A New Low - the North Overtake Us

From the BBC website:

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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.

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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.

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...

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?

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Originally Posted by Dassa

Will the seedings for the next qualifiers even be based on the rankings?

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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.

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?

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.

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.

just read this in the guardian - a little shocked but fair play to the boys from the North.

Try this eirebhoy...

http://football.guardian.co.uk/comme...871529,00.html

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.

At least we're not as bad as this lot. What on earth is happening in Hungary?

http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/sport/20...wrong_for.html

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Originally Posted by Stuttgart88

Try this eirebhoy...

http://football.guardian.co.uk/comme...871529,00.html

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Cheers for that.

Plot the graphs of us and N.I here:-
http://www.fifa.com/en/mens/statisti....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.

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Originally Posted by EalingGreen

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

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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

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Originally Posted by wws

we'd beat the north in the morning id say

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What, are they sacking Staunton this afternoon, then? ;)

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.