brizzle
Lindsay Parsons
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Post by brizzle on Sept 3, 2015 14:44:01 GMT
From BBC Sport . . . By the way, the Germans are third in the table just in case you were wondering.  |
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Sept 3, 2015 14:47:27 GMT
Utter nonsense, of course. Wales are OK, England are better and if Belgium are the second best team in the world, I'm a cow. Moo.
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brizzle
Lindsay Parsons
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Post by brizzle on Sept 3, 2015 15:00:31 GMT
The only explanation that I can offer, is that it must have been a very short (and biased) reference period. But for the benefit of any Welsh poster I'm only joking, because I think that Wales have done very well under Chris Coleman, and I'm relieved that England face a (hopefully) much easier task in the upcoming fixtures against Scotland. Mind you, with England you never can tell. It's a bit like Rovers really.  |
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irishrover
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Post by irishrover on Sept 3, 2015 16:10:05 GMT
Utter nonsense, of course. Wales are OK, England are better and if Belgium are the second best team in the world, I'm a cow. Moo. Really? I kind of think England v Wales would be a very interesting Euro 2016 fixture. All the pressure on England and a Welsh side really up for it - I'm not sure I'd particularly fancy England's chances. As ever, it is really hard to say because England are rarely analysed on the level - either grossly overrated or grossly underrated but in general right now I'd say the England side is generally decent but a bit dull. Rankings are daft though because they prejudice immediate recent performance too much. Hence, South American teams dominate just after the Copa America only to slip back once the European season starts. |
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Peter Parker
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Richard Walker
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Post by Peter Parker on Sept 3, 2015 16:14:32 GMT
A team's total number of ranking points over a four-year period is determined by adding the average number of points gained from matches during the past 12 months and the average number of points gained from matches older than 12 months. Points are determined by a formula based on the match result, the importance of the match, the strength of the opposition and the strength of the confederation.
Basically if a nation that has been poor for a number of years they will significantly move up if they have any success due to the way it is worked. If you are one of the historic big nations there is only so much you can do to move up the rankings which is do well in tournament finals.
We can will all our group games, but will get less ranking points as we are expected to brush these team aside due to our strength, but then because of a bad world cup we slip down the rankings.
Take nothing away from Wales though. Have been impressive recently |
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irishrover
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Post by irishrover on Sept 3, 2015 16:31:32 GMT
A team's total number of ranking points over a four-year period is determined by adding the average number of points gained from matches during the past 12 months and the average number of points gained from matches older than 12 months. Points are determined by a formula based on the match result, the importance of the match, the strength of the opposition and the strength of the confederation.
Basically if a nation that has been poor for a number of years they will significantly move up if they have any success due to the way it is worked. If you are one of the historic big nations there is only so much you can do to move up the rankings which is do well in tournament finals.
We can will all our group games, but will get less ranking points as we are expected to brush these team aside due to our strength, but then because of a bad world cup we slip down the rankings.
Take nothing away from Wales though. Have been impressive recently And, really, people can have a pop at Wales if they like but on any objective measure can England justify being 6th? Haven't beaten anyone any good in the knock out stages of a major tournament since 1996 (and if you discount that win against a poor Spanish side on penalties then you have to go back to 1974). England are bloody good at qualifying on the whole - that's about all you can really say. People say it's a 'roller-coaster ride' supporting England but it isn't really - it's actually quite boring. In general it's staggeringly predictable. Cruise through a piss easy qualifying group with little in the way of interest or tension, turn up at tournament with team that's knackered/crocked from intensive Premier League season, underwhelm in the group stages, crash out (normally on penalties) the first time we play anyone any good. Start again in September. Bar the odd occasion when we simply failed to qualify at all or crashed out in the group stages that has been it. Not exciting, not interesting, not gut enducing. Just boring. I was born in 1983, I was too young to appreciate 1990 (which to my non-invested eye look overrated in retrospect given all we did was squeak past a half decent Belgium and a surprising Cameroon) and so my only real experience of any kind of England 'moment' was 1996. Other than that it has been 30 years of tedious predictability. I'd honestly rather England had gone through 5-6 years of being total crap like France did - at least it would have been an uplifting story when we improved. Instead we've just been consistent quite good but not really remotely good enough to genuinely challenge. Must be what it's like to support Spurs! |
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Sept 3, 2015 20:20:26 GMT
Not sure why we should be surprised, only a horrible mis-kick by Rob Earnshaw denied Wales a draw at Wembley.
Just looked on the BBC website, Wales beating Cyprus 1-0, but they have 12 substitutes on the bench, what on earth is all that about. It used to be 1 substitute, now the subs literally outnumber the players on the pitch.
At this rate it won't be long before anyone with more than one L in their name is sat on the bench.
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Rex
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Post by Rex on Sept 4, 2015 5:40:32 GMT
Wales may well be vastly improved, and England vastly over rated, but rankings are still a load of old bollocks.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Sept 4, 2015 11:41:28 GMT
If Wales beat Israel they will probably go up to 4th/5th in the world.
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irishrover
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Post by irishrover on Sept 4, 2015 12:06:36 GMT
If Wales beat Israel they will probably go up to 4th/5th in the world. Yeah I think they are probably too reliant on Gareth Bale to be a real threat to the big teams. They remind me of Portugal about 10 years ago when Ronaldo first came along. They're a decent solid outfit with a transcendent talent who ups them to the next level. As Portugal have shown since though even if you have a great player you still need to have a side around him that is at least decent or you have no chance. Ronaldo must be cursing that he doesn't have the previous generation of Portuguese talent around him. Watching sides like that can be quite fun though - you know where the flaws are, the question is whether they can overcome them. The more I watch of Ashley Williams by the way the more I like him. |
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Sept 4, 2015 12:34:26 GMT
If Wales beat Israel they will probably go up to 4th/5th in the world. Yeah I think they are probably too reliant on Gareth Bale to be a real threat to the big teams. They remind me of Portugal about 10 years ago when Ronaldo first came along. They're a decent solid outfit with a transcendent talent who ups them to the next level. As Portugal have shown since though even if you have a great player you still need to have a side around him that is at least decent or you have no chance. Ronaldo must be cursing that he doesn't have the previous generation of Portuguese talent around him. Watching sides like that can be quite fun though - you know where the flaws are, the question is whether they can overcome them. The more I watch of Ashley Williams by the way the more I like him. [ Wales are very solid in a similar way to the other home nations. What they do have is a match winner in Bale. I do think too much of a emphasis is put on Bale though. Wales simply don't concede (only 2 in 7 games), credit must go in the main to Williams and Hennesy who have been utter class but the likes of Chester, Taylor, Richards & Gunter have upped their game massively. Two thirds of Premier League sides would be happy with a midfield of Allen, Ledley and Ramsey and Robson-Kanu is just a foil for Bale. Coleman deserves huge credit for making them a team all pulling together. |
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Post by CountyGroundHotel on Sept 4, 2015 16:51:12 GMT
UEFA have expanded the Euro Championship as far as possible to allow Wales to 'qualify' for the first time since 1958 but it looks like they'll need to expand it further to give Scotland a fair chance of making the Championships
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Rex
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Post by Rex on Sept 4, 2015 21:31:45 GMT
UEFA have expanded the Euro Championship as far as possible to allow Wales to 'qualify' for the first time since 1958 but it looks like they'll need to expand it further to give Scotland a fair chance of making the Championships I agree. They may as well do away with the pretence, and make it an invitation only tournament along with the Champions League. |
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Post by CountyGroundHotel on Sept 5, 2015 8:21:58 GMT
I see Northern Ireland are making good progress to the finals without all the Balesque hysteria flooding out of Wales.
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Post by Foran for England on Sept 5, 2015 12:25:48 GMT
UEFA have expanded the Euro Championship as far as possible to allow Wales to 'qualify' for the first time since 1958 but it looks like they'll need to expand it further to give Scotland a fair chance of making the Championships Wales are currently top of their qualifying group so even if UEFA reduced it to nine teams then they would qualify on merit as it stands. |
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Post by CountyGroundHotel on Sept 5, 2015 19:39:08 GMT
UEFA have expanded the Euro Championship as far as possible to allow Wales to 'qualify' for the first time since 1958 but it looks like they'll need to expand it further to give Scotland a fair chance of making the Championships Wales are currently top of their qualifying group so even if UEFA reduced it to nine teams then they would qualify on merit as it stands. I know and it's hard to see them not being nailed on semi-finalists as well. Has there ever been a better team from the Home Nations? |
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Post by CountyGroundHotel on Oct 8, 2015 21:29:49 GMT
Congratulations to Northern Ireland on qualifying for the Euros before Gareth Bale
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brizzle
Lindsay Parsons
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Post by brizzle on Oct 9, 2015 14:49:11 GMT
Congratulations to Northern Ireland on qualifying for the Euros before Gareth Bale . . . but such a shame about our friends north of the border. Ninetieth minute too, well played Poland . . . and Robert Lewandowski. I can remember a time when Scotland produced world-class players, instead of the clodhoppers that they churn out nowadays. With any luck it'll be six easy points for England on the horizon, unless Scotland have a damn good bout of navel studying. But personally I think that they've gone a bit beyond that. In the absence of any legitimate excuses, I blame the SNP.  |
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