UEFA Nations League

Maccatacca wrote: I think they've made an absolute balls of it to be honest. Expanding the number of teams in the tournament to 24 wasn't a great move in the first place, but there was nothing wrong with the top two teams going through and the best eight of the third placed teams being guaranteed a play-off place.   Essentially they've change the whole format so that one team from the likes of Georgia, North Macedonia, Kosovo, Belarus etc can qualify.

Tournament should revert back to 16 teams. It was a fantastic tournament and even allowed for the odd crap team like Ireland getting there in 2012. If they want additional teams to increase the number of teams, games, ahem money ahem,  have a second tournament with 8 or even 12 teams on at the same time for the nations that don't qualify for the main tournament/qualify through the NL.  Start a day or two after main tournament so the break days of the main tournament have football from the second tournament on, final on night before main tournament final etc

TonyNotJack wrote: All the Euro qualifiers today and tonight are practically meaningless? and all tomorrow except Ireland v Denmark and all on tuesday except Wales v Hungary/ Slovakia v Azerbaijan? That has to be a indictment of the format if nothing else.

it’s how it’s been for years now on the last match day of qualifiers and that’s nothing to do with the NL. It Looks less interesting when spread out across a number of days.

The NL itself is great, unfortunately they have absolutely destroyed the Euros though.

VanBosch wrote: yeah I like the NL, it’s the 24 team Euro that is terrible. One tweak I’d make is with the NL playoffs. Given how it turned out, there should be no League A playoff. If all teams bar 1 qualify, then the last team should get the spot - Iceland. If two teams left, one playoff, 3 teams the top seed plays the winner of 2v3. If 4 teams fine, leave as is. If all teams from a league qualify the place moved to the next league.

But the point of the NL is to cut out friendlies.
And to be able get more TV revenue from “competitive” games.
You now have another 12 playoff games next March, which will be well worth watching.
By the way if we don’t beat Denmark (but then win thru the playoffs, it will mean we have maybe 2 friendlies in May/June before the tournament.
But if we beat Denmark, then Mick can experiment with players for 2 friendlies in March and then another 2 in May/June.

Expanding to 24 and 8 host contries is a bad idea.

If there is no link between NL and qualification spots then the NL would become like the Europa League, no one would give a toss about it.

pre Madonna wrote: GB 1HughJarse wrote: If there is no link between NL and qualification spots then the NL would become like the Europa League, no one would give a toss about it. But the link is making a complete mockery of the Euros. The only link should be seeding. It’s a decent competition in its own right.

pre Madonna wrote: GB 1HughJarse wrote: If there is no link between NL and qualification spots then the NL would become like the Europa League, no one would give a toss about it. But the link is making a complete mockery of the Euros. The only link should be seeding. It’s a decent competition in its own right.