VillaChris Posted June 16, 2015 Share Posted June 16, 2015 Good point on one of the Scots forums was that Faroes will be in pot 4 for world cup draw. That means they could be in a group with San Marino and Leichenstein or another minnow that snuck into pot 5. So instead of struggling to find a game where they can pick up a win they could potentially got 12 points from those 4 games and be a threat to challenge for play off place if they pick up a shock result or two in other games. That will improve them far more than just sticking them in a pre qualifying group. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zatman Posted June 16, 2015 Share Posted June 16, 2015 (edited) plus its not an easy place to play football either. While not getting the results they probably deserved teams that would usually roll them over like Ireland, France, Sweden, Italy even Germany(was 1-0 for 75 minutes) all struggled there in recent seasons Edited June 16, 2015 by Zatman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HanoiVillan Posted June 16, 2015 Share Posted June 16, 2015 (edited) There's more chance of them beating San Marino/Andorra/Faroe Islands/Cyprus/Malta etc than there is of them beating Poland, Germany, Scotland or Ireland. So you want Faroe Islands to be in this group that aren't allowed to play against better sides. Greece probably agree with you, I bet they wish they didn't have to play against them as well. EDIT: Too argumentative-sounding. Nobody 'isn't allowed to play against better sides'. That very clearly isn't how graded qualifying works. Since Faroe Islands seem to be the strongest of the micro-nations at the moment, it seems fairly likely that they would progress into the main draw, but if they didn't, another team - who had won some matches for a change - would. That's how graded qualifying works. And despite the gasps of horror on here, it remains how Asia and Africa deal with the fact that their members play football at vastly different levels. On the idea of removing seeding from groups, I agree with chrisp, it would be great if the draw was truly random. I understand why that will never happen, but it would be much better than the current system. Edited June 16, 2015 by HanoiVillan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ml1dch Posted June 17, 2015 Share Posted June 17, 2015 Nobody 'isn't allowed to play against better sides'. That very clearly isn't how graded qualifying works. Since Faroe Islands seem to be the strongest of the micro-nations at the moment, it seems fairly likely that they would progress into the main draw, but if they didn't, another team - who had won some matches for a change - would. That's how graded qualifying works. And despite the gasps of horror on here, it remains how Asia and Africa deal with the fact that their members play football at vastly different levels. Or, as there doesn't seem to be anything wrong with it at the moment it could just stay as it is. Which is good, as it will. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
villa4europe Posted June 17, 2015 Share Posted June 17, 2015 Yeah it's not like Platini will change things that are perfectly fine If it made money they'd do it, a pre qualifier tournament that no one would give a **** about followed by the big boys playing less games wouldn't make more money, so do t expect it anytime soon I don't think I've ever seen any FA of any country claim that they want it either, just fans talking about it and every now and then the press Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HanoiVillan Posted June 17, 2015 Share Posted June 17, 2015 I'm fully aware that it's not going to happen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zatman Posted June 17, 2015 Share Posted June 17, 2015 Yeah it's not like Platini will change things that are perfectly fine If it made money they'd do it, a pre qualifier tournament that no one would give a **** about followed by the big boys playing less games wouldn't make more money, so do t expect it anytime soon I don't think I've ever seen any FA of any country claim that they want it either, just fans talking about it and every now and then the press im sure it was idiots like Sky that called for it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ml1dch Posted June 17, 2015 Share Posted June 17, 2015 Yeah it's not like Platini will change things that are perfectly fine If it made money they'd do it, a pre qualifier tournament that no one would give a **** about followed by the big boys playing less games wouldn't make more money, so do t expect it anytime soon I don't think I've ever seen any FA of any country claim that they want it either, just fans talking about it and every now and then the press im sure it was idiots like Sky that called for it It's just a lazy subject to fill airtime whenever England play somebody like San Marino or Andorra. Nobody will talk about it until England win 7-0 against San Marino in the return fixture, a few people on TV will whinge about how meaningless games are ruining the Premier League for two days either side of it and then it'll be forgotten about until we have to play Azerbaijan in the qualifiers for Russia 2018 and they need something for people to talk about again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
villa4europe Posted June 18, 2015 Share Posted June 18, 2015 Azerbaijan is one of those countries that seems to have the football bug and is investing money and should start to get better, they've got games for euro 2020, I think by the time that comes around there'll be a prem team owned or at the very least sponsored by an Azerbaijani company They're trying to put everything in place to get better and any rule change would no doubt punish them Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeyp102 Posted June 18, 2015 Share Posted June 18, 2015 Azerbaijan is one of those countries that seems to have the football bug and is investing money and should start to get better, they've got games for euro 2020, I think by the time that comes around there'll be a prem team owned or at the very least sponsored by an Azerbaijani company They're trying to put everything in place to get better and any rule change would no doubt punish them Are they bidding for us? Is this a secret itk?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
villa4europe Posted June 18, 2015 Share Posted June 18, 2015 Nah not ITK but I think Azerbaijan will dip their toes soon, if in effect they did what man city's owners have done, got the government "land of fire" sponsor for atletico and Sheffield Wednesday, got the petrol company who have financed the stadium for the athletics and the football, all they need is Azerbaijan airlines to decide Baku would make a great international hub, them lot pool together, buy a football club, spend a fortune, lose a fortune on the football team but make a killing off the field I think in the next 10-20 years they could establish themselves as a country, and brand association with football could be a huge tool for them Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zatman Posted September 6, 2015 Share Posted September 6, 2015 Iceland as for Holland wow, has a team ever declined so badly so quickly. last summer they were penalty shootout away from a World Cup final Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Czechlad Posted September 6, 2015 Share Posted September 6, 2015 (edited) Czech and Iceland tied for 1st in that group. Who would've guessed those nations would qualify so easily. Edited September 6, 2015 by Czechlad Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El Zen Posted September 6, 2015 Share Posted September 6, 2015 Norway beat Croatia 2-0 (my, for lack of a more precise term, step brother scored both!) after beating Bulgaria away in midweek. The team looks much stronger and we now have a fair chance of qualifying. Oh, and Tonev played about 30 minutes for Bulgaria on thursday. You wouldn't think it possible, but he's actually regressed as a footballer since we last saw him. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Qwpzxjor1 Posted September 6, 2015 Share Posted September 6, 2015 Iceland as for Holland wow, has a team ever declined so badly so quickly. last summer they were penalty shootout away from a World Cup final As my other half's family are all Dutch, I am biting my tongue not to make little comments to them. They have been truely terrible all qualifying. Sadly, such is the new format, I still think they'll qualify. Turkey will lose to Iceland and Czechs and then all Holland need to do is beat Kazakhstan. Even if Turkey do win one, you'd fancy Holland to beat the Czechs in the last game. This new format means it's almost impossible for a big team to not qualify. Holland are giving it a bloody good go though! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bose Posted September 6, 2015 Share Posted September 6, 2015 I've never been so proud to be an Icelander. There is just total joy all around. The atmosphere is incredible. Lars Lagerback is a national hero. We don't have the best players but we have some bloody good ones and they play incredible when they are together. You can see it here (if you can get the video to play) how much it means to the players and the whole nation. I love football right now 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zatman Posted September 6, 2015 Share Posted September 6, 2015 Iceland as for Holland wow, has a team ever declined so badly so quickly. last summer they were penalty shootout away from a World Cup final As my other half's family are all Dutch, I am biting my tongue not to make little comments to them. They have been truely terrible all qualifying. Sadly, such is the new format, I still think they'll qualify. Turkey will lose to Iceland and Czechs and then all Holland need to do is beat Kazakhstan. Even if Turkey do win one, you'd fancy Holland to beat the Czechs in the last game. This new format means it's almost impossible for a big team to not qualify. Holland are giving it a bloody good go though! the thing is people have been saying all qualifying that they will turn it around next game but they are looking worse by each game, they struggled beat Kazakhstan at home last time as well. Tuekey conceded 4 points from late goals from winning positions against Latvia and Holland and well this group could have been done and dusted if they held on for just 1 of them Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOF Posted September 7, 2015 Moderator Share Posted September 7, 2015 I've never been so proud to be an Icelander. There is just total joy all around. The atmosphere is incredible. Lars Lagerback is a national hero. We don't have the best players but we have some bloody good ones and they play incredible when they are together. You can see it here (if you can get the video to play) how much it means to the players and the whole nation. I love football right now Great to see you make it this time having been so close the last time around. There was always the danger that you'd miss the boat with this generation but I'm glad you didn't. I suppose a bit like Wales, there's an irony that you would have even qualified by rights under the old system at a time when they've expanded it to allow so many more in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
villa4europe Posted September 7, 2015 Share Posted September 7, 2015 anyone know how they are going to seed the competition?if they use the same rules as the last world cup (france + top 5 teams from the FIFA rankings) there would be france, belgium, germany, portugal, wales, romania... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CardiffGreens Posted September 7, 2015 Share Posted September 7, 2015 http://www.footballseeding.com/national-ranking-uefa/Top seeds are France (hosts) Spain (holders) and then 4 highest ranked - currently Germany, Netherlands (if they qualify), Belgium and Italy. Next up is England should they overhaul the couple hundred ranking points over Italy (one extra win over them for instance) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts