Spain (a) in October

[2426255]

1 hour ago, Pie Of The Month said:

Considering you used to cry about 2426255 following you about this place because you had one opinion so bad the mods locked the thread to stop the embarrassment I think the irony might be lost on you that you're doing the same to Craig now.

What a time that was. 

[Monkey Tennis]

9 hours ago, Kevin Finnerty said:

To be fair, Norway were never going to drop points against Cyprus in a million years and they were favoured to beat Georgia too so I don't see those results as particularly ominous for us. Meanwhile our first slip-up came in objectively our toughest game in the campaign and I think it's fair to say we were a bit unlucky not to take anything from it. In all three of those matches though the result has pretty much gone the way that a neutral observer would have expected. If Norway somehow win on Sunday then it'll be the first meaningful hazard that's arisen in our path to qualification so far. (I would still firmly expect us to win the group in that circumstance though).

Indeed, all of which will be why I said "I'm still very confident we'll be in Germany, but if Norway win tomorrow, I will experience serious jitters."

[MarkoRaj]

Don't see us not qualifying

This squad is too good not to beat Georgia. 

I also think they thrive under pressure rather than wilt like some of our previous teams

Especially if winning the group is in sight 

[Salvo Montalbano]

22 hours ago, Fuctifano said:

They already have some form of this with goal line technology

Sadly, VAR has stuck it's nose into this supposed "black or white" system too... Fiorentina denied goal by VAR

[Ewanandmoreagain]

3 hours ago, Monkey Tennis said:

Indeed, all of which will be why I said "I'm still very confident we'll be in Germany, but if Norway win tomorrow, I will experience serious jitters."

Seconded

14 hours ago, Monkey Tennis said:

That's seriously pessimistic, but I know what you mean.

Since we won in Cyprus, Norway have had two chances to drop points but haven't.  Similarly, we've had a chance to seal it, but haven't.

I'm still very confident we'll be in Germany, but if Norway win tomorrow, I will experience serious jitters.  

We're good enough now, to still feel comfortable about taking points from our remaining games.  If we need to, however, it might feel tricky.

I would be feeling a lot more confident about the last two games if Tierney and Robertson were not injured.

Disappointed we did not get a result in Spain but neither did most of the team who beat Spain 3 - 1 whenever it was.

Very disappointed in the goals we lost

 

13 hours ago, Kevin Finnerty said:

To be fair, Norway were never going to drop points against Cyprus in a million years and they were favoured to beat Georgia too so I don't see those results as particularly ominous for us. Meanwhile our first slip-up came in objectively our toughest game in the campaign and I think it's fair to say we were a bit unlucky not to take anything from it. In all three of those matches though the result has pretty much gone the way that a neutral observer would have expected. If Norway somehow win on Sunday then it'll be the first meaningful hazard that's arisen in our path to qualification so far. (I would still firmly expect us to win the group in that circumstance though).

This , although Norway have drawn with Georgia

[Molotov]

4 hours ago, MarkoRaj said:

Don't see us not qualifying

This squad is too good not to beat Georgia. 

The same was said by many down the years. Change Georgia for Iran, Peru, Costa Rica, Morocco, Estonia, etc. 

I am sadly too old to remember the joys of such youthful enthusiasm and positivity!  

I just want this qualification to be secured as early as possible just in case my heart packs in at a “winners take all” shootout against Norway at Hampden. 

[Old Bing]

7 hours ago, Pie Of The Month said:

Considering you used to cry about 2426255 following you about this place because you had one opinion so bad the mods locked the thread to stop the embarrassment I think the irony might be lost on you that you're doing the same to Craig now.

Why don't you go and have a look at that thread and see me admit numerous times my opinion was incorrect.

Then let's see if you can do the same?

[Pie Of The Month]

24 minutes ago, Bing.McCrosby said:

Why don't you go and have a look at that thread and see me admit numerous times my opinion was incorrect.

Then let's see if you can do the same?

My opinion isn't incorrect though so why would I do the same? I'm simply pointing out you are acting in the same way you complained about when others did it to you.

[Old Bing]

8 minutes ago, Pie Of The Month said:

My opinion isn't incorrect though so why would I do the same? I'm simply pointing out you are acting in the same way you complained about when others did it to you.

Your opinion is incorrect, I suspect you know this already. However If you want to talk further about this you can pm me.

[MarkoRaj]

2 hours ago, Molotov said:

The same was said by many down the years. Change Georgia for Iran, Peru, Costa Rica, Morocco, Estonia, etc. 

 

When was the last time it happened though? 

Pre-Covid? Pre-Clark?

Genuinely don't remember the last time we dropped points to a lower ranked nation in qualifying

[eez-eh]

Just now, MarkoRaj said:

When was the last time it happened though? 

Pre-Covid? Pre-Clark?

Genuinely don't remember the last time we dropped points to a lower ranked nation in qualifying

Israel in the last WC qualifying group surely.

[HoBNob]

On 14/10/2023 at 13:09, Bairnardo said:

People should apologise to him because he couldn't resist taking a condescending and argumentative tone, and information has come to light that he didn't have when doing so? He's right by blind luck. Having taken a position against available evidence at the time, and even if you are right, talking to folk in such a way generally doesn't have the apology queue thronging.

For my small (if at all) part in his flouncing off, iv already agreed that he would be a loss to the site, but that I couldn't get my head round the way he went about it on here. That will do for me. 

 

But then, I'm not known as a big man. 

It seemed he'd effectively stopped posting outwith the info wire thread, and this sub forum since early August in any case. 

[skiblue]

Both teams need a win... So I guess playing 4 a draw will not be in their plans

[velo army]

On 14/10/2023 at 11:47, craigkillie said:

Skyline Drifter is due one hell of a lot of apologies on this thread, I wonder how many will be big enough to do it.

If he's provided this evidence there would be no argument with him. All available evidence pointed to it being awarded for a foul. SD was backing up his arguments with supposition. He had no idea this evidence existed and was just doubling down on his initial declamation from a principle of recalcitrance rather than surety. If he'd been humble about it and accepted he was going on a hunch then people would be more charitable. He wasn't and was being a bit nippy about the whole thing.

 

[Donathan]

2 hours ago, MarkoRaj said:

When was the last time it happened though? 

Pre-Covid? Pre-Clark?

Genuinely don't remember the last time we dropped points to a lower ranked nation in qualifying

 

2 hours ago, eez-eh said:

Israel in the last WC qualifying group surely.

Yep it’s Israel unless we are counting the nations league (3-0 defeat in Dublin). 
 

Every single campaign from euro 2004 until recently we dropped points to one or more minnows

 

Euro 2004 - Drew in Faroe Islands and lost in Lithuania

 

WC 2006 - Lost at home to Belarus

 

Euro 2008 - Lost in Georgia

 

WC 2010 - Lost in Macedonia

 

Euro 2012 - Drew in Lithuania

 

WC 2014 - Drew at home to Macedonia 

 

Euro 2016 - Lost in Georgia 

 

WC 2018 - Home draw with Lithuania

 

Euro 2020 - Beaten in Kazakhstan

 

I don’t count Israel as a minnow so a draw away to them is perfectly fine. Clarke has never had a result as bad as any of those I’ve outlined there. 

[Dunning1874]

12 hours ago, Donathan said:

 

Yep it’s Israel unless we are counting the nations league (3-0 defeat in Dublin). 
 

Every single campaign from euro 2004 until recently we dropped points to one or more minnows

 

Euro 2004 - Drew in Faroe Islands and lost in Lithuania

 

WC 2006 - Lost at home to Belarus

 

Euro 2008 - Lost in Georgia

 

WC 2010 - Lost in Macedonia

 

Euro 2012 - Drew in Lithuania

 

WC 2014 - Drew at home to Macedonia 

 

Euro 2016 - Lost in Georgia 

 

WC 2018 - Home draw with Lithuania

 

Euro 2020 - Beaten in Kazakhstan

 

I don’t count Israel as a minnow so a draw away to them is perfectly fine. Clarke has never had a result as bad as any of those I’ve outlined there. 

And in all but one of those cases, it was the points we dropped v 4th, 5th & 6th seeds that cost us qualification, with our results against our actual qualification rivals being good enough to at least make a playoff if we hadn't dropped points in games we should always win.

2004 - missed out on automatic qualification by 4 points having dropped 5 points v 4th seeds Lithuania & 5th seeds Faroes

2006 - missed out on the playoffs by 5 points having dropped 7 points v 5th seeds Belarus & 6th seeds Moldova

2008 - missed out on automatic qualification by 2 points having dropped 3 points v 6th seeds Georgia

2010 - missed out on a playoff by 3 points having dropped 3 points v 4th seeds Macedonia (we only missed runner-up on head to head but Norway were the worst runner-up, would have needed 3 more points to displace Ireland as one of the 8 runners-up making the playoff)

2012 - dropped 2 points v 4th seeds Lithuania and finished 2 points behind Czech Republic for a playoff, but they'd have finished above us on head to head anyway

2014 - missed out on a playoff by 6 points, having dropped 8 points v 5th seeds Macedonia and 6th seeds Wales

2016 - missed out on a playoff by 3 points, having dropped 3 points v 5th seeds Georgia

2018 - missed out on a playoff by one point, having dropped 2 points v 5th seeds Lithuania

While Clarke had a defeat v Israel as 4th seeds, just look at the difference it makes knowing we'll always go and take six points from the minnows. If we'd had Levein or Burley in charge for this group they'd have come away from Cyprus saying clinging onto a 0-0 there was a good result, even after not beating Spain or Norway. The change in mentality that we should always beat these teams rather than shrugging off games at home to Lithuania as not must win is massive and means you need a head to head f**k up v your direct competitors to fail to qualify.

[MarkoRaj]

Personally I think we should try and win our first 5 games every campaign 

[Jambomo]

1 hour ago, MarkoRaj said:

Personally I think we should try and win our first 5 games every campaign 

It’s a great strategy. I’m amazed we haven't thought of it before.

[eez-eh]

1 hour ago, MarkoRaj said:

Personally I think we should try and win our first 5 games every campaign 

Managers hate this one simple trick.