Euro 2024 - Qualification Thread

[Freedom Farter]

2 minutes ago, welshbairn said:

 

Yeah, I shouldn't have thrown Gibraltar under the bus to make a point about San Marino. Gibraltar's short football history already has some excellent overachievement.

[Jaggy McJagface]

1 hour ago, AMMjag said:

Israel out on their arse (for automatic at least), which is a terrible wee shame.

They are garbage though and would be an excellent draw at the Euros if the play offs are still on for them. 

I agree they are rubbish and we should be beating them but somewhat similarly to England I just cba playing them for the inevitable circus that would follow (particularly in Germany).

[Jim McLean's Ghost]

2 hours ago, AMMjag said:

Israel out on their arse (for automatic at least), which is a terrible wee shame.

They are garbage though and would be an excellent draw at the Euros if the play offs are still on for them. 

Israel won their Nations League group so are automatically in the Play Offs.

However them failing to qualify directly has meant Norway are completely out on their arse. No Haaland at the Euros.

Ryan Porteous will send him a postcard

[Gordon EF]

5 hours ago, eez-eh said:

Who’ll be the first arsehole to say that teams like Gibraltar don’t belong in the qualifiers?

Add North and South Ireland to that list.

[TheScarf]

I take it Wales don’t have a play off spot to fall back on?

[Marten]

36 minutes ago, TheScarf said:

I take it Wales don’t have a play off spot to fall back on?

Wales are guaranteed a play-off spot as there aren't going to be more than 4 League A teams who fail to qualify automatically, currently them and Poland are the only ones, guaranteeing both not only a PO spot, but also a home game against a team from a lower division. That can all change though should Italy mess up and lose away to Ukraine, then they will drop into the PO, meaning Wales lose their home advantage and will instead face an away PO semi-final to Poland.

As it stands, the PO will be as follows:
League A: Poland v Estonia, Wales v Finland / Ukraine / Iceland (one of those will be drawn out to go to path A)
League B: Israel & Bosnia at home against the 2 of Finland / Ukraine / Iceland who aren't drawn into path A (Israel will face Iceland if they aren't drawn out for Path A, otherwise Ukraine, with Bosnia facing the other one)
League C : Georgia v Luxembourg & Greece v Kazakhstan

 

[CityDave94]

10 hours ago, VincentGuerin said:

Gibralter have had decent results in the past.

Obviously, they're not a good side, and today they played againt probably the best national team in the world, away from home, and had ten men for more than 70 minutes. These things will just happen sometimes. Not that big a deal.

France just didn't hold back did they. When other teams might have settled at 6-0 and passed the ball around in a relaxed manner, got out the deckchairs and cigars, France didn't, they just kept going, absolutely ruthless, didn't matter if it was Gilbraltar.

This was France sending a message to the competition in the finals that they have no mercy, they are motivated and up for destroying anyone in their path. A bit like a super confident undefeated boxer who knows the title belt is theirs to win. Also showing their football fans that this time they are taking every game seriously.

It was a big deal to France.

I will have a wee chuckle though if they get beat by Greece on Tuesday night.

 

[Richey Edwards]

22 minutes ago, CityDave94 said:

France just didn't hold back did they. When other teams might have settled at 6-0 and passed the ball around in a relaxed manner, got out the deckchairs and cigars, France didn't, they just kept going, absolutely ruthless, didn't matter if it was Gilbraltar.

This was France sending a message to the competition in the finals that they have no mercy, they are motivated and up for destroying anyone in their path. A bit like a super confident undefeated boxer who knows the title belt is theirs to win. Also showing their football fans that this time they are taking every game seriously.

It was a big deal to France.

I will have a wee chuckle though if they get beat by Greece on Tuesday night.

 

The long range Mbappe goal was quality.

[oneteaminglasgow]

11 hours ago, Freedom Farter said:

Yeah, I shouldn't have thrown Gibraltar under the bus to make a point about San Marino. Gibraltar's short football history already has some excellent overachievement.

To be fair to them, their club sides have recently had some decent results in Europe, including actually getting through a couple of ties I think.

And I can’t think of any other micronation who’ve produced a player of the quality of Massimo Bonini.  

[VictorOnopko]

19 hours ago, Crawford Bridge said:

I don't get it.

They are a total goon platoon of Championship jabronis. 

Absolutely love this description.

18 hours ago, TheScarf said:

I said on another thread, Wales could field a bunch of National League players and they’d still qualify for tournaments. Their spawniness is borderline ‘get this looked into’.

Correct. It's extrenely frustrating to watch and I was hoping it would end with the top-knotted bellend's retirement.

1 hour ago, Marten said:

Wales are guaranteed a play-off spot as there aren't going to be more than 4 League A teams who fail to qualify automatically, currently them and Poland are the only ones, guaranteeing both not only a PO spot, but also a home game against a team from a lower division. That can all change though should Italy mess up and lose away to Ukraine, then they will drop into the PO, meaning Wales lose their home advantage and will instead face an away PO semi-final to Poland.

As it stands, the PO will be as follows:
League A: Poland v Estonia, Wales v Finland / Ukraine / Iceland (one of those will be drawn out to go to path A)
League B: Israel & Bosnia at home against the 2 of Finland / Ukraine / Iceland who aren't drawn into path A (Israel will face Iceland if they aren't drawn out for Path A, otherwise Ukraine, with Bosnia facing the other one)
League C : Georgia v Luxembourg & Greece v Kazakhstan

 

I feel I am not alone here in wishing that Wales would just F*CK OFF.  They are absolutely terrible these days, and yet they'll probably manage to slither through the play offs and pop up like an unflushed poo at the finals.  If they do, I hope we aren't the team tasked with flushing them out at the group stage, because they'd probably fluke a result which would be the worst thing that's ever happened.

Yes, I am hungover today but I really hate the Wales football team.

[Richey Edwards]

17 minutes ago, VictorOnopko said:

Absolutely love this description.

Correct. It's extrenely frustrating to watch and I was hoping it would end with the top-knotted bellend's retirement.

I feel I am not alone here in wishing that Wales would just F*CK OFF.  They are absolutely terrible these days, and yet they'll probably manage to slither through the play offs and pop up like an unflushed poo at the finals.  If they do, I hope we aren't the team tasked with flushing them out at the group stage, because they'd probably fluke a result which would be the worst thing that's ever happened.

Yes, I am hungover today but I really hate the Wales football team.

Them beating us home and away in the 2014 WC qualifiers was the fucking pits.

[Crawford Bridge]

Mind Rob Earnshaw's hat-trick? 

[Marten]

37 minutes ago, VictorOnopko said:

I feel I am not alone here in wishing that Wales would just F*CK OFF.  They are absolutely terrible these days, and yet they'll probably manage to slither through the play offs and pop up like an unflushed poo at the finals.  If they do, I hope we aren't the team tasked with flushing them out at the group stage, because they'd probably fluke a result which would be the worst thing that's ever happened.

Yes, I am hungover today but I really hate the Wales football team.

They might get through the semis, but Poland in the final would likely be too much for them, especially if they're drawn away. And if Italy lose to Ukraine, and/or Czech Republic lose to Moldova the path for the Welsh will become much harder as they'd first have to go away to Poland or Czech Republic before they can even think of any final.

[2426255]

24 minutes ago, Marten said:

They might get through the semis, but Poland in the final would likely be too much for them, especially if they're drawn away. 

Poland are utter crap at the moment. Don't think you could say who would win out of them and Wales.

Edited November 19, 2023 by 2426255

[Crawford Bridge]

I wouldn't trust Poland to beat Wales. 

Poland have been jobbies this campaign. 

[Marten]

32 minutes ago, 2426255 said:

Poland are utter crap at the moment. Don't think you could say who would win out of them and Wales.

Fair point, but I still think Wales are worse. And if Poland are at home that will make a big difference too. 

[2426255]

3 minutes ago, Marten said:

Fair point, but I still think Wales are worse. And if Poland are at home that will make a big difference too. 

I haven't seen enough to compare. How do you think Poland would have done in Wales' group and vice versa?

[itzdrk]

If I had to choose who I didn't want to be there between Wales and Israel I'd be welcoming to the Euros in open arms my good friends who I would never criticise, the Welsh. 

Edited November 19, 2023 by itzdrk

[Marten]

1 minute ago, 2426255 said:

I haven't seen enough to compare. How do you think Poland would have done in Wales' group and vice versa?

From what I've seen of Poland, I'd say they at least would have had enough about them not to f*ck things up against Armenia. Yes, they also got only 1 point against Moldova, but Moldova seem better than Armenia looking at their other results. Not like Poland are impressive, but I'd still make them the favourites if they face Wales, especially if the Poles are at home as that's never an easy place to go to.

[2426255]

4 minutes ago, Marten said:

From what I've seen of Poland, I'd say they at least would have had enough about them not to f*ck things up against Armenia. Yes, they also got only 1 point against Moldova, but Moldova seem better than Armenia looking at their other results. Not like Poland are impressive, but I'd still make them the favourites if they face Wales, especially if the Poles are at home as that's never an easy place to go to.

Fair enough - I think they're both much of a muchness. Chances are they'll meet in the play-offs and we'll get to test the theory out! I wouldn't disagree if someone argued that Wales had one catastrophic result that cost them their campaign.

Edited November 19, 2023 by 2426255