2022 Nations League - Group B1

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Originally Posted by NeverFeltBetter

Good group I think. Good chance of retaining position in that tier, and good tests of where Kenny will be against Ukraine and Scotland. What would people be happy with points wise? Suppose we should be aiming for 12? That'd be home-and-away wins against Armenia, four points at home to the other two, and two away?

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Going unbeaten in the group instinctively sounds unlikely given we struggled to draw at home against Azerbaijan just ten weeks ago, and have never won a Nations League game (along with San Marino, the only nation to hold that "honour").

The four games in June will be interesting - we'll surely have to use some squad rotation for those? OK, you wouldn't in a major finals, but I can't see clubs being happy with their players playing four Nations League games in ten days. As it stands, we have one competent forward, and to stretch him over four games is a big ask (especially if he gets covid again!) OK, June is six months away, and things could come good for Idah/Connolly/Parrott in the meantime, or Keane/Scully could become options. But I think that four-game stretch will be a test for us. We've also tended to call up four centre-backs for three slots, so that's not leaving much scope for injuries (in the three-game run in September, we did get an injury and didn't call up a replacement). And all our wing-backs (McClean, Doherty, Coleman, Stevens) will be the wrong side of 30, so that's a big ask of them too. We've only what - two friendly games in March to try blood a couple of new options?

Armenia are better than Azerbaijan and Luxembourg, which isn't a particularly high bar. But they're capable of the odd upset, and Mkhitaryan can play.

On paper, Scotland are simply a better team with a better manager than us, and their last match was a 2-0 World Cup qualifying win over Denmark, which is a serious result. They seem to have kicked on from the Euros, when they were a bit toothless up front but otherwise quite unlucky not to do better (the Czechs in particular defended brilliantly and hit them with two sucker counters)

I don't know a lot about Ukraine's players to be honest (except Zinchenko can't be bad) but while they were awful at the Euros (yet somehow got to the quarters), their qualifying record tends to be decent, and they won at home to Spain and Switzerland in the last Nations League.

I think the minimum should be seven points - four from Armenia and one win against Scotland/Ukraine. Above that is into a bonus territory.

Fixtures are out.. and they seem a little bonkers to be honest

Sat 4/6 - Ukraine (H)
Tue 7/6 - Armenia (A)
Sat 11/6 - Scotland (H)
Tue 14/6 - Ukraine (A)

Fri 23/9 - Scotland (A)
Mon 26/9 - Armenia (H)

I'm sure the FAI would have preferred a bit schedule (JD wouldn't have stood for this :) ), But flying over and back to Armenia midweek between the first two games seems a bit nuts.

Getting the other big two out of the way early.. what do people think?

Fixtures are about as bad as they could be, definitely missed a bit of JD schmoozing there! I think 10 points is probably the reasonable aim, anything more is a bonus, 9 or less and we're still struggling a bit.

the scheduling is insane completely unfair on players to be playing and travelling those distances in the space of 10 days for 4(!) games.

I think the only way to avoid it would have been to have Ireland v Scotland back-to-back (and Ukraine v Armenia back-to-back as well)? Or else us and Scotland start with two away or home games against Ukraine/Armenia - but then the third round of matches is Irl v Sco and one of us will have started with either three home or three away games.

Still, fair to say that UEFA's ESG strategy has a ways to go yet.

The scheduling is a mess but otherwise it is a group we are capable of winning. No one team is going to run away with it, every team will fancy their chances, every team will drop points. It suits us as a defensively strong but fluid team that is somewhat under the radar as an unknown quantity.

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Originally Posted by pineapple stu

we struggled to draw at home against Azerbaijan just ten weeks ago, and have never won a Nations League game (along with San Marino, the only nation to hold that "honour")..

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There's a few, ourselves, Andorra, Iceland (strangely), Northern Ireland, and San Marino

Really? Didn't think it was that many. Iceland have been in League A both times - got relegated the first year and reprieved, only to get thumped again. Probably not surprising actually. (In fact, looking at the records, they've lost all ten of their games)

The North is unexpected tbh.

San Marino haven't even scored a goal in it! 10 games, two draws, but both 0-0s. We're the next worst attack (maybe that's what I was thinking of) with 2 goals in the tournament. Then it's Andorra with 3 and Iceland with 4 (against the big boys)

iceland have regressed massively, they are poor now. would have been great to get them as a top seed

Going to be getting a lot of air miles in June, by the time players get back to their clubs you're talking over 15'000 kms. That has to be a record for Ireland in ten days. That could be a factor by the time we get to Kiev.

4 games in 10 days is too much for this squad.

7 points would be a great return.

Flights booked to Kiev for the games, always wanted to go after reading Kurkov. Was due to fly in mid March 2020 with the SO but covid happened... haven't been out of the country since July 2020, counting down the days...

Kyiv's a fantastic city btw; highly recommended.

If you can tag on a day tour to Chernobyl, go for it. June will be a busy time I'd say - peak summer. I was there in March on a tour of four people (including the guide). To have a whole city to yourself like that is weird.

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Originally Posted by Real ale Madrid

4 games in 10 days is too much for this squad.

7 points would be a great return.

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too much for any squad given the travel on top of it all , with players fresh out of a long league season which now looks like it'll have big fixture pile ups in 2022. crazy.

The scheduling of four games in June is the same for every team. Not ideal for us but there is more depth and rotation to our squad than previously, and beyond arguably Cullen, we don't have must start players essential to our play. Add to that, we have so few players that are first regulars at their clubs we should be relatively fresh and ready to go come June. :-)

Kenny says he aims to win the thing anyway: https://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2021...e-group-kenny/

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Originally Posted by pineapple stu

I think the only way to avoid it would have been to have Ireland v Scotland back-to-back (and Ukraine v Armenia back-to-back as well)? Or else us and Scotland start with two away or home games against Ukraine/Armenia - but then the third round of matches is Irl v Sco and one of us will have started with either three home or three away games.

Still, fair to say that UEFA's ESG strategy has a ways to go yet.

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Games in the NL are arranged by UEFA, and are never arranged back to back.

There's no guarantee the away game in Ukraine will be in Kiev. Ukraine is so big, it can be played in several cities. Lviv is one of them, nearer to Warsaw than to Kiev.

Booking anything at this time is not advisable. There are no guarantees about anything to do with travel now, let alone 6 months time. Restrictions may range from playing behind closed doors to 2 week hotel quarantine upon arrival. Kiev is a great city, but it's not somewhere you want to waste time in.

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Originally Posted by Real ale Madrid

4 games in 10 days is too much for this squad.

7 points would be a great return.

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The tough schedule should be an advantage. It's a youthful squad with good international experience. Molumby, Cullen, Knight, O'Shea, Idah and Bazunu have amassed 69 caps between them. Throw in a bit of time management for Coleman, Duffy, Doherty, Hendrick, Egan, Stevens etc and we look very durable. I believe we're capable of ten points - six from Armenia, three from Scotland and one from what's left. This Nations League is ideal for us - an acid test for players and management.

I see the South American teams are being invited in from the next tournament. That'll end any promotion hopes surely if there's a rejig of groups? It'll also give the chance of away games in largely empty grounds as the SA teams' games would all be in Europe.

Typical of UEFA to hit on a decent format for a tournament and then ruin it in the name of money

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Originally Posted by pineapple stu

I see the South American teams are being invited in from the next tournament. That'll end any promotion hopes surely if there's a rejig of groups? It'll also give the chance of away games in largely empty grounds as the SA teams' games would all be in Europe.

Typical of UEFA to hit on a decent format for a tournament and then ruin it in the name of money

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Uefa and Conmebol giving FIFA and their biannual world cup the middle finger with this move. If you're in League A it's gonna be good if you draw Brazil or Argentina. Can imagine their games will sell out in whichever country they base themselves.

It's also hard to see what format they'll use given Uefa use this tournament for qualification to play offs for EC and WC.