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For years on end managers across the country have sent their players away&nbsp; to represent their country and spent the whole time of their absence praying they all return fit and well. &nbsp;But after a week that saw several big name players pick up injuries while playing for their country, the pressure from managers for a change in the scheduling of international games will be higher than ever.
You can see where the likes of Arsene Wenger and Harry Redknapp are coming from. Take the Arsenal manger, Theo Walcott went away to play for England in arguably the best form of his club career but after suffering an ankle injury against Swtizerland, he now faces weeks on the sideline.
Wenger also lost Robin van Persie to injury where as Redknapp will see Jermain Defoe and Michael Dawson both missing for Spurs for some considerable time. Elsewhere Roy Hodgson will be without Dirk Kuyt for some time as well.
While I can understand all their frustrations, I can’t see a way to resolve the problem. You can’t arrange them all in a block because this simply wouldn’t work, it would lead to a lack of development and a lack of opportunity for players at international level.
I also don’t see that scrapping international friendlies is the answer.&nbsp; This will only again create a lack of opportunities to progress. Although they are often described as pointless, they are a vital for a player’s transition in to international football.
The only option as I can see would be to schedule international games around transfer windows, thus allowing for sides to replace a player should they get injured.&nbsp; For example a friendly game in January not February as well as arranging the first qualifying games for late August and not early September.
I’d be interested to hear your suggestions in to how to minimise the impact of players getting injured on international duty?

Injuries Increase Ever Growing Pressure On International Football - World Soccer Talk

Injuries Increase Ever Growing Pressure On International Football

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Stoke City defender Ryan Shawcross has today hit back at Arsene Wenger’s claims that Stoke players act like “rugby” players. The 23-year-old defender was left fuming after Wenger’s allegations saying: “He’s obviously got something against me. It’s just weird
“He seems to have a problem with Stoke, our manager and certain players. Criticism doesn’t bother me, unless it’s a false accusation like this one”
Shawcross has every right to be annoyed by Wenger’s comments. Yes Stoke are a team full of 6 foot plus monsters but to compare their game to rugby is absurd and Wenger, still hurting by old wounds, &nbsp;is taking every opportunity he can to take a pop at Shawcross and Stoke.
It seems as if Wenger is still very bitter about the incidents that took place at the Britannia Stadium back in February. The Arsenal boss was adamant back then that Shawcross’ challenge on Aaron Ramsey&nbsp;wads malicious and it appears that even with seven months of reflection he hasn’t changed his mind.
Wenger has been known to hold grudges, and of course we can understand the frustrations of the Frenchman after losing a very talented youngster to an horrific injury. But Shawcross meant no harm with that challenge; he simply isn’t that type of player.
I don’t see what Wenger is trying to gain by criticising a Stoke player. If it was a title rival then maybe I could understand it, but Stoke won’t be competing with Arsenal in terms of league position this season. If Wenger is trying to play some early mind games before the always tricky meetings with Stoke this season then this ploy won’t work. Commenting on Stokes nature will only motivate Stokes intimidating fans further making the games even harder.
Wenger has always had an outspoken nature, however sometimes it has come back to haunt him, I can’t help but feel his comments about Stoke may come back to haunt again in time.

Wenger Fighting A Pointless Fight - World Soccer Talk

Wenger Fighting A Pointless Fight

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Perhaps this is a frivolous post, but with Theo Walcott shockingly omitted from Fabio Capello’s World Cup squad, the England national team are left with ZERO players from Arsenal traveling to South Africa.
Sure, Arsenal FC will be well-represented in this year’s tournament: William Gallas (France), Robin van Persie (Holland), Niklas Bendtner (Denmark), Cesc Fabregas (Spain) to name a few. But I find it not only disheartening that none of the English squad are Gunners, but an indictment on Arsene Wenger’s questionable personnel decisions.
Let me point out that I am American, and perhaps it is not my place to speculate on the feelings of the average English football fan, but on those Champions League nights where the Gunners take to the pitch and there is zero English representation, it just doesn’t sit right with me. It is just as Internazionale’s European title with zero Italian representation seemed ridiculous (although Internazionale’s name and identity stem from seceding from AC Milan and being one of football’s first clubs to target international players, but I digress).
Admittedly, we live in a different football world than even just 15 years ago. It is a global transfer market, a business based not on national identity but on money and winning trophies. So I am under no delusion that Wenger’s seeming refusal to play English players is tantamount to blasphemy. The game, and Premier League in particular, is littered with international players playing on foreign clubs. Chelsea have just four English regulars, Man United four or five, and Liverpool just three.
But I believe in ‘home-grown’ quotas and domestic player requirements, because without imposing such rules, domestic leagues will lose any semblance of identity. It is borderline absurd that one could conceivably watch an Arsenal – Inter European Cup tie and see zero English players and zero Italian players. A club in a UEFA competition should be representing a certain country, not just the league in which that club plays. Call me old-fashioned or naive, or both, but I want to see English players playing for their English clubs on European nights.

<div style="float:right;margin-left:5px"><a href="http:\/\/view.picapp.com/default.aspx?term=arsenal team photo&amp;iid=7272244" target="_blank"><div><figure class="image"><img loading="lazy" src="https:\/\/ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https:\/\/images.worldsoccertalk.com/webp/WST_20100602_WST_20372_Arsenal_200910_d24c.webp&amp;width=380&amp;height=258" width="380" height="258" border="0" alt="Arsenal 2009-10"></figure></div></a></div>
Certainly making the big leagues more cosmopolitan has incredible positives, like making the game and clubs more ‘accessible’ to different nationalities across the globe, helping Americans to Ghanaians identify with a team because one of their own plays for that club. This helps grow the game worldwide.
But limits have to be established. Domestic fans need players to identify with, and like it or not, an English fan will identify with a Frank Lampard or a Steven Gerrard more than an Emmanuel Adebayor or a Tomas Rosicky.
The reason I single out Arsenal is because I feel it is inexcusable for a club of Arsenal’s enormous stature to field no English players, and to send zero to the World Cup. It is disheartening and discouraging.
Arsenal are a proud club, a good club that handles their business in a good manner. But Wenger should be called out on his reluctance to field English players, because he manages in the English Premier League and should understand that English players must be involved in his vision for the club. When he came to North London, the likes of David Seaman, Tony Adams, Nigel Winterburn, Lee Dixon, David Platt, Ian Wright and Ray Parlour were in the side that won the Premier League in 1998.
That English spine has been steadily chipped away to near nonexistence. Besides, it is not as if Arsenal have been successful in recent years. Perhaps a rethink is due.
<div style="float:left;margin-right:5px"><a href="http:\/\/view.picapp.com/default.aspx?term=jack wilshere arsenal&amp;iid=7260869" target="_blank"><div><figure class="image"><img loading="lazy" src="https:\/\/ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https:\/\/images.worldsoccertalk.com/webp/WST_20100602_WST_20372_Jack_Wilshere_Arsenal_941d.webp&amp;width=234&amp;height=255" width="234" height="255" border="0" alt="Jack Wilshere Arsenal 2009/10"></figure></div></a></div>
Hopefully the likes of Jack Wilshere, Kieran Gibbs and Theo Walcott can actually get a fair shake from their French manager in the near future, because an Arsenal team with no English representation and an England national team with no Arsenal representation is good for no one.
How do Arsenal fans feel about having no players in the England team? Is it a non-issue, or does it rub you the wrong way?
Leave your comments below.

With Walcott Axed, Zero Arsenal Players in English Team - World Soccer Talk

With Walcott Axed, Zero Arsenal Players in English Team

<div style="width: 343px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><div><figure class="image"></figure></div>The Man Who Still Holds the Key to Arsenal&apos;s Future</div>
At first glance, this question looks bleedingly obvious. With their massive fan base, a beautiful new 60,000 plus seat stadium, and their years of success and trophies, Arsenal should be quite clearly considered to be a “big club.” For the past decade and more, they have been considered part of the so-called Big Four, along with Chelsea, Manchester United, and Liverpool. But now that old order is crumbling, and Arsenal are struggling to keep pace with the other big clubs.
Just about three weeks ago, when Tottenham Hotspur beat Arsenal, Guardian pundit (and EPL Talk award winner) Barry Glendenning made an offhanded comment that should really stick in the gut of all Arsenal fans. He stated that of course Spurs should beat us. They spend significantly more money than us on players. He’s dead right. And now it has come to this: Tottenham are on the verge of finally, and perhaps permanently, overtaking Arsenal as the dominant club in North London.
 
My fellow Gooners. Read that again. That should strike fear in the heart of every Arsenal fan around the globe.
But the numbers and the reality doesn’t lie. Sure, Arsenal has finished above Tottenham for 15 straight seasons. But you don’t get a trophy for that. And now that Tottenham has finally reaped Champions League riches, these days are certainly numbered as well.
Which leads me back to my original question. Can Arsenal continue to call themselves a big club over the long-term without spending the requisite money?
While Arsenal continue to stay amongst the strongest clubs in Europe on the Forbes list, they have definitely fallen behind domestic rivals Chelsea and Man U, and most certainly behind Barcelona, Real Madrid, and perhaps even Bayern Munich. With the rise of Manchester City and Spurs, it won’t be long before Arsenal find themselves behind these clubs.
But the question has to be asked: Why?
When did Arsenal fall behind to the point where they may simply not be able to keep up? Arsenal have sold big players before, most notably Nicolas Anelka. What makes them different now, and why can’t they recover?
1. Inability to Market Themselves, Especially Outside Europe. By all measures, Arsenal play the perfect style to be the most popular club in North America and Asia. They play wide open, attractive football, and their skill and talent makes crowds want to see them play, even in opposing markets. But Arsene Wenger remains very stubborn. As the Gaffer wrote just six months ago, the fact that Arsenal have not gone on such a tour is almost criminal. The fact that Arsenal have also ignored key markets in Asia, while allowing clubs such as Liverpool, Everton, and of course Chelsea and Manchester United dominate that region has been business malpractice by Arsene Wenger.
2. Smart Spending In Face of Massive Debt. This is one that i will credit Arsene for. While other clubs, most notably Manchester United And Liverpool, spent heavily in the face of massive debt, Arsenal actually made a large profit over the last three seasons, selling such luminaries as Adebayor, Flamini, and Kolo Toure. Liverpool, however, have spent freely, adding Aquilani, Torres, and others. That club may pay the ultimate price: if a new owner isn’t found soon, they may become the new Leeds, forced to sell off players and plunge through the ranks of the football league.
3. Lack of development and motivation of some key players. While I will not spend this column harking on the failure of players like Denilson or Theo Walcott to grow at the club level, it is important to note that a number of these young players have not developed in the way we all thought they would. Sure, some of it has to do with key injuries, but this can not be an excuse: it is Arsene Wenger’s job to highlight not just the top talent, but also durable talent. Every manager knows that the Premier League season is long and grueling. The manager must find players up to the task.
4. Lack of depth. Three and four are very much related. Everyone this side of Rotterdam knows that Robin van Persie gets injured. Everyone, that is, except for Arsene Wenger. When RVP is inevitably out for 3-4 months with some sort of calf/knee/ankle/foot injury, Arsene Wenger has no plan B. But the facts don’t lie. When Didier Drogba was out for a couple months, Nic Anelka was there to pick up the scoring slack. Arsenal simply have no other striker option good enough. Eduardo is not the same player he was before the injury; he may never be. Nik Bendtner is just starting to scratch the surface of his talent. At this point, however, he’s simply not a reliable option.
5. Arsene Wenger Himself. This is the one that is really hardest for me to write. But first, a confession. I generally hate all the coaches/managers of teams I root for. I have always disliked Jim Leyland, even when the Tigers made their first World Series in 22 years. My anger toward Lloyd Carr was unparalleled when he was the coach at Michigan. There has only been one coach who I have steadfastly supported: Arsene Wenger. It was hard not to. The man brought trophy after trophy to Arsenal. Every fan swore their allegiance: “In Arsene We Trust,” the banner reads behind the goal. But is Arsene Wenger really deserving of that? The past five seasons don’t lie: While the ship has been sinking, while Arsenal players struggled (especially in goal), Arsene Wenger behaved not like one of the winningest managers in history, but more like Baghdad Bob. “We have utmost confidence in (insert flopping continental keeper name here)” he would say, while that keeper flubbed one or two goals almost every game. Arsene Wenger needs someone to offset him, someone to say to him “Arsene, we really need a new keeper.” “Arsene, Silvestre and Billy Gallas aren’t good enough.” In other words, Arsene Wenger needs someone to tell him when he’s wrong. He’s been wrong on the keeper, he was wrong to not buy depth the last couple years (as stars were likely out of our price range), and he’s wrong not to strengthen the squad at the back and at the front. If Arsene Wenger is unable to notice these things on his own, he needs someone to tell him when he’s wrong. Before it’s too late.
While Cesc may walk now, and Gallas not long after, it is clear that Arsenal have a lot of decisions to make. While a lot of these fall on the shoulders of one man, it is important that he understands that his years of winning have bought him a lot of patience. But a fifth consecutive season without silverware, and a 4th without any sort of final appearance, will see the end of the patience from a lot of fans. While he can point fingers at Barcelona or Chelsea “tapping up” our players, it is clear that Arsene has not done enough to convince our players that their futures lie at Arsenal. In 2010-2011, Arsene has the chance to reverse the bleeding. If he does not, a steady and perhaps irreversible decline may be at hand at Arsenal.
Jordan Acker will continue to love his Gunners no matter what. Follow him on Twitter at @JAcker2L

Is Arsenal Still a Big Club? - World Soccer Talk

Is Arsenal Still a Big Club?

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So Cesc is off then. So long and thanks for all the skill, the vision and the bushy eyebrows.
Is this an Arsenal crisis in the making? Wasn’t Wenger building that team around Fabregas? How can you replace a player as good as that? It takes a lot of money. But Wenger doesn’t like to spend a lot of money – almost nobly so in fact. So how is he going to fill that Cesc-sized hole in the side? Can the likes of Nasri actually play that role as well as Fabregas? It’s far from clear.
I wonder if the problem this has created for Wenger will make him question the point of staying on at Arsenal for much longer. Let’s face it he’s spent four of five years creating the side that was nearly really good this season but which once again won nothing. In reality he’s probably only got one more season left to get it right with a new era potentially dawning soon and the arrival of a new owner who will be keen to be seen as the new conquering hero.
Wenger has built up a massive amount of capital at Arsenal and it’s been slow to be diminished but slowly it is now draining away. Fans grow restless at clubs like Arsenal without silverware; they shouldn’t but they do. Another potless season would be the breaking point for many previously loyal Wenger acolytes and how much harder will winning anything be without Fabregas in the centre, dictating things? A lot harder, I would argue.

With the pressing need for a top class goalkeeper, cover at centre half and up front and now a play maker of the highest order, there is much work for Wenger to do in the coming months and whoever he brings in will have to work straight away if he’s to keep the fans on board en masse. Suddenly, it’s looking like a major rebuild at Arsenal, not just in the first team but as crucially in the squad in case injuries, as they seem to all too frequently do at Arsenal, wreck their season again. They badly need some added depth.
If making these changes proves difficult this summer might it be time for Arsene to walk away and to look for another challenge.
His best exit strategy would be to win something next season and then bow out on top. But with the rise of Spurs and City’s money and the continued strength of Chelsea and United, it’s all looking less likely than ever. If Liverpool ever get sold and get their act together surely they couldn’t be as poor as this season and will provide yet more competition for the north Londoners.
Is Arsene up for the fight? The next couple of months could be very interesting to watch at The Emirates. Revolution may well be in the air.

Fabregas Decision Puts Arsenal and Wenger at a Crossroads - World Soccer Talk

Fabregas Decision Puts Arsenal and Wenger at a Crossroads

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With Walcott Axed, Zero Arsenal Players in English Team

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Is Arsenal Still a Big Club?

General

Fabregas Decision Puts Arsenal and Wenger at a Crossroads