ml1dch Posted August 9, 2012 Share Posted August 9, 2012 How Italy isn't top 5, I just don't know. Because they finished bottom of their World Cup group, have since drawn with Northern Ireland, lost to the Republic of Ireland and have won only two of their last nine matches? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRS-T Posted August 9, 2012 Author Share Posted August 9, 2012 I havent seen any of them play of late so I couldnt comment. Belgium are a classic example of a side with a load of great players seemingly incapable of making a great team though, lots of people think they are better than they actually are just because of the star names in the squad. Exactly this. You see people tipping them to challenge for the World Cup when they can't even qualify for Euro 2012. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KHV Posted August 9, 2012 Share Posted August 9, 2012 These rankings are crap, there is no way at all England is 3rd best team in the world Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GarethRDR Posted August 9, 2012 Share Posted August 9, 2012 This is the thread equivalent of Ouroboros. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Voinjama Posted August 9, 2012 Share Posted August 9, 2012 I havent seen any of them play of late so I couldnt comment. Belgium are a classic example of a side with a load of great players seemingly incapable of making a great team though, lots of people think they are better than they actually are just because of the star names in the squad. Exactly this. You see people tipping them to challenge for the World Cup when they can't even qualify for Euro 2012. Which crazy fool says they could challenge for the World Cup? Fellaini, Hazard, Verthongen, Lukaku and Kompany are good players but no way will they challenge. In fact I dont even think they will qualify for Brazil 2014. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brumerican Posted August 9, 2012 Share Posted August 9, 2012 This is the thread equivalent of Ouroboros. If you mean that this thread should be left in a dusty box under a pool table then yes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GarethRDR Posted August 9, 2012 Share Posted August 9, 2012 Oh, vehh nice sir. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ml1dch Posted August 9, 2012 Share Posted August 9, 2012 I havent seen any of them play of late so I couldnt comment. Belgium are a classic example of a side with a load of great players seemingly incapable of making a great team though, lots of people think they are better than they actually are just because of the star names in the squad. Exactly this. You see people tipping them to challenge for the World Cup when they can't even qualify for Euro 2012. Which crazy fool says they could challenge for the World Cup? Fellaini, Hazard, Verthongen, Lukaku and Kompany are good players but no way will they challenge. In fact I dont even think they will qualify for Brazil 2014. When you add Dembele, Vermaelen, Witsel, Defour and de Bruyne then I'd say that have a bunch of players that's as good as any other European side apart from Germany and Spain. It's just that they never bother playing as a team. If someone could sort that out then they should qualify very comfortably. But they probably won't sort it out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Voinjama Posted August 9, 2012 Share Posted August 9, 2012 I havent seen any of them play of late so I couldnt comment. Belgium are a classic example of a side with a load of great players seemingly incapable of making a great team though, lots of people think they are better than they actually are just because of the star names in the squad. Exactly this. You see people tipping them to challenge for the World Cup when they can't even qualify for Euro 2012. Which crazy fool says they could challenge for the World Cup? Fellaini, Hazard, Verthongen, Lukaku and Kompany are good players but no way will they challenge. In fact I dont even think they will qualify for Brazil 2014. When you add Dembele, Vermaelen, Witsel, Defour and de Bruyne then I'd say that have a bunch of players that's as good as any other European side apart from Germany and Spain. It's just that they never bother playing as a team. If someone could sort that out then they should qualify very comfortably. But they probably won't sort it out. Even adding in those players I personally dont think they are the 3rd best side on paper in Europe. I think Italy, Holland, France, Portugal and possibly even England have a better side on paper. The way I look at it, how many of those Belgian players would get in the Italy team? I have just had a look at their qualifying group and I think they will come 2nd and go into the play offs. But it is the best side they have had since the 1980s side with Scifo and co. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRS-T Posted June 7, 2013 Author Share Posted June 7, 2013 I have noticed in the build up to the Croatia-Scotland game a lot of people mentioning that they are ranked 4th in the world, are a world-class team and have players who played in the Champions League final. However I haven't noticed many people saying that the FIFA world rankings are a joke, there's is no way that Croatia are better Holland, Portugal, Italy, France and Brazil and how Croatia didn't qualify for the last World Cup and didn't get past the group stage at Euro 2012. Maybe it only applies when England are ranked 4th... 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr_Pangloss Posted June 7, 2013 Share Posted June 7, 2013 The rankings do not mean shit and England have zero chance of winning anything for the next decade. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zatman Posted June 7, 2013 Share Posted June 7, 2013 I have noticed in the build up to the Croatia-Scotland game a lot of people mentioning that they are ranked 4th in the world, are a world-class team and have players who played in the Champions League final. However I haven't noticed many people saying that the FIFA world rankings are a joke, there's is no way that Croatia are better Holland, Portugal, Italy, France and Brazil and how Croatia didn't qualify for the last World Cup and didn't get past the group stage at Euro 2012. Maybe it only applies when England are ranked 4th... rankings are a joke but Croatia are a top team and 3rd best in Europe. as said before only didnt get out of group as 2 finalists was in same group. from the 3 teams that beat Ireland they were the most impressive Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dont_do_it_doug. Posted June 7, 2013 Share Posted June 7, 2013 I havent seen any of them play of late so I couldnt comment. Belgium are a classic example of a side with a load of great players seemingly incapable of making a great team though, lots of people think they are better than they actually are just because of the star names in the squad. Exactly this. You see people tipping them to challenge for the World Cup when they can't even qualify for Euro 2012. Which crazy fool says they could challenge for the World Cup? Fellaini, Hazard, Verthongen, Lukaku and Kompany are good players but no way will they challenge. In fact I dont even think they will qualify for Brazil 2014. They're pulling it together it seems. They are guaranteed a playoff birth if nothing else but I fancy them over Croatia. Croatia still have to go to Serbia and of course they still have to play each other. Once you're at the tournament itself and if you have the squad then the bets are off. I wouldn't "tip" them as such, but they're dark horses no doubt. You left quite a few "good" players off your list too. Including one quite close to home... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Voinjama Posted June 7, 2013 Share Posted June 7, 2013 I have noticed in the build up to the Croatia-Scotland game a lot of people mentioning that they are ranked 4th in the world, are a world-class team and have players who played in the Champions League final. However I haven't noticed many people saying that the FIFA world rankings are a joke, there's is no way that Croatia are better Holland, Portugal, Italy, France and Brazil and how Croatia didn't qualify for the last World Cup and didn't get past the group stage at Euro 2012. Maybe it only applies when England are ranked 4th... rankings are a joke but Croatia are a top team and 3rd best in Europe. as said before only didnt get out of group as 2 finalists was in same group. from the 3 teams that beat Ireland they were the most impressive 3rd best in Europe? I agree with your point about them being impressive in the Euros and only not going through because of being in a tough group. But in my personal opinion I still think the German team/squad is better then Croatias at this moment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dont_do_it_doug. Posted June 7, 2013 Share Posted June 7, 2013 (edited) I have noticed in the build up to the Croatia-Scotland game a lot of people mentioning that they are ranked 4th in the world, are a world-class team and have players who played in the Champions League final. However I haven't noticed many people saying that the FIFA world rankings are a joke, there's is no way that Croatia are better Holland, Portugal, Italy, France and Brazil and how Croatia didn't qualify for the last World Cup and didn't get past the group stage at Euro 2012. Maybe it only applies when England are ranked 4th... rankings are a joke but Croatia are a top team and 3rd best in Europe. as said before only didnt get out of group as 2 finalists was in same group. from the 3 teams that beat Ireland they were the most impressive 3rd best in Europe? I agree with your point about them being impressive in the Euros and only not going through because of being in a tough group. But in my personal opinion I still think the German team/squad is better then Croatias at this moment. Germany are second surely? By quite a distance too IMO. This is of course in terms of ability. Spain > Germany > Italy > Holland > Belgium > Croatia. Though as we have seen, ability =\= results. Edited June 7, 2013 by dont_do_it_doug. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Voinjama Posted June 7, 2013 Share Posted June 7, 2013 (edited) Sorry my mistake, I thought he meant Spain and Italy were top 2 in Europe. And I completely with your top 5 in Europe order. Edited June 7, 2013 by Voinjama Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_Rev Posted June 7, 2013 Share Posted June 7, 2013 I havent seen any of them play of late so I couldnt comment. Belgium are a classic example of a side with a load of great players seemingly incapable of making a great team though, lots of people think they are better than they actually are just because of the star names in the squad. Exactly this. You see people tipping them to challenge for the World Cup when they can't even qualify for Euro 2012. Belgium is an odd country though, it's extremely divided politically, more than most countries in the world in fact and there is the never ending problem of Walloons vs Flemish people. I haven't been to Belgium in years and when I did go it was to Brussels which is hardly typical of the rest of the country but it is important to remember that not everybody in Belgium even speaks the same language, Walloons speak French and the Flemish people speak Dutch, a lot of people over there will consider themselves either Walloon or Flemish, not Belgian. It's like the shit we get here with English, Welsh and Scottish, only with an added language barrier and as far as I can tell, quite a few more cultural differences. That has to have an effect on the harmony of the football team. I mean, do we even know which players in the squad are Dutch speakers, which are French speakers and who is bilingual? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dont_do_it_doug. Posted June 7, 2013 Share Posted June 7, 2013 Sorry my mistake, I thought he meant Spain and Italy were top 2 in Europe. And I completely with your top 5 in Europe order. Ah ok. It's hard to ignore Italy given the thumping they gave Germany, but you still have to believe this German squad has untapped potential way beyond the Italians. I think they'll win 2014 myself. I certainly think Europe has a massive edge in world football right now. Brazil aren't close to the top two, Argentina of course have embarrassing riches but will they produce? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corcaigh Posted June 7, 2013 Share Posted June 7, 2013 I have noticed in the build up to the Croatia-Scotland game a lot of people mentioning that they are ranked 4th in the world, are a world-class team and have players who played in the Champions League final. However I haven't noticed many people saying that the FIFA world rankings are a joke, there's is no way that Croatia are better Holland, Portugal, Italy, France and Brazil and how Croatia didn't qualify for the last World Cup and didn't get past the group stage at Euro 2012. Maybe it only applies when England are ranked 4th... I think you're making the mistake of conflating big name/well known players on a team sheet with actual quality of the team itself. Player for player the Croats aren't as good as the the teams you've listed, yet I'd fancy them to be well able to beat most of them on their day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulC Posted June 7, 2013 Share Posted June 7, 2013 Belgium have a great crop of young players. Maybe they didn't qualify for the euro 2012 but the likes of Benteke and Lakuku weren't around and Hazard was too young. They wont win the world cup but I can see them reaching the semi's Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts