Should teams like Andorra be in the World Cup?

[Worthai Seagull]

...Jimmy Greaves summed it up at half time when he said that the guys from the 1966 World Cup team could turn out now and beat them !!

 

[alex_brighton]

no, no they shouldnt

 

[shoreham moonraker]

of course they should, they are a nation. its like saying whats the point of football outside the premiership.

 

[Shinbreath]

Absolutely not !!! Whats the point? Its not even like you can can use a game like that as a practice game to try out different tactics cos you will never play a team as shit as that in the World/European cup finals... No point whatsoever !!!!!!!

 

[REDLAND]

Absolutely not !!! Whats the point? Its not even like you can can use a game like that as a practice game to try out different tactics cos you will never play a team as shit as that in the World/European cup finals... No point whatsoever !!!!!!!

would you say the same if the FA Cup became a top one or even top two division league competition

 

[seagullwedgee]

I like Lawrenson's idea. Put all these shit teams (Andorra, Faroe Islands, San Marino, Armenia, Lichtenstein etc) together in one group.

Let them play against each other, so at least they get the chance to occasionally play a competitive game.

Then let the winner of the group play a 2 leg playoff against one of the other group runners up (where they WILL come up against proper strong opposition) for a place in the finals.

I mean, in other parts of the world that's what happens, CONCACAF, for example where you get shit footie like Canada v Costa Rica, they get a competitive game but will never progress much further.

 

[REDLAND]

I like Lawrenson's idea. Put all these shit teams (Andorra, Faroe Islands, San Marino, Armenia, Lichtenstein etc) together in one group.

Let them play against each other, so at least they get the chance to occasionally play a competitive game.

Then let the winner of the group play a 2 leg playoff against one of the other group runners up (where they WILL come up against proper strong opposition) for a place in the finals.

I mean, in other parts of the world that's what happens, CONCACAF, for example where you get shit footie like Canada v Costa Rica, they get a competitive game but will never progress much further.

hows Andorra playing San Marino more competitive than what they have played tonight ??

:utterCock:

 

[Conkers]

I like Lawrenson's idea. Put all these shit teams (Andorra, Faroe Islands, San Marino, Armenia, Lichtenstein etc) together in one group.

Let them play against each other, so at least they get the chance to occasionally play a competitive game.

Then let the winner of the group play a 2 leg playoff against one of the other group runners up (where they WILL come up against proper strong opposition) for a place in the finals.

I mean, in other parts of the world that's what happens, CONCACAF, for example where you get shit footie like Canada v Costa Rica, they get a competitive game but will never progress much further.

The problem with that though, is that there is a greater chance of the shite team getting through as you are only playing 2 games against a good opponent rather than 10 in a group stage (i.e. easier to get lucky in 2 games rather than 10).
I think that will only enhance the chances of crap teams getting through.

 

[Worthai Seagull]

I like Lawrenson's idea. Put all these shit teams (Andorra, Faroe Islands, San Marino, Armenia, Lichtenstein etc) together in one group.

Let them play against each other, so at least they get the chance to occasionally play a competitive game.

Then let the winner of the group play a 2 leg playoff against one of the other group runners up (where they WILL come up against proper strong opposition) for a place in the finals.

I mean, in other parts of the world that's what happens, CONCACAF, for example where you get shit footie like Canada v Costa Rica, they get a competitive game but will never progress much further.

Totally agree

 

[seagullwedgee]

hows Andorra playing San Marino more competitive than what they have played tonight ??

:utterCock:

so, you think Andorra competed tonight, Redcock? Interesting theory.

 

[Slough Seagull]

of course they should, they are a nation. its like saying whats the point of football outside the premiership.

exactly...and lets just remember that they will all have Andorran passports and none of our players have an 'english' passport...

 

[REDLAND]

so, you think Andorra competed tonight, Redcock? Interesting theory.

I reckon its done more for their nation than playing meaningless 4th tier qualifying games amongst the 3'rd best !!!

oh and please note wedgee is spelt weegie, you moron !!!

 

[Shinbreath]

would you say the same if the FA Cup became a top one or even top two division league competition

In the FA cup, the shit teams all play each other first before getting to the latter stages. You wont get Eastbourne Borough drawn against any of the top 5 in the first week of the competition so thats not a fair comparison.

Where I'm coming from is that most of the players play enough football with their respective clubs, potentially the FA cup, Carling cup, UEFA/Champs league as well as their league games.

And what with the ongoing club Vs country issues that always keep cropping up I feel that these nothing games are a waste of time.

I think there should be a preliminary round for these types of teams and if one day they get a good breed coming through they will go up the ranks naturally, just like in League football.

 

[REDLAND]

In the FA cup, the shit teams all play each other first before getting to the latter stages. You wont get Eastbourne Borough drawn against any of the top 5 in the first week of the competition so thats not a fair comparison.

There is absolutely no reason why they can't, apart from banning them directly from the start !!

 

[Tooting Gull]

Then let the winner of the group play a 2 leg playoff against one of the other group runners up (where they WILL come up against proper strong opposition) for a place in the finals.

I mean, in other parts of the world that's what happens, CONCACAF, for example where you get shit footie like Canada v Costa Rica, they get a competitive game but will never progress much further.

And if they're really lucky, they might get to play Scotland - in which case it's cases packed for the World Cup.

 

[Nottseagull]

CONCACAF, for example where you get shit footie like Canada v Costa Rica, they get a competitive game but will never progress much further.

Nonsense, both nations have qualified in modern times.

 

[Shinbreath]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but as far as I'm aware, the first teams that go into the "hat" in the early stages of the FA cup are the lower tier teams. I presume that this system is in place to prevent the higher tier teams playing too many "nothing" games when they already have enough important games to play. And its only in the latter stages that the higher tier teams go into the "hat" with the best of the lower tier teams therefore making sure that the competition is both fair and relevant.

 

[Nottseagull]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but as far as I'm aware, the first teams that go into the "hat" in the early stages of the FA cup are the lower tier teams. I presume that this system is in place to prevent the higher tier teams playing too many "nothing" games when they already have enough important games to play. And its only in the latter stages that the higher tier teams go into the "hat" with the best of the lower tier teams therefore making sure that the competition is both fair and relevant.

Clubs are exempted, by way of divisional status, to the following rounds: Third, First, Fourth Qualifying Round and Second Qualifying Round.

 

[Easy 10]

I've been banging on about this for YONKS.

Your Faroes Isles / Luxembourgs / Lichtensteins / Andorras / San Marinos should ABSOLUTELY have to pre-qualify before earning a place in a professional World Cup / European Championship qualifying group. They have NO RIGHT, as amatuers, to walk out at Wembley, Turin, the Bernabeu, etc stright off the cuff to clog up these groups against proper footballing nations.

I've had enough of the non-event, one-sided spectacles we saw again tonight. They turned up and (predictably) hardly got out of their own half. Thats not SPORT, its pointless, predictable humiliation. Anyone paying £30+ for that was a mug.

By all means include junk like Andorra in World Cup qualifiers, but for fucks sake, make them battle through against teams of similar stature before chucking them out at Wembley and calling it a "World Cup Qualifier". If you're ranked outside the top 100 nations, you do not BELONG on that stage unless you've done something to earn it.

Pathetic.

 

[Worthai Seagull]

Nuff said !Well done