the qualifying technique suggested in the times

[mejonaNO12 aka riskit]

cant be arsed to go get the article but the guy who wrote it today hit the nail on the head about these boring qualifiers. why not produce groups with there own ranking. so you have a group with the worst teams in europe (liechenstein malta azerbaijan etc) and then have better and better groups (of course still with the best teams seeded in those groups)

anyone else read this? it produced more competetive matches and still meant the better teams(IF THEY REALLY ARE BETTER) WOULD GO THROUGH AND NOT CAUSE UTTER HUMILIATION TO THESE LESSER TEAMS.

*sorry BOut THE cApS.

 

[dougdeep]

Pardon?

 

[Knightsworld]

I have not read it but was thinking along the same lines during the game.

 

[mejonaNO12 aka riskit]

Pardon?

yeah i read that back. paragraphs and any sort of english//punctuation would have helped it really

well I knoew what i meant

 

[Kukev31]

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,8305-1546690_1,00.html

I think this is the article you mean. It sound a sensible solution and UEFA should seriosly consider it.

 

[mejonaNO12 aka riskit]

thats the one. found it very interesting reading. hope they do look at it

 

[Waterhall Wizard]

Sounds patronising to me. (Where else did I read that accusation?)

 

[mejonaNO12 aka riskit]

Sounds patronising to me.

what? the proposed system?

if thats what you mean then i believe poland 8-0 ajerbaijan is maybe i bit more patronising than malta 1-1 ajerbaijan. at least they have more of a chance

and england playing 90 mins against 11 defenders or england vs a team like croatia being a regular standard of qualifying match? far less patronising i believe

 

[Hove&Albion F.C]

Yeah i read that article. Reckon he's spot on with it as well. Was talking to my dad about why we don't have qualifying rounds like that on saturday, makes sense to me!

 

[Waterhall Wizard]

At one time Greece was looked upon in the same light as Azerbaijan. Look at Greece now.

These 'little' teams need to play the 'big' teams to improve their standard. Football is a fraternity and we should be happy to give them a helping hand.

 

[mejonaNO12 aka riskit]

At one time Greece was looked upon in the same light as Azerbaijan. Look at Greece now.

These 'little' teams need to play the 'big' teams to improve their standard. Football is a fraternity and we should be happy to give them a helping hand.

sorry. i have to disagree

how can not touching the ball(against england) be better for your footballing skills than KICKING the ball against bad teams? it must be so disheartning to run around like headless chickens for your country.

so give them a bit of pride! not just for them but the fans. let them TOUCH the ball and actually play a competetivre match against another team like themselves. it must be more beneficial; than being thrashed every time.

 

[Eddie the Seagull]

I think teams like Azerbejian & such like should be given the chance to develop in their own right - they've only been a (free) nation for 15 years & only have 400 pro footballers.

Unlike Wales & Scotland, (who have decades to get it right), of course.

Both are shit & always will be.

 

[junior]

At one time Greece was looked upon in the same light as Azerbaijan. Look at Greece now.

These 'little' teams need to play the 'big' teams to improve their standard. Football is a fraternity and we should be happy to give them a helping hand.

That is a VERY good point.

I also feel sorry for Azerbijan as we "Humiliated" them 2-0 tonight

 

[mejonaNO12 aka riskit]

That is a VERY good point.

I also feel sorry for Azerbijan as we "Humiliated" them 2-0 tonight

we didnt on the scorline i agree but come on! we were facing 11 defenders! they came here to defend. how must that feel on the plane over? 'come on lads! lets keep it below 5 tonight!'

i believe this new idea from the times guy would be great

 

[Hove&Albion F.C]

Have to agree with Mejona- and if they do improve they will make it through the pre-qualifiers anyway!

How is it beneficial in any way for teams like azerbajain to be told to go out and put 11 men behind the ball every competive game they play?

 

[Theatre of Trees]

Agree with Waterhall Wizard on this one, Greece, Turkey, Norway, Denmark and Holland have been group whipping boys for long periods of their history. The fact they start with a level playing field as the big countries means they have an equal chance of qualifying. Furthermore, the money they raise in these fixtures helps them too as none of the big countries will bother playing them in friendlies.

 

[Waterhall Wizard]

. . . . . . and so Crap plays Crap and neither team improves.

Take club football. Youth teams play other youth teams, but players don't become the full item until they meet the big boys playing in the first team. They need this full league experience to improve.

With international football it's the same. Many countries that fifty years ago would be a dead cert win for England go in to a game with us today on an equal footing. They've improved by taking quite a few thrashings and learning from the superior teams.

 

[junior]

we were facing 11 defenders! they came here to defend. how must that feel on the plane over??

So do you think that a proffessional footballer who comes from a piss poor country like Azerbijan is going to be on a plane on his way to England to take on one of the best teams in the world,get to play on the same pitch as Beckham,Owen,Gerrard etc and infront of approx 50,000 fans and think its a waste of his time and effort?

I dont thinks so IMHO.

 

[Pavilionaire]

There was a time when Hungary and Austria were football powerhouses in Europe, and Greece and Turkey were nothing.

Football does not stand still. Mixing up the groups means that countries like Latvia or Slovenia can make the finals of the big competitions, and this has to be good for football.

 

[mejonaNO12 aka riskit]

So do you think that a proffessional footballer who comes from a piss poor country like Azerbijan is going to be on a plane on his way to England to take on one of the best teams in the world,get to play on the same pitch as Beckham,Owen,Gerrard etc and infront of approx 50,000 fans and think its a waste of his time and effort?

I dont thinks so IMHO.

sorry i never said it was a waste of time and effort.

but i think he would much rather play a competetive match of football with some sort of chance of winning and progressing to the world cup and therefore showing his loyalty to his country on the biggest stage possible. rather than turning up to a match where you know your a loser from the first whistle.