FOOTBALL

Taranaki Daily News, 17 December 1926, Page 4

FOOTBALL

THE SOCCER GAME. ('From Our Own Correspondent.) London, Oct. 7. The first of the Soccer internationals is always that between England and Ireland, and it is to take place this month on the ground of the Liverpool Club. No trial games are held before the English team is chosen, but Irish football is weaker than for many years, and they should hardly be necessary. England, indeed, should be able to place half-a-dozen teams in the field, good enough to be certain of winning. As a matter of fact, Ireland have to eome to England and Scotland for almost every man, and. they are often very disappointed that their clubs refuse to release the players they want. Though English football is so overwhelmingly superior, one has lost faith in the national side, or, at any rate, in ■ the selectors who pick it. Even if the men called upon have let them down, the committee has shown themselves to be possessed 1 of little of the art of teambuilding. The official answer to all the criticism which has been offered is to' the effect: “Where are the men? We can’t make bricks without straw.” It is true that few players stand out as internationals compared with, say, fifteen years ago. Then half the team chose themselves. At present scarcely a man can be certain of his place. As a matter of fact, only Walker, the Aston Villa inside left, took part in all three games last season, and Edwards and Green, the Leeds United and Sheffield United wing half-backs, and Puddefoot, the Blackburn forward, were the only ones to play in two. Indeed, for the three matches as many as twenty-eight players were picked. This season the position is little different from last. We were promised a reduction of the selection committee .but it still, numbers twelve, and there is little <knibt that much better results would be achieved if the selection were left to three or five officials.