Mr Bairn Posted February 23, 2014 Share Posted February 23, 2014 Yeah that was a bit of an eye-opener. I know the rankings are to be taken with a pillar of salt, but I'd never have guessed Poland were 70th (I assumed they were 15th-25th)? Remember the rankings are over a 4 year period and they didn't play competitively between October 2009 and June 2012, I think that's a bit of a false ranking, and it pretty much happens to every team that hosts a major tournament. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HibeeJibee Posted February 23, 2014 Share Posted February 23, 2014 Yeah that was a bit of an eye-opener. I know the rankings are to be taken with a pillar of salt, but I'd never have guessed Poland were 70th (I assumed they were 15th-25th)? Remember they didn't have any Euro 2012 qualifiers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DA Baracus Posted February 23, 2014 Share Posted February 23, 2014 2) Plot home wins and nick an away point or two against our nearest rivals, Poland and ROI. That's the sort of attitude that has held us back for years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7-2 Posted February 23, 2014 Share Posted February 23, 2014 Looking at the group we're definitely stuck between a rock and a hard place. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7-2 Posted February 23, 2014 Share Posted February 23, 2014 Current squad has Higginbotham... He retired in January to concentrate on a media career...he actually comes over as not too bad...but will still be available for Gibraltar. That may be ok for a few friendly games against smaller nations but I can't see it being suitable when they get round to playing the qualifiers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dryhorce Posted February 23, 2014 Author Share Posted February 23, 2014 If we can beat Croatia and world class p,we should be going away with hope we can beat the other also rans..We played well got three points in Macadonia to Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enigma Posted February 24, 2014 Share Posted February 24, 2014 I reckon Gibraltar will be better than Liechetenstein. I think they'll be a San Marino And fluke a late winner at home, no doubt. Gibralter will be no mugs either. Look at the other teams on the Iberian peninsula (Spain, Portugal). Andorra? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
forameus Posted February 24, 2014 Share Posted February 24, 2014 My first reaction was that the group was somewhere between bad and nightmarish. I've warmed to it a little, but it's not the best we could have had. Germany - the nightmare draw. I know that most pot 1 sides would beat us easily, but if you're going to rank them, Germany would be top of the list. Still, will be good to see a side of that quality at Hampden. They will absolutely hose this group, and are extremely likely to get maximum points. That's not the worst thing that could happen for us, of course, and puts it down to the results against the other 5. Ideally, they beat us by 1 or 2, and then horse Ireland/Poland, but could go any way to be honest. Poland - the big unknown. They're low in the rankings, but as has been said, that's because of their lack of Euro 2012 games. They are not a side that should be ranked 70, and are probably the ones we most need to fear besides Germany. We have to win the home game, and go out and get at least a point in the away game. Ireland - similar to Poland, but are probably battling it out for a play-off place with us. We should be beating them, but then we should have beaten Wales. Doesn't always work that way. Georgia - worrying. Macedonia embarrassed us at home by clearly being much better on the ball, and I can see the games against Georgia turning the same way. We play them at home first, don't we? We need to go out in that game positively, as if we lose that one, we'll be 0 for 2, and in an even worse position than in World Cup 2014 qualifying. Ireland and Poland are the games around our quality, but this is the banana skin. Gibraltar - I don't see them being as bad as San Marino, but that's the thing - you just don't know. It's highly likely they'll be the whipping boys of the group, but we can't take them for granted. I'm not going to pretend they're Brazil, but I would have been much more comfortable drawing San Marino or Andorra, as at least they're known quantities. We should be getting six points from this, anything less is just not good enough for a pot 6 team. Ideally, this turns into a mini-league between ourselves, Ireland and Poland for the 2nd and 3rd positions. One misses out, and I can see that being Ireland. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Bairn Posted February 24, 2014 Share Posted February 24, 2014 Georgia could end up being a key team in the group. Germany should beat everybody and everybody should beat Gibraltar. Now I don't think that Georgia are good enough to qualify but they can certainly take points off Scotland, Ireland and Poland Gibraltar won't be as honking as San Marino. At least they boast a handful of professionals. San Marino's national team couldn't cut it in the highland league Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HibeeJibee Posted February 24, 2014 Share Posted February 24, 2014 We should get a further idea about exactly how poor or otherwise Gibraltar are this week... They host the Faroe Isles at the Victoria Stadium on Saturday (albeit Britt of Southampton, Wiseman of Preston NE and Liam Walker are unavailable as it falls outside the window); then host Estonia next Wednesday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enigma Posted February 24, 2014 Share Posted February 24, 2014 In 2011 they were placed 5th in the Island Games, Liam Walker etc. were includd in the squad. I mean no disrespect to the Island Games but... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L. Brilliant Posted February 24, 2014 Share Posted February 24, 2014 I watched some highlights of Gibraltar and they were utterly dreadful. I wouldn't take the slovakia result too seriously, nor any of the unofficial games v UEFA teams. Proper stinking. Germany should break records against and even we should be picking a number. I think we'll find Poland difficult. We should manage third ahead of Ireland but will need to match their motivation somehow. Georgia away won't be any easier than it was thon time, but Ireland will have as bad a time there as we do. Would love to tan Gibraltar as it's a hole. Incidentally, can we agree that anyone not pronouncing the second 'r' in Gibraltar should be euthanised? Cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HibeeJibee Posted February 24, 2014 Share Posted February 24, 2014 In 2011 they were placed 5th in the Island Games, Liam Walker etc. were includd in the squad. I mean no disrespect to the Island Games but... Liam Walker was included in the squad but he was the only professional involved. Wiseman Higginbotham and Priestley made their debuts in the Slovakia game and Artell Styche and Britt will probably do so this week. It's also worth noting that the 2011 Island Games had a slightly unusual format. Gibraltar actually won all their games apart from a 3-2 defeat in the groupstage to hosts and eventual winners the Isle of Wight ( ), scoring 18 goals in the process. Earlier in 2011 they beat the Faroe Islands 3-0 in a surprise friendly result. That's their only previous match v a full UEFA/FIFA team. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dunlop Don Posted February 24, 2014 Share Posted February 24, 2014 I am not normally a profit [sic] of doom but does anyone know how you qualify to play for Gibraltar? Is it possible that now that the glamorous fixtures are lined up that a cartload of not quite good enough to play for England types will suddenly emerge from the woodwork and they will actually be quite good? Have any of the players mentioned before actually have a link to the place? After 24 hours to digest I am quite pleased with the draw. Ireland are not as good as us and Keane and MON will implode before Autumn. Poland look stronger than us but the only player worth fearing is the big striker. Will be good to see a magnificent German side in the flesh. Scotland have now got both the Fletchers back, an ever improving Snodgrass and excellent goalkeepers as well as some promising young guns coming through. Poland and Ireland will not be happy with their pot 4 draw. We will drop points to Georgia at some point but so will others. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zitelli1875 Posted February 24, 2014 Share Posted February 24, 2014 Na, think it's the normal parent grandparent rule at maximum or born there with a british and not Spanish passport. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HibeeJibee Posted February 24, 2014 Share Posted February 24, 2014 I am not normally a profit [sic] of doom but does anyone know how you qualify to play for Gibraltar? Is it possible that now that the glamorous fixtures are lined up that a cartload of not quite good enough to play for England types will suddenly emerge from the woodwork and they will actually be quite good? Have any of the players mentioned before actually have a link to the place? They're not able to use anyone with a British passport: there was a Caribbean overseas territory tried that back in the early 2000s, IIRC (was it the Cayman Islands possibly?), and they were told it wasn't possible. I don't know if Gibraltar are expected to "sign-up" to the Home Nations clauses or just use the normal clauses. Of their overseas-based players Walker and Priestley were born in Gibraltar. Wiseman qualifies via his mother, Artell via his father, Higginbotham, Britt and Styche via grandparents. Interestingly, with both Priestley and Artell's father, they were born there due to military stationing. (Priestley parents were on the Rock at the time as his father was in the RAF and Artell's grandparents were there as his grandard was serving in the Royal Navy). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LinkinFighter Posted February 24, 2014 Share Posted February 24, 2014 Sevco forum posters think we won't do well. http://forum.rangersmedia.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=265482 Horrid people. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
forameus Posted February 24, 2014 Share Posted February 24, 2014 Sevco forum posters think we won't do well. http://forum.rangersmedia.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=265482 Horrid people. Deary me... I only managed to get halfway down the page. I couldn't quite see then, and realised I'd started weeping. That's quite pathetic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SlipperyP Posted February 24, 2014 Share Posted February 24, 2014 I reckon Gibraltar will be better than Liechetenstein. iI reckon too but we WILL still hump them home n away. As for the group, I'll take it we're 4th pot ffs ,what else do you want, games are winnable, we have chance, late night watch your country up against similar teams, nothing beats it. I think we'll do it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordopolis Posted February 24, 2014 Share Posted February 24, 2014 That's the sort of attitude that has held us back for years. There's a fine line between being brave/going all out for a win and tactical naivete. A solid, defensively minded setup akin to the one we played in Croatia and Macedonia would be just fine. With that approach, we could be confident of holding roi and Poland to draws, denying them home pts, and be well placed to push for wins too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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