UEFA has indicated that the 2022/23 UEFA Nations League Draw will take place in Montreux, Switzerland on Thursday 16th December

Plenty of Ryanair vouchers for Christmas please. 

Unlike with the Nations League groups that were linked to the Euro 2020 playoffs, there now being 16 teams in League A and 16 teams in League B means that we are no longer guaranteed a route to the playoffs - we will need to earn it by winning games and a top 2 finish in our Nations League group is likely to be what is needed to make the playoffs.

Four of the six group games will be played at the end of the current football season, so if we continue our current poor form in those games we may well have already blown our best chance of getting to Euro 2024 before the current season is out.

Pot 1 : Ukraine, Sweden, Bosnia, Iceland

Pot 2 : Finland, Norway, Scotland, Russia

Pot 3 : Israel, Romania, Serbia, Rep of Ireland

Pot 4 : Slovenia, Montenegro, Albania, Armenia

MAtches to played in June and September

Wouldn't mind a nice trip to Reykjavik and Ljubljana tbh.

Scots guaranteed to draw Israel so we don't need to worry about them, wouldn't mind another crack a Finland think they were fairly lucky against in last NL.

Yes. They've only existed since the 90s and we haven't drawn them since then. There can't be many European teams that we haven't played competitively against at this stage, Slovenia also maybe. We could draw both in this campaign.

That would be great...make a change from playing Georgia, Wales and poxy Denmark every year.

Iceland, Finland and Montenegro would do nicely for me. Helsinki is a great spot and I believe Montenegro is pretty nice also. I'd like to avoid Ukraine, Russia and Armenia for both footballing (first two) and travel reasons.

Or Slovenia

Ukraine, Slovenia and Kosovo are the only 3 we haven't played in a senior international game at all.

I think as someone said before We have played in Kiev against the USSR but that's as close as we've come. 

Was in ukraine with the drogs, a bit dodgy but was a great spot!

 

 will put it in the diary  - ahh bollix was looking to go YBIG London do that night

Excited for this with the possibility of actually going to these cities to see Ireland for the first time in 2 years.

Iceland the best draw in Pot 1 without their alleged criminal. Would like to go to Sweden too as it has been a long time but they are definitely a level above us so please avoid.

Pot 2 and Finland are definitely the best draw, despite the hard work we made of them last time, they are a poor side. For travel would be happy with anything bar Russia to be honest. I worry about us v anybody but Finland (and even v Finland given our recent record).

Pot 4 and Slovenia ideal draw for travel. Don't think there is much between the 4 teams ability wise.

That's not to say we shouldnt be hunting for a top 2 finish in it should be exactly what we are looking for. There's no team in League B to be remotely frightened off. 

Doh - had it in my head the fixtures were out then 

We're normally in the same seeding as them likewise Ukraine

On form, we wouldn't finish top2 in any setting

Goes to show that the nl is actually very important........results do matter

.......

Yeah the Greece one is very odd considering we'd never even played them in a friendly before 2000 and since have still only played them twice more in friendlies.

The schedule is a bit mad, likely because of the World Cup in December. We'll be playing four matches between 2-14 June 2022 and then the remaining two games in the September window. Something to look forward to at the end of the season!

These were final months ago though based on finishing positions in the NL - apart from the winners which only impacts group A?

A nice situation in that we can get another 6 games to bed down what we are doing further blood new young players standing out. we will be playing decent teams even if we don't top the Group as such it will bring us on with a view to March 2023 which has to be the big target. 

Those teams are decent but are teams we can be competitive against and will be 2nd 3rd and 4th seeds in any potential qualifying Goup so if we can be competitive against them it will bode well for that. 

Even if we finish 3rd it should also give us a play off at least if we don't qualify through the groups. 

These were final months ago though based on finishing positions in the NL - apart from the winners which only impacts group A?

Had read it wrong on twitter that Scotland and Israel had switched places.

Took this from Dale Johnson on twitter

Finland

Slovenia 

Would be a couple of nice trips. Would also scratch Slovenia off the list of European team's we've never played

From a purely footballing perspective - I'd like

A - Bosnia or Iceland

B - Finland or Norway

D- Any except Albania

Would like to avoid Sweden/Ukraine and Russia/Scotland - None of them are worldbeaters but they are probably a step ahead of where we are at currently. Ideal group for me would be Iceland, FInland, Montenegro

Of course but then again playing a Sweden/Ukraine or our Celtic neighbours will be positive in its own way. Opposition a step ahead of us so to speak allows us to test ourselves. If we can be competitive against that sort of opposition 2nd/3rd seeds it will bode well for us with a view to bring competitive in the qualifying group. 

Pluses and minuses to both I guess, I just feel with a young team, it would be nice to get a few results and not finish bottom of the group. A group with for example Sweden, Scotland and Albania would be difficult and as we have seen. a lot of Kenny's critics don't seems to care about performances or the quality of opposition.

Worst

Sweden

Norway

Albania

Best

Iceland

Finland

Armenia

There's no scary there

Whoever we get they should be good competitive fixtures.

League D is a much smaller division than last time, just total minnows now, so that place will be removed and given to Germany as hosts. So there will still be three qualification places available through the playoffs, we will need top 2 in our Nations League group to guarantee a playoff place, we might sneak in with a third place finish, fourth unlikely to be any use to us.

There is 16 teams in League A and 16 teams in League B. 20 teams will qualify directly for Euro 2024 via the traditional qualifying campaign. There is a high probability that these teams will be in League A and B. That leaves 12 unqualified teams in League A and B. League A and B both have 4 playoff berths. Therefore Ireland would likely get a playoff if they finished 3rd in their Nations League B group as only 4 teams from League A and B are guaranteed to miss out on a playoff spot. A 2nd place finish would all but guarantee a playoff spot.

Going to be a long month until this draw comes around

I hate this time of year! No Internationals for 4+ months, LOI wrapped up next week, Cup final week after.

Back to watching most of lads sit on the bench for their clubs in England.

Yes Iceland P1 and Finland P2 are the best choices. Albania or Slovenia from P4. 

Travel wise, I can only go to the September away game and wife has given me green light. So crossing fingers we get a draw and the September away falls kindly (e.g. would be a killer if we get Scotland and that is the away match where there is no hope in getting ticket).

From a travel perspective there is no real standout team you'd want. They all either seem a) expensive, b) awkward to get to or c) small stadiums. Then you've got Scotland which would be too accessible and you'd end up bringing thousands of fans over with no chance of a ticket. I'd probably go for Sweden, Finland and Slovenia but I'm only hoping to get to one of the games in June. Would love to see Sarajevo but you could end up playing out in Zenica.

Wouldn't Armenia be the weakest from Pot 4? Got thrashed at home by Macedonia a few days ago.

Travel wise for me; Iceland from Pot 1, anyone but Scotland from Pot 2 and no Pot 3 standouts.

Absolutely. Hopefully will be introduced in the future. 

Definitely, although they will be up against it as unseeded teams. For the Euros it gives a great backup to almost everyone in Leagues A and B

When is the draw?

Russia and Ukraine can't be drawn together, open draw for us other than that 

Best Case - Iceland/Finland/Armenia

We shall see whether or not Kenny is a lucky manger, he hasn't had a lot of it so far imo. Two wildly contrasting groups possible.

Regardless of who we draw from pots 1 and 2 the four bottom teams are much of a muchness, so there should be no "group of death" for us there - we should be taking four points minimum from any of those pot 4 teams as a starting point, and then see what we can get from the rest. Aim should be a top 2 finish in the group. 

Also notable that, looking ahead to the next World Cup campaign, there may well be a benefit to not winning this group in terms of a playoff path for 2026 (obviously a benefit to not coming last also).

By the very nature of the NL, the teams in each pot are very close, 1-2 places in rankings. In the bigger draws, one pot could have a swing of 8-10 spots.

Looking at the Pot 4 teams for example and I'm not saying that we shouldn't be beating them here. I'm just pointing out that none of these games will be easy, particularly away from home. In the most recent WCQ campaign, so relatively current form, they achieved notable results as follows

ALBANIA - Beat Hungary Home and Away

ARMENIA - Beat Romania and Iceland

MONTENEGRO - Drew with both Netherlands and Turkey

SLOVENIS - Beat Croatia, Drew with Slovakia Home and Away.

As for Scotland - compare their squad to ours - We have 2 regular PL players, one of whom is 33. They have Robertson, Mc Tominay, Tierney, Che Adams, Liam Cooper, Gilmour. Mc Lean, Stuart Armstrong, John McGinn, Ryan Fraser, Grant Hanley leaving aside players like Mc Gregor/Christie/Hendry etc. We are quite a way behind them at present. They are not drawing on players from League One.

Armenia, Iceland and Israel can't be in the same group, so there's a slightly higher chance of us drawing Armenia/Iceland.  No bad thing really.

Is that because of the distance thing. If so is that confirmed somewhere as it seems a bit mad of a rule 

Yeah it's part of the excessive travel restrictions. There's no winter restrictions though as the games are in June and September

Hopefully two consecutive aways in June. 

Read before that the fixtures would be finalised by the next day

Behind closed doors for the media and the like, but still broadcast surely?

Yes just like the draws today

It basically stinks of match "fixing" but how teams are drawn out.

Yep, link below 

https://www.uefa.tv/video/live/209739/?bucketName=Upcoming%20Live%20events&section=home " rel="nofollow - https://www.uefa.tv/video/live/209739/?bucketName=Upcoming%20Live%20events&section=home  ;

I have no doubt tomorrow's draw will be conducted fairly.  There are no delegates at the draw because of COVID protocols.  

The hot and cold balls trick was used in the past most notably to keep the Old Firm apart in Scottish Cup semi finals. 

These days it is much harder to do but less incentive either.  You need legendary wealthy footballers to be complicit.  

Our draw doesn't really matter to the TV companies etc.  League A will throw up some fascinating clashes no matter what happens.  

Friday

Where'd you see that? 

Last nations league draw was done around 5pm too and fixtures were announced about 10 that night. For the Euro 2020 qualifiers they were announced late that evening after the draw on the Sunday morning and for World Cup Qualifiers draw was in the evening time and fixtures next day. Since the groups are only small it might be possible that they would be announced late tomorrow night but the fact the delegates can’t meet it could be slower.

I think they use computers now rather than the 4 FA’s agreeing?

Yeah the draws are all done on computers now but I think the delegates still meet too incase there is any dates the stadium are unavailable or things like that.

It's a mix I think, they'd still need to input variables into the software, which could take a while too. But FA's don't get to lobby or horse trade anymore, you're correct there. 

Treacherous, aren't the Icelanders descended from vikings!?!?!? 

Yep, Vikings and, errmmm... Us!

Keep hold of your valuables gents. 

Has anyone been on to the Ticket Office?

Are you serious? 

I've booked in 7 different Russian cities just to be safe 

The KGB will have tabs on you.

Why not? It only takes a few minutes and doesn't cost anything. Can save yourself upwards of 70% of the cost or get somewhere nicer to stay.

If flights are cheap I do it for them too.

Definitely worth doing it for expensive cities like Oslo, Stockholm and Helsinki anyway.

You fat cats must have money to burn - bet you don’t finish your plankton either