Who do we want to get in the play-offs?

[geysir]

3 of the playoff seeds are looking good to go but Portugal have a dicey game against Bosnia.
It's the game of the night on Tuesday.

[elroy]

Dont like talking about the Euros themselves until we have Tuesday out of the way.

However, am I the only one who wouldnt want England in our group. England would be a tough draw and would also mean getting tickets for the game would be very difficult.

[mypost]

Tuesday is a formality, we can talk about the Euros.

England aren't as strong as they were 2 years ago, they limped through the group with unconvincing performances. Compared to Germany or Italy, I'd take them instead.

[Stuttgart88]

I'd prefer Italy over England.

I think Spain, Holland & Germany are the untouchables. Everyone else is fair game, to varying degrees.

[ArdeeBhoy]

Elroy is right on the ticket front.

Think I'd take being in Ukraine's group. And hope we don't embarrass ourselves.

[elroy]

The way we play there is no chance of being embarrassed. In fact the only games we have been embarrassed in Traps reign were the Russian games and more so the 0-0 draw. Not that an away draw is ever that embarrassing really.

[Real ale Madrid]

Assuming we get past tomorrow - this is a list of our potential fixtures according to wiki. We will be 4th seeds therefore.....


IF drawn in Group A:

V A3 19.45 (Wroclaw) Friday 8th June
V A2 17.00 (Wroclaw) Tuesday 12th June
V Poland 19.45 (Wroclaw) Sat 16th June

IF Drawn in Group B:

V B3 19.45 (Lviv) Saturday 9th June
V B2 17.00 (Lviv) Wednesday 13th June
V B1 19.45 (Kharkiv) Sunday 17th June

IF Drawn in Group C:

V C3 19.45 (Poznan) Sunday 10th June
V C2 17.00 (Poznan) Thursday 14th June
V C1 19.45 (Gdansk) Monday 18th June

IF Drawn in Group D:

V D3 19.45 (Donetsk) Monday 11th June
V D2 17.00 (Kiev) Friday 15th June
V Ukraine (Donetsk) Tuesday 19th June


This is probably as useful as a fart in a spacesuit but sure what harm. Interesting to note that all the games in group A for the 4th seed are in Wroclaw.

[Duggie]

id take italy in a heartbeat, very average right now.

[Closed Account 2]

...
This is probably as useful as a fart in a spacesuit but sure what harm. Interesting to note that all the games in group A for the 4th seed are in Wroclaw.

It's worth knowing. For instance every group bar the last one has a weekend game, that means D isn't great in terms of time off work.

If you went to try and watch all 3 then group games then it would mean the following days off work in bold. It's a bit fudged, and assumes that from Polish cities or Kiev you could fly back on a morning before work, but it gives an idea of how much time (minimum) you might need to take as holiday. :

GpA
Fri 8th June(1st match on that day), stay in Poland, Sat, Sun, Mon 11th, Tue 12th(2nd match on that day), fly home Wed morning. 3rd match on Sat, so no days off.
Total days off = 3

GpB
First match sat so no day off, then fly to Lvov Weds 13th, Thurs 14th, Fri 15th, Sat, Sun match Karkhov, fly back Mon 18th am-half day.
Total days off = 3.5 days off

GpC
First match sunday so no day off, Thurs 14th 2nd match, Fri 15th, Sat, Sun, Mon 18th (3rd game)
Total days off = 3

GpD
First match Mon 11th June, Tues 12 off-half day, ... , Fri 15th (2nd match), Sat, Sun, Mon 18th, Tues 19th (3rd match)
Total days off = 4.5

Groups A and D have Poland and the Ukraine as top seeds, so from that point of view might be a bit easier (than Spain or Holland), I'd rather face the Polish than the Ukrainians who have some very dangerous players. At this stage I would be fairly happy with group A.

[SwanVsDalton]

It's worth knowing. For instance every group bar the last one has a weekend game, that means D isn't great in terms of time off work.

Though if the ticket situation becomes tricky, Group D would be useful (biggest and third biggest stadiums).

[mypost]

Assuming we get past tomorrow - this is a list of our potential fixtures according to wiki. We will be 4th seeds therefore.....

After the top seeds have been drawn out, all the others will have a draw to determine where they are in the group. So a 4th seed could get drawn as Position 2, 3, or 4. Just because you're a 4th seed, does not mean you are automatically in Position 4 in the group. Same goes for the Pots 2 and 3. You could have e.g.

Ukraine
Ireland
Germany
Greece

If you get Position 2, you will play the top seeds in Position 1 first, then the team in Position 4, then Position 3.

[Hale]

Hopefully we can stay away from Spain, Germany, Holland, Russia.

Checked out flights already to Wroclaw, its a great city ive been before. £150 return, when the draw comes in it will shoot up to £300 plus at least.

[Real ale Madrid]

After the top seeds have been drawn out, all the others will have a draw to determine where they are in the group. So a 4th seed could get drawn as Position 2, 3, or 4. Just because you're a 4th seed, does not mean you are automatically in Position 4 in the group. Same goes for the Pots 2 and 3. You could have e.g.

Ukraine
Ireland
Germany
Greece

If you get Position 2, you will play the top seeds in Position 1 first, then the team in Position 4, then Position 3.

Have you a link for that info ? - I couldn't find it anywhere. It was not the case in Euro 2008. At the last euro's Seed 1 played seed 2 and seed 3 played seed 4 in each group on matchday 1, and the format was the same for matchday's 2 and 3 also.

[mypost]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JWNd7FsDheI&feature=related

As you can see, apart from the top seeds, each team's position in the group is drawn out following their name. It's not automatic one team after the other. If that was the case, the top seed would have all the "hard" games at the start, and all the "easy" ones at the end in every group making a mockery of the thing, so they draw out the balls after each team and shuffle the positions around.

Same applies for the World Cup finals draw.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A6vHRJ_i-PA&feature=related

[Kingdom]

The finals themselves are going to interesting (well, duh!) because arguably we're the type of team that can do really well in the tournament format.
Can't disprove what Mypost has said, but I know during the first leg, one of the commentators mentioned that the 4th seed will play the 3rd seed first off.
European football isn't too stretched ability wise at the moment either. Of those qualified (or as good as) you have a few standout teams : Germany, Spain and Holland
I'd be of the opinion that there is a small tier of teams not quite top shelf but better than most: France, England, Russia
after that there isn't a considerable amount of difference between the rest of us.
Seedings-wise Id be hoping for Italy or England, Croatia or Greece and obviously Poland and Ukraine. Such a group could be progressed from.