FIFA Rankings

[EalingGreen]

personally i think the nordies are overperforming at the moment

Agree 100% we're "overperforming" at the moment; however, there comes a point where consistent overperforming can become the norm i.e. teams/players/managers acquire a respect which they deserve, but hadn't previously received.
The best example to come to mind at present is Bolton Wanderers, where people are beginning to accept they aren't just the Bash Street Kids of the Premiership. A few years back it was Wimbledon.
In international football, (little) Portugal currently have it and Norway had it for a decade or so. And when it comes to it, so had Scotland for a period. Indeed, had Walter Smith stayed longer, I reckon the good times may have come back for the Jocks (though maybe McLeish might keep things going, given time?)
And dare I say it, but the ROI under Big Jack were actually a better side (imo) than the "Give it a Lash" boys had it.

Of course, the corollary is that teams which consistently underperform risk deluding themselves, before reality bites them on the arse and they come to appreciate that maybe they're not so good as they think. In League football, this is known as being "Too Good to get Relegated" - as WHU and Leeds Utd. are becoming familiar with (or Nottingham Forest a few years back).
On the international front, England and Spain have been hiding behind the "underperforming" excuse for decades (imo). Indeed, unless McLaren proves me wrong, I feel not even the most one-eyed England fan will be able to hide from the truth before long, which is that they're OK, but nothing special, and certainly not in the company of top teams like Brazil, Argentina, Italy, France etc.

[EalingGreen]

At the end of the day Stan has a group of players capable of qualifying for major tournaments, Lawrie Sanchez doesn't.

No comment on ROI, but I honestly believe that if we could keep Sanchez for another two years (even part-time whilst he managed a club), we'd have every chance of qualifying for WC 2010.

Of course, it's dependent on our upping our seeding a notch after the Euros(possible) and a good draw for the WCQ would be nice, as well.

But I base that opinion on a combination of the real good work in building teamwork, organisation, experience and spirit by Sanchez since he took over, plus the fact that his squad is mostly young, with the capacity to improve.

Unfortunately, I don't think we'll keep Lawrie after this campaign and there's no obvious replacement in the wings, either.

[as_i_say]

ah come off it man-you lot have no chance of qualifying for anything except the milk cup.

[EalingGreen]

ah come off it man-you lot have no chance of qualifying for anything except the milk cup.

Thank you for that well thought out, brilliantly reasoned and beautifully crafted contribution. I hope it didn't interfere with your homework...

[as_i_say]

my mom does mine.

[Soper]

as i say, stop acting the WUM

[Qwerty]

Can we ban any future discussion of Norn Iron on this forum? It is completely off topic and of no interest to the majority on this forum.

[Steve Bruce]

Can we ban any future discussion of Norn Iron on this forum? It is completely off topic and of no interest to the majority on this forum.

It's hardly completely off topic. We are talking about World rankings for international teams. It is commented that your smaller neighbour is higher up the rankings than yourselves. Hardly off topic.

And also you can't ban a particular topic because the majority arent interested. Im sure the majority arent interested in UCD, but should that be banned?

Unless topics head into a political/sectarian direction, I don't see what the problem is.

[as_i_say]

topics about the north should be in the off topic section then probably, and not posted about here then

[galwayhoop]

Im sure the majority arent interested in UCD, but should that be banned?

ab-sa-fúckin-lutely

[EalingGreen]

Can we ban any future discussion of Norn Iron on this forum? It is completely off topic and of no interest to the majority on this forum.

Hmmm, you've changed your tune since you last posted this, less than a month ago:

18/02/2007, 11:05 PM
Ealing Green's non-stop postings to a forum dedicated to the Republic Of Ireland senior team are a pretty clear indication of his fear of the South and his insecurity as a Northerner. We in the South may have cast off the yoke of history but our Northerner brothers are still well and truely burdened by the past. Take it easy on him now.

Why the change of tone from "take it easy on him" to "ban his posts"? Would it be anything to do with the fact that your earlier post was in a thread entitled: "ROI move above NI in the Rankings"? That is, when Stan's Boys got their wee February boost from crushing the mighty San Marino?

I suppose that might explain it, but your new-found indifference to all things Norn Iron hardly squares with your previous posts on threads such as:
Darron Gibson (NI or ROI)
Dermot Ahern's Call (for a merger with NI)
A New Low - the North overtake us
Republic v North
Etc etc

The thing is, I didn't actually go very far back in your posts to find contributions to do with NI; then again, I didn't have to...

Oh well, perhaps NI will be "back on the menu" when the next Rankings are out in mid-April. That is, if Stan's managerial magic sees you overtake us once more!

[Qwerty]

Hmmm, you've changed your tune since you last posted this, less than a month ago:

18/02/2007, 11:05 PM
Ealing Green's non-stop postings to a forum dedicated to the Republic Of Ireland senior team are a pretty clear indication of his fear of the South and his insecurity as a Northerner. We in the South may have cast off the yoke of history but our Northerner brothers are still well and truely burdened by the past. Take it easy on him now.

Why the change of tone from "take it easy on him" to "ban his posts"? Would it be anything to do with the fact that your earlier post was in a thread entitled: "ROI move above NI in the Rankings"? That is, when Stan's Boys got their wee February boost from crushing the mighty San Marino?

I suppose that might explain it, but your new-found indifference to all things Norn Iron hardly squares with your previous posts on threads such as:
Darron Gibson (NI or ROI)
Dermot Ahern's Call (for a merger with NI)
A New Low - the North overtake us
Republic v North
Etc etc

The thing is, I didn't actually go very far back in your posts to find contributions to do with NI; then again, I didn't have to...

Oh well, perhaps NI will be "back on the menu" when the next Rankings are out in mid-April. That is, if Stan's managerial magic sees you overtake us once more!

I didn't say to ban to your posts or anyone else's either. I said that the excessive talk about Norn Iron is off topic. Your thoughts on the Ireland team are welcome. Posts about Celtic are quickly closed down as they should be.

[Kivlehan]

I can't blame a guy for savoring a triumph over a rival, however small a victory that being ranked in the 40s/50s may be. When the Red Sox won the World Series and beat the Yankees in the ALCS, I heard it frequently from Red Sox fans. But low and behold, the universe returned to proper order soon after, with the Sox finishing behind the Yankees in 2005 and 2006. Northern Ireland isn't ranked higher than Ireland so often and the odds are that the position will be short-lived (re-booting FAI and firing Staunton would speed the process, but it is basically inevitable). Let him enjoy his moment of glory, I say. Being disagreeable isn't a good reason to censor someone.

[osarusan]

as i say, stop acting the WUM

Who are you talking about?

[Soper]

He was trying to wind up the Northern Ireland fan, and prolong the agony of this thread.

[lovemark]

Well, no comment from me, anyhow...

http://www.fifa.com/en/mens/statisti...ticleid=133499





(Well, OK, maybe a wee wink )

What do you think about these rankings? http://www.internationalmark.co.uk/ranking.html
Most people say that they are better than the FIFA rankings.

[MojoPin]

them tables are poo.. how are finland above us for a start??????

[strangeirish]

them tables are poo.. how are finland above us for a start??????

Finland — Latitude: 60 10 N
Ireland — Latitude: 53 30 N

Methinks...

[lovemark]

them tables are poo.. how are finland above us for a start??????

You will be glad to know that after last night's matches Ireland are now above Finland.
I have updated my rankings:
http://www.internationalmark.co.uk/ranking.html

but I still don't have a formula to change the geographical latitudes
BTW, in the FIFA rankings Finland are 18 places above Ireland.
Most people say that my rankings are much more accurate.

[greendeiseboy]

dont give much credance to those rankings. imo we are as good if not better than the ones listed below and in in some much better. hopefully we are on an upward curve:-

Ivory Coast
Japan
Greece
USA
Chile
Paraguay
Ghana
Ecuador
Scotland
Iran
Slovakia
Israel
Norway
Serbia