Euro 2016 Qualifying

[Stuttgart88]

I don't think it's that bad an idea. I've discussed similar with some friends in the past. I'd prefer to be playing similar standard teams all the time, than minnows and giants. However, the loss of the finals tournament would be a real shame and it'd open up the possibility of only a handful of European World Cup places being genuinely up for grabs.

It looks like the personal battle between Blatter and Platini is starting to have profound consequences and you'd have to worry that both are putting personal self interest ahead of the broader good.

[Yard of Pace]

Blatter putting personal interest ahead of the broader good??????! Get out of town!

[Stuttgart88]

True!

I suppose my point was more that a UEFA / FIFA power struggle cold just end up harming everyone. Still, having heard what Steve Menary was saying recently about Jack Warner ( see non FIFA sovereigns thread) I'd be inclined to kick FIFA into touch altogether. Warmer basically secured FIFA membership for all kinds of two-bit Caribbean islands with no football infrastructure, so much so that they now account for 10% of the voting rights of global football.

[NeverFeltBetter]

I don't think it's that bad an idea. I've discussed similar with some friends in the past. I'd prefer to be playing similar standard teams all the time, than minnows and giants. However, the loss of the finals tournament would be a real shame and it'd open up the possibility of only a handful of European World Cup places being genuinely up for grabs.

It looks like the personal battle between Blatter and Platini is starting to have profound consequences and you'd have to worry that both are putting personal self interest ahead of the broader good.

That isn't what this idea is suggesting.

[paul_oshea]

Jason CUndy is on talksport saying how bad his summer will be ,how bad the British summer will be how his whole year will be ruined, another possible recession etc etc....all on my way home from a 15 hour day knowing Ireland are already gone and ones missing out on Germany tomorrow.its tough to take.but what he said really resonates.the summer is ruined cos of this.

[Stuttgart88]

That isn't what this idea is suggesting.

Which part, the finals tournament or the wc qualifiers?

If this league took place would it not replace the qualifiers, or would it only replace international friendlies? I think I get it now, only the friendly dates are used for this league format over 2 years.

[ArdeeBhoy]

Which is what the translation of the Swedish article said, as NFB pointed out, which makes it an even dafter idea?

Unless they plan to get rid of the Euros?

[paul_oshea]

True!

I suppose my point was more that a UEFA / FIFA power struggle cold just end up harming everyone. Still, having heard what Steve Menary was saying recently about Jack Warner ( see non FIFA sovereigns thread) I'd be inclined to kick FIFA into touch altogether. Warmer basically secured FIFA membership for all kinds of two-bit Caribbean islands with no football infrastructure, so much so that they now account for 10% of the voting rights of global football.

Good old Jack is going for primeminister of Trinidad and Tobago, one mans swindler is another mans robin hood.

[BonnieShels]

I would be all for this again once it doesn't impinge on the real tournaments themselves. I'm presuming the FIFA rankings are only going to be used for the first iteration and then it becomes straight promotion relegation ad inititum?

[NeverFeltBetter]

I don't consider it an inherently bad idea. Its certainly workable, alongside the qualifiers, as only friendly dates will be used.

But is just strikes me that there will be a lot of resistance to have that many fully competitive international fixtures on the calender. Friendlies are oft-derided, but they serve a purpose, allowing managers and coaches to try new thing, tactics, squads etc in an environment that won't be catastrophic if they lose.

My concern then would be that such a "league" would be treated as just another Nations Cup - friendlies, only slightly more glorified. Germany and Spain will not be interested in killing themselves playing the very best teams in Europe a few days before or after a Euro qualifier.

[Stuttgart88]

The Examiner thinks it's to replace qualifying:

http://www.examiner.ie/sport/soccer/...ng-246007.html

[Stuttgart88]

There's a fella on ybig who worked it out that we are dependent on Norway and Turkey not winning their two remaining matches - taking it that we lose to the Germans and we beat Kazakhstan, to be second seeds.

Ok, prompted by Ardee Bhoy I had to go backwards through 7 pages of this thread to get to this point.

Where do we stand as of today? We need to win on Tuesday and hope for what else to happen to be a second seed? Turkey not win? I suppose they'll be hard pushed to beat the Dutch, even at home.

I was fearing we might even be a 4th seed but obviously that's too pessimistic.

I saw kingdom saying Hungary aren't that bad. They lost 8-1 on Friday. I bet their manager would have envied Noel King!

[ArdeeBhoy]

Change your settings to 40 posts per page, then it'll only be 'Page 4'.

[geysir]

Ok, prompted by Ardee Bhoy I had to go backwards through 7 pages of this thread to get to this point.

Where do we stand as of today? We need to win on Tuesday and hope for what else to happen to be a second seed? Turkey not win? I suppose they'll be hard pushed to beat the Dutch, even at home.

I was fearing we might even be a 4th seed but obviously that's too pessimistic.

I saw kingdom saying Hungary aren't that bad. They lost 8-1 on Friday. I bet their manager would have envied Noel King!

The Euro seedings are done differently, just calculated over the previous 3 qual campaigns and because we did well under Trap in the first 2 campaigns where teams just collapsed against us/got players sent off/missed sitters/we won outrageous penalties/ got draws against teams who just happened to be at the nadir of their form, because of all that we are still clinging to pot 2.

The UEFA coefficients/rankings are not as volatile as the FIFA rankings appear to be. If FIFA rankings were used we would be in pot 4

[Stuttgart88]

You forgot "cowardly taking advantage of foreign invasion".

[ArdeeBhoy]

Ha, obscure, but good!

[Bungle]

The Euro seedings are done differently, just calculated over the previous 3 qual campaigns and because we did well under Trap in the first 2 campaigns where teams just collapsed against us/got players sent off/missed sitters/we won outrageous penalties/ got draws against teams who just happened to be at the nadir of their form, because of all that we are still clinging to pot 2.

The UEFA coefficients/rankings are not as volatile as the FIFA rankings appear to be. If FIFA rankings were used we would be in pot 4

Just out of interest, if we went and had a very good two years, qualifying for euro 2016 and winning a lot of friendlies, would we be able to make 2nd seeds for World Cup 2018 qualifiers?

I do think a lot depends on the draw. I would probably fear Romania, Serbia, and Turkey as third seeds, than Greece, who are first seeds I'd imagine. For me, those three are better teams, even if they haven't the recent ability of Greece to make tournaments.

[ArdeeBhoy]

Hmm, just re-read that link.
http://greenscene.me/2013/09/euro-20...g-predictions/

Don't know how much the results on Friday affected this, but looks like we should also be hoping Bulgaria beat the Czechs on Tuesday and Serbia are held to a draw?
Never mind Turkey...

[elroy]

Credit to SuperDave on YBIG for this:

Okay, current position is this:

Spain, Germany, Netherlands, Italy, England, Russia, Greece, Portugal, Sweden

Bosnia, Croatia, [France], Ukraine, Belgium, Switzerland, Denmark, Czech Republic, Hungary, Turkey

Slovenia, Ireland, Israel, Slovakia, Norway, Romania, Serbia, Austria, Montenegro.....

Now, we need to make some assumptions, the first of which is, we win.

If Turkey DRAW (or lose) and Slovenia DRAW (or lose), and we win, we WILL pass both of them (assuming they do not make the playoffs).

Now, that's not the end of the matter, because Turkey and Slovenia can make the playoffs even with draws. Of the other teams beneath us, Israel, Slovakia, Norway, Serbia, Austria and Montenegro cannot make the playoffs (well, Montenegro can, but it is very, very, very unlikely) even with wins (lets for the sake of argument say they all win 5-0, not one can pass us, if we win). The problems start with Turkey, Romania and Slovenia.... if Turkey draw and Romania win, then we need to worry about the Romanian playoff. If Romania win both legs of their playoff, they would overtake us and push us back into third seeds. If Turkey make the playoffs (drawing with the Netherlands, Romania not beating Estonia), a win and a draw for them in both legs of the playoff and they would pass us. If Slovenia make the playoffs (which could happen if they draw and Iceland lose to Norway, although they could be the worst second placed team), a win and a draw in both legs of their playoffs would see them overtake us.

We have no chance of catching the teams above Turkey and Slovenia. Hungary are at home to Andorra and so will win and stay ahead of us, and the Czech Republic are too far ahead of us. It's still complicated, but chances are if we win, given the nature of the fixtures, we should be second seeds.

[geysir]

Just out of interest, if we went and had a very good two years, qualifying for euro 2016 and winning a lot of friendlies, would we be able to make 2nd seeds for World Cup 2018 qualifiers?

I do think a lot depends on the draw. I would probably fear Romania, Serbia, and Turkey as third seeds, than Greece, who are first seeds I'd imagine. For me, those three are better teams, even if they haven't the recent ability of Greece to make tournaments.

It's a yes, to all you have written.

Unless they get through the playoffs, probably Greece's time as a top seed is over, as Karagounis rides out into the sunset and all those 1 nils become harder and harder to hold onto.