View Full Version : A New Low - the North Overtake Us
harps1954
18/10/2006, 9:42 AM
From the BBC website:
N Ireland ranked above Republic
Lawrie Sanchez has guided Northern Ireland into the top 50
Northern Ireland have overtaken the Republic of Ireland in the Fifa rankings for the first time.
After beating Latvia in their most recent Euro 2008 qualifier, Northern Ireland have risen 13 places to 45 while the Republic slip to 49.
It is Northern Ireland's highest ranking since 1995 and the Republic's lowest for eight years.
Steve Staunton's Republic suffered a 5-2 defeat in Cyprus before holding the Czech Republic to a draw at home.
Under Sanchez, Northern Ireland have risen from 124th place in the rankings.
However, their progress did not stop the former Wimbledon midfielder considering his position in September after receiving criticism he felt his team did not deserve.
Sanchez recently stated that he would like to get Northern Ireland higher than the Republic during his time in charge.
The North have risen from 124th place in the rankings. We are falling faster than they are rising. I said it before, one of Delaney's reasons for not renewing Kerr's contract was because we had fallen in the FIFA rankings. How long before John Delaney questions Staunton on the same grounds. I was no fan of Kerr, but he was like the Messiah compared to this eejit which we have in charge at the minute.
Stuttgart88
18/10/2006, 9:52 AM
Rankings don't bother me too much by themselves, other than stating what's been blindingly obvious for ages: we're in decline for whatever reason.
Fair play to the North, they've got their house in order and there's a real feelgood factor among their fans.
I'm more worried about points earned in this qualifying group and performances though.
Personally I'm cautiously optimistic about the future though I have severe reservations about the current management. Let's see...
Dassa
18/10/2006, 10:08 AM
Rankings never mean very much to the average fan. i wouldnt be worriedaboutwere NI or ROI or in them. result are the onlything that counts.Wil the seedings for the next qualifiers even be based on the rankings?
Will the seedings for the next qualifiers even be based on the rankings?
Uefa change the rules constantly so no guarantee but the last time seedings based on average points per game in the last 2 (WC & Euro) qualifying rounds. Because our last group was very tight with lots of draws it affect us badly.
colster
18/10/2006, 10:16 AM
This only confirms the obvious. Northern Ireland are on an upward curve and we're on a downward one. Remember they have beaten both Spain and England when it matters. When was the last time we beat a side like either of those 2 in a competitive match. Holland in 2002?
eirebhoy
18/10/2006, 10:16 AM
Have the published their formula for calculating the new FIFA rankings? Plenty in the media seemed to know that N.Ireland would overtake us if they beat Latvia and we failed to win.
elroy
18/10/2006, 10:16 AM
I will guarantee by the end of this campaign we will be above the North in the rankings. I couldnt give a toss about rankings, the most important thing now seeing as qualification looks unlikely is finishing third in the group and getting ourselves as third seeds for WC qualification.
shakermaker1982
18/10/2006, 10:17 AM
just read this in the guardian - a little shocked but fair play to the boys from the North.
Stuttgart88
18/10/2006, 10:18 AM
Try this eirebhoy...
http://football.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,,1871529,00.html
EalingGreen
18/10/2006, 10:23 AM
These Rankings mean very little in themselves; it's points gained in competitive matches (only) which determine a country's seeding, which is what really counts.
However, I would question the title of this thread. Considering our respective playing histories, there were long periods in the late 1950's/early1960's, plus much of the 1980's, when NI will have been much higher rated internationally than the ROI (absence of official FIFA Rankings notwithstanding).
Therefore, it would be more accurate to have called this thread:
"Normal Service is Resumed" :D
Cyprus up 23 places due to beating us.
We are now 26th in Europe.
Stuttgart88
18/10/2006, 10:55 AM
At least we're not as bad as this lot. What on earth is happening in Hungary?
http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/sport/2006/10/18/where_did_it_all_go_wrong_for.html
eirebhoy
18/10/2006, 12:56 PM
Try this eirebhoy...
http://football.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,,1871529,00.html
Cheers for that.
tricky_colour
18/10/2006, 1:20 PM
Plot the graphs of us and N.I here:-
http://www.fifa.com/en/mens/statistics/rank/compare.html?static=5
We seem to be in a tail-spin dive whilst N.I are rocketing up.
We are headed for a record low for the period covered, 1993 onwards
I enjoyed that comparison device. If you compare NI and Scotland the similarity in shape is remarkable from 2000-2006.
floatinghoop
18/10/2006, 2:25 PM
These Rankings mean very little in themselves; it's points gained in competitive matches (only) which determine a country's seeding, which is what really counts.
However, I would question the title of this thread. Considering our respective playing histories, there were long periods in the late 1950's/early1960's, plus much of the 1980's, when NI will have been much higher rated internationally than the ROI (absence of official FIFA Rankings notwithstanding).
Therefore, it would be more accurate to have called this thread:
"Normal Service is Resumed" :D
Absolutely. 2 World Cup quarter finals at a time when we couldn't qualify for anything. The victory over Spain in 82 was one of the finest games by an Irish team ever. And people who remember '58 tell me it was something special also.
Which to my mind, at the time, made those 'There's only one team in Ireland' jibes in Lansdowne when we were on top seem pretty silly.
I'm more shocked at Belgium being so low. Now there is a faormer international heavyweight in serious decline
i cant take the rankings seriously tbh
we'd beat the north in the morning id say
EalingGreen
18/10/2006, 3:01 PM
we'd beat the north in the morning id say
What, are they sacking Staunton this afternoon, then? ;)
Donal81
18/10/2006, 3:56 PM
Fair play to the North. Everything about the team - other than some aspects of their support - impresses me these days; they're making the most of tiny resources and pulling together to make a real go of qualification. No pampered mammy's boys who don't like the tough away games. Sounds vaguely familiar, in fact.
The comedian Colin Murphy was slagging off some of their fans on the Panel the other night. He was walking by Windsor Road when they were playing Malta, which is a Catholic country. "You bunch of Fenian b*stards," they were chanting. Marvellous stuff, you couldn't make up that kind of supporter.
as_i_say
18/10/2006, 4:07 PM
i think the fifa world rankings are quite accurate when it comes to placing european teams but some of the other placings are quite ridiculous. i mean nigeria and cameroon 11th and 12th :eek:
egypt 25 and guinea 31 :eek:
bit of a joke. ghana did ok in the wc but in general african football is a bag of sh ite. if you get to see a goal scored in an african nations game youre doing well. the north deserve their placing-hard to believe they were 124th but its a huge transformation for them since they played that group where they didnt score a goal for 7 games or whatever it was.
Fair play to them but here's hoping for a losing return to form for them *evil laugh*
eirebhoy
18/10/2006, 4:14 PM
To show how quickly we could rise... If we won our 6 games under Stan we'd currently be 8th. Even if we just beat Cyprus and the Czechs we'd be about 24th.
Not Brazil
18/10/2006, 4:17 PM
The comedian Colin Murphy was slagging off some of their fans on the Panel the other night. He was walking by Windsor Road when they were playing Malta, which is a Catholic country. "You bunch of Fenian b*stards," they were chanting. Marvellous stuff, you couldn't make up that kind of supporter.
Obviously Colin is a comedian.
Where is Windsor Road?
Billsthoughts
18/10/2006, 4:18 PM
win our 6 games under stan?
have you seen Ireland play under him?????
San Marino at home could maybe considered a banker. thats it...
youngirish
18/10/2006, 4:54 PM
The ratings are pointless sure Cyprus would have beaten NI the other week anyway though in fairness not as conclusively but we do have a sh*t manager and a bucketload of injuries.
Also I'd bet me mortgage that the Czechs would have hammerred them if they played them at Windsor Park. Sammy Klingon marking Rosicky? Don't make me laugh. The Spain result was a fluke. Latvia and Denmark are s**t at present. Denmark in particular are going through a state of transition. Please stop getting carried away. Normal service to be resumed in March.
Not Brazil
18/10/2006, 4:57 PM
The ratings are pointless sure Cyprus would have beaten NI the other week anyway though in fairness not as conclusively but we do have a sh*t manager and a bucketload of injuries.
Also I'd bet me mortgage that the Czechs would have hammerred them if they played them at Windsor Park. Sammy Klingon marking Rosicky? Don't make me laugh. The Spain result was a fluke. Latvia and Denmark are s**t at present. Denmark in particular are going through a state of transition. Please stop getting carried away. Normal service to be resumed in March.
...and if your Granny had wheels, she'd have been a stagecoach.:D
Bottom line is that Northern Ireland are currently higher in the World rankings than the Republic Of Ireland - whatever the merits of the rankings.
Keep sucking your lemon.
youngirish
18/10/2006, 5:05 PM
Bottom line is that Northern Ireland are currently higher in the World rankings than the Republic Of Ireland - whatever the merits of the rankings.
The real bottom line is who in the Republic cares? And how come it took so long in the first place? If getting higher than the North in the rankings is our priority I'm going to start supporting England.
Fair play to the North. Everything about the team - other than some aspects of their support - impresses me these days; they're making the most of tiny resources and pulling together to make a real go of qualification. No pampered mammy's boys who don't like the tough away games. Sounds vaguely familiar, in fact.
The comedian Colin Murphy was slagging off some of their fans on the Panel the other night. He was walking by Windsor Road when they were playing Malta, which is a Catholic country. "You bunch of Fenian b*stards," they were chanting. Marvellous stuff, you couldn't make up that kind of supporter.
What a load of crap! because some (rubbish) comedian said it you believe its true. Why would he be walking past Windsor Park - in the loyalist village area of South Belfast??? Catholics rarely just dander by. Windsor Road doesn't exist as far as I'm aware. But sure just an easy dig at bigotted nordies eh?:mad:
Not Brazil
18/10/2006, 5:10 PM
The real bottom line is who in the Republic cares? And how come it took so long in the first place? .
Whoever started this thread, and you, obviously, given your postings.
Good things come to he who waits.
Onwards and Upwards.:cool:
Not Brazil
18/10/2006, 5:12 PM
What a load of crap! because some (rubbish) comedian said it you believe its true.
Says it all when people rely on hearsay from "comedians" as their source of evidence.:D
eirebhoy
18/10/2006, 5:12 PM
win our 6 games under stan?
have you seen Ireland play under him?????
San Marino at home could maybe considered a banker. thats it...
I never said it was realistic that we'd win our 6 games under Stan. What I said is if we had won our 6 games under Stan we'd be 8th in the world atm. I'm just showing how easy it is to rise up the rankings compared to pre-WC when we would have been stuck around 15th for a year or 2. Anyway, it wouldn't be a complete shock for a manager to take our players over and win 6 games. Since there isn't a higher weighting for an away game we could have played the following games:
Sweden (h), Holland (h), Chile (h), Germany (h), Cyprus (h), Czechs (h)
...and be in 8th place right now if we won them all.
On Colin Murphy. He said he lives very close to Windsor park and "if the wind is blowing in the right direction" he can hear the Windsor Park crowd. tbh, you don't know when that man is telling a joke or a true story. :)
Not Brazil
18/10/2006, 5:18 PM
On Colin Murphy. He said he lives very close to Windsor park and "if the wind is blowing in the right direction" he can hear the Windsor Park crowd. tbh, you don't know when that man is telling a joke or a true story. :)
Aye, sure "it's only a bit of craic" to make up funny old yarns like that.:rolleyes:
Tell you what - anytime "funnyman" Colin wants to dig out the TV coverage of the Malta game, I'll bet him everything he owns that there is no chanting of "You bunch of Fenian b*stards";)
youngirish
18/10/2006, 5:26 PM
Says it all when people rely on hearsay from "comedians" as their source of evidence.:D
There has been until fairly recently a fairly sizable secterian element to NI support. I doubt if it's disappeared overnight but maybe you will state it has. I'm sure the majority of NI fans are decent people the same as the majority of fans from anywhere else (even English fans) but to deny it happens or has happenned is wrong.
Booing Rangers players at Lansdowne is not on either (we should just boo that d**k John O'Shea) but it's not something that happens often.
Paddy Garcia
18/10/2006, 5:39 PM
possibly due to the fact that its not often rangers players play at lansdowne.
Or given that it is an international venue, it is more related to the fact that rangers are not too keen on signing Irish players.
There has been until fairly recently a fairly sizable secterian element to NI support. I doubt if it's disappeared overnight but maybe you will state it has. I'm sure the majority of NI fans are decent people the same as the majority of fans from anywhere else (even English fans) but to deny it happens or has happenned is wrong.
Booing Rangers players at Lansdowne is not on either (we should just boo that d**k John O'Shea) but it's not something that happens often.
Like EG I would challenge anyone to look at the TV footage of that game (Malta), i would imagine Colin would be proved wrong. And why Malta? we've played plenty of other 'catholic' nations recently - Spain, Portugal etc. Also Malta have a very 'loyal' history compared to the others i.e. awarded the George cross, was gonna be made a fully fledged part of the UK prior to independence in 1964 (British Govt wouldn't spend the money to raise living standards there, so was quietly brushed under the carpet). So Colin's 'story' doesn't really add up. But still ha ha ha, he he he - my sides are sore from laughing it was that funny:rolleyes:
DmanDmythDledge
18/10/2006, 5:48 PM
To show how quickly we could rise... If we won our 6 games under Stan we'd currently be 8th. Even if we just beat Cyprus and the Czechs we'd be about 24th.
Not that surprising. That would have included beating Holland, Germany and Czech Rep. and those games would carry more weight I think as they are high in the rankings.
eirebhoy
18/10/2006, 6:04 PM
Not that surprising. That would have included beating Holland, Germany and Czech Rep. and those games would carry more weight I think as they are high in the rankings.
If a team ranked 32nd beat Germany, Holland (friendly) and Czechs in the old system they wouldn't move to 8th in the rankings which is my point. :)
Not Brazil
18/10/2006, 6:28 PM
There has been until fairly recently a fairly sizable secterian element to NI support. I doubt if it's disappeared overnight but maybe you will state it has. I'm sure the majority of NI fans are decent people the same as the majority of fans from anywhere else (even English fans) but to deny it happens or has happenned is wrong.
I have supported Northern Ireland for over 30 years.
Without doubt, we have suffered from an element of our fans engaging in sectarian chanting in the past.
Sectarian chanting is offensive to me as a Northern Ireland fan, and is absolutely uncalled for, inappropriate and wrong. Our teams at all levels are cross community, and a growing number of our support comes from a non unionist background.
In recent years much work has been done to eradicate sectarian chanting at our matches - this has been hugely successful, and has been recognised and applauded by most observers.
Gone are chants of "The Billy Boys", "The Sash" etc - now replaced with "We're Not Brazil...", "He's Tall, He's Thin...", "Away In A Manger" & "Sweet Norn Iron" etc.
Are some of our fans sectarian? I'm sure they are. There are many sectarian people on this island, from differing backgrounds.
As long as that ****e is left at the turnstiles when Northern Ireland play, that's all we can ask for. They can be as sectarian as they like, so long as they keep it away from our matches, as far as I am concerned.
Are we alone in having an element of fans who are sectarian? Absolutely not.
"Funnyman" :rolleyes: Colin is talking ****e - no harm to him.
Onwards and Upwards.
Paddy Garcia
18/10/2006, 8:47 PM
So you'ld expect FAI fans to boo an Irish players if he played for Rangers?
You have missed the point ........... totally . You stated that "possibly due to the fact that its not often rangers players play at lansdowne". As Lansdowne is an international arena rangers as a club do not play there. Therefore the oppotunity to boo, or not to boo, is limited by the "policy" or record rangers have of not signing Irish players, the main inhabitants of Lansdowne.
The old system of rankings was at least broadly plausible, but the current method can absolutely not be taken seriously when
England's ascent to fourth in the Fifa world rankings, leapfrogging world champions Italy...
http://football.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,,1871529,00.html
Qwerty
18/10/2006, 10:16 PM
England at #5? These rankings mean nothing. English su ck and have done for years. The only improvement in these rankings is that the USA is at 29 and Mexico at 19.
We will go back up the rankings, I really was struck by what David Healy said about the Norn Iron setup and that was that the squad loved to get together and their team spirit was great, this used to be the case with Ireland, hopefully Stan can restore that. That really is the key along with sending out well prepared and motivated teams with reasonable selection policies.
Donal81
19/10/2006, 8:18 AM
Obviously Colin is a comedian.
Where is Windsor Road?
Windsor Park, sorry sir.
Donal81
19/10/2006, 8:27 AM
What a load of crap! because some (rubbish) comedian said it you believe its true. Why would he be walking past Windsor Park - in the loyalist village area of South Belfast??? Catholics rarely just dander by. Windsor Road doesn't exist as far as I'm aware. But sure just an easy dig at bigotted nordies eh?:mad:
Blimey, the pedants are out in force. Windsor Park, Windsor Park, Windsor Park, so sorry. Take the Colin Murphy gag personally if you want, a comedian was making a joke, as they tend to do, I was just passing it on.
If you read the rest of my post, it was complimenting the Northern Irish team. It's an element of their support that I can't stand, I was passing on a joke I had heard about it recently, no need to get all worked up.
drummerboy
19/10/2006, 8:29 AM
One of the reasons Delaney gave for not renewing Brian Kerr's contract was the fact the we had slipped in the rankings. Think we fell from about 14th to 25th. Now we have fallen from 25th under Staunton to 49th. Wonder what Delaney will do.
Message deleted by MOD
This comment alone is sectarian and surely comments like this arent on. I thought this was a football forum.
Or given that it is an international venue, it is more related to the fact that rangers are not too keen on signing Irish players.
Rangers have signed many Irish players, they may not be from ROI but they are from the Island of Ireland so this comment is inacurrate.
Not Brazil
19/10/2006, 9:09 AM
The old system of rankings was at least broadly plausible, but the current method can absolutely not be taken seriously when
http://football.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,,1871529,00.html
Italy are currently ranked 2nd in the world - England 5th.
Not Brazil
19/10/2006, 9:13 AM
It's an element of their support that I can't stand,
There's an element of the ROI support that I cannot stand - those that engage in political, anti British (many born on the island of Ireland are British/Irish), pro IRA chanting - but, in the main, I think the ROI support is fantastic.
Not Brazil
19/10/2006, 9:18 AM
Post deleted by MOD
The only thing shameful is your disgraceful comments about the cross community Northern Ireland team.
"Those who wish to live in the past and apply outdated labels to all Northern Ireland fans are the real bigots"
Kenny Archer
Irish News 14/09/05
gspain
19/10/2006, 10:27 AM
Rangers have signed many Irish players, they may not be from ROI but they are from the Island of Ireland so this comment is inacurrate.
Actually 3 players from the Republic have played for Rangers (all pre WW2) the most well known being Alex Stevenson who played for Dolphin and later Everton also. He was capped for both NI and RoI. in fact Rangers came to Dalymount to play in a friendly as part of the transfer deal in 1933.
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