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WORLD CUP PLAY-OFFS: the Scottish balls-up scenario. It couldn't happen, could it?!


nate

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4 hours ago, Monkey Tennis said:

Lots of gung ho stuff on here.

Our last two performances were strong - good against Moldova and terrific against Denmark.  They weren't necessarily typical though.  

Yes, the trajectory is upward, but that's unlikely to be indefinitely the case.  I'd see us as slight favourites in the semi final and slight underdogs in any final should we make it.

We've got a decent chance here, but the stuff about just how good we are now, still has a brittle basis.

Yes, I agree, we've been punching hard......can we still punch ?

I think we can, but their going to punch back. These  games are  no Israel (who are shite)

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Lots of gung ho stuff on here.
Our last two performances were strong - good against Moldova and terrific against Denmark.  They weren't necessarily typical though.  
Yes, the trajectory is upward, but that's unlikely to be indefinitely the case.  I'd see us as slight favourites in the semi final and slight underdogs in any final should we make it.
We've got a decent chance here, but the stuff about just how good we are now, still has a brittle basis.
Yeah we are basing a lot on the steady win in Austria, the convincing defeat of Moldova away and the impressive beating of Denmark.
Threaded amongst those results are the shocking display in the Faroes and the desperate (at times) game Vs Israel. We can beat Ukraine, but we have to turn up.
Also, I hope the media don't start whipping up a narrative about Ukraine similar to that before Croatia at the Euros (they're old, slow, there for the taking).
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5 minutes ago, Gordopolis said:

Yeah we are basing a lot on the steady win in Austria, the convincing defeat of Moldova away and the impressive beating of Denmark.
Threaded amongst those results are the shocking display in the Faroes and the desperate (at times) game Vs Israel. We can beat Ukraine, but we have to turn up.
Also, I hope the media don't start whipping up a narrative about Ukraine similar to that before Croatia at the Euros (they're old, slow, there for the taking).

We've gradually improved under Clarke, I'd say. It's been a jagged, up-and-down kind of progression, but the overall trend is up. Now the team's proven the kind of performances they're capable of, consistency is the key. It'll be a big help if Clarke can get the tactics right from the off on a regular basis.

Plus, and I cannot understate the value of this, he clearly has the ear of The Dark One and his unGodly  powers.

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4 hours ago, archieduke said:

Semi final at home and final away is exactly the same as the Euros play off, it's nothing new to us. I just hope we can win in 90 minutes as I don't want to repeat the penalty shoot outs again.

We did get a break with there being no fans in Belgrade though. 

 

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We've gradually improved under Clarke, I'd say. It's been a jagged, up-and-down kind of progression, but the overall trend is up. Now the team's proven the kind of performances they're capable of, consistency is the key. It'll be a big help if Clarke can get the tactics right from the off on a regular basis.
Plus, and I cannot understate the value of this, he clearly has the ear of The Dark One and his unGodly  powers.
Well summarised, particularly Steve Clarke's satanic leanings.
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8 minutes ago, Lurkst said:

Tend to agree, the final permutations should be:-

Wales v Scotland/Ukraine 

Scotland v Austria 

Austria v Ukraine 

 

TBH, should just be the highest surviving seed hosts the lowest surviving seed in every round.

 

#1 Portugal v #12 Czech Republic

#2 Scotland v #11 Austria

#3 Italy v #10 Ukraine

#4 Russia v #9 North Macedonia

#5 Sweden v #8 Poland

#6 Wales v #7 Turkey

 

Then the three highest seeded winners play at home in the finals, with the highest seeded winner playing the lowest seeded winner.

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An entirely dispassionate, impartial desire to see the seeds further advantaged in evidence here, I'm sure.

If an unseeded side manages to overcome a seed away from home, they surely deserve at least the luck of a draw to determine where they play next.

Those wishing to have it otherwise are just being totally self serving and would voice no such viewpoint were we unseeded.

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Why don't they? They earned that right in the previous round.
What about the winners of the other semi? If it is the unseeded team who win, haven't they earned it even more by beating their semi opponents away from home?

My point is there is no completely fair answer. Hence the "luck of the draw" being the best - if not ideal - compromise.
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What about the winners of the other semi? If it is the unseeded team who win, haven't they earned it even more by beating their semi opponents away from home?

My point is there is no completely fair answer. Hence the "luck of the draw" being the best - if not ideal - compromise.

Not really, because they failed to earn a seeding in the first place, which is the whole reason they were away from home. The seedings weren't arbitrary or based on some long-term ranking, they were based directly on performance in this tournament.
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