Scotland v Ukraine

[Todd_is_God]

2 minutes ago, Donathan said:

There is simply no way that giving a team double the reward/double the punishment for playing well/having a bad day at the office is remotely fair. These are two very important fixtures and merging them into one is unacceptable.

 

If UEFA are insistent that both need to be played in June then even playing the two of them back to back on the same day would be fairer than this. Say, the UNL game at 3pm and the playoff at 7:45pm. With the size of international squads these days I’m sure Clarke and the Ukraine manager would rotate appropriately to ensure no one is having to play 180 mins. 

That's not acceptable either.

Both are important fixtures, and both deserve proper respect.

Treating the NL as a reserve fixture is as ridiculous as the current proposal.

It's not fair to back the SFA into a corner and make them look like the bad guys if they say "wait a minute"

[Todd_is_God]

2 minutes ago, 2426255 said:

You're fuming over this. It's hard to really say too much based on one article in the Daily Record. Hopefully, if this is the decision then the reasons for it will be outlined.

The reasons have been outlined - UEFA don't want to delay the NL game, and the WCQ needs played, so this solution eases the congestion.

It's certainly not about what is best for Scotland (or, indeed, Ukraine), but about making life easy for UEFA & FIFA.

[Karpaty Lviv]

13 minutes ago, 2426255 said:

Do you suspect that means he is expected to sign permanently for Kyiv? I thought he was on for a move to Italy, France or Turkey.

I doubt Dynamo, or any Ukrainian team for that matter, will be signing anyone anytime soon. It wouldn’t surprise me if a lot of clubs folded, to be honest. 

[charger29]

Shakhtar played last night against Olympiacos. Presumably that's the first game any Ukrainian team has played in 7+ weeks. 2 or 3 national team players were involved. Some under 21 and under 19 national team players as well.

I forgot the Ukranian league ended in December. No competitive games for any domestic Ukranian team since 12th December 2021 from what I can see.

yep. I love Scotland games and the internationals (particularly when we are doing well) as much as the next TA fan (though mainly limiting myself to home games these days), but some of the responses on here not too far off "disgusted of Turnbridge Wells" furious at the Coronation Street slot being pushed back due to a 9/11 type news flash. 

I don't think there's anything wrong with putting our case forward or generally discussing the effect it will have on our team.
When Ukraine players are saying they don't know how they'd get through two playoff games in a short space of time due to their lack of fitness, everyone involved should be looking at their three other fixtures this month and general involvement in the NL group.
Are they really committed to playing Tuesday, Saturday, Tuesday, Saturday, Tuesday? Including the possibility of ET in two of those games?

[2426255]

11 minutes ago, Todd_is_God said:

The reasons have been outlined - UEFA don't want to delay the NL game, and the WCQ needs played, so this solution eases the congestion.

It's certainly not about what is best for Scotland (or, indeed, Ukraine), but about making life easy for UEFA & FIFA.

So the reasoning is to make life easy for UEFA/FIFA then? Is that what you're saying?

Edited April 10, 2022 by 2426255

[Bully Wee Villa]

Having the match double as an NL game seems perfectly sensible to me.

[Loominous]

1 minute ago, Bully Wee Villa said:

Having the match double as an NL game seems perfectly sensible to me.

I agree, it's okay. Games have simultaneously decided two outcomes in the past - I don't really see the fuss is and why people are getting up in arms over it. Other than it being a bit unusual, the rules are the same for both teams so it's equitable in that sense.

It's not like Ukraine are getting an advantage and just let the best team win.

[Bully Wee Villa]

I think some people just want to rant and rave about anything introduced by UEFA/FIFA. Having the one game count double is clearly preferable to putting both teams at a disadvantage by making them play four games in a week at some point.

[Todd_is_God]

27 minutes ago, 2426255 said:

So the reasoning is to make life easy for UEFA/FIFA then? Is that what you're saying?

Err... yes.

9 minutes ago, Bully Wee Villa said:

Having the one game count double is clearly preferable to putting both teams at a disadvantage by making them play four games in a week at some point.

But not clearly preferable to moving the NL game to September, and playing it on the 29th

[Caledonian1]

44 minutes ago, 2426255 said:

You're fuming over this. It's hard to really say too much based on one article in the Daily Record. Hopefully, if this is the decision then the reasons for it will be outlined.

So basically we are saying nobody knows what is planned.  Has anyone seen any credible quotes from FIFA /UEFA?

  Too often the Daily Record will trawl message boards such as this and pick up on pure speculation (I think someone mentioned the possibility for a double-header scenario weeks ago)

[2426255]

5 minutes ago, Todd_is_God said:

Err... yes.

I don't remember reading that anywhere to be fair. What's your source?

Edited April 10, 2022 by 2426255

[Todd_is_God]

5 minutes ago, 2426255 said:

I don't remember reading that anywhere to be fair. What's your source?

The worst type of argument. FFS.

It's my opinion, based on the wording in the DR article about fixture congestion, the fact it will cost the SFA over £2m, and that the NL game could be moved to the 29th of September.

You can disagree with my opinion, but if you are going to be arsey about sources for it (at which point it would cease to be an opinion btw) then what's yours that it isn't?

[Funky Nosejob]

Will be very awkward when Funky Junior and I turn up with our still valid tickets for the World Cup qualifier and bump into whoever has paid for the same seats for the Nations League game.

[2426255]

10 minutes ago, Todd_is_God said:

It's my opinion, 

Right, no that's fine  - I'll just add it to these opinions then.

On 02/04/2022 at 10:16, Todd_is_God said:

If they can declare on 1st April they will be 100% be able to field a team in June then there is no reason why they could not have fielded the same team 8 days prior if they had really wanted to.

 

23 hours ago, Todd_is_God said:

Why do Ukraine get to choose the date of the game? Why do Scotland have to lose a home NL game and not Ukraine?

Hope we absolutely batter them.

Please continue your meltdown.

Edited April 10, 2022 by 2426255

[Todd_is_God]

5 minutes ago, 2426255 said:

Right, no that's fine  - I'll just add it to these opinions then.

As I thought.

[Bully Wee Villa]

What a state you've got yourself in.

[2426255]

21 minutes ago, Todd_is_God said:

As I thought.

I would suggest that:

Given the NL games were due to have four matches in June and two in September, when they could have had two triple headers. Whatever the reason for doing that was, could possibly be the reason for the solution UEFA/FIFA has found with the WC playoff games. I don't know what that reason is and have no source for it, but it would seem reasonable, consistent and not paranoid. 

All assuming the Daily Record is correct.

Edited April 10, 2022 by 2426255

[HuttonDressedAsLahm]

I’ve got to agree with the above posts. Scotland should not be expected to agree to lose a home international, and potential UNL ranking points etc because it is convenient. 

Prioritise the playoff. The home UNL game can be played as a World Cup ‘warm up’, even if both sides are out. Hell, both sides can play B teams at any point in the year. Any of those options are preferable than making the game count for both. 

The complications of using a knock out match for league standings, when the two competitions are run by different organisers is ridiculous.

[Todd_is_God]

32 minutes ago, 2426255 said:

I would suggest that:

Given the NL games were due to have four matches in June and two in September, when they could have had two triple headers. Whatever the reason for doing that was, could possibly be the reason for the solution UEFA/FIFA has found with the WC playoff games. I don't know what that reason is and have no source for it, but it would seem reasonable, consistent and not paranoid. 

All assuming the Daily Record is correct.

I don't think triple headers are what either FIFA or UEFA want to become the norm, though - they were born out of necessity due to Euro 2020 being delayed and we're now back to normal from a scheduling point of view.

They were scheduled as 2 weeks of 2 fixtures in June, and 1 week of 2 fixtures in September because that was all that was required.

However, given the set of circumstances here, a one off triple header in September is many times more preferable than what is currently being proposed.

I'm not sure what road you are going down with your quip about paranoid.

[2426255]

12 minutes ago, Todd_is_God said:

we're now back to normal from a scheduling point of view.

Since when is a quadruple header normal from a scheduling point of view, since when is a quadruple header classified as a 2x double headers? Even UEFA call it a quadruple header.

Whatever the reason is for not holding two triple headers when the Nations League draw was made will probably be the reason that UEFA/FIFA have come to this solution regarding the WC playoff games. 

Less games no doubt means less money for UEFA/FIFA so I'm not sure this solution is totally in their interest either, maybe it's just the best compromise given the circumstances.

Edited April 10, 2022 by 2426255