World Cup 2022 Qualifiers

[Carnoustie Young Guvnor]

3 minutes ago, DiegoDiego said:

I've pumped four and two of those were the most disastrous relationships of my life* so I hope we absolutely pummel them.

*aye, got dumped and still bitter.

Good going though, best to look at it that way.  Scuttled a whole back four of them.

[charger29]

Did they say on sky during the last Israel game that their manager was leaving? Or was it the previous manager they were talking about?

[Kneal Down Caster]

Glad we avoided Puerto Rico to be honest.

Probably get them in Euros !!!

[Lyle Lanley]

[The Ghost of B A R P]

If you offered me 12 points from Moldova and the Faroes, I'd happily accept 4 off Israel. That would take it down to a mini-group between us, Denmark, and Austria, where two wins at home put you in a strong position.

When we qualified regularly, it was always on the basis of no embarrassing collapses against the so-called minnows, then winning the big games at home; even when we were much better than we are now, we rarely did much away from home against decent opposition.

All of the above plus a draw away to Denmark or Austria (23 pts) surely wins the group; hiccup or two (like failing to beat the eventual group winners at home or another daft draw away; 21 pts), we're still well placed for second.

Definite possibilities here...

[RandomGuy.]

Getting a "weak" first seed opens it up.

Beat the dross below us, including Israel, and win the home games against the rest, and every chance you top the group if the rest cut each others throats IMO.

[Lurkst]

1 hour ago, highlandcowden said:

the much respected and loved BBC are saying that Scotland have arguably got the easiest group of the 4 home nations

ok,we did ok with the pots1&2 but Englands group?

England are essentially in a 3 team group with Poland. Shades of '73.....hopefully 

 

[craigkillie]

58 minutes ago, Lyle Lanley said:

This patter doesn't work now that we've qualified in quite the opposite fashion.

[craigkillie]

3 hours ago, Hendricks said:

Another interesting thing to note is that Austria have a safety net for a play off place. They sit in 6th place in the Nations League failure to finish in the top 2 in your qualifying group, lets ensure all the big teams are there scam!!!

France 
Belgium
Italy 
Spain
Wales
Austria

There seems next to a 0% chance that those first 4 aren't 1st or 2nd in their respective groups which means that Austria will have a play off place whatever. Obviously their target will still be to win the group for automatic qualification but they may not be that motivated late in the campaign with a play off locked up already if automatic has gone. Therefore Austria at Hampden late next year might be what we want. 

The "scam" isn't working very well if it ends up giving Wales and Austria play-off places, is it?

[Insert Amusing Pseudonym]

9 minutes ago, Andrew Driver said:

Another draw where certain posters underestimate Israel.   It keeps happening.   You would have thought posters would learn.  

I'd price up the group winners at:  

Denmark  2/1 
Israel   3/1
Austria 7/2
Scotland 4/1  
 

Probably because they've got a track record of being pish and a couple of alright performances against Scotland don't make them good.

They were 5th in an ordinary 2020 qualifying group.

[HibeeJibee]

Telling to see how Nations League pool winners landed:

A     Portugal, Serbia, Eire, Luxembourg, Azerbaijan
B     Spain (A4), Sweden, Greece, George, Kosovo
C     Italy (A3), Switzerland, Northern Ireland, Bulgaria, Lithuania
D     France (A1), Ukraine, Finland, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Kazahstan
E     Belgium (A2), Wales (B1), Czech Rep (B3), Belarus, Estonia
F     Denmark, Austria (B2), Scotland, Israel, Faroe Islands (D1), Moldova
G     Netherlands, Turkey, Norway, Montenegro (C2), Latvia, Gibraltar (D1)
H     Croatia, Slovakia, Russia, Slovenia (C1), Cyprus, Malta
 I      England, Poland, Hungary (B4), Albania (C3), Andorra, San Marino
J     Germany, Romania, Iceland, Macedonia, Armenia (C4), Liechtenstein

So whovever misses out in Group E will take 1 of NL playoff places... other will go to Austria if miss out, then Hungary, then Slovenia.

Edited December 8, 2020 by HibeeJibee

[Hendricks]

2 hours ago, craigkillie said:

The "scam" isn't working very well if it ends up giving Wales and Austria play-off places, is it?

If it ends up giving Wales and Austria play offs spots it means all the big boys have already qualified!!!! That's the exact point, it's designed to ensure none of them miss out.

[Hendricks]

1 hour ago, Andrew Driver said:

Another draw where certain posters underestimate Israel.   It keeps happening.   You would have thought posters would learn.  

I'd price up the group winners at:  

Denmark  2/1 
Israel   3/1
Austria 7/2
Scotland 4/1  
 

 

[Scary Bear]

7 hours ago, craigkillie said:

This patter doesn't work now that we've qualified in quite the opposite fashion.

Quite the opposite fashion?

[Stellaboz]

I was watching it with the sound down and genuinely thought we'd got Kazakhstan again. 

[Bad Wolf]

Am I right in thinking that, due to the imbalance in group sizes, results against the bottom seed (or lowest placed when the group is done, perhaps) in six team groups are ignored when deciding the best runners-up spots?

[Mr Tourette]

Another draw where certain posters underestimate Israel.   It keeps happening.   You would have thought posters would learn.  

I'd price up the group winners at:  

Denmark  2/1 
Israel   3/1
Austria 7/2
Scotland 4/1  
 

Not so sure about that pricing but certainly Israel should be thinking exactly the same as us right now: beat the dross (Moldova, Faroes and Scotland) then hopefully take points off the top 2 teams

Especially if they can get Austria or Denmark at home in the September fixtures as it’s likely to be roasting in Israel then

[Lurkst]

38 minutes ago, Bad Wolf said:

Am I right in thinking that, due to the imbalance in group sizes, results against the bottom seed (or lowest placed when the group is done, perhaps) in six team groups are ignored when deciding the best runners-up spots?

That's usually how it works, I'd expect no difference this time.

 

 

Edited December 8, 2020 by Lurkst

[Hendricks]

46 minutes ago, Bad Wolf said:

Am I right in thinking that, due to the imbalance in group sizes, results against the bottom seed (or lowest placed when the group is done, perhaps) in six team groups are ignored when deciding the best runners-up spots?

 

9 minutes ago, Lurkst said:

That's usually how it works, I'd expect no difference this time.

 

 

Not this time. All 10 group winners qualify automatically. All 10 runners up go into the play offs plus the best 2 Nations league teams who don’t finish 1st or 2nd giving 12 teams in the play offs. They are spilt into 3 groups of 4 with semi finals and then a final. The 3 winners qualify to give the 13 UEFA spots in Qatar. 
 

Austria are the 6th placed best Nations League side after France, Belgium, Italy, Spain and Wales so are an absolute shoe in for one of the 2 play off spots even if they don’t finish in the top 2 in our group. 

[Lurkst]

1 minute ago, Hendricks said:

 

Not this time. All 10 group winners qualify automatically. All 10 runners up go into the play offs plus the best 2 Nations league teams who don’t finish 1st or 2nd giving 12 teams in the play offs. They are spilt into 3 groups of 4 with semi finals and then a final. The 3 winners qualify to give the 13 UEFA spots in Qatar. 
 

Austria are the 6th placed best Nations League side after France, Belgium, Italy, Spain and Wales so are an absolute shoe in for one of the 2 play off spots even if they don’t finish in the top 2 in our group. 

The 6 best runners up will be at home in the first round of the playoffs though.