Don Harold, one of MFW’s regular commenters, was our ‘man on the inside’ when we needed a Wolverhampton voice recently and his ability to coherently string a few words together made him an obvious target for a guest blog. Luckily Martin P and I caught him at a weak moment and he agreed…
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To say I don’t like the breaks in the season for international matches is an understatement. I absolutely abhor them. Sometimes, and I suspect this weekend is one of them, the break comes at the right time for Norwich City but all things considered I see them as an un-necessary and very unwelcome interruptions to the way things should be.
This weekend England have friendlies against Germany and Brazil. The first choice England team will not be available as the top club managers understandably seek to protect their assets. Even if the best players were available, the personality crisis which is Gareth Southgate would be likely to want to show how clever he is by playing them out of position and trying to prove that Jake Livermore is a better player than Jack Wilshire. Then, in the second half of each game, wholesale changes will be made and the pace of the game will be reduced to pedestrian.
Scotland are playing Holland for no apparent reason. Both teams failed to qualify for the World Cup and neither side will be picked by the manager who is likely to be in post for their next competitive match. Wales are taking on Panama in a stadium which is likely to be 75% empty and Marley Watkins may make one of the lowest profile international debuts ever.
Wes will be in the squad for Ireland’s play off matches although Martin O’Neill is unlikely to start him in either game. Michael McGovern is by some way Northern Ireland’s first choice keeper despite not getting a look in for us; I hope he plays brilliantly in both games and persuades a club manager that he’s worth paying a few quid for in January.
No good can come from the fact that Angus Gunn and James Maddison will be representing England Under 21s, even less from Angus now being promoted to the full squad. Assuming they don’t get injured, they will show clubs in the Premier League how good they are and attract unwelcome attention. Neither is likely to be playing for us next season but I don’t see the need to hurry up the process.
The full England team’s relationship with Norwich City players is practically non-existent. We have played in the top division in 25 seasons, which I calculate to be 1016 matches. From Phil Boyer being the first player to represent England whilst a Norwich player in 1976 (when, as I recall, no one would pass to him in his one international game) to John Ruddy’s 45 minutes in 2013, we have provided seven players who have made a not-so-grand total of 16 appearances, six of which were as substitutes.
Kevin Reeves, Dave Watson, Chris Woods and Rob Green gained further caps after leaving Carrow Road and our other representative, the wonderful Mark Barham, played in two games of a particularly odd tour Down Under in 1983.
I haven’t done the research but I doubt that any team which has played so many games in the top flight of English football has had so few players picked by its national side. This may be because we just haven’t had players good enough to be picked although anyone who can remember how awful England have been at times would be surprised that the likes of Kevin Keelan, Colin Suggett, Graham Paddon and Ian Crook – amongst many others – didn’t get a cap.
Even Martin Peters stopped being selected once we signed him. Maybe it’s because Norwich is too far for successive England managers to come to watch potential players.
I wouldn’t be too bothered if international football ceased completely but understand that I am in the minority with that view. I would, however, like to see the end to the breaks in the regular season for what are mostly irrelevant international matches.
The hugely sagacious journalist and broadcaster Gabrielle Marcotti proposes that all international matches are played in ‘mini-seasons’ in the odd numbered years when we don’t have a summer tournament. These are times when players are usually dragged off on meaningless end of season international tours anyway.
The advantage for this is that the clubs who provide and pay the players will be better able to manage their fitness and the often congested domestic fixture list could be eased greatly. For us fans, we could see the end of ridiculously long midweek trips to Middlesbrough and Sunderland.
I really hope that this international break does as well for us as September’s did. The fact that we only have five players away means that Daniel Farke and his coaching team will be able to work on making us hard to beat again. October’s break seemed to upset our momentum so the rest is probably welcome. I won’t be watching any of the games live – my enthusiasm doesn’t stretch that far – but I will be looking on with concern desperate that our players come back injury free.
The really important games this month are against Barnsley, Forest and Preston. Roll on the 18th of November.
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Cheers again to Don for his thoughts. Hopefully we’ll be hearing from him later on in the season.
I’m not sure Don, quite enjoyed a footy stress -free break!
Not that I wish Wes any ill and would love it if ROI qualified and he was in the squad for Russia, but his time as a City player for me is past and agree with your comments on McGovern.
DF has essentially had the squad together which will have given time for R &R plus the chance to continue work on a plan. It would be welcome to have a good November and cement a place in the top half of the table challenging for top 6. At least we wont be signing any Swiss forwards to solve our biggest problem in the transfer window… will we?
I agree with you about Wes; I think he’ll be a bit part player for us but I hope he has a great testimonial (Celtic anyone?). I’d love to see Ireland at the finals.
I hope we’re both right about DF’s opportunity to coach some improvements into the squad
This is a very enjoyable and so what sarcastic read nd a good take on cities international players of the past.
As I agree that no enought city players get thr recognition the deserve whilst at city for England other home nations seem to pick city players regularly.
As for Gunn and Maddison what will be will be, I would like Gunn to stay on a permanent contract but can’t see it a Man City will want more than city could arguably afford at present even if a fee could be agreed the would be a good few add on claues.
Maddison is a slightly different kettle of fish as he is a city player a lot of the premiership clubs will have a full dossier on him from their interest when at Coventry, City will have to part with him sometime in the not to distant future and Coventry with get a share due to a percentage sell on clause.
At all youth levels we have had quite a lot of recognition nd long may it last we need these players to show their potential not only to the first team coaches at city in a variety of different games but potential buyers if the club aims to be self financing and not go into dept.
Friendly’s at all level are a necessity according to FIFA for teams to have get togethers and to top up the National and FIFA coffers.
Roll on Saturday and lets get a few goals against Barnsley OTBC
I’ve heard Gunn is on £40,000 a week at Man City and that our pay cap is £8,000 per week and that MCFC are subsidising his wages this season. I think we’ll struggle to keep him even if we go up (suicide for his England ambitions – he should follow his dad’s path).
The fact FIFA says something is good probably means it is bad!
OTBC
Lets hope Man City are happy with his progress at city this season and let him stay for another, my concern is that it just might impede Mathews progress in a similar way that Rudd stopped Ruddy developing at city.
The World cup was always know as the World Cup till Blatter renamed it was an idea by a Frog name Jules Remey no FIFA involved in the 1920.
Dump all the friendly’s and bring back the Home Nations Championship
I have to agree Colin M that it has been a welcome respite and should have given time to recharge the players’ batteries ready for the upcoming 3 games – all f which I feel are winnable and I’d like to think we should be looking at 5 pints as a MINIMUM!!!
We then head into December, where we play 6 games in a little over 4 weeks and whilst some of the games are quite daunting, we should definitely see the return of Pritchard to the team and hopefully Oliveira could also return sometime soon and I’d like to see us amass 12 or more points from those games..
5 pints is always a minimum! If we get Pritchard and Oliveira back soon we may celebrate our points with a few more pints.
Great article, Don. I thoroughly endorse your sentiments.
Just one point. I’ve heard a number of City fans bemoaning the calls-up for Angus Gunn and James Maddison because it’ll draw bigger clubs ‘ attention to them. I don’t believe that’s true – for the sobering reason that any bigger club worth its salt will have already been watching them carefully.
If they appear for England and play well, it may consolidate those bigger clubs’ interest because it shows our players have big-match temperament. Other than that, it doesn’t change anything except their value.
Thanks for the kind words.
I see no reason for logic to get in the way of my anti international pessimism and prejudice!
Stewart, I agree with your point about bigger cubs consolidating their interest in Gunn, Maddison and probably Trybul and, and when he’s back from injury, Pritchard too. That makes your final sentence even more relevant. Given that we got a reported £11M for Jacob Murphy, what does that make those four worth? (Yes, I know Gunn is not ours to sell, but it certainly affects his price should we contemplate buying him).
If I had my way FIFA and UEFA would do away with these six team, ten game qualification Group stages (designed primarily to inflate Wayne Rooney’s goal scoring stats against European minnows ?) and have pre-qualifiers for the lesser nations – just as Africa does.
Completely agree Gary. What’s the point in England playing San Marino apart from having a laugh at Stuart Pearce’s back pass?