UEFA Nations League

 

 

Note this is different to what FIFA are considering which is a worldwide Nations League. That is supposedly at an embryonic stage.

Link?  I thought it was still being debated.

And they'd still find a way to screw up qualifying.

And stay in the 2nd group, which will be hard with Wales and Denmark in the group

Whether I like the tournament or not is irrelevant, tis going ahead anyway. 

My point was a response to all those who think this 2nd chance/playoffs are a good thing for us. After looking at old results, I don't see how anyone could come to that conclusion. 

The draw/win or win/draw was something I didn't look at, you are right there. Grand so. Went & had a look at consecutive games that we either won & then drew the game after, or drew & then won the game after, in the space of 3 or 4 days, going back to 1990. Only considered 2 X half decent outfits as the opposition. 

Guess what, there isn't any. 

For example, we drew with Portugal, then beat Estonia 4 days later in 2000, there are plenty of those type of back to back results. There are a few consecutive draws against decent nations as well, for example against Sweden away & Austria home in Traps last campaign. A lot of that was back in the old fixture meeting days where managers would usually do their best to avoid 2 good teams consecutively, but any time we have come up against that situation, we have usually lost one of the games, and maybe won or drawn the other one.

The playoff games can't end in draws, but our playoff record is pretty appalling too. Bosnia is the one and only example we have beaten a team ranked in or around us, and also the single example of us drawing, then winning a game in a short space of time V someone half decent going back to 1990. 

Your point about both teams having to go for it is very valid, but that is surely a negative from our point of view. What games have we ever 'gone for' in the typical sense of the phrase, in our entire history ?? Spain in the 02 WC, France in the Henry handball game, and Bosnia at home in '15 are the only ones I can really remember. With the tactical genius MON in charge, maybe we will sit back & try catch them on the break with our sheer speed & flowing football, Liverpool (on a good day) style. And repeat the trick 3 days later. 

All I'm saying is that if we end up in this situation, it is a bigger ask than what most people here are allowing for.  Time will tell, but going on a combination of history & where we find ourselves now, I wouldn't be optimistic these playoffs are a positive thing from our point of view. 

 

My ''research'' involved glancing at historical results for less that 10 minutes, it isn't a fcukin thesis or anything. D69 correctly pointed out I hadn't taken into account win/draws, or draw/wins, but having had a look, there aren't any, not against 2 reasonably decent teams, ie the 1st to 3rd seeds, in any group we have been in since 1990.  Now, we are down to consecutive draws, and there aren't many of those either, most are from the Trap era.  If holding out for consecutive draws and winning on pens is the best we can hope for in a playoff situation, it still doesn't look great.