Football Daily | Oh Nations League! With these one-sided games, you really are spoiling us
The complicated nature, structure, and various intricacies of the Nations League are so perplexing that the few Uefa officials who created it aren’t allowed to fly together. However, the average fan only needs to know that this competition was designed to reduce the number of meaningless international friendlies where major European teams easily defeat smaller nations in matches that hardly anyone attends and that don’t benefit anyone. The aim of the Nations League is to match teams of similar skill levels, even though England sometimes looks like a large barracuda swimming among the smaller fish in Group B2.
As recent Euro finalists, they are clearly much stronger than Ireland and Finland, who have only qualified for two major tournaments since 2016 and recently lost to England during the last international break. Tonight at Wembley, they will be facing a Greece team that hasn’t made it to a major tournament in more than ten years. Yesterday, they learned about the heartbreaking news of their England-born teammate, George Baldock, who couldn’t join the squad due to injury. It’s hard to know what the Greek players are feeling right now, but they will wear black armbands to honor their late teammate and have asked for a moment of silence before the match for the former Sheffield United player, which will surely be respected. Baldock had played against or alongside many of England’s players, who will likely be feeling equally saddened.
In these profoundly tragic times, the result of this match seems almost trivial. However, it marks another step in what many believe is Lee Carsley’s six-part trial for the position of England head coach, which became available after Gareth Southgate stepped down in July. As Carsley gets ready to take the field for his 82nd cap, with Harry Kane sidelined to the bench due to an injury, John Stones was asked if he notices any similarities between the interim England coach and his club manager, Pep.
"Absolutely," he replied. "Each manager has their own distinct approach, yet there are certainly commonalities in what they aim for. Both Lee and Pep have a similar vision for the game and the way they prefer us to perform, which was evident in our games last month. I really appreciate the similarities in our playing styles." The Manchester City and England defender tactfully avoided pointing out that the key difference between the two coaches is that one is willing to select him while the other is not.
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Tune in to Scott Murray for live updates on the England vs. Greece match, kicking off at 7:45 PM BST, with a final score of 4-0 in favor of England.
Today's Inspiring Quote
"I don’t smoke in front of children; I want to set a good example. However, some people take photos of me smoking behind trees where I can't even see them. I do my best to keep it private and not let others see. If anyone thinks they can influence my personal choices, think again—it's never worked before." Wojciech Szczesny, who recently came out of retirement to join Barcelona on a temporary basis, has clearly entered a phase where he doesn’t care about others' opinions.
I can't really understand the deep outrage over Klopp's connection with Red Bull. For eight years, he was part of a huge brand owned by a corporation that charges fans excessively for tickets and even tried to lay off employees during the pandemic. Sure, people sometimes mention the "bootroom" and show pictures of Shankly, but does that really make it a club for the fans? I think it's just a small step from that to the energy drink promoters. And I'm not just targeting Liverpool here; it seems that every club, up to the middle of the Championship, is just a well-crafted facade that hides a commercially driven mess, including my former favorite, Sheffield United. – Jon Millard.
"Fans of football in England might feel disappointed by Klopp's decision to collaborate with Red Bull, but for those of us in Germany, it's not really a shock. We've witnessed him promoting a wide variety of brands over the past few years. Honestly, it’s uncommon for an ad break to pass without his familiar smile trying to sell us something. (But I still admire him!)" – Tim Woods.
“While I can't speak for everyone in my country, many Americans have understood for a long time that fans take a backseat to profits. This became evident back in 1957 when the New York Giants and Dodgers moved to San Francisco and Los Angeles, respectively, highlighting that the main goal of sports is financial gain. I find it hard to criticize this reality, especially since in 1984, Bob Irsay secretly relocated the entire Baltimore Colts team to my hometown of Indianapolis. So when people talk about 'football romantics' and 'traditionalists,' it feels a bit naive and disconnected from the facts. And by the way, I'm still a big fan of Klopp. Just putting that out there.” - Joe Pearson.
Feel free to reach out by sending your letters to [email protected]. The winner of today's letter of the day is … Jon Millard, who has won a copy of The Football Weekly Book. You can find the terms and conditions for our contests by clicking here.
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