It's a shame. Just when the premier league is starting up we have to put a halt on all proceedings and struggle through Ireland - Kosovo.
Not what you want on a Thursday night when you could be watching Barcelona - Liverpool or similar quality teams.
International break is always a tough watch especially when these nations league games have so little at stake that nobody really cares what happens.
With that said I'll sit through this painful experience and drink a few whiskeys to numb the pain. Ireland play brutal football at the best of times but when you pit them against a team of minnows it tends to get drastically worse to watch.
The only time that it gets good is when they are backs to the wall against a bigger and better team where they can really shine and let loose.
Kosovo are not that team.
After officially joining UEFA and FIFA in 2016, they have steadily climbed from a ranking of 190th to their highest-ever position of 78th in the world. They are widely regarded as an energetic, technically talented squad capable of pulling off major upsets but historically prone to defensive inconsistency and emotional volatility.
Ireland on the other hand are known as tough competitors with a strong defense and old school long ball type of player. Solid at the back but lacking talent and imagination up front. A fair assessment.
At least we have the Israel game to look forward to and all the drama that will bring overt he next couple of weeks. It should be far more entertaining than the matches themselves.
