QuoteAnd not play any competitive games for 2 years? What would be the point of that?
The qualifying procedure for the top seeds will be even more pointless than it is now. The teams that get to the quarter finals of the previous tournament should get automatic qualification for the next.
And not play any competitive games for 2 years? What would be the point of that?
They could play each other in an eight team league, home and away. 14 high level games over two years. We could name it... The UEFA Champions League of Nations. The top eight could even qualify for the quarter finals, 1st v 8th, 2nd v 7th, etc... ok, maybe not.Originally Posted by Charlie Darwin
Spain v San Marino is hardly a competitive game. It would improve the qualification process if they either got rid of the dead wood (Andorra/San Marino/Northern Ireland etc) through preliminary rounds or they simply let the likes of Spain/Germany through. There's no way theyre not going to qualify for a tournament of 24 teams.
it would be interesting to see what difference, if any, would be made to the teams that qualified if the top 8 seeds (or previous quarter-finalists) from the previous championships automatically qualified.
I like high energy football. A little bit rock and roll. Many finishes instead of waiting for the perfect one.
We'd probably see a spectacular rise in the number of glamour friendlies taking place in the UAE and China.
The qualification process would have to be totally different, for sure, but if 24 teams were chosen for 2012, and eight got through as quarter-finalists, it might look something like this.
Hosts: Poland, Ukraine
Auto Qualifiers: Spain, Portugal, Turkey, Croatia, Germany, Holland, Italy, Russia
Group winners [calculated by taking out already qualified teams and taking away any points gained against them]: Belgium, Ireland, Estonia, France, Sweden, Greece, England, Denmark, Czech Rep
Best Runner-up: Norway
Play-offs [first four seeded]: Slovenia, Bosnia, Hungary, Israel, Austria, Armenia, Montenegro, Scotland
Going by UEFA co-efficients play-off draw something like:
Slovenia vs Austria
Bosnia vs Armenia
Hungary vs Montenegro
Israel vs Scotland
The Belgium and Austria results are off, because Germany and Turkey from their group both went straight through. In reality the seedings and group make-up would be totally different but it's just a bit of craic anyway shure.
EDIT - Taking out the previous quarter-finalists and taking off points gained against them made only one change to eventual standings - Slovenia would come second in their group on goal difference and get into these imagined play-offs.
But not having those eight there would surely put a different complexion on things, particularly in groups such as Estonia's where the margins were very tight (I'd imagine without Italy there, Serbia, Slovenia and NI would've fancied their chances a whole lot more).
Last edited by SwanVsDalton; 24/11/2011 at 4:54 PM. Reason: mistake
Ou-est le Centre George Pompidou?
It's true that there are shock results every now and then (I'm not knocking the achievement btw). However the final outcome was that Spain qualified and Northern Ireland didn't.
I tend to see Wales as middle of the road. They are better than their 6th placed seeding but that, regretably is the legacy that Toshack has left them. They have proven since that they are far better than the seeding FIFA gave them.
But I don't by into the hype that Gary Speed has changed them over night and they will ....
Gary Speed in fairness is trying to change the footballing philosophy in Wales and their style of play but I think its way too early to make statement like they are nailed on to qualify. In my view, Speed has not really been tested yet in a competitive game, and what I mean by that is, whilst they have won competitive games under his reign, they weren't really competitive games per se, as when he took over, Wales were already out of contention for qualification and the remaining group games were effectively friendlies.
The difference between Wales and Ireland is that they do have the odd super stars, but no strength in depth. We are the opposite, a team without a real super star, but the squad depth is stronger than it ever was and we are greater than the sum of our parts. Certainly they have their Ramseys, Bales and Bellamys; all great individuals, but do they have a squad that can qualify? Doubt it. Will they be able to get the requisite number of points away from home against Croatia, Serbia, Belguim, Scotland and Macedonia? I can't see it. I think ultimately they will do well if they can come 4th in that group and progress from there to hopefully qualify for the not at all controversial, 24 team Euro 2016!
So every non-qualifying team is dead wood then? Kicking all of them out would certainly have freed up the calendar for 1996, 1998, 200, 2004, 2006, 2008 and 2010...
I never understand why NI fans speak so fondly of a result 5 years ago, that meant nothing. That was a campaign that ended in failure to qualify and defeats to Iceland and Latvia. I fail to see how the campaign generates as much affection among the fans. I suppose its a mentality thing.
Yes effectively for me all those campaigns are meaningless. We played great games in those times against a Croatia side that came third in the WC, a French side that were runners up and an Italian side that were champions. But at the end of the day they meant nothing in the grander scheme of things.
Complete waste of time I'd say! After qualification for '02 we were expected to qualify for many finals but didn't. There's no guarantee in the next euro's that we'll finish in the top 2 of whatever group we're in. Finish 3rd, anything can happen in the play-offs. Countries who've consistently won their qualifying groups can be confident.What an odd statement. We will of course have a tough time qualifying for the WC 2014 but that has nothing to do with the almost inevitable qualification for Euro 2016.
Or this was a complete waste of time. Meh.
https://foot.ie/forums/117-Kerry-FC
A Championship: 4 years - 8 first teams - 0 financially ruined. First Division '14: 7 first teams.
Opportunity lost for new clubs/regions to join the LoI family.
No, I'm saying that they eliminate the very worst and/or qualify the very best teams before the qualifying group stage starts to actually make it interesting. This can be done through playoffs or previous tournament performance. If you can qualify by finishing third in the group there's absolutely no point in Spain or Germany going through the charade. If anything it will devalue international football further as matches will be even more meaningless. All the other teams outside of the very best and worst can give each other competitive games.
Er, it was only our best win since the 1980s? So it meant quite a lot both at the time (the second of a 12 game series), and since. Particularly as Spain won the tournament.
Best tournament for 12 years; beat Sweden and Denmark as well, all coming from behind; beat Latvia and Iceland's points total combined despite being seeded behind them, etc. etc.That was a campaign that ended in failure to qualify and defeats to Iceland and Latvia. I fail to see how the campaign generates as much affection among the fans
Aye, we prefer being competitive to the alternative.I suppose its a mentality thing
Each to his own. Is that a mentality thing too?Yes effectively for me all those campaigns are meaningless
Very profound. As one of our old prime ministers Arthur Balfour said, "Nothing really matters very much. And most things don't matter at all".But at the end of the day they meant nothing in the grander scheme of things
You suggested that all that mattered was that NI didn't qualify, and so by implication everyone who didn't was dead wood. In practice 29 teams got less qualifying points than us in that tournament. So hardly among the very worst.
No, the Northern Ireland as "dead wood" bit was a throwaway joke. I'm sorry this wasn't clearer and that you took the time to check how many teams got less points than NI.
This is rubbish I'm afraid.
You can't qualify by coming third. If you come third, you go into a two-legged playoff, where your whole campaign can be derailed by bad luck, controversies, injuries, suspensions, or all kinds of unforeseen potholes.
In the finals, you can qualify by finishing third in the group stage, but not all of them qualify, and various things such as goal difference, head-to-heads, and even World Rankings can send you through or send you home.
Spain and Germany must go through qualifying, as while qualification may be straightforward depending on what group they get, they still need coefficient points for World Rankings and seeding pots in future tournaments.
France were top of the pile 10 years ago and Top Seeds for everything. They've qualified for everything since, but they're now in the same pot as us for the coming tournament. Spain are European and World Champions, but they couldn't simply take the past 4 years off. They had to prove themselves then, and they have to defend themselves now.
NL 1st Division Champions 2006
NL Premier Division Champions 2010
NL Premier Division Champions 2011
Keep Tallaght Tidy, Throw your rubbish in the Jodi
Ten Years Not Out
Heh.
You were never gonna get a statement like that by without tripping the alarm.
No problem, I merely looked at the chart on a previous page of the thread.
Just think of me as your sub-editor.
Last edited by Gather round; 24/11/2011 at 10:59 PM.
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