If we don't treat these lucrative friendlies with a bit more respect, we're not going to get asked

[Mo Britain less Europe]

back. To turn up without a striker is frankly ridiculous.

[zimgunner]

[the splendor of antigone]

Or would you have preferred that we cut short the vacations for the players who made it to the knock-out round in the World Cup?

There are bigger fish to fry, Mo.

[zimgunner]

[Mo Britain less Europe]

have bigger fish to fry, they won 7-0 in the US and have beaten Roma today. Punters want commitment and spectacle, not a third string team without a shot in them.

[Ashberto]

[IUFG]

[Mo Britain less Europe]

money and if we don't show more we won't be asked to play them and won't get the money.

The old pre-season trips to Austria made much more sense from a sporting point of view than this stuff, but if we are going to these games it must be because we need the money and if this is the case we should try and keep making that money year in, year out.

[zimgunner]

or to make money by bolstering a new fan base

[Mo Britain less Europe]

[zimgunner]

[IUFG]

The average US citizen is so f**king thick they cannot grasp the concept of breathing. Never mind the intricacies of football and the offside rule.

[zimgunner]

nfl, nba etc. stats tactics etc. here.

it's the opiate of the masses.

[IUFG]

;-)

[Classic Jorge]

[TRENT COLTON]

How he must long for those Halcyon days in the Austrian training camp. Cycling to work every morning, and taking long mountain walks with Boro and Pat.

[Exiled Gunner]

The manager would rather the squad be training in Austria, the overseas fans often get disappointed by the lack of major stars in the team, losing matches can be embarassing, winning matches are taken as worthless, etc.

It seems like they're done to help convince sponsors that "look, we're a global team"!