The Dreaded International Break

There are few things more annoying to a football fan than the dreaded International break, having to wait 2 weeks to see your club in action is simply unbearable for some.

Saturdays and Sundays are traditionally filled with Premier League action that entertains you for most of the day, generally you start the day watching a 12.45pm kick off, followed by listening to the wonderful Jeff Stelling and his team on Sky Sports News as they build up to the 3pm action.

3pm comes and you sit down to watch a match, any match because there’s always one on, or you listen to Phil Thompson and them as they roar and shout watching each game for our entertainment. If we are lucky we will have an evening game to keep us entertained, we then round off the day with a look at all the goals on Match of the Day.

Sunday is a similar story, the morning may consist of listening to the opinions of the journalists on Sunday Supplement followed by Goals on Sunday with the always humorous Chris Kamara. After eating dinner you then sit down to watch Super Sunday, a double dose of Premier League action usually containing a big top of the table clash.

After this you sit back relax and reflect on what has happened over the week-end, the week is made more bearable  knowing that you get to do it all again next week-end, but then it hits you, there is no Premier League next week, it’s an International break.

Any International break is bad but one consisting of 2 friendlies is too much.

There is no doubt that Internationals can be exciting but the usual week-end routine is completely out the window. You get home on a Friday evening, watch Ireland or whoever your nation is and then that’s it, Saturday and Sunday consist of nothing in terms of football, unless you enjoy non-league football or the best of action from League 2.

Although some International breaks can bring enjoyment e.g. when a crunch competitive game comes around or a new manager is appointed and new players join the squad, it is still not as fulfilling as a week-end of Premier League action.

Fortunately on this occasion Irish supporters will have the excitement of seeing O’Neill and Keane in charge for the first time, but honestly it still doesn't beat the excitement of domestic action.