Would Scotland or Northern Ireland win our league?

[Clown Job]

Scotland - yes, absolutely 

NI - Not a chance, they’re gash 

[craigkillie]

1 hour ago, G51 said:

This is a fun idea for a thread. And thanks to the glory of chess, we can actually take a bit of a stab at some of these using Elo scores for clubs and nations. Obviously has it's limitations (the nations one in particular) but it's just a bit of fun, so...

Assuming the "cloned-player theory" rather than any of the alternatives:

- Scotland would effectively be in a straight shootout with Rangers and Celtic for the title, and it would basically come down to the H2H results for those sides. All three teams have similar Elo scores (Rangers 1711, Scotland 1709, Celtic 1638). 

- Wales (1823) would thrash everyone, apparently.

- This may be somewhat surprising, but... Northern Ireland would be comfortably the best of the rest. Their Elo score (1511) is significantly better than Hearts (1360), who have the highest rating of the diddies. This also, unsurprisingly, applies to the Republic (1649), who would probably be looking to mount a title challenge instead. National teams that have a similar ranking to Hearts include Trinidad and Tobago (1360), Vietnam (1374), Reunion (1370) and Sierra Leone (1354). Closest European team would be Latvia (1378). 

- The Elo scores for the rest of the league are really very close - take out the top two (and the bottom one) and it's a competitive league. Hearts and Livingston (1339) lead the way, but there isn't much between them and St Johnstone (1272). Very much "anyone can beat anyone" territory, which does feel kinda close to real life. 

- So the real question - how bad would an international team have to be to be worse than Dundee (1217) and get relegated? Well... even the Faroe Islands have a better rating than Dundee (1230). Guyana (1213) are the highest-ranked team that are worse than Dundee. Others in the mix include Lesotho (1218), New Caledonia (1211) and Guadeloupe (1210). The highest ranked European team worse than Dundee would be Moldova (1200). 

There's a website floating around that has a complete Scottish football Elo rankings all the way down the pyramid. If anyone can remember what the website is called, I'd appreciate it. Would be very interested to see how far down the pyramid you'd have to go to find a team worse than bottom-ranked Palau (403).

Edit: found it, isn't any use sadly.

Elo rankings are only comparable within the same closed system where there are common opponents, and therefore these are two entirely distinct sets of ratings with no relationship to each other.

[Theroadlesstravelled]

Scotland would breeze it.

Rangers want to sign Ross Stewart who is a fringe Scotland squad player at best. That’s where they are at.

[AndyX]

1 hour ago, The_Kincardine said:

36 posts and you're using the same dreary old 'whit aboot' tripe that has been clogging up the board for a decade.

You'll be popular.

Oh piss off - 27000 posts and the best you can manage is Scotty Wright won the Scottish Cup. Do you never wonder where your life's gone?

[Dons_1988]

12 hours ago, The_Kincardine said:

Scottish Cup-winning Scotty Wright?

I watched Scott Gemmill's risk-averse U21 get all but pumped by Denmark this afternoon.
Steve Clarke's 'full international' team were, equally, no great shakes against an utterly dreadful Armenia side - though well deserving of the win.

'Young Rangers' and 'Full team Rangers' would have done better against both.

You’re a bit of a try hard these days. Sad to see. 

[10menwent2mow]

I think Scotland would win it at a canter. Some of our English based players are miles better than anything Rangers and Celtic have got and our Scottish based ones are the best in their position in the league. 

I take on board the points made about Dykes and Adams up front but this can be countered by the fact that Morelos and Kyogo are scoring wads of goals against Scottish Premiership defences who are nowhere near as good as the Scotland defence. Yes, Morelos has done well in Europe but his international record is underwhelming (again with the caveat of it mainly being substitute appearances)

As for Northern Ireland, clearly a team in massive transition. Looking at the current squad, it's made up of guys like McGinn, Davis, Lafferty and Evans and then a heap of youngsters. I think they'd be best of the rest however. 

So 

Scotland 

Celtic

Rangers 

N.I

Abdy else

 

 

 

[topcat(The most tip top)]

11 hours ago, craigkillie said:

Elo rankings are only comparable within the same closed system where there are common opponents, and therefore these are two entirely distinct sets of ratings with no relationship to each other.

Also predictions based on last summers ELO rankings would have had Rangers winning the title comfortable with Hibs, Aberdeen and St Johnstone qualifying for Europe and Livingston finishing in the top 6

 

 

[tamthebam]

Would Scotland challenge for the Championship.... 

[santheman]

7 minutes ago, tamthebam said:

Would Scotland challenge for the Championship.... 

Not with that attack.

[Monkey Tennis]

Scotland might win the league we're in this season.

Probably though, they'd just scrape a play-off spot. 

[Busta Nut]

Northern Ireland are dugshite. Not a chance.

Scotland would finish 3rd

[LIVIFOREVER]

4 hours ago, Busta Nut said:

Northern Ireland are dugshite. Not a chance.

Scotland would finish 3rd

Only if they do an erse cheek strategy calling up all the Scottish players from the diddy teams to weaken them, otherwise i doubt they'd finish in the top 6.

[The_Kincardine]

On 11/06/2022 at 09:20, Dons_1988 said:

You’re a bit of a try hard these days. Sad to see. 

That Rangers would beat SCO is a given.  That Scott Gemmill's U21's under perform is obvious.  

You think that me pointing this out makes me a 'hard try' is to your demerit.

[Sortmeout]

2 minutes ago, The_Kincardine said:

That Rangers

Rangers died pal.

[The_Kincardine]

On 11/06/2022 at 11:15, 10menwent2mow said:

Morelos and Kyogo are scoring wads of goals against Scottish Premiership defences who are nowhere near as good as the Scotland defence.

This post went off quicker than a dead mackerel under a sunlamp.

[Dons_1988]

1 hour ago, The_Kincardine said:

That Rangers would beat SCO is a given.  That Scott Gemmill's U21's under perform is obvious.  

You think that me pointing this out makes me a 'hard try' is to your demerit.

It’s a complement mate, work rate is an attribute. And I think you try very hard. 

[The_Kincardine]

4 minutes ago, Dons_1988 said:

It’s a complement mate, work rate is an attribute. And I think you try very hard. 

Patronising pish.  "Sad to see. "

[JamieThomas]

Somebody should post that Bruce Forsyth gif

[Ya Bezzer!]

So how does this work?  McGregor is on loan to Scotland for their matches but can't play against his club?

Celtic, Rangers and Scotland are all completely and utterly shite defensively.  So it comes down to offensive power and Celtic and Rangers are much better than Scotland in that regard.

They are also both more of a cohesive team, an area where Scotland are absolutely fucking atrocious.  Most of the time Scotland look like they have never met each other before.

I mean Rangers and Celtic are horrible clubs but anyone that thinks this Scotland would triumph over them is letting their own biases cloud their judgement.

Northern Ireland should finish in a Euro place easily, which says something about the standard outside the top 2.  The caveat to that is that they are managed by a complete diddy.

[Jacksgranda]

10 hours ago, JamieThomas said:

Somebody should post that Bruce Forsyth gif

This one?

Or this one?

Or this one?