Are International friendlies simply pointless?

Whilst I sit here watching the Scotland game, I’m really left thinking whether there is any point to this mundane and unnecessary encounter against the Faroe Islands. Scotland are playing only a handful of players that would be considered first team and the Faroe Islanders probably wont offer a sufficient challenge.

Some would argue Scotland need a win here to prevent themselves from dropping into a lesser pot in terms of seeded teams for future competitions. However how does this affect countries such as England?

“There are no major stars in Blanc’s squad, although we do know Gael Clichy, Samir Nasri and Bacary Sagna of Arsenal along with Florent Malouda from Chelsea. But gone are the glory days of Zinedine Zidane, Didier Deschamps and Fabien Barthez.” So will the England team really be tested? Some however would argue yes as long gone are the days of Seaman, Scholes and Shearer.

Friendlies used to be important for building an understanding between experienced and novice international players, Capello’s squad very much looks as if this is something that has proved an integral part of his selection process. This said, these get-togethers are now regarded as hugely inconvenient for those clubs involved in the Champions League.

However in regards to the Scotland game, Levein believes a top-class performance from any of his fringe players would justify the encounter. Levein added "I can say 100% that this game will provide me with a lot of information. Let's not forget some of the best players that ever played international football got their chance in friendly matches. If we get through this game and I have discovered another two players then I will be delighted with that. The same thing happened with James Morrison, Graham Dorrans, Jamie Mackie, Steven Naismith, Phil Bardsley. They have all forced their way into the forefront of my thoughts with their performances.”

So the game may seem mundane and unnecessary, Scotland may need a match to prevent themselves from decline, England may require a match to help younger players integrate and in turn Scotland have found great players through friendlies! Do we still think friendlies are useless and pointless?

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