World Ranking

**SkStu** · 07/04/2013, 3:36 PM

Originally Posted by DannyInvincible

Population doesn't have that significant a bearing on success. India are ranked 143rd with a population of over a billion people. Meanwhile, Uruguay, with a population of under four million, are ranked 16th at present and were ranked as high as second within the last year.

I would respectfully disagree Danny and would subscribe to the theory that Population + GDP + Experience = football success.

(Check out Soccernomics by Simon Kuper for more on this theory).

**DannyInvincible** · 07/04/2013, 3:48 PM

Indeed, I should probably have said "population alone".

**IsMiseSean** · 07/04/2013, 8:40 PM

Originally Posted by Stuttgart88

Yes, that's totally fair but I still feel we'd have struggled against another European side despite having such a good campaign. We had a very good campaign when the last second equaliser in Macedonia cost us outright qualification, but still went out to Turkey.

Turkey were no mugs as they proved in by reaching the QF and then went on to finish 3rd at WC and what if we didn't concede that late penalty....
Looking at some of the other European teams in the playoffs, I would have fancied us against Austria, Slovenia, Romania and even an ageing Belgium side. I do agree though Iran was the best outcome for us.

**geysir** · 07/04/2013, 9:29 PM

Originally Posted by JGKyne

Turkey were no mugs as they proved in by reaching the QF and then went on to finish 3rd at WC and what if we didn't concede that late penalty....
Looking at some of the other European teams in the playoffs, I would have fancied us against Austria, Slovenia, Romania and even an ageing Belgium side. I do agree though Iran was the best outcome for us.

I see that we got Iran because we were the best placed runner up, so we had earned the right to play the fall guys of the play-offs.

**DannyInvincible** · 11/04/2013, 9:43 AM

Ireland have risen one place to 39th in the latest rankings published today: http://www.goal.com/en-ie/news/3942/...n-fifa-ranking

**geysir** · 11/04/2013, 11:03 AM

You mean Venezuela have dropped down one place

We have stayed in the same place in the UEFA zone rankings.

**peadar1987** · 11/04/2013, 11:53 AM

Originally Posted by geysir

You mean Venezuela have dropped down one place

We have stayed in the same place in the UEFA zone rankings.

And the cynic of the week award goes to...

**geysir** · 11/04/2013, 12:37 PM

There's more to be revealed.
Stan's Ireland rose to 20th position, some 2 places higher amongst the UEFA teams, in April 2007.
Those were the days when we put together a string of home wins against teams who weren't cannon fodder.

**Closed Account 2** · 11/04/2013, 4:18 PM

It was some string wasnt it 5-0 home to San Marino (who are no mugs, we only beat them 2-1 away) and 1-0s against Wales and Slovakia. But we couldnt do it against the Czechs or Cyprus (we nearly avenged the 5-2 defeat in Nicosia with a 1-1 at home).

**geysir** · 11/04/2013, 7:30 PM

Nowadays we can only dream of beating teams like Wales and a higher seeded team (Slovakia) at home and be bitterly disappointed at only getting a draw against the top seeds.

Cyprus was dead rubber game.
That group was a dead rubber in progress for us, after the Czechs trounced Slovakia in the first away game.

**Closed Account 2** · 12/04/2013, 9:58 AM

Wow that's ambition, the group was over for us after we'd only played one game, and on the basis of a match that didn't invlove us. If you're going down that route you could say the group was over when we appointed someone as inept as Stan as manager.

**geysir** · 12/04/2013, 10:20 AM

I'm not egging up Stan, far from it. But getting Germany as 2nd seeds was already a tough ask and if you analyse that group, that first result for the Czechs meant we would have to do what had rarely been done before, win away against a higher seed and we haven't managed that since.
The Czechs winning away at the most likely place where they might drop points was majorly significant in getting their campaign off the ground, on the front foot.
If Sweden go and pick up 3 points in Austria, at a 'wild' guess based on the balance of the probabilities, we would have to do the same, just to stay in the hunt.
Based on our performances so far, it would be an exception if we managed that and supposedly Austria are a mediocre team, there to be taken.

**BonnieShels** · 15/04/2013, 9:37 AM

Suppose I should post this in here for some consistency.

http://foot.ie/threads/147164-Eligib...=1#post1678679

**geysir** · 15/04/2013, 10:00 AM

Originally Posted by BonnieShels

Suppose I should post this in here for some consistency.

http://foot.ie/threads/147164-Eligib...=1#post1678679

That's worse than trying to navigate around Cavan territory, by following the signposts, pre 1990's.

**swinfordfc** · 29/05/2013, 9:58 PM

What the story now with this - will these few games make any differences?

Will that draw with England get us into the top 40?

**swinfordfc** · 03/06/2013, 6:47 PM

Think we are down to 41st in the rankings out on Thursday ......

**Serb** · 04/06/2013, 3:02 PM

Yeah, despite drawing with England and beating Georgia, we end up with 3 less world ranking points due (I think) to points from 2010 expiring.

**geysir** · 04/06/2013, 4:53 PM

The ranking points gained against Paraguay and Algeria disappear.
All our FIFA ranking points earned (4 years worth) are 100% genuine Trap ranking points..

**SkStu** · 04/06/2013, 6:42 PM

Originally Posted by geysir

The ranking points gained against Paraguay and Algeria disappear.
All our FIFA ranking points earned (4 years worth) are 100% genuine Trap ranking points..

so do we know where are we under Trap compared to where we were after the previous 4 years before he came? Much improvement?