or to join or start a new Discussion

Articles/all comments
These 135 comments are related to an article called:

Gibraltar

Page 2 of 6

posted on 7/9/15

The inability to see that by giving teams way out of their depth a pass into a level they cannot compete at is doing more harm than good is unbelievable.

posted on 7/9/15

The problem with pre qualifiers is that all it does is reduce the number of crap teams. There has to be a winner so they'd still all be crap, it's just others would get the privilege of being spanked in the actual qualifiers whereas the others wouldn't.

Group them all together and give them the opportunity to get into the play offs from getting out the group and it'd create more competitiveness, and then if they win their play offs they've proven themselves against more established international sides in a two legged affair.

posted on 7/9/15

I think the solution is not to pander to the bigger nations and remove the seedings. Then you may get teams in your group who are worthy to play against you.

Maybe these crappy nations one time will get a group with a few others and one may stand a chance of qualifying. Never gonna happen but would certainly make qualifying mor exciting and stop the small nations having only games against teams who are above playing them.

posted on 7/9/15

Comment deleted by Site Moderator

comment by Hector (U3606)

posted on 7/9/15

Where do you draw the line? Iceland and its 300,000 population?

posted on 7/9/15

comment by #4zA (U19575)
posted 51 seconds ago
maybe UEFA could hold a conference with the lower ranked nations and find out what they would prefer
----------------------------------------------------------------------
It's about what UEFA prefer and that's to have all the bigger nations in the finals, hence seedings.

posted on 7/9/15

A team qualifying because it is the best of 6 very bad teams at the expense of 4 very good teams who miss out to two other very good teams is not a very good system at all.

Wanting to get through by default is a bit of a cop out. If trams are deserving of a place in the finals (ie the elite stage of a competition) they should not be afraid to compete against teams who have a higher ranking.

posted on 7/9/15

Fans prefer it if the big teams are there as well.

posted on 7/9/15

comment by D'Jeezus Mackaroni (U1137)
posted 3 seconds ago
A team qualifying because it is the best of 6 very bad teams at the expense of 4 very good teams who miss out to two other very good teams is not a very good system at all.

Wanting to get through by default is a bit of a cop out. If trams are deserving of a place in the finals (ie the elite stage of a competition) they should not be afraid to compete against teams who have a higher ranking.


----------------------------------------------------------------------
Then every team should be in the same boat. If England were drawn with Germany and teams with a higher ranking, they shouldn't be afraid of playing them. No need for seedings. Give the smaller nations a chance, with a bit of luck of the draw.

posted on 7/9/15

comment by Hector (U3606)
posted 56 seconds ago
Where do you draw the line? Iceland and its 300,000 population?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
It's not about population. It is simply about performance.

Why would a nations FA try and improve its team if it is guaranteed entry every time, but knowing it won't have a chance to qualify. Would be wasting money.

posted on 7/9/15

Comment deleted by Site Moderator

posted on 7/9/15

comment by Darren The King Fletcher (U10026)
posted 19 seconds ago
Fans prefer it if the big teams are there as well.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Not all fans. I presume fans of the bigger nations would. The arrogant ones.

posted on 7/9/15

comment by Hector (U3606)
posted 9 seconds ago
Where do you draw the line? Iceland and its 300,000 population?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Iceland are a good side though, it's about the quality of the teams not the size of the nation.

I can't imagine that the Gibraltar players enjoyed tonight's game, even the player that got Lewa's shirt at the end.

Setting up with a flat back eight and hoping to only lose 5-0 is no way to play football at any level, pre-qualifiers would be best IMO, base it on the world rankings then at least it changes every year.

posted on 7/9/15

Comment deleted by Site Moderator

posted on 7/9/15

comment by #4zA (U19575)
posted 17 seconds ago
maybe this expanded European championships is the answer, we will see sone teams in France next summer who have never qualified fir anything before, purely becuse of expansion from 16 to 24 teams

maybe expand further to 32?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
It was a great idea to expand it. 32 would be even better.

posted on 7/9/15

" Give the smaller nations a chance, with a bit of luck of the draw."

You really think with a bit of luck these lesser sides have a chance, a chance of what exactly?

posted on 7/9/15

There should be no qualfying, straight knockout from the start with every UEFA member and no seeding.

posted on 7/9/15

Most fans, because the bigger nations have bigger populations and want their team to qualify. Statistically more fans will want big nations.

Nobody wants San Marino or Andorra there other than a few hundred thousand from those countries.

There's nothing arrogant about that.

posted on 7/9/15

Comment deleted by Site Moderator

posted on 7/9/15

I think there should be a transfer system introduced for the smaller nations, a kind of draught. Any players not good enough for their own nation can be drafted in by the smaller nation. Let's increase competition.

comment by RJC (U17308)

posted on 7/9/15

How would a minnows group be decided? Looking at the Fifa Rankings it goes (Gibraltar not ranked yet):

202 Andorra
193 San Marino
160 Malta
150 Liechtenstein
147 Georgia

So currently Georgia are the 5th worst team in Europe yet they comfortably beat Scotland so perhaps a bit harsh to stick them in a separate group?

Would love to see a round robin tournament between Andorra, San Marino and Gibraltar.

posted on 7/9/15

Comment deleted by Site Moderator

posted on 7/9/15

There'sOnlyOneReds

Are you being serious or are you really this stupid?

posted on 7/9/15

comment by Darren The King Fletcher (U10026)
posted 1 minute ago
Most fans, because the bigger nations have bigger populations and want their team to qualify. Statistically more fans will want big nations.

Nobody wants San Marino or Andorra there other than a few hundred thousand from those countries.

There's nothing arrogant about that.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I want them there and I expect anybody not showing arrogance would.

posted on 7/9/15

Let's expand it to 64 teams, invite Jersey, Guernsey, Isle of Man etc.

And to be fair to the minnows let's have no losers, everybody wins

In fact let's not bother with the football, just pat ourselves on the back and congratulate ourselves on our fairness to everyone without worrying about skill levels.

Page 2 of 6

Sign in if you want to comment