 2 25.0%

  • Oct 4, Oct 12 : 4 wins in 5, unbeaten on a roll

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Nov 8, Nov 16 : 4 wins in 5, just bounced back from first defeat

    Votes: 3 37.5%

  • Mar 21, Mar 29 : 2 wins in 5, but best performance for months

    Votes: 2 25.0%

  • Shut up/Who cares

    Votes: 1 12.5%
  • Total voters
    8
  • Poll closed .
USCherry

USCherry

UTC Legend
I think I can speak for most of us when I say, nobody really likes to pause the league for the international break. I try to get into watching England, but let's face it. We'd rather be watching the glorious Cherries.

This season we have had four international breaks

Aug 30, Sep 7: A fairly slow start to the season, on the back of the opening day(s) of a cup win and a home opener draw, we won twice and then stuttered to two draws and a humping in the League Cup. Came back and won 4 on the bounce

Oct 4, Oct 12 : leading up to the window we are on a roll. Still unbeaten in the league and rolling into the break with 4 wins in 5. Came back and won 4 on the bounce

Nov 8, Nov 16 : The unbeaten run is over, we lost at home to Preston but we had bounced back with a 4-0 win against Swansea leading up to the break we still managed 12 points from 15 with 4 clean sheets. Came back and got 3 points from 12

Mar 21, Mar 29 : Not a fabulous run by any means. Only 2 wins in 5, but, with the boos, and the messages out of the club, and the manager saying the handbrake is off we go into the break with an emphatic win in a 3rd vs 2nd battle. Came back and TBD

Which break do you think came at the wrong time? Personally can't look past the Nov break. Perhaps we could have gone into the next game after beating Swansea with some momentum, It's no doubt that our form slumped after that window.

However, I would have loved to have seen us playing BC on the Tuesday or Saturday after our win last weekend though.


**I may have fucked up with the stats.
 
It is a shame we don't get a chance to ride the wave of perhaps our best performance of the season. However, Solanke pulling up and hobbling around for some minutes on Saturday concerned me.

Yes he eventually carried on seemingly unharmed, but a couple weeks to rest him up and ensure he's firing for some crucial games, could be welcome.

April is going to be a punishing schedule, I hope we use this break well for all our non internationals.

To answer the actual question (!) Yes that November run was a real shame I'd agree that came at a bad time.
 
USA does have a big CONCACAF match Thursday night, qualifying round for World Cup. At least that fills a bit of the gap. Canada in great shape to qualify and possibly win the pool.
 
USCherry said:
I think I can speak for most of us when I say, nobody really likes to pause the league for the international break. I try to get into watching England, but let's face it. We'd rather be watching the glorious Cherries.

This season we have had four international breaks

Aug 30, Sep 7: A fairly slow start to the season, on the back of the opening day(s) of a cup win and a home opener draw, we won twice and then stuttered to two draws and a humping in the League Cup. Came back and won 4 on the bounce

Oct 4, Oct 12 : leading up to the window we are on a roll. Still unbeaten in the league and rolling into the break with 4 wins in 5. Came back and won 4 on the bounce

Nov 8, Nov 16 : The unbeaten run is over, we lost at home to Preston but we had bounced back with a 4-0 win against Swansea leading up to the break we still managed 12 points from 15 with 4 clean sheets. Came back and got 3 points from 12

Mar 21, Mar 29 : Not a fabulous run by any means. Only 2 wins in 5, but, with the boos, and the messages out of the club, and the manager saying the handbrake is off we go into the break with an emphatic win in a 3rd vs 2nd battle. Came back and TBD

Which break do you think came at the wrong time? Personally can't look past the Nov break. Perhaps we could have gone into the next game after beating Swansea with some momentum, It's no doubt that our form slumped after that window.

However, I would have loved to have seen us playing BC on the Tuesday or Saturday after our win last weekend though.


**I may have fucked up with the stats.
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There are too many international breaks I think. Ban them for not PL players and let our fixtures carry on;)
 
Its been a long season and March friendlies are not needed when most clubs have important end of season games to be played.
 
Kenya Cherrie said:
Its been a long season and March friendlies are not needed when most clubs have important end of season games to be played.
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Couldn't agree more. Seems bizarre that when everyone moans about fixture congestion, player burnout and games postponed due to Covid, the FA still sticks in a 2 week break for meaningless friendlies.

This extra time could either have been used to catch up on fixtures or to have given players a longer winter break, but what is gained exactly by 2 pointless friendlies against average opposition?

Just let teams with players in the playoffs cope, it's no different to AFCON and teams making do during that.
 
Wouldn't you rather the team beat Huddersfield 0-3 then had a group meeting after the statement?

With 10 games to go, I really think it's a blessing for most squads.

Especially one in 2nd.
 
AFCB_Liam said:
Couldn't agree more. Seems bizarre that when everyone moans about fixture congestion, player burnout and games postponed due to Covid, the FA still sticks in a 2 week break for meaningless friendlies.

This extra time could either have been used to catch up on fixtures or to have given players a longer winter break, but what is gained exactly by 2 pointless friendlies against average opposition?

Just let teams with players in the playoffs cope, it's no different to AFCON and teams making do during that.
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The winter break that only exists because of the number of games crammed into the holiday season for TV.
 
This break is a disaster....wtf is the point of ' friendly ' Internationals ?

Nutjobs and greedy old w@nkers running Football from the Top.

To add to the gloom of the International Break....our local clubs have postponed games due to fresh outbreaks of Covid.

Oh what Joy.
 
TrevorMorganFanClub said:
Quite a few countries are playing Play-offs, not friendlies.

Some others would be if circumstances were different.
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I think there are 8 countries involved in the world Cup play-offs. Seems excessive to shut down top 2 leagues in England for 2 weeks to accommodate that. Worst thing is the play off final is in June anyway (I think) so can't they just do the previous rounds then as well?
 
AFCB_Liam said:
I think there are 8 countries involved in the world Cup play-offs. Seems excessive to shut down top 2 leagues in England for 2 weeks to accommodate that. Worst thing is the play off final is in June anyway (I think) so can't they just do the previous rounds then as well?
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8 in Europe yes, but should have been 12 (including Scotland)

Also a full set of qualifiers in Africa, South America, etc.

Edit: I'm not a fan of it either, but we potentially could have been playing 2 or even 3 games without Travers, Mepham, Lerma, Billing, Lowe and Christie. Moore and Brooks would be in the Wales squad too if they were fit.
 
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I find international breaks intensely annoying. They upset the rhythm of my weekend and seem to stretch on forever.

That said, the summer tournaments are usually worth the mid-season irritation, and this break had very good reasons behind it with all the play offs and qualifiers still taking place. World football isn't and should never be England-centric.

The one issue I have is the constant expansion of the number of teams in the tournaments proper will make the qualifiers next to pointless. 48 teams in the WC and 32 in the Euros is stupid.
 
AFCB_Liam said:
Couldn't agree more. Seems bizarre that when everyone moans about fixture congestion, player burnout and games postponed due to Covid, the FA still sticks in a 2 week break for meaningless friendlies.

This extra time could either have been used to catch up on fixtures or to have given players a longer winter break, but what is gained exactly by 2 pointless friendlies against average opposition?

Just let teams with players in the playoffs cope, it's no different to AFCON and teams making do during that.
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Yep. Was talking about this to a friend last night. Why can't they just play the friendly? Why the need for the intensive training and team building? Messes with momentum.
 
kirsikka said:
I find international breaks intensely annoying. They upset the rhythm of my weekend and seem to stretch on forever.

That said, the summer tournaments are usually worth the mid-season irritation, and this break had very good reasons behind it with all the play offs and qualifiers still taking place. World football isn't and should never be England-centric.

The one issue I have is the constant expansion of the number of teams in the tournaments proper will make the qualifiers next to pointless. 48 teams in the WC and 32 in the Euros is stupid.
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In years to come your third paragraph maybe how the first paragraph gets resolved.

FIFA would much rather have a World Cup with Italy in it and tournament expansion with fewer qualifiers for the top ranked sides is one way it could all go.
 
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