Gaspin' by the Caspian

[Duncan Gardner]

The Group C World Cup Euro Qualifiers thread is back

next

sm-ni
cz-de
no-az

Previously: http://www.wsc.co.uk/forum-index/27-...by-the-caspian

xxx

[Duncan Gardner]

La Dulse e Veda (reprised reprise)

Forget Rooney, it's looking like Will Grigg has extinguished from international football. Shay McCartan of Bradford City takes his place.

[Duncan Gardner]

La Dulse e Veda (reprised reprise)

Buongiorno tutti frutti, it's tortelloni o'clock. Hopeful to avoid a banana skin by the Adriatic and then get something from Czechia. Modest ambition as ever.

[Duncan Gardner]

Possible NI side v Germany: McGovern; McLaughlin, McAuley, J Evans, Brunt; C Evans, Norwood, Davis, Dallas, Magennis; Washington.

[Duncan Gardner]

So, play-offs here we come. Looks like it'll be one of Switzerland/ Portugal, Italy, Croatia or Denmark. I fancy the Swiss as our last competitive games with them were for the 1966 World Cup...

[Diable Rouge]

Although, in fairness, we probably won't, either.

[elguapo4]

That Northern Ireland v Switzerland stat is pretty amazing especially considering that UEFA only had about 32 members until the Berlin Wall came down which meant you were pretty much guaranteed to play everybody

[Jorge Porbillas]

One of the conversations in Tblisi this week was about how we've not played against Greece since 1965!

[Duncan Gardner]

That Northern Ireland v Switzerland stat is pretty amazing especially considering that UEFA only had about 32 members until the Berlin Wall came down which meant you were pretty much guaranteed to play everybody

We haven't played Belgium or Netherlands in qualifiers since the 70s, Scotland or France since 1982 or your boys since Euro 96.

[elguapo4]

Just checked and discovered that the Republic of Ireland haven't played Finland in a competitive game since the 1950 world cup qualifiers

[Satchmo Distel]

Because the draws are seeded and NI often went in the same pot as Switzerland, Finland, etc?

[Various Artist]

That makes sense. Statistically, nations traditionally ranking medium to medium-low must be least likely to competitively play others on their own level, because they'll so often be in the same 'pot' in international tournament (qualifying) draws and so get doled out into separate groups time and time again.

[Various Artist]

That theory might not hold any water if examined, of course. For starters, going back to DG's post above I'm not saying Northern Ireland have necessarily been on a par with Belgium, Holland or France most of the last 40 years.

[Satchmo Distel]

It needs a better statistician than me, but the framework is there have been 18 qualifiers in the 36 years since the 1982 ones. France sat out three as hosts or holders. In some, they were in the same tier/pot as NI. Say there are 9 teams per tier. The probability is high that they would meet once but it's not a certainty.

This assumes no warm balls to guarantee France plays its favoured neighbours.

[Duncan Gardner]

NI record in qualifying since 1986. 6-team groups unless stated

2018: seeded 3, finished 2
2016: seeded 5, finished 1
2014: seeded 4, finished 5
2012: seeded 3, finished 5
2010: seeded 3, finished 4
2008: seeded 6, finished 3 (7 teams)
2006: seeded 5, finished 4
2004: seeded 4, finished 5 (5 teams)
2002: seeded 5, finished 5

2000: 4, 4 (5 teams)
1998: 3, 5
1996: 3, 3
1994: 4, 4 (7 teams)
1992: 4, 3 (5 teams)
1990: 3, 4 (5 teams)
1988: 2, 3 (4 teams)