Watching Trent Alexander-Arnold register another three assists, bringing his overall season tally to 10, was pretty fun on Monday night…
But really, was there any point in San Marino 0-10 England?
The scoreline was so large, ITV didn’t have space for two digits in the top-left scoreline bar.
Players are already subjected to a ludicrous amount of required fixtures for their clubs – which is something that potentially also needs a revamp – but the international scheduling is becoming increasingly ridiculous.
Footballers’ welfare is being ignored in favour of more money, but TV companies and governing bodies should realise that if players are injured and unavailable, the product becomes watered-down anyway.
Liverpool fans already watch the international break fixtures from behind the sofa, if at all. And you can see why, with Andy Robertson, Sadio Mane and Jordan Henderson all picking up injuries during this fortnight.
There should be a pre-qualifying tournament for nations like San Marino, Liechtenstein and Andorra – just like there is in the FA Cup – when the best sides enter the competition in the third round.
This would reduce fixtures and stop embarrassing mismatches like San Marino v England.
I also think a more radical change could benefit football involving the entire football calendar…
Wouldn’t it be better if there were no international breaks during the domestic season? Countries could play their qualifying fixtures in a three or four-week period in summers in which there are not major tournaments.
Players would still get the same time off, if not more, as the seasons would be shorter, and it would actually make international football more exciting, as it wouldn’t be regarded as an unwanted interruption mid-campaign. This would do away with international friendlies, which are truly horrible, too.
One issue of course would be that the South American football calendar is different to the European one – but that’s something FIFA’s bigwigs can sort out in due course!
The Liverpool perspective on Steven Gerrard joining Aston Villa
I have a Rangers supporting friend who was absolutely livid Steven Gerrard left to join Aston Villa. He kept sending us videos of Stevie declaring his happiness at Ibrox, laughing off questions about his future and referring to the Scottish club as a second family, as proof of Gerrard’s treason.
The reality is, Stevie meant that stuff when he said it, but in football, as in life – things change. People mean the vows on a wedding day, but not everyone stays together.
It happened to Liverpool a lot in the past with the likes of Raheem Sterling, Luis Suarez and Fernando Torres all winning our hearts before courting another – but since Jurgen Klopp made us great again – it doesn’t happen anymore.
(And if it did, we’d simply point to the example of Philippe Coutinho!)
From Gerrard’s perspective though, he probably couldn’t have picked a better club as his next stepping stone to his ultimate destination: Anfield.
Villa don’t have a genuine rivalry with Liverpool, so it’s a clean move in that respect. They have money to spend due to incredibly rich owners and will undoubtedly back their new man in the transfer market.
They already have a talented squad with players like Emi Martinez, Emi Buendia, Leon Bailey and Douglas Luiz adding to impressive British stars like Ollie Watkins, John McGinn and Danny Ings. The side is currently in 16th, but it won’t be hard for Gerrard to get a group of players with such potential to mid-table, which would be regarded as a success this term.
Going forward, he won’t be expected to win anything – simply play good football and get Villa into that 6th/7th/8th-placed group. His contract is until 2024, when Jurgen Klopp’s expires at Liverpool – and if all goes well – Stevie could be ready to step in when our brilliant German steps back.
(I’d be equally happy for Pep Lijnders to take the reins, boot room style, but that’s one for another day.)
FIFA have the capacity to completely ruin Liverpool’s season – and nobody is talking about it
By FIFA’s rules, clubs have to release their players two weeks before the start of international tournaments.
The African Cup of Nations starts on January 9, and finishes on February 6.
In a worst possible scenario, if these rules are implemented and Egypt and Senegal do well, Mo Salah and Sadio Mane could miss Premier League games with Chelsea, Brentford, Crystal Palace and probably Leicester City (who we face on February 9), two FA Cup rounds and both legs of the League Cup semi-finals.
I’m not sure Liverpool could play four matches without Salah and Mane and still win the title, sadly.
Hopefully, common-sense will prevail and the countries will allow Salah, Mane and Naby Keita to play v Chelsea, before then flying to Cameroon for the AFCON.
But judging by FIFA’s covid-based decisions regarding our players and South American international fixtures so far this season, assuming FIFA’s prudence in this regard would be foolish.
Liverpool fans online are already crying out for incoming transfers to cover for their absences, but the reality is, we had the option to get those players in during the summer and turned it down. Klopp has never bought stopgaps in January and he won’t start this winter. Remember, it took the club until the last day of the window last season to bring in centre-back cover! Let’s just hope one of, if not both of Taki Minamino and Divock Origi, can step up.
With respect but having no international breaks in the season probably wouldn’t work out particularly well. Players themselves would still need some time off during the season, even those who get called up every break. Not to mention the fact that having a international period after every season every summer would probably leave players frustrated and tired, and a likely poorer quality of football.
Consoldiating the international breaks into 2 like Wenger proposed would probably be the better solution. Though without the extra tournaments involved in the proposal.