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Post by wakefieldstokie on Nov 16, 2023 15:53:32 GMT
Let’s face it they’re shit. 😀
Can’t we just invite more to the finals every four years and avoid disruption of the proper domestic footy season?
I mean it would mean we don’t get to watch the thriller of North Macedonia v England, or Gibraltar v Uncle bobs international all stars.
It’s crap, dull, and completely over hyped by the media.
Another non stoke footy weekend again. Just No.
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Post by Gods on Nov 16, 2023 16:04:30 GMT
It used to be a job to qualify for the European Championships back in the day.
I suppose the point is the Euros only had 8 teams in the Finals up until as recently as 1996.
Now that 24 teams qualify, 3 times as many as before, the qualifying competition has become as boring and punishing an exercise in futility as you will ever have to endure.
The Finals themselves are kind of fun so all you can really do is to fix an inane grin on your face and take your medicine.
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Post by lordb on Nov 16, 2023 16:25:47 GMT
It used to be a job to qualify for the European Championships back in the day. I suppose the point is the Euros only had 8 teams in the Finals up until as recently as 1996. Now that 24 teams qualify, 3 times as many as before, the qualifying competition has become as boring and punishing an exercise in futility as you will ever have to endure. The Finals themselves are kind of fun so all you can really do is to fix an inane grin on your face and take your medicine. 16 teams was just right, hard enough to qualify so qualifiers were not a procession and pretty much every game was between decent enough sides |
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Post by jesusmcmuffin on Nov 16, 2023 16:42:11 GMT
I disagree...we need to extend it to 76 teams so Ireland have an outside chance
We'd end up in a play off group with the Vatican and the Isle of Man and still come bottom.
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Post by y_oh_y_delilah on Nov 16, 2023 16:52:02 GMT
It used to be a job to qualify for the European Championships back in the day. I suppose the point is the Euros only had 8 teams in the Finals up until as recently as 1996. Now that 24 teams qualify, 3 times as many as before, the qualifying competition has become as boring and punishing an exercise in futility as you will ever have to endure. The Finals themselves are kind of fun so all you can really do is to fix an inane grin on your face and take your medicine. Agree, expanding the finals opens the doors to third rate nobody’s like Jockland and miscellaneous other no hopers. God, these international breaks are pure purgatory and doubt whether there’s more of a handful of free thinking football fans in the land who approve of these massive waste of our weekends. |
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Post by Pugsley on Nov 16, 2023 17:02:39 GMT
Conversely it's a respite from utter dogshit like Coventry v Stoke...
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Post by dirtygary69 on Nov 16, 2023 17:05:29 GMT
The last one was OK, given that we had a (semi) competitive game against Italy. This break can chew one.
There are times when a break suits teams, like the last one did us, but this one feels to have come way too soon after the last.
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Post by lawrieleslie on Nov 16, 2023 17:07:55 GMT
Back in the day there was no such thing as the pointless international break. Player were expected to be released by their clubs & international matches were usually squeezed into mid-week. It was no different then as now with players being withdrawn due to mysterious "injury" on run up to the game.
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Post by mickstupp on Nov 16, 2023 17:08:23 GMT
It used to be a job to qualify for the European Championships back in the day. I suppose the point is the Euros only had 8 teams in the Finals up until as recently as 1996. Now that 24 teams qualify, 3 times as many as before, the qualifying competition has become as boring and punishing an exercise in futility as you will ever have to endure. The Finals themselves are kind of fun so all you can really do is to fix an inane grin on your face and take your medicine. I’m starting to think it might be an idea for the top 10-12 ranked countries to just qualify automatically and let the others fight for a place. It’s becoming almost impossible for England not to qualify. Like you say, once upon a time there were eight teams and it was an achievement in itself to even make it to the finals. |
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Post by jesusmcmuffin on Nov 16, 2023 17:15:09 GMT
It used to be a job to qualify for the European Championships back in the day. I suppose the point is the Euros only had 8 teams in the Finals up until as recently as 1996. Now that 24 teams qualify, 3 times as many as before, the qualifying competition has become as boring and punishing an exercise in futility as you will ever have to endure. The Finals themselves are kind of fun so all you can really do is to fix an inane grin on your face and take your medicine. I’m starting to think it might be an idea for the top 10-12 ranked countries to just qualify automatically and let the others fight for a place. It’s becoming almost impossible for England not to qualify. Like you say, once upon a time there were eight teams and it was an achievement in itself to even make it to the finals. Good idea Mr Stupp Let the bigger nations go through as what the punters want to see. Maybe 6 or 8 play off places |
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Post by mickstupp on Nov 16, 2023 17:24:34 GMT
I’m starting to think it might be an idea for the top 10-12 ranked countries to just qualify automatically and let the others fight for a place. It’s becoming almost impossible for England not to qualify. Like you say, once upon a time there were eight teams and it was an achievement in itself to even make it to the finals. Good idea Mr Stupp Let the bigger nations go through as what the punters want to see. Maybe 6 or 8 play off places Either that, or reduce the amount of easy qualifiers. So let the likes of San Marino, Gibraltar etc play off for the right to go into the main qualifying draw? |
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Post by jesusmcmuffin on Nov 16, 2023 17:31:57 GMT
Good idea Mr Stupp Let the bigger nations go through as what the punters want to see. Maybe 6 or 8 play off places Either that, or reduce the amount of easy qualifiers. So let the likes of San Marino, Gibraltar etc play off for the right to go into the main qualifying draw? That would make serious sense. They have every right to be in the qualifiers but need to start a set below. Luxembourg have improved massively of late. A lot has to do with foreign players but if eligible then so what? Two thirds of the England team are from Irish families 😉👍 Kane, Grealish, Maguire, Rice, Maddison , Bellingham and more Just for Vega that one |
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Post by TinkerT on Nov 16, 2023 18:05:20 GMT
Back in the day there was no such thing as the pointless international break. Player were expected to be released by their clubs & international matches were usually squeezed into mid-week. It was no different then as now with players being withdrawn due to mysterious "injury" on run up to the game. Exactly how it should be, especially in the euros when players don't have to travel that far. |
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Post by JoeinOz on Nov 16, 2023 21:12:17 GMT
Surprising nobody's mentioned this before.
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Post by jesusmcmuffin on Nov 16, 2023 21:45:14 GMT
It used to be a job to qualify for the European Championships back in the day. I suppose the point is the Euros only had 8 teams in the Finals up until as recently as 1996. Now that 24 teams qualify, 3 times as many as before, the qualifying competition has become as boring and punishing an exercise in futility as you will ever have to endure. The Finals themselves are kind of fun so all you can really do is to fix an inane grin on your face and take your medicine. Agree, expanding the finals opens the doors to third rate nobody’s like Jockland and miscellaneous other no hopers. God, these international breaks are pure purgatory and doubt whether there’s more of a handful of free thinking football fans in the land who approve of these massive waste of our weekends. To be fair, Jockland have won it as many times as a few countries who consider themselves superior. They always bring something to tournaments, like to see them qualify. |
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Post by thehartshillbadger on Nov 16, 2023 21:50:14 GMT
Surprising nobody's mentioned this before. Fascinating isn’t it? Somebody should have said something😉 |
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Post by thehartshillbadger on Nov 16, 2023 21:51:16 GMT
The Nations league will be brought up before the end of the first page I reckon. Just a hunch
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insect
Youth Player
Posts: 289
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Post by insect on Nov 16, 2023 22:20:27 GMT
And then there’s the Nations League 😉
Bring back the Home Internationals I say 👍
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Post by jesusmcmuffin on Nov 16, 2023 22:29:42 GMT
The Home Nations were rubbish
N Ireland are still the holders though
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Post by JoeinOz on Nov 17, 2023 0:05:34 GMT
The Home Nations were rubbish N Ireland are still the holders though The home internationals were scrapped because of lack of interest. Apart from the obvious game was anyone that arsed about it at the time? |
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Post by jesusmcmuffin on Nov 17, 2023 0:11:01 GMT
The Home Nations were rubbish N Ireland are still the holders though The home internationals were scrapped because of lack of interest. Apart from the obvious game was anyone that arsed about it at the time? My first International game was N Ireland v England at Windsor Park. Rubbish 0-0 draw and poor crowd. |
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Post by zommbee on Nov 17, 2023 1:10:34 GMT
The Home Nations were rubbish N Ireland are still the holders though The home internationals were scrapped because of lack of interest. Apart from the obvious game was anyone that arsed about it at the time? There was an attempt to revive it in 2011, Nations Cup, without England though, failed through lack of interest again, heck of a lot of Stoke connections the squads that took part. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Nations_Cup |
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Post by stoke1989 on Nov 17, 2023 10:38:23 GMT
It's not even been a week yet, this one is dragging.
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Post by somersetstokie on Nov 17, 2023 11:33:02 GMT
I disagree...we need to extend it to 76 teams so Ireland have an outside chance We'd end up in a play off group with the Vatican and the Isle of Man and still come bottom. Good point. Maybe we should shut the league season down for four weeks and use the break to hold a European qualifying cometition, as a tournament in itself. Then whoever gets through as a qualifier gets to do the whole thing again in the full tournament later in the season. We could then properly bugger up the Football league clubs who are left to cope with the associated fixture list chaos. |
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Post by nott1 on Nov 17, 2023 11:52:53 GMT
It's all to do with money!
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Post by vidigoals on Nov 17, 2023 12:25:38 GMT
Let’s face it they’re shit. 😀 Can’t we just invite more to the finals every four years and avoid disruption of the proper domestic footy season? I mean it would mean we don’t get to watch the thriller of North Macedonia v England, or Gibraltar v Uncle bobs international all stars. It’s crap, dull, and completely over hyped by the media. Another non stoke footy weekend again. Just No. Best parts of the year for me. A night in Kosovo tomorrow, a quick hop across to Skopje for a few nights with my best pals & to top it off the pleasure of watching my country play the best football it has in years. Home via a night in Albania. A measly £9.50 for a spot in the away-end in what should be a healthy Macedonian presence & a decent atmosphere. Flights that equal a return-train ticket to Coventry & beers in the Balkans at 70p a pop - what's not to like? |
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Post by wakefieldstokie on Nov 17, 2023 13:45:25 GMT
Let’s face it they’re shit. 😀 Can’t we just invite more to the finals every four years and avoid disruption of the proper domestic footy season? I mean it would mean we don’t get to watch the thriller of North Macedonia v England, or Gibraltar v Uncle bobs international all stars. It’s crap, dull, and completely over hyped by the media. Another non stoke footy weekend again. Just No. Best parts of the year for me. A night in Kosovo tomorrow, a quick hop across to Skopje for a few nights with my best pals & to top it off the pleasure of watching my country play the best football it has in years. Home via a night in Albania. A measly £9.50 for a spot in the away-end in what should be a healthy Macedonian presence & a decent atmosphere. Flights that equal a return-train ticket to Coventry & beers in the Balkans at 70p a pop - what's not to like? I think you’ll find thats called going on holiday😀 |
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Post by skip on Nov 17, 2023 15:17:29 GMT
I’m starting to think it might be an idea for the top 10-12 ranked countries to just qualify automatically and let the others fight for a place. It’s becoming almost impossible for England not to qualify. Like you say, once upon a time there were eight teams and it was an achievement in itself to even make it to the finals. Good idea Mr Stupp Let the bigger nations go through as what the punters want to see. Maybe 6 or 8 play off places Too similar in essence to having the top half of the Premier League relegation proof. Have international cup qualifiers by all means, just get rid of that tournament thing they cooked up most recently. Whatever its called, that one. The one I still can't work out why it exists. |
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Post by Staffsoatcake on Nov 18, 2023 14:36:24 GMT
Club games should take priority over International games,after all pays the players wages?
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Post by Claus_SCFC on Nov 18, 2023 17:33:19 GMT
Hate these international breaks! Who the f… cares about international games against crap opposition?
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