[Archived] Why?

[cn174]

Maybe I've missed something, but why on earth are England playing Argentina in Switzerland next week? Whats wrong with playing in England?

Edited November 6, 2005 by cn174

[Blueboy Downunder]

that does sound very odd clare. something that i find rather confusing aswell is that why are we playing an international game when we are gaurenteed a spot at the world cup? albeit this is a friendly but the players need a arest every now and again. i don't think it would hurt to have a 2 week break every now and again just so the players can have a rest.

[N8 ORTS]

Probaly so there isn't any trouble and we don't get kicked out of the world cup next year. But the friendly doesn't need to be played any way.

Edited November 6, 2005 by N8 ORTS

[joey_big_nose]

Probaly so there isn't any trouble and we don't get kicked out of the world cup next year. But the friendly doesn't need to be played any way.

358969[/snapback]

I wouldn't say that. We still have some tweaking to do in midfield and we need the friendlies to sort this out.

If everyone is fit I think we all know what tactics will be used (a holding midfielder in a 442 system) and who the starting keeper, strikers and defenders will be in Germany. The two questions are who will be dropped out of Gerrard, Lampard, Beckham and Cole, and who is going to be the holding midfielder.

The holding midfielder is the big one because whoever comes in will not have a huge amount of international experience.

[bellamy11]

It need to be Hargreaves. The lad is playing regularly for a team who have one of the best set of midfield options in the world. So far his England career has been a joke - brought on by Sven with ten minutes left and needing a goal.

Gerrard has to make way because Lampard has been very good at international level and Gerrard has consistantly failed to impress. Hargreaves can sit and allow Lamps to go forward.

[American]

I think a win helps get a first seed, too.

[Ronin]

Just can't understand why it's being played in Switzerland?!

[RevidgeBlue]

Just can't understand why it's being played in Switzerland?!

359033[/snapback]

Money.

I think I read the FA were on a nice little earner for staging the game there as opposed to here.

As for the game itself, utterly pointless, needlessly disrupting the season yet again as it threatens to get into full swing.

[rock steady]

i think argentina are the home team, so its probably better for england than having to fly all the way there but i dont know why its being played in geneva

[RevidgeBlue]

i think argentina are the home team, so its probably better for england than having to fly all the way there but i dont know why its being played in geneva

359048[/snapback]

MONEY!

[SuperStella]

I'm going!!

[SAS]

Probaly so there isn't any trouble and we don't get kicked out of the world cup next year. But the friendly doesn't need to be played any way.

358969[/snapback]

well that backfired because i read turkey are playing switzerland on the same day, a couple of miles away

[Scotty]

The reason we're playing Argentina is because it's importamt we play South American opposition before the World Cup. The South Americans largely play a different style to the Europeans and England need to familiarise themselves with this style again.

Why Geneva - god knows. But as Rev says I'm sure it'll have something to do with money.

[RevidgeBlue]

well that backfired because i read turkey are playing switzerland on the same day, a couple of miles away

359053[/snapback]

This has to be like those sketches on the Fast Show where the woman is talking and none of the blokes are listening to her.....................................

[andy82]

It need to be Hargreaves. The lad is playing regularly for a team who have one of the best set of midfield options in the world. So far his England career has been a joke - brought on by Sven with ten minutes left and needing a goal.

358986[/snapback]

Hes not playing that regularly due to injury, but your damn right about the Bayern midfield- better than even chelsea have got.

[rog of the rovers]

Why don't the FA turn around to the players and say "All have a week off"

[pksrover]

Argentina is the home team, and the reason (at least on of the reasons) that this game is not played Argentina is because many of their players play in Europe. Just like Australia has played a few games at Craven Cottage I guess..

maybe the argentinians want to learn german and get a taste of the german life before they're going to the WC?

[1864roverite]

well it dont really matter whether its money or whatever.

its a bloody disgrace tht England fans have to travel and pay big bucks to watch the national team play a game in a neutral venue.

I am not bothered as its 50p off a pint in the club, free hotpot and only a short crawl home

[philipl]

Its an away game for England and Geneva has Easyjet and is a bit closer than Buenos Aries so there's not a lot to complain about. It is also pretty well plumb centre if you look at where the Argentine players themselves now live- Italy, Spain, England. Probably helps the Argentines being close to a Swiss bank or two and the Uefa and Fifa HQs.

Quite why the Argentines are going to a French speaking city to learn about Germany as somebody suggested....

[OscarRaven]

Quite why the Argentines are going to a French speaking city to learn about Germany as somebody suggested....

359349[/snapback]

Oh yeah cause they don’t speak German in Switzerland do they? The fact that native Swiss is middle age German isn't going to give them a taste? So they predominantly speak French in Geneva - show me one resident who doesn't also speak English and German as well and I will be impressed.

In terms of acclimatization for Germany you can't get much closer than Switzerland..... but hey what do us sub 5000 posters know????

[joey_big_nose]

Just as an aside, did anybody realise that Argentina is four and a half times smaller, in terms of population, than Brazil? I found this a bit shocking.

Indeed around about 40 million live there, actually meaning they are a smaller country than England. I always had the impression that it was significantly larger, if not as economically powerful.

ps. All you aussies out there- Uruguay is tiny! About 4 million people which is even more itsy bitsy than Scotland. You have to do them now or you are all a bunch of wusses.

Edited November 9, 2005 by joey_big_nose

[Flopsy]

Has anyone else noticed that Saturday is a fantastic day of sport - Cricket in the morning, then the Rugby (2ish) then the football (4??)

Shame im out selling popies for Remberence Sunday. Ill have to set up my headquarters in a pub. Its a hard life

[AussieinUk]

Just as an aside, did anybody realise that Argentina is four and a half times smaller, in terms of population, than Brazil? I found this a bit shocking.

Indeed around about 40 million live there, actually meaning they are a smaller country than England. I always had the impression that it was significantly larger, if not as economically powerful.

ps. All you aussies out there- Uruguay is tiny! About 4 million people which is even more itsy bitsy than Scotland. You have to do them now or you are all a bunch of wusses.

359452[/snapback]

Consider also that Brazil is 3 times larger than Argentina. And Argentina are by no means a powerful economy.. especially over the last 3 years, but things are improving

RE:Uruguay - they are no push over at home - and when does popuation have anything to do with sporting performance?

[trueblue]

Argentina are by no means a powerful economy..

359459[/snapback]

You mean that even shipping out all that corned beef hasn't helped?

[blue/white]

Yes, we are a smaller country… somewhere b/t 36 & 40 million in population and definitely Brasil’s underling in Mercosur (hence the always present hostility between Lula da Silva & Kirchner). Also, shipping out all the corned beef to be found doesn’t help when kowtowing to the draconian International Banking repayments schedules.

My takes on why Geneva & not Buenos Aires:

1. If the match was held in B.A.- the Argentine FA can only charge in Argentine pesos… or roughly .33 US Dollars (and I’ll not touch the US/Pound conversion)- so you see it’s miniscule. It makes more sense to charge dollars or at least a stronger currency. That’s why Argentina hasn’t hosted an international friendly since at least the last economic meltdown (the almighty $$$).

2. I think this is not the first time that all the Argentine expats play a match

on the continent- if i'm not mistaken, they've done it in Italy & Morrocco (well, you know... close enough). I'm sure AFA uses this as a selling point when prising players from clubs teams..... that 10 hour flight to BA is an utter bear.

3. Lastly, I think that we couldn’t host the Brits (regardless of economic meltdown or recovery) as the powers to be are fearful of a typical Argentine welcome (read hysterical) to an invading Brit ‘force’- I rather doubt you lads would be happy with boiling oil or water thrown at you from windows.

Nah…. I’m just kidding. But believe me, our folks still remember 1812 or whatever year you guys landed in BA looking for the spaniard’s soft white underbelly .

All kidding aside, I’ve been looking forward to this match since the announceement in the Spring. For better or worse- no match (aside from the cariocas) represents as much to us. Can you guys remember the goal that Maradona scored in Wembley in 1981? Tremendous. You guys won 3-1, but that goal was etched in the mind of all criollos.

It’s unfortunate that so many use this rivalry for purposes other than sport—and that’s on both sides of the fence. Game on Fellas, enjoy the outing and have a few stouts on me !