22 Sep 2016 16:51:58
Hi Eds and reds.

I just wanted your opinion on something me and a few mates have been discussing this week.

Now before you jump on the wagon and starting pelting me saying it's never going to happen, I know, I just wanted to see if you guys thought it was a good idea or not.

90% (if not more) of fans get annoyed when international football puts a stop to club football for a week or so during the season, so why not do they like they do in rugby union and play games anyway. All they do is make sure the kick offs don't clash with the international game.

Yes a lot of first team players won't be there for some teams, but this then forces the clubs to give fringe and youth players a chance. It would also mean that these players will be likely to get more game time leading up to the international fixture list instead of just being all chucked together for the 1 or 2 games during the international break.

Most teams play friendlies with their fringe players during the break anyway, so it's a chance for them to prove themselves which they might not get during the normal season. It could prevent a fixture pile up in parts of the season too.

Again, I know it won't happen due to money etc. But I just wondered what you guys thought?

1.) 22 Sep 2016
22 Sep 2016 17:51:16
Will be unfair on the teams with loads of internationals.
Some teams can have 15-20 internationals who would disappear.

2.) 22 Sep 2016
22 Sep 2016 18:56:46
True Mikey, but essentially you'd be no more disadvantaged than the teams losing less players to international duty on the grounds that they're not good enough to be called up.

Would never happen as you say smplfc, we all want and pay to see our best players out there, but it wouldn't bother me too much. All the top teams would be affected equally. Works in Rugby.

3.) 22 Sep 2016
22 Sep 2016 23:03:04
It's bad for both Rugby and Cricket, it undermines the club game. If football did it it would probably destroy international football. Players would go with the money.

4.) 23 Sep 2016
23 Sep 2016 03:30:43
We would just end up with players staying at their clubs and international teams only having their 2nd choice players turn up.

5.) 23 Sep 2016
23 Sep 2016 05:40:31
Maybe play the early stages of the league cup when there's the international matches? Most teams tend to play non regular starters for these matches anyway.

6.) 23 Sep 2016
23 Sep 2016 09:41:47
Anything that potentially stops Rooney being picked for England in whatever form that is would be great! Hopefully man utd would make up Some reason why he couldn't play.

7.) 23 Sep 2016
23 Sep 2016 11:47:56
It would never work because it would end up with a lot of players going for the money and retiring from international duty, as well as this it gives the lower teams in the league an unfair advantage. For example the likes of Liverpool, United, City, Chelsea and Arsenal would be virtually losing their entire matchday squad where as the likes of Hull and Burnley would be losing 1-2 players max. I doubt the TV companies would be happy with the lost revenue from double booked matches too and they pay an awful lot of money to the Premier League for TV rights.