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Post by allezlesrouges on Nov 25, 2020 10:59:38 GMT
Here's another 4 reasons I'd like to avoid Norway. Seriously, for his 3rd goal the defender just takes 1 slack touch and he makes up about 10 yards to pinch the ball off him & then no one's catching him - including the keeper youtu.be/byq5jWhLk8Q10 goals in his last 8 matches. The pace he’s got and his finishing, would hate to be matched against him.. I know I keep going on about him, but I've just read that in his professional career he's taken 91 shots on target and scored with 70 of them - crazy record! |
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Post by manulike on Nov 26, 2020 20:14:00 GMT
We used to rank 117th ... now spelt with a (P) and (Q) and up to 18th ;-))
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Post by TheWelshWay on Nov 27, 2020 10:14:14 GMT
If we do draw Russia in pot 3 and/or Bosnia in pot 4 - we can't also get Kosovo in pot 5 - as they are prohibited team clashes. Which i suppose is good news.
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Post by fiveattheback on Nov 27, 2020 16:00:46 GMT
I think its easier to say who we definitely don't want than who we do want
Pot 1 anyone other than Denmark & Croatia is a huge challenge and we can kiss top spot goodbye
Pot 3 definitely want to avoid Norway, wouldn't really want either of Scotland, Ireland or Northern Ireland because those kinds of games become scrappy affairs although I'd back us on paper, not too keen on Hungary either
Pot 4 definitely want to avoid Georgia, don't fancy going to any of the Balkans due to our historically poor record
Pot 5 anyone but Kosovo
Pot 6 much of a muchness
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Post by quetzal on Nov 27, 2020 16:39:36 GMT
Just got to avoid Norway. The lad up front can destroy any team. Denmark or Croatia would be nice
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Post by robin1864 on Nov 27, 2020 17:23:23 GMT
It'll be Denmark, Wales, R Ireland, Georgia, Azerbaijan & Moldova for the millionth time in 3 years. Guaranteed.
It might be qualifiable, but I'd rather have a bit more variety in qualification and I'm not particularly desperate to see Wales play in a questionably awarded World Cup in a country with a horrendous human rights record and no footballing culture or pedigree.
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Post by jbt95 on Nov 27, 2020 19:31:06 GMT
questionably awarded World Cup in a country with a horrendous human rights record and no footballing culture or pedigree. I know I'm not desperate to see Wales play in a questionably awarded World Cup. |
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Post by CrackityJones on Dec 7, 2020 10:27:23 GMT
Draw today at 5pm Wales time live on Fifa website:
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Post by insertname on Dec 7, 2020 12:19:37 GMT
The format makes my teeth itch. The Euros is arguably too easy this one is too hard. 13 berths so basically the 10 group winners with only 3 other teams making up numbers.
The most revealing perspective in terms of "fairness" is to simply take those 13 places and predict how many will go to the top seed in each group. I think it's a pretty safe bet that 8 of the 10 will qualify as group winner because we are all aware of the gulf in quality after you account for the established sides who have the strongest national leagues. Croatia and Denmark stand out as the two seeds who might be toppled, but the nations league might mean that they are better prepared to defend their status by being more "battle hardened" having recently been competing against top tier quality opponents compared to their group rivals who won't.
Football is at it's worst when it's predictable and for me this qualifying format smells a bit like the champions league group stages where typically qualification for the big sides is a formality. I hope this post doesn't age well and we look back with shock at the big sides who failed to make it but I would personally expect 9 of those top 10 seeds to qualify automatically with maybe Croatia failing to do so.
Contrast this with south american qualifying where it seems like half the bloody federation qualified :rollseyes:
That being said I agree that this is one world cup that I'm really not fussed about qualifying for anyway, it's just as a competition in it's own right the qualifying stage feels sadly predictable.
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Post by marsvolta on Dec 7, 2020 12:54:00 GMT
The format makes my teeth itch. The Euros is arguably too easy this one is too hard. 13 berths so basically the 10 group winners with only 3 other teams making up numbers. The most revealing perspective in terms of "fairness" is to simply take those 13 places and predict how many will go to the top seed in each group. I think it's a pretty safe bet that 8 of the 10 will qualify as group winner because we are all aware of the gulf in quality after you account for the established sides who have the strongest national leagues. Croatia and Denmark stand out as the two seeds who might be toppled, but the nations league might mean that they are better prepared to defend their status by being more "battle hardened" having recently been competing against top tier quality opponents compared to their group rivals who won't. Football is at it's worst when it's predictable and for me this qualifying format smells a bit like the champions league group stages where typically qualification for the big sides is a formality. I hope this post doesn't age well and we look back with shock at the big sides who failed to make it but I would personally expect 9 of those top 10 seeds to qualify automatically with maybe Croatia failing to do so. Contrast this with south american qualifying where it seems like half the bloody federation qualified :rollseyes: That being said I agree that this is one world cup that I'm really not fussed about qualifying for anyway, it's just as a competition in it's own right the qualifying stage feels sadly predictable. You’ll need to remember this post because there will be plenty who will try to undermine our achievement if we manage to qualify. |
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Post by quetzal on Dec 7, 2020 14:17:54 GMT
I’m 44 years of age. I still remember being destroyed at the Italy 90 draw. West Germany, Holland, Finland and Wales. It was a cruel draw.
It’s a dreamers day this one. Always full of hope. Denmark or Croatia is the key.
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Post by holmesdaleultra on Dec 7, 2020 15:23:39 GMT
Hope we avoid them lot from the ROI.
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Post by allezlesrouges on Dec 7, 2020 16:02:35 GMT
It is bloody hard to qualify for the World Cup as a European nation, hence why trying to get a top seeding is so vital. Our improved standing in the Nations League could help us in this respect for 2024, as could a good showing at the Euros
Realistically, I do think we need a good draw to have a chance at qualifying. You have to beat everyone in the pots below, and then it becomes a two-legged shootout with pot 1 for the automatic spot. Much more confident against Denmark or Croatia than the others
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Post by alarch on Dec 7, 2020 16:22:29 GMT
Given that we're practically guaranteed a play-off spot on our Nations League showing we should see this campaign as essentially a free hit at top spot. It should take some of the anxiety away. So, whoever we get as top seeds is pretty much everything, although obviously easy lower seed draws will help to some extent.
I think if we draw France, Spain, Germany, Italy or England then we have very little chance of qualifying automatically. With Belgium, Portugal and the Netherlands we would have a slim chance. It's only with Denmark and Croatia that it's a distinct possibility that we could make top spot.
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Post by jbt95 on Dec 7, 2020 16:35:48 GMT
It is bloody hard to qualify for the World Cup as a European nation, hence why trying to get a top seeding is so vital. Our improved standing in the Nations League could help us in this respect for 2024, as could a good showing at the Euros Realistically, I do think we need a good draw to have a chance at qualifying. You have to beat everyone in the pots below, and then it becomes a two-legged shootout with pot 1 for the automatic spot. Much more confident against Denmark or Croatia than the others The fixtures will have an impact on the group, particularly if we are in a 5 group team and have a friendly on matchday 2 or 5. |
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Post by fiveattheback on Dec 7, 2020 17:28:58 GMT
Belgium, we meet again...
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Post by CrackityJones on Dec 7, 2020 17:30:31 GMT
Haha they hate playing us!
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Post by marsvolta on Dec 7, 2020 17:32:07 GMT
Haha they hate playing us! Yeah but surely we can’t keep beating them, can we? |
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Post by fiveattheback on Dec 7, 2020 17:38:55 GMT
Got away with that one! Belarus ahead of Bosnia
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Post by fiveattheback on Dec 7, 2020 17:44:17 GMT
That'll do
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Post by manulike on Dec 7, 2020 17:45:15 GMT
MIGHTY COOOOOOOL GROUP ...
Loving these Winter constraints ;-)
I am looking forward to writing my INFO SHEET about MINSK - gorgeous place!
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Post by dai on Dec 7, 2020 17:45:51 GMT
Not a bad looking group - I've seen worse!
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Post by dai on Dec 7, 2020 17:46:36 GMT
Does anyone else think the music sounds like Medal of Honour?!
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Post by caeboy on Dec 7, 2020 17:46:50 GMT
We're pretty much guaranteed a play-off place, so only overcoming the pot 1 team really matters, and we got the top ranked team in Belguim! It's not a great draw in my view therefore, but it's true we've been there bogey team. C'MON CYMRU.
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Post by CrackityJones on Dec 7, 2020 17:48:21 GMT
BRING IT ON
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Post by hal on Dec 7, 2020 17:48:24 GMT
If we had Croatia instead of Belgium that would have been one of the best draws we could have hoped for.
Czech are nowhere near the team they used to be and Belarus and Estonia are very poor.
Great chance at finishing in one of the top 3 2nd place teams, dare we even dream to be 1st?? Very difficult because I don’t see Belgium losing to any of the other teams apart from us.
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Post by holmesdaleultra on Dec 7, 2020 17:50:49 GMT
Haha they hate playing us! Ugly bloke Guy Verhofstadt your boys are going t get beaten again.? |
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Post by holmesdaleultra on Dec 7, 2020 17:52:39 GMT
Why did Estonia get moved t Wales's group?
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Post by gimli on Dec 7, 2020 17:55:12 GMT
Really hope our recent positive record vs Belgium plays on their minds and that they bottle it when we play them. As mentioned above, I don't think they'll drop any points vs the other teams in the group, so we need to match our performance in the qualifiers for 2016 by getting 4 points against them to stand any chance of winning the group. A tough ask I think.
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Post by aberbeeg on Dec 7, 2020 17:57:29 GMT
Belgium yet again it’s getting boring now
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