FIFA rankings thread

[Edgar]

FIFA Ranking: April 2009 final preview.

Down 8 places and overtaken by Northern Ireland.

[swinfordfc]

FIFA Ranking: April 2009 final preview.

Down 8 places and overtaken by Northern Ireland.

34th - Its a fair reflection when you dont win at home in fairest!

[tricky_colour]

Seems a bit of a surprise to drop so much, we have not lost a game in the qualifiers
and our record is as good as if not better than Bularia's who are 14 places ahead of us?
Not sure how they work the rankings out.

[Colbert Report]

The rankings are a joke but you need a system in which to determine seeds for the next qualifying campaign. I think the results that are taken into account go back four years - so we will drop four years from now on the basis that our draw away to the world champions is a "good" result. What game was it that dropped off this time from four years ago? Who knows.

[Edgar]

Your wins against Wales and Slovakia (March 2007) lost value.

It's not a big drop in points - you only lost 10 points. However, with most countries playing qualifiers - 8 of them managed to get their average up: Bulgaria, Scotland, Chile, Australia, Ghana, Serbia, Denmark and Northern Ireland.

[swinfordfc]

Your wins against Wales and Slovakia (March 2007) lost value.

It's not a big drop in points - you only lost 10 points. However, with most countries playing qualifiers - 8 of them managed to get their average up: Bulgaria, Scotland, Chile, Australia, Ghana, Serbia, Denmark and Northern Ireland.

Ok we are officially 34th placed now - what happen to the rankings as they are little games play between now and then?

[Edgar]

No change for most teams.

FIFA Ranking: May 2009 intermediate ranking.

[Edgar]

FIFA Ranking: June 2009 preview.
FIFA Ranking: June 2009 intermediate ranking.

[John83]

The rankings are a joke but you need a system in which to determine seeds for the next qualifying campaign. I think the results that are taken into account go back four years - so we will drop four years from now on the basis that our draw away to the world champions is a "good" result. What game was it that dropped off this time from four years ago? Who knows.

The Elo system is much fairer. The site that carries them is down right now, but Google has a cache of it.

Basically, the difference between two teams ratings is related to the probability that they'll beat one another. The numbers are updated with each game. The system is used in chess, and the guy with the highest Elo rating is generally held to be the best player in the world without any great controversy. FIFA's rankings hardly have the same credibility.

[Gather round]

The rankings are a joke but you need a system in which to determine seeds for the next qualifying campaign. I think the results that are taken into account go back four years - so we will drop four years from now on the basis that our draw away to the world champions is a "good" result. What game was it that dropped off this time from four years ago? Who knows

A simple system to determine future seedings- just rank everybody on their points earned in the qualifying tournament. This ends every second November, giving a clear six to nine months before everyone kicks off in the next competition. You might need to adjust for one or two different-sized groups (say by discounting results against the group minnow), or to allow for a hosting country (eg by using their results in their last set of qualifiers). But the principle is easy to follow.

I know the arguments against it, both ostensible (UEFA and FIFA prefer the integrity of their 'own' competition) and real (that large country which occasionally has a stinker in the qualifiers has to be protected). But they look weak arguments to me.

Just possibly a country could sneak into the finals, then win them- but still be a relatively low seed next time. Tough If nothing else, it'll keep the big boys honest...

The Elo system is much fairer...Basically, the difference between two teams ratings is related to the probability that they'll beat one another. The numbers are updated with each game. The system is used in chess, and the guy with the highest Elo rating is generally held to be the best player in the world without any great controversy. FIFA's rankings hardly have the same credibility

Agreed elo is much more sensible and fairer than FIFA, but I don't see the need for it. There are only 53 countries contesting each UEFA championships, as opposed to potentially thousands of chess masters. There's also a potential oddity given what has happened recently in qualifying games- Spain surrendered to NI who imploded versus Iceland who lost heavily to Liechtenstein. Would that distort the elo points they earned against each other?

Any system which ranks teams on the last three tournaments (in ratio 40:40:20) looks daft.

[swinfordfc]

So will the Nigeria game have much of a change in our ranking by 6th June?

[Edgar]

The official deadline for matches to be included in the June ranking is May 27th (today). However, there's another unofficial deadline on May 31st.

Officially, the Nigeria game will have no impact. But if FIFA do include the match, it will of course change your total.

[Edgar]

FIFA Ranking: June 2009 final preview.

Up 5th places to 29th.

[paul_oshea]

EG will still be happy then!!!

[EalingGreen]

EG will still be happy then!!!

Yep, but only until such time as we go behind ye! Then you'll not hear a peep out of me about these "discredited" rankings - until we go back in front again...

P.S. Someone on another thread (it wasn't yourself, maybe?) pointed out that you only ever heard from me about the Rankings when NI are ahead, which amused me. As if any sensible fan would brag about something when he has nothing to brag about.

P.P.S. We are due an 8? 9? 10? goal drubbing by the Italians in a week's time, so I might just be taking a Vow of Silence soon enough!

[youngirish]

P.S. Someone on another thread (it wasn't yourself, maybe?) pointed out that you only ever heard from me about the Rankings when NI are ahead, which amused me. As if any sensible fan would brag about something when he has nothing to brag about.

It was myself and a sensible fan would not go onto another team's fans forum, a team that he himself considers a rival and consistently post links to rankings only when his team is higher in such rankings, even when the majority of the time this has nothing to do with the associated thread. When ROI are ahead in the rankings as has been mentioned these types of posts (and EG posts in general) tend to disappear off the radar.

That's being a Wind Up Merchant and only looking to cause arguments.

[paul_oshea]

In fairness YI, s/he() has contributed the last couple of weeks on other threads too. I thought you two had kissed and made up anyway

[livehead1]

In fairness YI, s/he() has contributed the last couple of weeks on other threads too. I thought you two had kissed and made up anyway

Yeh, I'd second that; I've been watching from afar and been mildly impressed!

[paul_oshea]

livehead are you from warwickshire or harrow by any chance?!

[swinfordfc]

so with the preview of the rankings for 6th of june and the nigeria game is not into account - we are up to 29th.

if the nigeria game was taken into account and all the other games tonight (think there's 6 in all) would this change ours position? i doubt it but we if we was to win - surley we go above nigeria and move up to 28th?