No easy games in International Football |
Post Reply | Page <1234 5> |
Author | ||
Green Devil
Robbie Keane Aye Kes, I've pissed me-self again Joined: 06 Oct 2010 Location: Barbados Status: Offline Points: 22174 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
|
Belarus have always been a tough nut in qualifying, between having lads playing in the Russian top flight and regularly in the CL with Bate they aren't a bad side. The Kazakhs have improved slowly but surely since leaving Asia too, it took a last minute Kevin Doyle strike for us to neat them in Astana! You also have clubs from the likes of Belarus and Kazakhstan regularly competing at the highest level in Europe. There is big money in Kazakh football at the minute the calibre of player is getting much higher. We wouldn't destroy either side imo |
||
"He drives two Ferraris; I think he's a very lucky lad to have 50 caps for Ireland,"
Eamonn Dunphy on Glenn Whelan |
||
Sponsored Links | ||
Steve Amsterdam
Jack Charlton I love buses Joined: 06 Jan 2009 Location: Amsterdam Status: Offline Points: 7381 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
|
These results all show that the European Qualifying groups are by far the hardest to get out of.
While in a way it's good to see the spots 2-5 all becoming much more competitive and close, it's also a worrying trend for us.
These countries are putting a huge effort in to ensure a good technical and tactical base to build upon and are catching up with the traditional European 'Mid-table' teams like ourselves. |
||
Molly Malone's pub- The home of YBIG in Amsterdam!
|
||
shakeyshamrock
500 Club la la la Joined: 25 May 2011 Location: Ireland Status: Offline Points: 577 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
|
But that is football.. defending is just as much part of the game as attacking. You're not under any obligation to play the game any particular way, once what you do is inside the rules then you can do what you like.. You may not find it attractive, but it most definitely IS football.
|
||
Devrozex
Jack Charlton Joined: 23 Oct 2010 Location: Dublin Status: Offline Points: 7676 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
|
I'd have Gibraltar below the likes of San Marino and Andorra to be honest. No way should they be playing international football in the UEFA zone. They'd be better off doing an Israel and seeing if the AFC or Oceania or somewhere like that will accept them.
|
||
coyne
Paul McGrath Joined: 17 Aug 2013 Location: Sunderland Status: Offline Points: 15881 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
|
It was more of a figure of speech but the point being is their game plan is bore teams to death with their ultra defensive mindset and it's definitely not fun to observe. Gibraltar concede tons because they come out to play football and create half chances for themselves, although they are probably the worst nation in UEFA I appreciate that more than sitting back for as 11 for 90 minutes. It's having personal advantages for the Gibraltar players too, the keeper's now playing in English football, low tier but he's at a Professional English club whereas he was literally a nobody before.
|
||
GB 1HughJarse
Liam Brady Joined: 03 Sep 2015 Status: Offline Points: 2091 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
|
Not any huge shocks after 1st round of games this weekend, however;
Luxembourg 0-1 Sweden (Lux ranked 145, Swe ranked 41), only a 1 goal win. Azerbaijan 1-0 Norway (Azer ranked 133, Nor ranked 70). Scotland 1-1 Lithuania (Sco ranked 44, Lith ranked 117). Latvia 0-2 Faroes (Lat ranked 95, Faroes ranked 111) I was surprised that the Faroes were ranked this high. England 2-0 Malta (Eng ranked 12, Malta ranked 176). Can't be too happy with only a 2 goal win over a team ranked 164 places lower than you. And finally, Ireland 1-0 Georgia (Ire ranked 31, Georgia ranked 137), over 100 places diff in rankings. By the way Moldova are ranked 161. No easy games? Or does this prove that the rankings are garbage? Personally I think the results from Europe and Sth America need to be weighted even higher, as World Cups prove (apart from the odd Asian/African/American quarter or semi finalist) that Europe and Sth America are streets ahead. |
||
Lenny82
Liam Brady Joined: 20 Aug 2010 Location: Ireland Status: Offline Points: 2914 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
|
Very few teams in Europe now where teams like ourselves would be expected to win by more than 2 or 3 goals.
I used to do accumulators on international football all the time. The odds were brutal but very rarely would there be an upset. |
||
t_rAndy
Robbie Keane Joined: 06 Feb 2008 Location: Ireland Status: Offline Points: 26244 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
|
There are really only 3-4 whipping boys. Rest will give ourselves a threat.
Not just the minnows but if you look at mid ranked sides and top sides, every group has 4 very good sides with some even with 3 top sides. Will be getting harder and harder to qualify for a world cup. This may be our best chance in a while |
||
Cathalthesmart
Davey Langan Joined: 24 Aug 2016 Location: Cork Status: Offline Points: 855 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
|
Lets be honest, Georgia aren't rely the 137th best team in the world, I'd certainly have them in the top 90 or 80. A team that can pass the ball around with the composer they had in the first half are not ranked 137th in the world. Malta had an amazing keeper and England had a yesman coach so yeah. Lithuania I feel will be a tough customer this campaign bare in mind they lead Slovenia 2-0 at half time in there first match. There are no easy games in Europe however I'd say Moldova are as close as you get to one outside of the whipping boys.
|
||
Hi Lads
|
||
pre Madonna
Robbie Keane I am MALDING Joined: 30 Nov 2014 Location: Trumpton Status: Offline Points: 44659 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
|
The rankings are just a rule of thumb but they are the best way of estimating a team's ability, Georgia are where they are for a reason. Despite playing very well in their two opening games they have nothing but two losses to show for it, I hope it doesn't affect their confidence tonight.
Most teams in Europe these days have professional coaches and a well organised system, any team that thinks they only have to turn up is in for a rude awakening, especially those thinking about a second game in a double-header etc. I believe an element of that was certainly visible in our players on Thursday and while the buck must stop with the gaffer, I think in this situation it must rest with individuals, the rollicking at half-time had an impact, maybe he should have given it before the game! Hopefully they get it tonight!
|
||
t_rAndy
Robbie Keane Joined: 06 Feb 2008 Location: Ireland Status: Offline Points: 26244 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
|
I think if we had of really required it, we could have stepped up a gear against georgia (e.g. going a goal down or drawing heading into the last few minutes).
Will be interesting to see how Wales do againt them this evening. Hopefully they will use their display (which deserved a point) as a platform to also give Wales a game. Would predict a wales 2-0 win though |
||
pre Madonna
Robbie Keane I am MALDING Joined: 30 Nov 2014 Location: Trumpton Status: Offline Points: 44659 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
|
I'm not sure about that, we had too many passengers at that point that the Georgians were on top and had no midfield player willing to take hold of the game, I'm not sure we could have found a way out that easily. I think their confidence will be jaded, two performances where they were the better team and nothing to show for it, hope I am wrong though. I think these games haven't always suited Wales, they seem to prefer to counter, but Bale often pulls them through.
|
||
OnTheOneRoad
Ray Houghton Joined: 06 Nov 2014 Location: Dublin Status: Offline Points: 4190 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
|
They can't rely on that forever. He has dragged them through some games they were really struggling - Andorra springs to mind. I don't honestly think that the night that fails is tonight but it will eventually.
|
||
No thank you Turkish......I'm sweet enough
|
||
Strazdas
Jack Charlton Joined: 17 Nov 2014 Status: Offline Points: 5483 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
|
Yes, I'd have Georgia at around 80 or 90.....maybe at around the same level as that Lithuanian team that drew with Scotland last night.
|
||
Het-field
Roy Keane By Appointment to His Majesty The King Joined: 08 Mar 2016 Status: Offline Points: 10658 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
|
I actually disagree, and I feel international football is one of the few categories of international football which provides very easy games. 20 years ago there were plenty of easy games, where the opposition posed little or no threat to teams of moderate quality. I would include the majority of the teams which came about as a result of the break-up of the Soviet Union, and the break up of Yugoslavia. As time went on, a number of these teams improved, and are not part of coterie of teams who will be difficult to beat, even at the best of times, but are still liable to "go down" under strenuous circumstances. Look at Armenia last night against Romania. Armenia are a decent team who were reduced down to 10 men and capitulated. Ditto Estonia in 2011 who fell apart against us in the Play-Offs after20 minutes. Yes, in the mid 1990s these teams did pull off a few noticeable coups (our 1997 defeat to Macedonia, the Netherlands 1-0 defeat to Belarus in 1995, and Wales 5-0 thumping by Georgia in 1995) but these were often explicable, or more down to poor performances by the higher ranked team, rather than any particularly well crafted performances by the lower ranked team.
Today, the likes of Albania have improved to the point of being a recognisably decent team, while Latvia, Slovenia, and Slovakia have all made it through to international tournaments. Estonia have made play-offs. However, for the most part the best results their contemporaries have achieved are against former strong teams who are going through a serious bad patch. Alternatively, they have made it very difficult for stronger teams to win games, and have often pushed them to the wire. Essentially, these are no longer easy games, but I would suggest that these are often games that teams make harder for themselves. However, in terms of easy games, the likes of Liechtenstein, San Marino, Gibraltar, Kosovo, Luxembourg, and Andorra are "Easy" and should be viewed as such. Anything less than large wins against these teams, for those with realistic aspirations to attend major tournaments, is not acceptable. At second level, teams like Moldova, Faroe Islands, Belarus and Malta would be relatively easy, and beatable. Beyond that, teams like Cyprus, Kazakstan, Azerbaijan, Lithuania, Latvia and Finland are banana skins, while former powers like Norway, Bulgaria are beatable, but whose reputation sustains them. After that, no team would be a pushover, and would certainly not be an "easy game". However, unlike in the European Club game, there are certainly "easy games". Its just the number of such games has greatly diminished as teams have utilised their two decades of experience to render themselves hard to beat.
|
||
SByrne24
Jack Charlton Joined: 11 Nov 2014 Location: Southampton. Status: Offline Points: 7811 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
|
Georgia defeated Spain not so long ago.... they also deserved something v Austria. They're a lot better then 80/90 they've improved massively, I believe Serbia will drop points there for definite and Wales, I'm looking forward this evening to see how Wales play v a packed side were they won't be able to counter attack which is their main tactic.
|
||
coyne
Paul McGrath Joined: 17 Aug 2013 Location: Sunderland Status: Offline Points: 15881 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
|
Malta was not a tough game for England. England finished with 80% possession and Malta registered their first shot in the 88th minute and it was off-target ffs
Just because the scorelines was low doesn't mean it was 'tough' If anything Northern Ireland struggled more against San Marino and they ended up with more goals, 1st half was really cagey. Aside from Gibraltar all the 6th seed teams do is just hoy 11 men in their own box and hope for a draw, and that apparently makes International games 'tougher'
Edited by coyne - 09 Oct 2016 at 3:31pm |
||
Zinedine Kilbane 110
Jack Charlton Man City records obsession Joined: 20 Mar 2012 Location: Dundalk Status: Offline Points: 9647 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
|
But France like Germany, Spain, Italy etc always qualify for the major tournaments. It's teams like Switzerland I'm in awe off... they have made the last 3 world cups! |
||
|
||
Post Reply | Page <1234 5> |
Tweet
|
Forum Jump | Forum Permissions You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot create polls in this forum You cannot vote in polls in this forum |