World Cup 2022 Qualifiers

[Lurkst]

7 minutes ago, Donathan said:

Is that right, so if we got Wales and played them in the last game, we are out of the running but they need to win to be in the top 2, we’d be better off chucking the game?

Yes that is a possibility it seems.

 

[John Lambies Doos]

I've got a nagging memory that we drew 0-0 against San Marino, as well as drawing with Luxembourg when they were the worst side in Europe. And drawing with the Faeroes (who, to be fair, have always been capable of taking points off higher-ranked nations). And almost failing to beat Liechtenstein (who have not).
Not sure if it was a dream, or just an assumption that's grown legs over time. Either way, they give me The Fear. Would rather avoid that tricky banana skin, thanks FIFA.
Edit: this is dreadful, we just qualified for a tournament FFS  [emoji38]

Never drawn with San Marino but have drawn with Far Is twice. Think Mateo got sent off for headbutting some fisherman in one of the games

[G51]

6 minutes ago, BFTD said:

* competitive.

Today also marks the one-year anniversary of their last goal. So, a mixed 2020 in the sovereign microstate.

Just tells me they're laying the foundations for a battling defence.

[HibeeJibee]

1 hour ago, BFTD said:

I've got a nagging memory that we drew 0-0 against San Marino, as well as drawing with Luxembourg when they were the worst side in Europe. And drawing with the Faeroes (who, to be fair, have always been capable of taking points off higher-ranked nations). And almost failing to beat Liechtenstein (who have not).

Not sure if it was a dream, or just an assumption that's grown legs over time. Either way, they give me The Fear. Would rather avoid that tricky banana skin, thanks FIFA.

Edit: this is dreadful, we just qualified for a tournament FFS  

We drew with the Faroe Islands twice - under Brown and Vogts. We drew with Luxembourg once - qualifying for Euro 88. (We have also drawn with Malta in a friendly). Probably our worst v 'minnows'.

We drew with Estonia twice - 'One Team in Tallinn' replay, Monaco, and again under Brown; and Lithuania thrice under Brown, Levein and Strachan - plus lost to them once under Vogts.

We drew with Moldova once under Vogts. We drew and lost to Belarus under Smith. We lost to Georgia twice under McLeish and Strachan. We lost to Kazakhstan under McLeish 2nd stint.

I think that's the extent of our embarrassments to countries which have never qualified for tournaments. FYR Macedonia and Finland have only just left that list, and we've had some close shaves e.g. v Liechtenstein.


We lost to Turkey in a friendly in 1960 which was a diabolical result 60yrs ago and drew with Saudi Arabia in 1988 which was also fairly poor, but no-one think of those now as these nations have markedly improved.

No caps were awarded but there were briefly infamous occasions in 1955 when we played our own B team and managed to lose 3-2 and in 1959 when we lost 6-5 to the Scottish League: that was an annual fixture in 1960s which we drew more than once.

Full team regularly played British Army in 1950s and drew once. Also lost to BAOR in 1947. They fielded professional footballers doing national service tbf.

Edited November 16, 2020 by HibeeJibee

[Insert Amusing Pseudonym]

2 hours ago, Donathan said:

Is that right, so if we got Wales and played them in the last game, we are out of the running but they need to win to be in the top 2, we’d be better off chucking the game?

Yes, although we are more than capable of losing to Wales either way

[GordonS]

4 hours ago, Scary Bear said:

Are you thinking of that game we played in Monaco? That was Estonia we played.

Challenge accepted!

We’ve drawn a couple of times with The Faroes. Drawn with Luxembourg. San Marino must be due a 0-0 draw.

San Marino have lost both of their matches against the Faroes, 3-0 and 3-1. They lost both of their matches against Luxembourg, 3-0 home and away in the last Nations League. They are about as far behind Luxembourg as Luxembourg are behind us. I'd honestly fancy Linlithgow Rose to beat them.

4 hours ago, G51 said:

People writing off San Marino should be wary.

They just set a national record for most games unbeaten, with two.

Nearly, two unbeaten in three matches. They lost 3-0 to Latvia in between.

4 hours ago, Bully Wee Villa said:

I don't think we ever drew with San Marino.

As I said above, we've met them 8 times, won them all and never conceded a goal. We've beaten them in every match at every age grade too. 

[DA Baracus]

5 hours ago, John Lambies Doos said:

6 hours ago, BFTD said:

I've got a nagging memory that we drew 0-0 against San Marino, as well as drawing with Luxembourg when they were the worst side in Europe. And drawing with the Faeroes (who, to be fair, have always been capable of taking points off higher-ranked nations). And almost failing to beat Liechtenstein (who have not).
Not sure if it was a dream, or just an assumption that's grown legs over time. Either way, they give me The Fear. Would rather avoid that tricky banana skin, thanks FIFA.
Edit: this is dreadful, we just qualified for a tournament FFS  

Never drawn with San Marino but have drawn with Far Is twice. Think Mateo got sent off for headbutting some fisherman in one of the games

You're thinking of Matt Elliott. He was sent off in a 1-1 draw in the Faroe Islands in 1999.

Matt Elliott was in the France 98 squad. Had no idea.

[HibeeJibee]

SM are last gimmes in UEFA. Andorra kick you off the park... even Luxembourg, Malta, Faroes, Liechtenstein, Gibraltar compete and get results now.

"No easy games"... except San Marino.

[Stellaboz]

22 minutes ago, HibeeJibee said:

SM are last gimmes in UEFA. Andorra kick you off the park... even Luxembourg, Malta, Faroes, Liechtenstein, Gibraltar compete and get results now.

"No easy games"... except San Marino.

Every single one of those nations you mentioned are utterly, utterly horseshit and anyone with even half a bit of quality should be steamrolling over them with the right attitude. 

[HibeeJibee]

23 minutes ago, Stellaboz said:

Every single one of those nations you mentioned are utterly, utterly horseshit and anyone with even half a bit of quality should be steamrolling over them with the right attitude. 

Luxembourg 0-0 Senegal, Luxembourg 1-2 Ukraine, Ukraine 1-0 Luxembourg, Luxembourg 1-3 Serbia, Serbia 3-2 Luxembourg, Luxembourg 0-2 Portugal

Malta 0-2 Spain, Norway 2-0 Malta, Romania 1-0 Malta, Malta 1-2 Norway, Malta 1-1 Latvia, Latvia 0-1 Malta

Faroe Islands 0-2 Norway, Faroe Islands 1-1 Latvia, Latvia 1-2 Faroe Islands

Liechtenstein 0-2 Greece, Liechtenstein 0-2 Finland, Greece 1-1 Liechtenstein

Gibraltar 1-0 Latvia, Gibraltar 0-2 Macedonia, Gibraltar 0-1 Eire, Eire 2-0 Gibraltar


All those results are from last 2 years. They've plenty draws and wins against poorer quality non-minnows too. They can compete with many on their day.

Luxembourg can be promoted to Nations League Division B tomorrow depending on their result compared to Montenegro's. Could be playing us next edition.

Edited November 16, 2020 by HibeeJibee

[Stellaboz]

As I said, dugshite to a man every one of them. The right attitude should see them dispatched and there's very few positive results there for the seaside nations. 

[Melanius Mullarkey]

South Ireland are hardly a yardstick of quality tbf.

[BFTD]

The Faeroes are usually halfway decent, as far as the minnows go. They've produced enough impressive results over the years that you wouldn't be too surprised about them taking points off anybody. They'll always struggle to maintain a run of results, but I'm still holding out hope that we could one day see them somehow make it to a tournament.

I hadn't noticed that Luxembourg have been slowly improving in recent years. Good for them; it'd be interesting to know what they've been doing that has helped.

I watched Gibraltar come perilously close to leading Germany at half time once, and they probably would have deserved it. Think they ended up being humped 7-0 or so, but the first half was a surreal experience.

[GordonS]

7 hours ago, BFTD said:

The Faeroes are usually halfway decent, as far as the minnows go. They've produced enough impressive results over the years that you wouldn't be too surprised about them taking points off anybody. They'll always struggle to maintain a run of results, but I'm still holding out hope that we could one day see them somehow make it to a tournament.

I hadn't noticed that Luxembourg have been slowly improving in recent years. Good for them; it'd be interesting to know what they've been doing that has helped.

I watched Gibraltar come perilously close to leading Germany at half time once, and they probably would have deserved it. Think they ended up being humped 7-0 or so, but the first half was a surreal experience.

Luxembourg leapt onto the radar when they drew away with France in a World Cup qualifier in 2017. They drew with Bulgaria and beat Hungary and Belarus that autumn too. 

Faroes can be genuinely difficult, they don't take too many hidings but it's been a while since they claimed a proper scalp. Incidentally, only one country (Iceland) has played them more often than us.

[John Lambies Doos]

You're thinking of Matt Elliott. He was sent off in a 1-1 draw in the Faroe Islands in 1999.
Matt Elliott was in the France 98 squad. Had no idea.

Yip, that's the chap

[KingRocketman II]

13 hours ago, Stellaboz said:

As I said, dugshite to a man every one of them. The right attitude should see them dispatched and there's very few positive results there for the seaside nations. 

none of the small teams are pleasant on the eye but they are increasingly well organised, disciplined, very defensive minded,  and fit along with the ability to break away and create/score the occasional goal against bigger teams. Such teams are difficult to break down for any team, regardless of the attitude of the opposition  - you can see that with most "smaller" professional teams who employ the same tactics in domestic leagues and in European competition. You can't have watched much football to have arrived at your assessment. 

Edited November 17, 2020 by KingRocketman II

[Bing.McCrosby]

13 hours ago, Stellaboz said:

Every single one of those nations you mentioned are utterly, utterly horseshit

 

13 hours ago, Stellaboz said:

As I said, dugshite to a man every one of them.

You never, you said horseshit. Different animal with very different shite.

[Stellaboz]

18 minutes ago, BingMcCrosby said:

 

You never, you said horseshit. Different animal with very different shite.

I'll concede that. 

[craigkillie]

6 hours ago, KingRocketman II said:

none of the small teams are pleasant on the eye but they are increasingly well organised, disciplined, very defensive minded,  and fit along with the ability to break away and create/score the occasional goal against bigger teams. Such teams are difficult to break down for any team, regardless of the attitude of the opposition  - you can see that with most "smaller" professional teams who employ the same tactics in domestic leagues and in European competition. You can't have watched much football to have arrived at your assessment. 

Luxembourg are a legitimately decent team now with some good players too. They're probably on a par with the likes of Slovenia or Israel at the moment, and that is reflected in their seeding.

[Paco]

Things to look out for tonight then, in the battle for a NL play-off spot for World Cup 2022:

Group B1. Austria are top with 12 points, and host Norway who are in second with nine. Norway will leapfrog Austria with a win, as long as it isn’t 1-0. Norway however will have a complete second string team playing. Still no decision on the cancelled Romania game at the weekend but the presumption has to be it’s given to Romania. A draw would win the group for Austria regardless of happens with that game, and I think that’s our optimal result as it confirms Austria as the group winners, they’re in Pot 2 for the qualifiers and it gives Scotland a chance to leapfrog them in play-off hunt via the Nations League (would require a two goal victory).

Group B2. Scotland win the group by winning in Israel, or by matching the Czechs result at home to Slovakia. Simple.

Group B3. Russia on top with eight points, Hungary second also on eight points, Turkey on six. On balance, we’re probably rooting for Russia as they may sneak Pot 2, or Turkey as they’re confirmed Pot 2. Hungary are Pot 3, so the ones we definitely want to avoid. However, if we win in Israel it’s irrelevant as we finish above the group winners.

Group B4. We can’t finish above the group winner here, and it’ll be decided in Wales-Finland. Wales are Pot 2, Finland Pot 3 so we’re looking for a home win or draw to seal the group.

This is only relevant if we win the group, we won’t have any hope of a WC play-off via the Nations League route if we don’t. If we do win the game, we’ll almost definitely be behind Wales/Finland and Austria/Norway in the queue (as well as the League A winners), so it’ll be worth keeping an eye on their draws. If we draw or lose but win the group, then Russia/Hungary/Turkey might be added to that list.

 

Edited November 18, 2020 by Paco