Never known a football season like this.

[HIBS NUTS]

Absolutely fed up with this Nations League.
No Momentum, it’s not as if these games actually mean anything.😡

[Paulie Walnuts]

Scotland qualified for a major tournament through the nations league.

[MWHIBBIES]

Absolutely fed up with this Nations League.
No Momentum, it’s not as if these games actually mean anything.😡

They do mean something.

International breaks are crap but these are competitive games.

[Unseen work]

100% agree about the momentum etc, feel like the season hasn’t got started at all

Hate how often international are

[SickBoy32]

Absolutely fed up with this Nations League.
No Momentum, it’s not as if these games actually mean anything.😡

Totally agree, the season does not feel like it’s even got going proper.

Season started 2 and a half months ago, we’ve had only 4 games at ER 😂

Get these diddy fixtures in the bin

[Glory Lurker]

How have you never known a season like this? Top league dropping international weekends has been a thing for about 30 years.

And the international calendar hasn't changed a great deal for decades. The weekend stuff is relatively new (although not this millennium), but in olden days you just got players playing Saturday -Wednesday -Saturday, assuming they'd not been crocked on the Wednesday.

[Glory Lurker]

Scotland qualified for a major tournament through the nations league.

And Georgia, who we left in our wake, did the same and were brilliant value.

[HIBS NUTS]

I’m glad many of you are enjoying scotlands nations league campaign, I absolutely hate it.

[K-Zazu]

Absolutely fed up with this Nations League.
No Momentum, it’s not as if these games actually mean anything.😡

Another one in 4 weeks i think.

[HIBS NUTS]

Another one in 4 weeks i think.
Yeh another boring 2 weeks
I’m sure there is more internationals during the football season, than before.

[Alfred E Newman]

Scotland qualified for a major tournament through the nations league.

The back door.

[BILLYHIBS]

No Scotland No party

[Donegal Hibby]

Start - stop- start - stop… total killjoy for anyone more into club football than internationals … have had Everton , Celtic , Leeds , Liverpool and many more fans of various clubs say the same thing…

It will end up with probably a backlog of fixtures to be played in December effecting the quality of games too . Not a fan of it either 😡

[Glory Lurker]

What is the alternative? Is it scrapping international football?

[heretoday]

The Nations League is a cup too far. We're fine with the World Cup and the Euros. Enough already!

[Glory Lurker]

The Nations League is a cup too far. We're fine with the World Cup and the Euros. Enough already!

But the friendlies were fixed into the international calendar. It wasn't a new thing. The Nations League replaces that and offers a chance for diddies like us to qualify.

[MWHIBBIES]

The back door.

Is there some bonus for qualifying through the more noble front door? Or do you all get to the same tournament?

[bringbackbenny]

The Nations League is a cup too far. We're fine with the World Cup and the Euros. Enough already!

But I think the Nations League replaced friendlies? Surely competitive games which enable better chance of qualification to the majors is better.

[K-Zazu]

What is the alternative? Is it scrapping international football?

Yes please

[HIBS NUTS]

But I think the Nations League replaced friendlies? Surely competitive games which enable better chance of qualification to the majors is better.
I can’t remember continuis 2 week breaks for friendlies, pre nations league.
As often.
Were some of these friendlies not played after the season ended .?

[Glory Lurker]

Yes please

Fair dos.

[GreenCastle]

A few things..

Being out the league cup doesn’t help.

Not being in Europe doesn’t help.

Some other teams had 3 games before Hibs even played recently.

The schedule is a bit odd - no games in a few weeks (14 day break) then 3 games in 8 days - Aberdeen home - Dundee / Motherwell away.

[He's here!]

But the friendlies were fixed into the international calendar. It wasn't a new thing. The Nations League replaces that and offers a chance for diddies like us to qualify.

I don't really see the point of 'diddies' being at major tournaments, especially via the 'lucky losers' route that the Nations League seems to offer. I didn't think Scotland merited a place at the previous Euros as IIRC they failed to qualify via the groups but ended up getting in by beating a bunch of minnows. Fair play to them for qualifying with a bit of style this year, just a shame it all seemed to start unravelling after they'd secured their place.

I agree re the stop-start nature of this season. There seem to be far too many international breaks now. Personally I'd strip back the World Cup to 16 teams and the Euros back to eight (the way it used to be) and do away with the Nations League. I get that the tournaments are a big deal for some fans, but I'm more of a Hibs fan than a football fan (ie I'm not really interested in games not involving Hibs) so it's no big deal to me if Scotland qualify or not.

[Glory Lurker]

I don't really see the point of 'diddies' being at major tournaments, especially via the 'lucky losers' route that the Nations League seems to offer. I didn't think Scotland merited a place at the previous Euros as IIRC they failed to qualify via the groups but ended up getting in by beating a bunch of minnows. Fair play to them for qualifying with a bit of style this year, just a shame it all seemed to start unravelling after they'd secured their place.

I agree re the stop-start nature of this season. There seem to be far too many international breaks now. Personally I'd strip back the World Cup to 16 teams and the Euros back to eight (the way it used to be) and do away with the Nations League. I get that the tournaments are a big deal for some fans, but I'm more of a Hibs fan than a football fan (ie I'm not really interested in games not involving Hibs) so it's no big deal to me if Scotland qualify or not.

Scotland qualified second in their group! We beat Spain!

[K-Zazu]

Scotland qualified second in their group! We beat Spain!

I think the poster means the euros before that.

[K-Zazu]

Think I would rather they just stopped the season after say 12 league games, then play the 6 nation league games over maybe a 3 week period? Bigger break but surely better than stop start stop start. But then no Hibs games for 3 weekends in a row would be hard as well I suppose.

[Glory Lurker]

I think the poster means the euros before that.

He did. My mistake. Sorry, HH.

[Donegal Hibby]

A few things..

Being out the league cup doesn’t help.

Not being in Europe doesn’t help.

Some other teams had 3 games before Hibs even played recently.

The schedule is a bit odd - no games in a few weeks (14 day break) then 3 games in 8 days - Aberdeen home - Dundee / Motherwell away.

3 games in 8 days is a bit much IMO .

[oneone73]

I don't really see the point of 'diddies' being at major tournaments, especially via the 'lucky losers' route that the Nations League seems to offer.

Georgia lit up the last Euros via that route.

[Paulie Walnuts]

Georgia lit up the last Euros via that route.

:agree:

Where does it stop? Second place get in, is that any more noble a way to enter considering you’ve finished second in your group compared to winning the nations league section you’re in? Surely finishing second is much more of a ‘lucky loser’ scenario than winning your nations league section?

[Alfred E Newman]

There is no doubt that once you break the habit it's inevitable that you find other ways of occupying your weekends. I think I've only used my season ticket for two Saturday afternoon games this season and I can't say I'm really missing it.

[SHODAN]

How many league games are there before we get interrupted by another international break?

[Just_Jimmy]

I'm not a fan of internationals but tbf, there's always been internationals this time in October. My birthday is the 11th and Scotland have always played (usually competive) games on and around this date.



Sent from my SM-G991B using Tapatalk

[Smartie]

I'm not a fan of internationals but tbf, there's always been internationals this time in October. My birthday is the 11th and Scotland have always played (usually competive) games on and around this date.



Sent from my SM-G991B using Tapatalk

I think it might be the changes in the League Cup that make the internationals seem more intrusive. As you say, there have been international breaks with 2 games likely being played in early September and early October for as long as I can remember. Being knocked out of the League Cup early meant that we had an extra free week, having an impact on the momentum of our league season.

It's possibly also that I have no interest in international football now, from a position of being a supporters club member 3 or 4 campaigns ago. The international breaks are now an intrusion rather than something I enjoy. I'll probably see it differently - again - if, when the world cup qualifiers come around again, we make a positive start to our campaign and have something really tangible to play for during these breaks rather than just being cannon fodder in a competition that feels daft.

[Paulie Walnuts]

In 2002, we played 1 game in March, 1 game in April, 3 in May, 1 in August, 1 in September, 2 in October and 1 in November. 10 games over 7 camps, 6 of the breaks being during the league season.

In 2004 we played 11 games in February, March, April, May, August, September, October and November, so 8 camps, 7 breaks during the league season.

In 2024 we’ve played 2 in March, 2 in June, 2 in September, 2 in October and will play 2 in November. 10 games, over 5 camps, 4 of the breaks being during the league season. I’ve excluded the Euros as we didn’t qualify for a tournament away back in 2002 or 2004 so it’s not necessarily a fair comparison and it also doesn’t make any difference in terms of disrupting the league season.

It’s really not any worse than it has been for at least a generation. There’s breaks in all the same months.

[Lago]

Is there some bonus for qualifying through the more noble front door? Or do you all get to the same tournament?
Nice one 👍

[GreenCastle]

How many league games are there before we get interrupted by another international break?

I think 5 games..3 home - 2 away

[HIBS NUTS]

I didn’t mention the fans experience at hamdump.
Stands miles back from the pitch, with poor views.
Generally poor atmosphere at the games.
A lack of decent pubs.
Poor infrastructure, trains, car parking.
Constant road works, on the M8, and bottle knecks, going to and leaving the stadium.
And too many bad defeats, in past visits by Hibs since 1971.
Thank god for 2016.
I like going to hibs games, I’m just frustrated that the season feels like it, stops and starts .

[KeithTheHibby]

What is the alternative? Is it scrapping international football?

Should be playing international games in months such as December, January and February. Never quite understood why they don’t.

[Musselbound]

I think the Nations League is an improvement on what went before but I don't look forward to the international breaks and can't wait for the club football to come back.

With Scotland I feel like I've seen it all before and get less excited about their games than I used to.

[ancient hibee]

[QUOTE=He's here!;7788861]I don't really see the point of 'diddies' being at major tournaments, especially via the 'lucky losers' route that the Nations League seems to offer. I didn't think Scotland merited a place at the previous Euros as IIRC they failed to qualify via the groups but ended up getting in by beating a bunch of minnows. Fair play to them for qualifying with a bit of style this year, just a shame it all seemed to start unravelling after they'd secured their place.

I agree re the stop-start nature of this season. There seem to be far too many international breaks now. Personally I'd strip back the World Cup to 16 teams and the Euros back to eight (the way it used to be) and do away with the Nations League. I get that the tournaments are a big deal for some fans, but I'm more of a Hibs fan than a football fan (ie I'm not really interested in games not involving Hibs) so it's no big deal to me if Scotland qualify or not.[/
The purpose of international football is to make money. There’s no chance that they will reduce the number of games unfortunately.

[Paulie Walnuts]

[QUOTE=He's here!;7788861]I don't really see the point of 'diddies' being at major tournaments, especially via the 'lucky losers' route that the Nations League seems to offer. I didn't think Scotland merited a place at the previous Euros as IIRC they failed to qualify via the groups but ended up getting in by beating a bunch of minnows. Fair play to them for qualifying with a bit of style this year, just a shame it all seemed to start unravelling after they'd secured their place.

I agree re the stop-start nature of this season. There seem to be far too many international breaks now. Personally I'd strip back the World Cup to 16 teams and the Euros back to eight (the way it used to be) and do away with the Nations League. I get that the tournaments are a big deal for some fans, but I'm more of a Hibs fan than a football fan (ie I'm not really interested in games not involving Hibs) so it's no big deal to me if Scotland qualify or not.[/
The purpose of international football is to make money. There’s no chance that they will reduce the number of games unfortunately.

There’s no more breaks now than there was 20 years ago. Infact at first glance it appears it’s no more than the 80s.

[Superfurry72]

[QUOTE=ancient hibee;7788975]

There’s no more breaks now than there was 20 years ago. Infact at first glance it appears it’s no more than the 80s.

I don’t think there were any international breaks in the 80s. The games were usually played in midweek and after club seasons had been completed.

[Paulie Walnuts]

[QUOTE=Paulie Walnuts;7788978]

I don’t think there were any international breaks in the 80s. The games were usually played in midweek and after club seasons had been completed.

Ah ok. Theres as many games and they’re at pretty much the same intervals. Didn’t know that about the lack of breaks though.

[Greenio]

I understand the frustration with the stop start of the league. But, if you want Scotland to appear at major international comps (and unless you're not Scottish, or have zero interest in football, then why wouldn't you) then I don't get what you're asking for - to just not attempt to qualify?

[B.H.F.C]

I think it might be the changes in the League Cup that make the internationals seem more intrusive. As you say, there have been international breaks with 2 games likely being played in early September and early October for as long as I can remember. Being knocked out of the League Cup early meant that we had an extra free week, having an impact on the momentum of our league season.

It's possibly also that I have no interest in international football now, from a position of being a supporters club member 3 or 4 campaigns ago. The international breaks are now an intrusion rather than something I enjoy. I'll probably see it differently - again - if, when the world cup qualifiers come around again, we make a positive start to our campaign and have something really tangible to play for during these breaks rather than just being cannon fodder in a competition that feels daft.

League Cup and the lack of Saturday games so far this season has definitely had an impact. I might be wrong but I can’t remember the League Cup
Quarter finals being played at a weekend previously, as they were this season meaning we ended up without a game. In fact, when we were in the quarters last year, it was definitely midweek.

[Since452]

Absolutely fed up with this Nations League.
No Momentum, it’s not as if these games actually mean anything.😡

Yup. It's utter crap. As is international football in general imo. Although I did fair enjoy my jaunt to Germany in the summer!

[AngloHibs]

I'd do away with international breaks completely. Teams had to cope with players being away on international duty for 100-odd years, and it was all part of football.
There was no need to change things.

[MWHIBBIES]

I'd do away with international breaks completely. Teams had to cope with players being away on international duty for 100-odd years, and it was all part of football.
There was no need to change things.

In our league maybe. Some real leagues would be down to the kitman and his dug.

Terrible idea imo.

[Golden Bear]

Club football will always trump international football for me anyway.

The way things are going, I'd be very surprised if our domestic leagues can continue to function the way they have done in the past.

International breaks and more European Club competitions will increasingly result in our domestic fixtures being played on days and times which are less than ideal for the guys who prefer their football on a Saturday with a 3pm kick off. This in turn will result in reduced season ticket sales and a loss of income from bar and catering sales.

I hope I'm wrong but I doubt it.

[jacomo]

I don't really see the point of 'diddies' being at major tournaments, especially via the 'lucky losers' route that the Nations League seems to offer. I didn't think Scotland merited a place at the previous Euros as IIRC they failed to qualify via the groups but ended up getting in by beating a bunch of minnows. Fair play to them for qualifying with a bit of style this year, just a shame it all seemed to start unravelling after they'd secured their place.

I agree re the stop-start nature of this season. There seem to be far too many international breaks now. Personally I'd strip back the World Cup to 16 teams and the Euros back to eight (the way it used to be) and do away with the Nations League. I get that the tournaments are a big deal for some fans, but I'm more of a Hibs fan than a football fan (ie I'm not really interested in games not involving Hibs) so it's no big deal to me if Scotland qualify or not.


Let’s return the European and UEFA Cups to a straight two-legged knock out competition while we’re at it. Initial draw can be seeded if you insist.

[Gatecrasher]

Agree with the OP, I think they should dump the September international weekend and move it to June or something. Im kind of fed up of international football at the moment, we just had a 4 week tournament, give us a break from it and let us enjoy our club football whilst the weather is still decent.

[He's here!]

Let’s return the European and UEFA Cups to a straight two-legged knock out competition while we’re at it. Initial draw can be seeded if you insist.

'Champions' League would certainly do away with a lot of needless games if they returned it to the old European Cup format ie title winners only and home and away knockout. Much better.

[MWHIBBIES]

'Champions' League would certainly do away with a lot of needless games if they returned it to the old European Cup format ie title winners only and home and away knockout. Much better.

They have that in the qualifiers. No one watches it. It's not better.

[Swedish hibee]

Why don't they just set aside a month of the season for international games only.
The ideal solution for everyone.