So there are no more Saturday matches???

Ek weet nie wrote:
It's been changed from Saturday, not mid-week. The change was from Sat/Wed double headers to Fri/Tue........so that the clubs have their players back an extra 24hrs earlier. Thus (in theory) allowing them to be fitter and able to perform to a better standard for the people who pay their wages IE the fans of their clubs.

Oh no! Im going to England v Bulgaria. paying this time as well.

Ireland are shite. Armenia just created two 100% chances to score.

Robbie Keane just blew his second 100% chance of the night.

Armenia's #14 up front is Yura Movsisyan, who was born in Azerbaijan when it was still part of the Soviet Union, came to live in Los Angeles when he was a teenager, and played for a youth club in Pasadena. Then played in MLS for Kansas City then Real Salt Lake, and now plays in Denmark. I'd be really happy to see him score.

Where in Denmark?

Kevin Doyle, what the hell is he still doing at Wolves? He and Robbie Keane should swap teams.

Randers.

Randers. This is just his second cap for Armenia.

Shay Given executes a textbook FORWARD DIVE.

Broken Clock wrote:
Ek weet nie wrote:
It's been changed from Saturday, not mid-week. The change was from Sat/Wed double headers to Fri/Tue........so that the clubs have their players back an extra 24hrs earlier. Thus (in theory) allowing them to be fitter and able to perform to a better standard for the people who pay their wages IE the fans of their clubs.


Ha ha ha! How much of the Sunderland players' wages do you think you pay compared to the chairman, sponsors and Sky?

I am in a weird position for me of ( temporarily at least ) having the fortunes of my club side dominate my thinking to the almost total exclusion of those of my national side but even then I can see this is absurd kow-towing to the clubs. If the extra day is that much of an issue then , in Britain at least, all club matches on a weekend post-international break could be moved to a Sunday with far less disruption than this move.

I'll only be going to one qualifier this time as there's only one Wales qualifier on a Saturday

1. The clubs have finally got their way and got UEFA to concede that recovery in time for the next club game (after internationals) is definitely more important than, say, a full week to prepare after the last club game for international coaches (Liverpool and West Brom's players, for example, only just played on Sunday)

2. Even so (or possibly in addition to that) hardly any of the England "stars" will be turning out tonight, or on Tuesday. Even Peter Crouch has found a back injury to keep him at home, for fuck's sake. Is the same true for Spain, Germany, etc?

This taken together, one can only conclude, is evidence of M. Platini's dastardly clever plan to restore "equality" to European football, as he promised. With the "top" nations severely depleted of their best players, and playing in front of half-empty stadia? It's got to make it a more "level" playing field, if "level" means severely rutted, with a big puddle in each goalmouth, and the occasional scary-looking blokes walking their dogs across the middle of the pitch while the game's in play.

But enough about Wembley . . .

Jari Litmanen's Finland go down 2-0 in Moldova.

It just may be time, you know.

And to answer Rogin's question, here's Germany starting XI

1 Manuel Neuer (GK)
2 Marcell Jansen
6 Sami Khedira
7 Bastian Schweinsteiger
8 Mesut Özil
10 Lukas Podolski
11 Miroslav Klose
13 Thomas Müller
14 Holger Badstuber
16 Philipp Lahm (C)
17 Per Mertesacker

and Spain's:

1 Iker Casillas (GK) (C)
3 Gerard Piqué
4 Carlos Marchena
6 Andrés Iniesta
7 David Villa
8 Xavi Hernández
9 Fernando Torres
11 Joan Capdevila
14 Xabi Alonso
15 Sergio Ramos
16 Sergio Busquets

Yet another way in which these countries' football teams have very little in common with England.

It's rubbish, there are enough elements conspiring to prioritise club over international football without volunteering (or succumbing to pressure to introduce) this very significant negative switch.

I think one reversal against the insidious creeping domination of the calendar by international football is to be welcomed.

So, a look at the promised revolution following England's failure in South Africa, one that was to see outdated tactics and misfiring big names swept away in a torrent of youthful vim and vigour.

The team. Exactly the same as the World Cup except for Terry and Lampard who would have played had they been fit, add in Joe Hart who should have been playing in the summer anyway. Add in Walcott who is seen now as slightly less rubbish than Lennon and SWP but was not thought to be so a couple of months ago.

The tactics. 442.

And Wayne Rooney is making tackles deep in his own half. Useful.

Italy are losing to Estonia.