Serbia

Ireland

Luxembourg

Azerbaijan

Obviously prefer to nick 2nd by beating one of the top 2 and other results going our way.

For March yeah probably.

You'd imagine come September that might have a good change of changing 

October or November I'd say before we might see away fans. Might be reduced capacity for the first few rounds depending on how things are going 

2nd puts us into the playoffs. We won't be benefitting from other teams this time around to get into the playoffs

Do we get a prize for coming 3rd?

If we were to finish any lower than third it would be an atrocity.

Serbia are a bit better than us, but not by a vast amount.

Having said that, we are going to have to improve rapidly ourselves.....our current form is terrible.

This. In a nutshell.

Having said that, this is a nice group for a number of reasons. Over 30 years since we last met Lux, over twenty since we last met Portugal (in a competitive game), and never met Azerbaijan. I also think that Serbia are not the worst second seed we could have got.

Having said that, in our current form, particularly goalscoring, Serbia and Portugal will like the draw.

I wonder what Oman are up to

Portugal don’t run teams over in qualifying and Serbia are well capable of getting a result or two off them. Are we who knows but we were not as bad as the results in the Nations League suggested for all the points return and lack of goals were brutal. 

Sets up very similar to the Euro 2020 qualifying group and if we got that win against Georgia we put ourselves in a spot where we would have been odds on to qualify. 

The Azerbaijan/Lux games are huge in that we must win them and if we do then we give ourselves a big chance after that who knows but you do your bread and butter first. 

Looking forward to the fixtures being announced now.

 

Very possible Serbia and Portugal draw with each other and drop points against the weak two (not impossible).

 

We have a real chance of top 2 with this group. A 5 team is an added bonus.

 

 

 

Ronaldo will never retire id say. Not that bad of a group. Serbia are not that great. Portugal rightly favourite to top the group. No reason if we getvsome sort of form going we cannot aim for 2nd. 

They've also got Joao Felix finding form after a slow start to life at Atletico Madrid. They're certainly no longer the 1-man team they were a few years ago. 

Did the overnight train from Baku to Tbilisi. Never again. 

sh*te yeah. Unless we have them in the November window not a guarantee it'll be a runner for away fans.  

Muslim with beer though right?

Didn't notice that the police or security at all! Didn't have any issue finding any bars either, albeit they were quiet 

Didn't mind the train either 😂

We had a cramped 4 bed sleeper and the toilets were third world stuff. Yah there was a security post right below my hotel room but I assume it's there because of the embassies. 

When were you there Vidic? 

Portugal do mix it up from time but mostly play the games against higher seeds in the Estadio Da Luz which 65,000 so doubt there would be much trouble there. If not there Estadio Joze Alvalade which is 50,000 so again shouldn't be much of an issue. They have played a few times in Faro (which would be a nice summer trip) which is 30,000 which while not the worst given the numbers who might travel given the location perhaps a tricky one. There is also the possibility of it being in the Estadio Nacional in Lisbon which is 37,000 so again maybe a tricky one. 

Serbia - Belgrade in Red Star Stadium 53,000 doubt there be much issue just like back in 2016

Luxembourg at 8000 will be struggle.

Azerbaijan- Baku Olympic Stadium is 68,700 should be no issue at all

Portugal aren't in the NL games in October so we could play them in October

Yep. 

Same time as you, I was talking to you a about it 

We had a two bed sleeper, was grand! Toilets weren't too bad I thought, seen worse! 

Ah. They're the odd one out with 5 team groups. 5 x 5 Teams and 5 x 6 teams. Excellent stuff then

I'd say we're underestimating Portugal and discounting who else, apart from Ronaldo, plays for them.

Not a bad draw at all though. 

Let's hope Ronaldo retires from international football but that's very unlikely 

Before the Swiss game in Geneva? I don't remember you mentioning Baku but you probably did 

 

Hard to know he'd be nearly 38 by the time the WC itself rolls around if they qualify yet at the same time he may want another crack at it

Portugal is a non-runner and will top the group. Crazy for any of us to underestimate them.  I don't see us taking any points off them. maybe one if we're lucky. It's a tough but doable group and we have a chance against Serbia. 

He's 36 in Feb. He'll be nearly 38 by the time the WC comes around. Wouldn't be shocked if he went after the Euros but he may want one final crack at the WC

Yeah, 10 2nd places plus 2 Nations league spots in play offs for last three places. One leg semi final plus final as with euros. 

We really needed to get one of the bottom seeds for confidence...

England are going to batter San Marino and Andorra.

I wish we got them as we would score a decent amount of goals and get the confidence up.

He has stated he would retire after Qatar but if he keeps playing he might want another crack at the Euro’s!  Sure he is fitter than 90% of footballers 10 years younger than him. 

He is painful in interviews 

Portugal and Serbia will take maximum points off of Luxembourg and Azerbaijan. We needed lower seeded teams capable of getting draws off the bigger teams. 

What we are likely to get is 3 or 4 wins, but also 3 or 4 defeats.

Group H would have been much better for us. That's the kind of group you'd expect most teams to take points off one another, and 2 or 3 defeats might still allow you to take a play-off spot.

With teams like Switzerland & Sweden & Poland probably in the playoffs, we wouldn't get past any of them. 

Do the countries still agree the fixtures between them or does UEFA do them now ?

Apparently all done by UEFA /  probably saves them a headache of teams complaining.

If Serbia get points against Portugal we are in bother. If we take 12 points from Luxembourg and Azerbaijan, a draw away T to serbia and take them at home.  That's best case scenario.  

If we play like we did in autumn we will finish 4th or 5th 

 

Lux are one of the most improved teams in Europe. Aze away will be tricky. It will be a really impressive achievement to get 12 points from them games. I think we will pick up points in some form from the big 2.

 

16 points is achievable with this group.

 

Did you read my post 

He’s awful doing the mundane rent a quote sh*te the journos love to regurgitate ad nauseum, that’s true. But get him talking football systems and tactics and how he wants to play it’s a different kenny altogether, passionate and driven. But all the press want is quick quote nonsense unfortunately.

 

I get the whole being realistic about our chances but you're writing off the group where we're competing with Serbia for 2nd who recently got turned over by the Scots...

Life is dull enough these days without writing us off before a ball is kicked. 

But looking at the other groups, I think there are only another 2 where I think we would have a similar or better chance. 

Portugal are very tough, id have them currently in the top 4 of europe. 

Serbia are a good technical side but no superstars. 

Luxembourg and Azerbaijan will be tricky but we should have the beating of them.

I predict second place. 

That said, we have been poor in the last number of years so basing it off Kenny has all the players available to him and we finally start putting in good performances and getting results

Fixtures will be key 

Don't get this...Sure if they would take points off Portugal they are nailed on to take points off us!! Azerbaijan and a much improved Luxembourg away are far from gimmes 

Hi again dear friends.

Draw put us together again in the same group.

Honestly i don't know what to expect from our team. We were not expected win against Norway, and again complete nation were convinced that we will win comfortably against Scotland,but our team proved us wrong.

So, the situation is the same as it was for a decades, player agemts, mafia, coaches without experience and nepotism.

After the match against Scotland, couple of our former star players raised their voice against the complete system and FA management. Nemanja Vidic wrote a letter regarding situation in our FA which you can find on the web.

Slavoljub Muslin was sacked just before the start of WC2018, without any explanation (but we know that he was under pressure because he avoided to put Milinkovic Savic in the team). On his place they put Krstajic who was his assistant before.

Now, to save their asses, to court (i don't know the proper word) to the nation they're trying to bring Arsene Wenger (ahahhahaha) or Raymond Domenec (also ahahha) on our bench.

However, if they put someone without authority, i can expect that we will play very bad without plan and constancy. Just to mention that in last 10 matches we always started with different four defenders.

Someone mentioned that we are not the same quality as we used to be, i can't agree with that. By names probably we are better now, but the situation is the same in our FA.

Last time when we faced each other, we had a luck to have Slavoljub Muslin on the bench.

So, everything depends on manager, if we would have someone without balls, authority and vision, you can easily beat us (if Scotland could, than any team can).

I think no one believes in our national team anymore.

Wish you all the best, and may the better win.

Cheers from Belgrade

Totally agree it’s a nonsense argument.  Our best bet was always going to be get one of the weakest 4th seeds and get a 2nd seed we had a fighting chance against with a 1st seed who is likely to run away with the group.  

Basically it will probably come down to the two games against Serbia to see if we make

the playoff and I will take that.  Would still predict we come 3rd in the group but Serbia are not much better than us and went out in the playoffs on penos. 

they have some genuine match winners in their side and its not the most pleasant away if there's a full house in by that time

They are better side than us there is no doubt.  

The place was half empty when we played them in 2016. 

Drinking in Partizan bar after game that night with few of their mad fans. They refuse point blank to cross threshold of Red Star stadium 

This is how it will play out i believe.  I also think it is unlikely that both ourselves and Serbia will take 12 points from the games V Azerbaijan and Luxembourg.  One of us will slip up somewhere.  

We have gotten what we wanted i believe, a really good team from pot 1 who are likely and well capable of running away with the group (as you have said) and one of the lesser ranker or weaker (in comparison to say Poland, Switzerland, etc) sides from pot 2.  Can't have asked for much more than that.

Thanks appreciate the update.  Serbia would still be favourites for 2nd at this point.  

I'm delighted with Luxembourg and Azerbaijan.  I wanted weaker 4th and 5th seeds as we are in transition.  I'm not saying we will definitely beat them but we need wins and confidence boosters.  Luxembourg are the weakest team in pot 4 despite recent improvements.  Our best chance is to bring it down to a battle with Serbia for 2nd.  

Agree the fixture list is crucial.  We started the last campaign with 5th seeds away and 4th seeds at home.  I know pretty much all the travelling fans are hoping for Baku later in 2021 but I am sure Stephen would take that.  I'd rather play Portugal early than Serbia.  Ideally a friendly in March and a couple of the less crucial games. 

More than capable of losing both those games.

We are in a  very bad place can’t keep clean sheets compared to previous managers when we concede against either  I can’t see us scoring and fighting for 4th spot on the other hand somehow beat either of top 2 confidence returns and we could top the group.

Portugal far from a one man show and have to be favourites to top group.

Where fixtures fall could have a big say Azerbaijan away I 2 game is key  

No difference other than you play less games 

2nd goes to Playoffs where they're joined by a few Nations League team.

No difference between 5 and 6 team group

I believe there was one campaign where the best RU qualified?

And as you say, the worst RU didn’t even get a play off. 

Seems unfair - all RU should get the same result ie a play off spot.

With the Nations league they have room to give everybody a play off spot.

Yep

I'd say FIFA will find a way to seed them  (akin 2010 playoffs)