Club or country

It happened again - I got talked into the representing your country debate. I did however get a very interesting imaginary dilemma put my way.

Imagine yourself as a striker, among the best in the world and the first name on the team sheet for both Cardiff and your international side (England for me). It's a World Cup year, and because this is completely made up England (Wales) are favourites to lift the cup. They find themselves in the semi finals with tricky matches against Brazil and either Spain in Italy in their way. Domestically, Cardiff are in the final 16 of the champions league, again as favourites to win the cup. The final matches are being played straight after the end of the World Cup.

You feel a knee strain and go see the physics for your international side, who tell you while there is some damage you should be alright to carry on playing. Your club physics when asked however advise you that playing will aggravate the tendon, and they highly recommend you drop out of the World Cup squad to ensure you are fit for the champions league.

Club or country? Play on and risk leaving Cardiff without their star striker, or walk away from your country to ensure Cardiff European victory?

For me, unfortunately, it's country. I'd take my chances in order to see England lift the World Cup. If Cardiff lose out , there's always next year.

As A football fan and not a player I don't like these international breaks..Going to play devils advocate here if I was a player I would choose club simply as if its your year to win you will win that years Champion's League. Injuries may come into the Champion's league the follow season, then one player moves on and that strong favourite's tag has gone and from challengers they are now group stages. Not sure do you see many teams there about's one year and win next? I maybe wrong!

I'd get an independent assessment of the injury just to remove any bias from the opinions of the two camps, otherwise it would have to be club first as they pay my wages and will be responsible for caring for me IF the injury is serious and I am unable to play for awhile. But 'oh for such a dilemma for any city player'. I'll keep yearning.

i am with lotty on this one, an independant assessment and on the basis of that put my club first as they pay my wages. very biased in that decision as city always comes first for me.

my mother-in-law asked me if i would like to come over and celebrate her birthday on sunday 3rd november. i was seriously thinking about saying yes and missing out on the jacks fixture. the ticket would go to waste as nobody on this message board would like a free ticket to that sort of crummy fixture. then i remembered we are talking about my beloved city here and what has my mother-in-law ever done for me? another example of putting club first.

Interesting that I'm 3-1 down so soon, expected t to be the other way.

Re the wage issue, I'd be a bit more arrogant towards it. I'm one of the best strikers in the world, and while I'm happy to devote my career to my home team I could happily switch to any team I liked if they threw a strop with me. I'd want to represent my country and if they don't like it, tough.

When the country comes calling, you should be busting a gut to play for them (well, not literally perhaps). But it seems to be the club who call the shots in these things rather than the player. The club, of course, should be honoured if their players are in demand to represent their country, but money is the be-all and end-all these days.

Club for me,

Mmmhh - well I'm going to go with Red here - World Cup's don't come around too often for a player - whereas if the club is favourites to win the Champs league then chances are they will have a chance next year too! 

So as a player, I would say club. As a fan...I hate in the international breaks as our national squad are so crap (despite some world class players). If Wales were better then I'm sure I would take more of an interest.

thought i would have been inundated with messages saying i should think of my wife and geriatric old mother-in-law :bounce: 

Not many teams nowadays go on to win the Champions League or world cup on successive occasions, so I'd forget those scenarios and concentrate on the possibility of aggravating an 'injury' that could curtail my career and earning power, so being a money grabbing git of a footballer I'd put the money aspect first every time.   

Country - because if you won you'd have the freedom of your home country for the rest of your life. You don't get that with the Chumps League.

Oh and there might be a national pride issue too, if you're into that sort of thing...

Neither....I'd sit tight until the injury healed itself, to ensure that my career was not curtailed and earnings potential was safeguarded.......sod the Glory, give me the Money!

thought you might want to open the box or is that tv way past you :bounce:  

davewebber65 wrote:thought you might want to open the box or is that tv way past you :bounce:  

Ah, Michael Miles and the old 'yes-no' interlude, with the fantastic bloke on gong duty!