Part of the problem is using the June window for de facto friendlies. June is reserved for major tournaments or at worst the likes of the Confederations Cup which is obviously quite tinpot but isolated to a handful of countries. I have less issue with replacing friendlies in the Spring and Autumn with Nation League games, but here it seems we are not replacing anything, just bloating the season into June for no good reason.
Is anyone enjoying the Nations League?
- Thread starter Pogue Mahone
- Start date
Too much football, players should be on break now. It's been crazy since the Covid resumption and a lot will have to play a crazy world cup too scheduled in the middle of the season.
Shut up Ma.
They played more beautiful, but I'm not sure being a better team, i still prefer 90s Denmark.
A team that get smacked 5-1 in the knock out stage doesn't seem better than a Champions, no matter what are the optics.
I can say France 82-86 was better than France 2018, they lost to a very pragmatic and effective Germany after dominating both games, but they didn't get smacked, more like typical old school german luck in world cups.
Denmark just plain got smacked by Spain after the 1-1, they weren't unlucky to lose that game.
People seem to think Nations League add more games, but it just feels like it because there are more matches bunched up together with fewer total international breaks throughout the year as clubs don't want as many breaks.
I recently read an opinion piece about how it will be more difficult to attract good quality managers for international teams in the future.
Using the example of the Norwegian manager in 2002 that had 10 games in February, March, April May (two games), August, September, October and November.
Whereas now in 2022 there are 8 games in March, June and September (of course set up this way because of the WC, which we aren't part of).
The point was the back in the day we had more constant matches, the international manager had more time to constantly prepare for the next match and work with the team over time, instead of just in 3 gatherings during the year. That this will be less attractive to good managers, other than those looking for their last gig maybe. That perhaps in the future we'll have to allow for the same manager to manage a team and a country at the same time.
Unless we spread out matches again, which the clubs do not want.
I recently read an opinion piece about how it will be more difficult to attract good quality managers for international teams in the future.
Using the example of the Norwegian manager in 2002 that had 10 games in February, March, April May (two games), August, September, October and November.
Whereas now in 2022 there are 8 games in March, June and September (of course set up this way because of the WC, which we aren't part of).
The point was the back in the day we had more constant matches, the international manager had more time to constantly prepare for the next match and work with the team over time, instead of just in 3 gatherings during the year. That this will be less attractive to good managers, other than those looking for their last gig maybe. That perhaps in the future we'll have to allow for the same manager to manage a team and a country at the same time.
Unless we spread out matches again, which the clubs do not want.
The Nations league is just rebranded friendlies at its heart. That rebranding might work during the season when we can pretend these games matter but during the Summer, no, a poor substitute for proper competition.
Are you not entertained? Are you not entertained? Is this not why you are here?
The Nations League has been a very good innovation on the whole, but the competition has been given a hospital pass in the schedule thanks to the Qatar World Cup.
Utterly boring and completely unnecessary.
I guess the Hungarians like it. 
Our Irish contingent on the caf are no doubt loving it
It's a fantastic and prestigious tournament of the highest order.
I bet Hungary is 
Slightly more important than the World Cup if you ask me.
I actually don't mind the concept of it, its just the timing of when they play it is ridiculous.
That's just this year, the world cup would usually be on now.
True, I'd have just binned it this year.
I love international football. So yes I am very much enjoying the Nations League.
I also love that Hungary just gave England one of the most embarrassing defeats in the history of the national team. 4-0 at home. Great job boys!
I also love that Hungary just gave England one of the most embarrassing defeats in the history of the national team. 4-0 at home. Great job boys!
I haven't watched a single full game since it started, it's basically a bunch of semi-friendlies and I just can't be bothered.
Speaking of enjoyment and timing. Our first world cup group match is on a dark and chilly monday morning in november. This will be the shitest world cup if all time.
Turned over to the England game. Thought about why. Turned over to watch season 4 of Drive to Survive, best decision I’ve ever made.
Nations league to replace euro qualification perhaps?
I heard Norway is retiring from football altogether after beating Sweden reserves twice which is like winning the WC x 10 for them.
It's quite popular in Denmark, tooI guess the Hungarians like it.
Football for the Fans they said.
The FIFA suits need more games so they can keep up their standard of living.
Italy fan here, nope, I'm not enjoying it anymore.
There are some "big" countries who don't take it seriously - for most other countries it's a quite good tournament.
Of course a team with Robin Olsen, Dejan Kulusevski, Emil Forsberg, Alexander Isak is the Swedish reserve-team
Because Sweden have so many good playersAnother decent performance/result from Ireland. Could not care less. Pleased to see progress under our manager and some good individual performances but the result means absolutely nothing to me.
Can’s even wallow In schadenfreude after England’s rotten run of results. Because who cares?
Can’s even wallow In schadenfreude after England’s rotten run of results. Because who cares?
It is nice watching England get thumped. It isn't very nice watching us get thumped by the ROI.
I’d much rather watch friendly internationals, than watch United play 0-4 at Brighton
There's 55 teams in the competition, many of whose FAs are dependent upon the revenue from ticket sales and TV rights for funding. It's easy to take that attitude if you are from England - or one of the other major nations with a big domestic league - but international football has far more relative importance elsewhere.
Can't quite put my finger on it but I enjoyed last night more than any others and I'm hungary for more now.
It's always funny when England gets a few decent players here and there, a few lucky results and suddenly "it's coming home".
But what's the funniest is when you lot lose and everyone is moaning. I can't really understand it, it's embarrassing. You have a very average manager with a very meh starting 11, where do all these high hopes come from?
But what's the funniest is when you lot lose and everyone is moaning. I can't really understand it, it's embarrassing. You have a very average manager with a very meh starting 11, where do all these high hopes come from?
Its 2022 and people still don’t understand the it’s coming home thing. I guess at this point you never will.
This. Many federations would simply die without the tv rights. Grassroots would be fecked. Football as a whole would suffer from that.
Thankfully those in charge can see the bigger picture unlike the elitist armchair experts on the caf.
That's a good point. Does anyone know how much the likes of San Marino actually get from UEFA?
The Nations League is not a bad idea in principle (certainly prefer the decent level matches compared to pointless games vs San Marino etc in qualifying) but scheduling this many games at the end of a grueling season is ridiculous
Football has been around for much longer than this pointless competition and will be around for a long time after it’s become a pointless memory. The future of grass roots football won’t live or die based on the success of the poxy Nations League.
Don’t take it too personally that nobody cares about a competition which Norway is doing well in. Deep down we’re all happy for you. Honest.