England, do we care anymore?

Well do we?

When i was a kid, an England game was something you looked forward to, however these days, internationals are met with general apathy from the average supporter.

Is it a club over country culture that we now find ourselves in due to the demands of the Premiership and the rigors of European football, that we prefer to keep our players for club duty, or is it general disinterest with the actual players?

Players who are on an exorbitant amount of money and seem to feign injury and pull out of international duty, but are usually fit for their club on the Saturday.

It seems the only time we get interested with England these days, is if they make it to the finals of a tournament. So do you think in this country, international football has lost its allure and what do you think needs to be done to capture peoples interest again?

I actually look forward to qualifying games and subsequent finals....if we make them.
It's the friendlies throughout the season that i think people show disinterest and generally tend to piss everyone off. That's when players tend to pull out with "niggling" injuries.

Hi Moneyman

List of whats wrong

Money...both at club and international level

Clubs denigrating internationals because of fear, fear they will lose players to injury, fear of players coming back jaded, fear of players getting tapped up

Press overkill, before the press reported games, now they report everything from whos shagging who to what talc someone puts in their socks. Players are to relaxed ( under Sven ) players are too controlled (under Capello)... Team terry/ferdnand/SWP/Lampard/rooneyetc leaking to the press

too much interferance from FIFA and uafa due to self agrandising of Platini and Blatter and the politics involved...pull out and lead a break away of international teams that actually put football first before politics.

Any more for the list?

I try not to care but when the game kicks off the passion comes flooding back, having some Blues back in has added fuel to the fire. i hate all the build up for 5 days beforehand, and the press building them up like world beaters only to destroy them if we put in a poor performance. I will always support the team but the choice of managers over the years has been lazy and hopefull rather than rational. I just hope we ar'nt grooming Pearce like we did Mclaren under Sven, that would be a disaster imo.

I agree with Shaken on this one...

The qualifiers and tournament games i look forward to, but the pointless friendlies (that mean fuck all to either country) I couldnt give a toss about. Its not like the English clubs dont play enough games as it is.
The problem with the England squad at the minute is that Capello doesnt know any English players. He picks on reputation rather than form. Glen Johnson, Terry, Ferdinand, Lampard, Gerrard, and most of all Wayne Rooney. What's wrong with the likes of Kyle Walker or Richards at right back Gary Cahill or Dawson at centre backs. Wiltshire, Cattermole even Reo-Coker have played well in centre midfield this year. Wayne Rooney has been shocking this year, however he is first choice. Darren Bent and Peter Crouch have played well for their clubs this year but because Andy Carroll is now worth 35 (pence) million he is supposed to be starting with Shrek against Wales. Capello is a joke.

Sharkey I know what you mean about friendlies but then Isnt it a bit hypocritical of club managers playing loads of friendlies before the start of the season so players can get to know each other and learn to play together and yet turn round at International friendlies and say they are pointless?
I think this season at city has shown how players need to train and play together for a good while before they can play well. Chopping and changing isnt a good idea.
Wasnt it Korea before they hosted the WC who played a whole season before as a team?

I too agree with Shaken. The friendlies are pointless & I just pray that all our players come back injury free. I love the qualifiers & when we get to the finals but just like being a City fan I am usually left let down & heartbroken !

I personally would think that the pre-season games are all about regaining match fitness after two months of Pimms and Pizza Hut, more than learning to play together. Players train 5/6 times a week to learn to play together. England train together the week before they play and the players that are picked should all be match sharp. Friendlies are money making activities that could cost clubs players. Dean Ashton is a perfect example of that.

Mancini changes his squad too frequently for the team to get used to each other. Injuries havent helped i know but sometimes his squad selection is baffling.

i will always watch ENGLAND games and thats most sports aswell and i can never see why anyone would put club before country or country before club! its not like i have to choose who to watch is it now!
i'm CITY and when ENGLAND are playing i'm a CITY ENGLISHMAN
the only thing that i don't like is friendly games!!

To be fair I care about England a little more than I used to.

Growing up in the 90s/00s the only City player who was in the squad was SWP, and he was more a fringe player. Just another London team as far as I was concerned.

Now, since we have quite a few players in the team I do like to watch them play, but I don't really give a shit whether they win or not.

Usually see the international break as a ball ache, as I'd rather watch City any day, but this one couldn't have come at a better time really!

Still care about them, but always expect the worse.

Very much like City.

I will always support England but it'll be a long time before I watch them again after being given grief of FA officials in Minsk after ploughing in thousands to watch them over the years. City come first anyway and always have done.

Barry will captain on wednesday. who was the last City player to captain England (in a proper game) ???

I thought Barry had the armband briefly in the last match, after Lampard and Cashley Cole had been subbed...

The commentators seemd horrified about it, despite the number of games he captained Villa for....

if that was the Denmark game that was a freindly, when it was passed round like it meant nothing. The commentators are horrified if anyone from one of 'their favourite clubs' does anything well for England.