The new football season is still in its infancy and clubs in England’s top two divisions are only now starting to get into their stride. Players are gaining match fitness, tactics are coming together and performances are starting to gel.

And just when everyone is gaining a bit of rhythm, the whole shebang grinds to a halt to make way for an international break. Why?

I’m not saying country-on-country action shouldn’t exist. Of course not. And I am also not entirely against having dedicated international breaks. But not so darned early in the season!

And it gets worse. Once this one is out of the way, we get a few more weeks of domestic football and then we stop again in October. And then the same again in November. It really is massively disruptive.

So, here’s my thought – merge all three of these enforced gaps into one long one.

Why not make the October break three weeks long and get all those Nations League games played at the same time?

These breaks exist so that each country can play its six Nations League matches. So why not make the October break three weeks long and get all those games played at the same time? Like a mini tournament.

International managers will like it as it gives them a proper period of time to work with their squads. Club managers will probably be happier knowing the first chunk of the season will only be disrupted once. And the fans might actually start taking the Nations League more seriously if the games are grouped together and made into a bit of an event.

I’m sure some smart arse will come back to me with logistical reasons why this can’t or shouldn’t happen. But I’m struggling to think of one, so maybe it isn’t a daft as it sounds.

Thoughts anyone?

Meanwhile, although the break is hanging over the Premiership like a murky fog, we at least still have one big clash to look forward to before the players are blown across the globe like overpaid dandelions – this afternoon’s game between Liverpool and Manchester United.

Is it a clash of the titans? Well, not right now it isn’t. Liverpool only have one title in the last 30-plus years, while United’s last crown came in 2013, meaning they are going through a barren patch that makes my teenage years look exciting.

But the fact that these teams are not the undisputed heavyweights they once were will not make one iota of difference to the two sets of fans who still see these as among the most anticipated games of the season, such is the rivalry.

I’m not saying either club’s supporters would give up a title in order to do the double over their rivals. Far from it. But home and away victories would probably come close to the joy of a minor cup.

It’s hard to say who is favourite for today’s game. Liverpool have had a decent start to the campaign under new boy Arne Slot, but United haven’t been properly awful either. Are we looking at a draw then?

If so, can it be a really, really boring draw please? That way the international break might look less depressing...

 

Show some respect

Football managers who insist on playing kids in League Cup games should be forced to personally refund supporters if it goes wrong.

That’s my view.

Last Tuesday night, Sheffield United took 5,000 fans to their second-round match with Barnsley. But manager Chris Wilder showed those fans total disrespect by picking what was essentially a youth team and leaving his established players on the bench.

The youngsters duly lost 1-0, got knocked out of the cup and ensured those thousands of fans went home wondering why they had wasted their hard-earned cash. And to make matters worse it was a local derby, so there was plenty of pride at stake as well.

You can dress it up as giving the kids valuable experience if you like, but that doesn’t cut it for me. Play your first team, establish a lead, and then bring the kids on. Not start with the kids, watch it all go tits-up and then try to get the senior players to save the day.

I am using the Blades as an example because of my personal interest. But it happens at many clubs when it comes to the early rounds of the domestic competitions. And it is just plain wrong.

Fans work damned hard for their money and managers should have the decency to understand that spending £30 (plus travel, plus parking, plus pies, plus drinks) to watch a failed experiment is simply unacceptable.

 

A farewell to SGE

During his illustrious career, Sven-Göran Eriksson won plenty of football matches. He also won a lot of cups and a considerable number of titles, making him one of the best European managers of his generation.

But there is something Sven won that is probably worth more than all that silverware put together – the hearts and minds of the players he managed.

The bespectacled Swede passed away last week and the tributes flew in thick and fast with greats of the game rushing to praise his man-management skills. In the past few days, I have heard him described as kind, caring, generous, supportive, encouraging, understanding and just about every other positive adjective you care to think of.

He was, by all accounts, incredibly good at making players feel valued and important whatever role they may have had. And that, in turn, earned him the respect of just about everyone he coached at every level, club or country.

Sven will always be remembered as the perfect football gentleman, with a relentlessly positive outlook on life and a hugely infectious smile.

Can you really ask for a better legacy?

 

E-mail: james.calvert@timesofmalta.com

Twitter: @maltablade