Switzerland are currently the 4th best team in the World...

[The Camel]

Thank you for explaining that to me. I'm just saying that in previous tournaments (including the last one) my position within the company has given me access to various field books so I can tell you what each country winning would cost the company. (Although I wouldn't of course as it's confidential)

I used to be an odds compiler for Blue Square (online bookmaker, taken over by Betfair about a decade ago). I gamble for a living now.

It is amazing how the industry has changed in such a short time.

there is still mug money in the market but usually the clever money outweighs it massively.

 

[Iggle Piggle]

I used to be an odds compiler for Blue Square (online bookmaker, taken over by Betfair about a decade ago). I gamble for a living now.

It is amazing how the industry has changed in such a short time.

there is still mug money in the market but usually the clever money outweighs it massively.

Ha Blue Square. Back in the day my memory was that the prices were slightly better than the likes of hills and I used to put on a shed load of bets for the blokes in the pub. I'd skim off half a point if anything won which it rarely did as none of them could tip rubbish. I'd imagine that account lost a fortune and would only have been referred to a trader for shits and giggles. I had my mobile pinned to my ear putting shit bets on before smart phones.

 

[Tooting Gull]

A situation where the team would like to be in the Russia group, as the weakest team, but the fans certainly wouldn't.

Indeed. I'm not sure I'd want to be refereeing a Russia game either in that World Cup. There may be 'external pressures'...

 

[LU7 RED]

Switzerland must drive their natives nuts. Start every tournament as 'dark horses' and turn out to be tripe..EVERY tournament.

Even England beat them.

 

[Ninja Elephant]

Rankings are often a joke, they are a problem in many sports.

Any sport which allows David Ferrer to EVER be world number 3 obviously has a problem with their rankings, for example.

 

[Nigella's Cream Pie]

Switzerland must drive their natives nuts. Start every tournament as 'dark horses' and turn out to be tripe..EVERY tournament.

Even England beat them.

It was actually 1-1 in Euro 96

 

[Pavilionaire]

It is staggering to me that FIFA could have ever signed off such a fundamentally flawed ranking system - pure incompetence.

Maybe cricket should lend them Mr Duckworth and Mr Lewis?

 

[Easy 10]

Latest FIFA world rankings. England drop from 13th to 15th (despite winning 2 World Cup qualifiers)

Wales move up 5 places and go above us into 13th (despite struggling in 2nd in their WC qualifying group).

Germany take over at the top.

*shrugs*

1. Germany
2. Brazil
3. Portugal
4. Argentina
5. Belgium
6. Poland
7. Switzerland
8. France
9. Chile
10. Colombia
11. Spain
12. Peru
13. Wales
14. Mexico
15. England
16. Uruguay
17. Italy
18. Croatia
19. Slovakia
20. Northern Ireland

 

[Kuipers Supporters Club]

Latest FIFA world rankings. England drop from 13th to 15th (despite winning 2 World Cup qualifiers)

Wales move up 5 places and go above us into 13th (despite struggling in 2nd in their WC qualifying group).

Germany take over at the top.

*shrugs*

1. Germany
2. Brazil
3. Portugal
4. Argentina
5. Belgium
6. Poland
7. Switzerland
8. France
9. Chile
10. Colombia
11. Spain
12. Peru
13. Wales
14. Mexico
15. England
16. Uruguay
17. Italy
18. Croatia
19. Slovakia
20. Northern Ireland

Argentina aren't even the 4th best team in CONMEBOL at the moment

 

[Easy 10]

I'm awaiting news of another open top bus parade for the welsh, now that they've moved above us.

 

[Triggaaar]

Southgate was just on SSN and he was asked about our ranking and our friendlies. It appears he has no understanding of how the system works, or how useful it is to have a high ranking. He said that it wasn't our friendlies that caused our poor ranking, it was our performance in the last 3 tournaments, pointing out the Wales did better than us so they're higher. Wales only qualified for one of those tournaments