As we're unlikely to see terraces again at football, this is the virtual equivalent where you can chat to your hearts content about all football matters and, obviously, Arsenal in particular. This forum encourages all Gooners to visit and contribute so please keep it respectful, clean and topical.
Don't think it's a bad idea if it's to replace endless friendlies rather than add to existing number of games.
Seeded qualifying system means that the top sides don't face competitive games against others other than every few years major tournaments, and the worst sides never have a chance to win competitive games.
Apparently the existing ranking system is so appalling that you are worse off playing a friendly than no game even if you wallop a top-ranked side because of the weighting for competitive games. Hence why Wales rarely play friendlies and are somehow above England who have coasted to qualification for the last 5 tournaments but always play friendlies.
I know it's a World Cup and the last thing I want is for it to be packed almost exclusively with European teams, but the North/Central America group is a joke.
Six teams, with three automatically qualifying and one going straight into the final play-off match. Bearing in mind this group is made up of USA, Panama, Mexico, Honduras, Costa Rica and Trinidad and Tobago.
And the Yanks still didn't qualify.
Tell me how a country with 370 million people and unlimited funds put towards US Soccer cannot beat Trinidad and Tobago in a game that they only need 1 point to qualify. Is it because it's two countries vs one?
Biggest disgrace I have ever witnessed in football, and that includes Arsene Wenger over the last 10 years.
Only heard about the USA score tonight. Oh dear, finally some retribution for defeating England in the 1950 World Cup.
Hope both the Irish sides get a good draw and both make it to Russia.
A bit pleased the Welsh missed out, thought they were getting too big for their boots just cos they have a player at Real Madrid doesn't mean they are a top international team.
As for Strachan's excuse for the Scottish failure, second shortest team behind Spain...world cup and double European champions winners...not the best example to give.
The longest two weeks of the year...im sure the summer break passed by quicker than this interlull.
just when you thought that international breaks could not get any worse....
the Nations League starts next year "friendlies jazzed up into a competition format"
I have never heard so much bollocks as this.
basically it comes down to this - the 3 international breaks next autumn will ALL be used for this!
England are in the top group and so we can look forward to six weeks of "friendlies" (over the 3 breaks) such as England v Iceland.
what a complete and utter waste of everyone's time and no doubt the season will go on until June like last season, and dozens of PL games will be stuffed into December "because there is no other room on the calendar"
just when you thought that international breaks could not get any worse....
the Nations League starts next year "friendlies jazzed up into a competition format"
I have never heard so much bollocks as this.
basically it comes down to this - the 3 international breaks next autumn will ALL be used for this!
England are in the top group and so we can look forward to six weeks of "friendlies" (over the 3 breaks) such as England v Iceland.
what a complete and utter waste of everyone's time and no doubt the season will go on until June like last season, and dozens of PL games will be stuffed into December "because there is no other room on the calendar"
More greed, tbh I do predict low attendances...Unless they charge a fiver....
this is actually even worse now that I have looked into the rules further
so there are six international dates for clubs next autumn.
4 of those dates will be Nations League matches. England will be in a group of 3 for this, and we get to play 2 other countries home and away (so for example we are in a group with Iceland and Croatia) That's 4 matches taken care of.
So I thought that the other 2 matches might be actual Euro 2020 qualifiers, but no they don't start until the March International break.
No the other 2 matches are for "non Nations League friendlies"
Speaking of Interlull snoozefests, how refreshing it was to see former Ingurland manager Big Fat Fucking Sam AllThePies on Goals on Sunday with the pair of matey cúnts that present that shitfest of a show. Also, how original and refreshing to see good old matey "Big Sam" (to give him his full GOS/media love-in title) just hold his hands up and say "yep, I was totally in the wrong, I tried to use the storied manager's job of one of football's great countries to further my own greedy sleazy hunger for money, and yep indeed I deserved to get sacked and can blame no one but myself for being an odious fat greedy toe rag".
Oh, hang on... no, no that is not what he said.
In fact he said the exact opposite of that and not only does he now accept no blame, but he actually thinks he should still be in the job the fucking deluded prize cúnt that he is.
Oierland play Denmark in the play offs...Queue loads of clichés about the Danes invading Oireland again followed by the inevitable comparison between both sets of fans and their fun loving nature..
If Denmark were seeded why are they playing first leg at home.?
Oierland play Denmark in the play offs...Queue loads of clichés about the Danes invading Oireland again followed by the inevitable comparison between both sets of fans and their fun loving nature..
If Denmark were seeded why are they playing first leg at home.?
Oh yeah, my "cliched greatest fans in the world" horseshit barometer will be off the fucking charts!