I Want You to Win… But Please Don’t Get Injured!
It’s a strange experience watching our Reds play for somebody else, albeit temporarily!
I enjoy international football, although I know that opinion isn’t always popular on the Kop!
I support my birth country, England, and the USA when they’re not playing England! I love the World Cup and the Euros.
But when Liverpool players fly off around the world to play for their countries, I find myself watching football very differently.
I want them to play well. I want them to score. I want them to win, unless they’re playing against “us”!
But, above all else…
PLEASE DON’T GET INJURED! Alex, Cody, Szobo, didn’t you hear me?!
And if they must start, if the manager could possibly take them off after about 60 minutes, that would be just fine too.
I suspect I’m not alone, especially after the longest international “break” ever!
“Break”? Not exactly!
RELATED: The International Overthinking Break, Part One
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They’re Still Our Players
Here’s my point.
When I watch Virgil van Dijk playing for the Netherlands, I don’t really see a Dutch player. I see our skipper playing for the Netherlands.
The same applies to Dom with Hungary, Flo with Germany, Alex with Sweden, Macca with Argentina, Rio with England, and now even Lewis with Wales!
There are plenty of them scattered around the world, but of course, watching Rio play for England is the best one for me!
We’re watching different countries, wearing different shirts, playing different styles of football, but somehow we’re still watching our boys.
Sometimes it gets even stranger.
Milos recently scored his first international goal for Hungary. Great!
Except the goalkeeper he beat was… Giorgi!
So, what exactly am I supposed to do with that?
Celebrate one Red scoring while feeling sorry for another Red conceding?
International football really does mess with a Liverpool supporter’s head.
And Now There’s Jürgen!
This international break has introduced another wonderful complication.
Jürgen Klopp is back.
Not at Anfield, of course, but standing on the touchline as manager of Germany, and for Liverpool supporters that makes watching Germany feel rather different.
Inevitably, Liverpool keeps following him around.
He even wears a Liverpool cap along with his Germany kit!
With Wirtz starring for Klopp, watching Germany almost felt like checking in on an old friend who just happened to be looking after one of our kids.
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Club Before Country?
And that’s where things get complicated.
International football is supposed to stir feelings of national identity, but club football creates another identity altogether.
For us, Liverpool isn’t just a team we watch, it’s our team, and that creates some ridiculous mental gymnastics during international matches.
If Wirtz scores for Germany, brilliant.
If Szoboszlai scores for Hungary, fantastic.
If Van Dijk dominates for the Netherlands, love it.
If Isak scores for Sweden, excellent.
I want them playing well, enjoying themselves and making their countries and their families proud.
Then, after about an hour, I’m yelling:
“Take him off!”
Suddenly international football doesn’t seem quite so entertaining.
He’s done enough.
He’s proved his point.
Wrap him in cotton wool, put him on the bench, and send him back to Liverpool!
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But There Is Another Side
Representing your country matters enormously to players, and sometimes we supporters probably forget that.
Imagine walking onto the pitch wearing your national shirt while your family watches.
Imagine captaining your country.
Imagine scoring your first international goal.
Those aren’t meaningless games to the people playing them. They are some of the proudest moments of their careers.
International football can send players back to their clubs in better shape mentally, too.
A goal for your country can restore confidence. Playing a different position can unlock something. Being given greater responsibility can help a young player mature.
Wirtz’s performance for Klopp’s Germany is a perfect example.
We don’t want our players merely returned to Liverpool undamaged, we want them coming back better.
But, above all, get through it without getting hurt!
Play well, score a goal or two, make your country proud, maybe even win the match.
Then please… come home safely.
Following the “Break”…
- Cheated… by the “Cheats” and a Manc ref!
- Awesome in Austria.
- Mentality in a mental match at Brentford!
And don’t even mention Szobo going off injured again!
THAT DANG “BREAK”!
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