So, the third placed qualifiers then.

[Bored Of Education]

So, the third placed qualifiers then.

My whole point above was that no-one deserved a bye. Aside from the hosts, I suppose.

[Duncan Gardner]

So, the third placed qualifiers then.

Bordeaux Education wrote:
Well, no. The qualifiers allow teams to move to the next progression in the competition not miss out four years of competing

Well, no (so effectively yes?).

We're agreed that there's no need for anyone to get a bye: I'd go a bit further and suggest a need that nobody does. So your point above hardly applies- we're only arguing about whether Northern Ireland are shite and/or deserving of gentle patronisation

[Bored Of Education]

So, the third placed qualifiers then.

Duncan Gardner wrote:

Bloody hell, yes, the last 16 was no indicator of quality at all

No. You might as well say the qualifiers didn't indicate quality. I mean, some deadbeat teams were so shite they scored even less than NI and still scraped in.

Well, no. The qualifiers allow teams to move to the next progression in the competition not miss out four years of competing.

[Duncan Gardner]

So, the third placed qualifiers then.

Bordeaux Education wrote: Bloody hell, yes, the last 16 was no indicator of quality at all

No. You might as well say the qualifiers didn't indicate quality. I mean, some deadbeat teams were so shite they scored even less than NI and still scraped in.

In saying that, I don't think anyone should progress automatically

Yes. Same should apply to the FA Cup Extra Prelims fwiw...

[Bored Of Education]

So, the third placed qualifiers then.

Bloody hell, yes, the last 16 was no indicator of quality at all. Slovakia and NI were good value but no need for them to progress automatically. Indeed, no need for us nor Iceland to progress automatically. In saying that, I don't think anyone should progress automatically.

[Kevin S]

So, the third placed qualifiers then.

That revised plan would monumentally piss on Scotland's chips, as all other teams from Britain and Ireland would be straight through...

[Kevin S]

So, the third placed qualifiers then.

Áfram Island!

[Satchmo Distel]

So, the third placed qualifiers then.

On reflection I would give the bye to the last 16 from the previous Euros, as that is factual whereas ranking are rather dubious.

[Wouter D]

So, the third placed qualifiers then.

I am totally on board with this plan.

[Bored Of Education]

So, the third placed qualifiers then.

Satchmo Distel wrote:

If there were 55 nations in UEFA and 32 in the finals, you could just do 1 host + top 8 seeds auto qualify + 23 winners of two-legged playoff between the other 46 = 32. Could finish all the qualifiers within a week.

But the Nations League as well as the Euro qualifiers just seems to make things messy. Surely the two won't be able to coexist for long?

Maybe limit the Nations League to the top 16, who play 4 groups of 4 instead of Euro qualifiers, which the other 37 play as 11 groups of 3, one of 4, 12 winners through, best 6 or 8 runners-up play off. Euro finals is the 16 NL teams and 16 qualifiers.

In other words, exempt the top 16, based on UEFA rankings, from Euro qualifiers.

Do you mean based on the European nations' rankings in Fifa as the UEFA rankings are somewhat different as they are based on how clubs in the associations do. Either way, before the qualifiers for 2016, this would have meant that Holland would have got a bye

[GCostanza]

So, the third placed qualifiers then.

Borracho wrote: Italy bid for Euro 2016.

That's why they didn't get it, see my post above!

[Satchmo Distel]

So, the third placed qualifiers then.

Lodzubelieveit wrote: If there were 55 nations in UEFA and 32 in the finals, you could just do 1 host + top 8 seeds auto qualify + 23 winners of two-legged playoff between the other 46 = 32. Could finish all the qualifiers within a week.

But the Nations League as well as the Euro qualifiers just seems to make things messy. Surely the two won't be able to coexist for long?

Maybe limit the Nations League to the top 16, who play 4 groups of 4 instead of Euro qualifiers, which the other 37 play as 11 groups of 3, one of 4, 12 winners through, best 6 or 8 runners-up play off. Euro finals is the 16 NL teams and 16 qualifiers.

In other words, exempt the top 16, based on UEFA rankings, from Euro qualifiers.

[Borracho]

So, the third placed qualifiers then.

Italy bid for Euro 2016.

[GCostanza]

So, the third placed qualifiers then.

Their stadiums aren't up to scratch in the main.
And renovating isn't exactly a priority currently.

[Satchmo Distel]

So, the third placed qualifiers then.

Why did Italy not want it?

[GCostanza]

So, the third placed qualifiers then.

Lodzubelieveit wrote: If there were 55 nations in UEFA and 32 in the finals, you could just do 1 host + top 8 seeds auto qualify + 23 winners of two-legged playoff between the other 46 = 32. Could finish all the qualifiers within a week.

But the Nations League as well as the Euro qualifiers just seems to make things messy. Surely the two won't be able to coexist for long?

Good points/post all round!

[Bored Of Education]

So, the third placed qualifiers then.

As far as I understand it, it was Turkey, Scotland/ROI/Wales or Georgia/Azerbaijan. I would imagine that UEFA would have bitten England's hand off if they had bid.

[Rogin the Armchair fan]

So, the third placed qualifiers then.

Bored of Education wrote

Multi-country is definite for 2020 as a 'anniversary one-off' (or, 'no-one wanted to host it').

Wasn't quite so much "no-one wanted to host it" as "Who wants to host it?" "Turkey". "Er, oh, okay, anyone else?". "England. England are desperate for it".

"Zut alors."

So, the third placed qualifiers then.

If there were 55 nations in UEFA and 32 in the finals, you could just do 1 host + top 8 seeds auto qualify + 23 winners of two-legged playoff between the other 46 = 32. Could finish all the qualifiers within a week.

But the Nations League as well as the Euro qualifiers just seems to make things messy. Surely the two won't be able to coexist for long?

[GCostanza]

So, the third placed qualifiers then.

32 is a farce. Why even bother with qualifiers?

[Bored Of Education]

So, the third placed qualifiers then.

Multi-country is definite for 2020 as a 'anniversary one-off' (or, 'no-one wanted to host it'). It's not ideal but it's better than the World Cups either side.

[Satchmo Distel]

So, the third placed qualifiers then.

Round of 16 should stay. If UEFA has moved away from hosting in one country, 32 is almost inevitable. 9 groups, top 3 through and 10 fourth place teams play-off.

[GCostanza]

So, the third placed qualifiers then.

16 teams is more than enough in future. Any more and more than a third of the European teams get to the Finals which is a farce IMO.

Even that will still accomodate more than enough dross.

[Duncan Gardner]

So, the third placed qualifiers then.

Satchmo Distel wrote: Maybe also Hungary...were improving as the qualifiers went on

Yes (in the sense that they managed an eight game unbeaten stretch after losing the first game, and then eased through the play-offs), but also No (couldn't manage a single win in six matches against car-crash Greece, goal-shy Romania and 10-man NI).

Wales and Iceland would have had to play-off in the old format. Possibly against each other?

If they aren't going to return to a 16 team finals, I'd accept 32 teams but cut the round of 16 (so only four extra matches, 51 to 55).

This could mean the last two games in a group stage of six would be 'dead' (ie team A wins twice while the other games are drawn), but if counts for nowt why not play a gung-ho friendly?

[Satchmo Distel]

So, the third placed qualifiers then.

More likely Santos has trying to avoid defeat, which would have put Portugal out.

On the OP, you could say that there were only 8 or so good sides here so third could certainly beat second. Maybe also Hungary and Rep of Ireland were improving as the qualifiers went on, and ROI were toughened by winning a play-off. Austria, Belgium and England were very badly coached in a way that the finals exposed but qualifiers did not.

Wales and Iceland are good sides and I think would have qualified in the old format; it is just a coincidence that their debuts were in the first 24 team event.