call me traditional... 3651

dope man

Lots of people agree. Indeed, not caring is becoming quite the thing-to-do amongst leaders of footballing fashion, from what I've heard and read over the past few years. Until, that is, the notion begins to take hold in the national fanbase at large, at which point it'll become fashionable to care. And around the merry-go-round we go.

I'm English, and want the national team to succeed. Like many kids, my dad took me to an England international years ago. There's something unique about international football. It has the ability to transcend the ever increasingly materialistic world of club football. Money cannot buy "better" players for a national team (though it can be important in the development of a player's career at club level, from which the national team reaps a reward).

International football can be the impetus that gets kids enjoying and playing football the world over, and can also play a part in moulding national cohesion (take Brazil as an example of how the national football team defines a significant aspect of national identity). It brings the poorest countries to the world stage, and can instil a sense of national pride and optimism. Supporting your national team can be a fun and enjoyable experience, and is so for many people the world over. It makes people happy.

The internationals can be refreshing different from club football, and I think there's room for both. Watching England can be (and of late, often is) boring, mundane and frustrating. But that's a reflection on the performance, attitude and behaviour of the individuals that make up the team and management, and not a consequence of the concept of international football.

-- Dan