World Cup 22 or is it 23 Qualifiers

[Steveo]

As harsh as it sounds what is the point of small of these countries in qualifying ???

I dont watch these sort of games but my concern is our players getting injured in a pointless game i hope Trent/Hendo are out the next game.

International break involves me checking if our players are ok nothing more.

Cotroversial BUT I agree. I am sorry but Andorra - San Marino - Liechtenstein - Faroe islands...

They are just too small to be thrown in at that level. No nation of less than 100,000 should be in there at all IMO - even under 500,000 I would say is just too small to be competitive outside of a freak occurrence.

What is incredible is that Luxembourg actually has around 600,000 people. When you consider how crap they have been - Montenegro with a similar population has somehow managed some top-class players and Iceland have made it to finals but they are both extremely rare and even then - they can't really compete against anyone but England

Under 100,000 is just a joke - you have no way to make a team worthy of playing at the Euro/World Cup level. So they shouldn't be in. At absolute most, they should battle it out for 1 or 2 teams to make it in. It's just pointless Spain or England or even smaller nations like the Czech Republic playing any nation with less than 100,000 people = waste of time.

That is part of what screws up the league season. Cut out the number of nations competing. Internationals become more meaningful and the leagues get their continuity back.




I would have a mini-league for all under 2 Million nations - and let the top 2 enter the qualifiers for Euro and WC.

Gibralter - 33,701
San Marino - 33,860
Liechtenstein - 38,020
Monaco - 38,960
Faroe islands - 48,678
Andorra - 77,140
Iceland - 361,310
Malta - 502,650
Luxembourg - 619,900
Montenegro - 622,140
Estonia - 1,326,590
Latvia - 1,886,198

This would take 10 teams out of the equation. It would make things far more competitive - stop utter garbage managing to qualify.

[miller0863]

Jota made one and scored one in Portugal’s 3-0 win in Azerbaijan.

[miller0863]

Sadio scored an 87th minute penalty in Senagal’s 3-1 win away in the Congo.

[eggy81]

An actual performance from Ireland tonight. Very uplifting night.

[Steveo]

Indeed a very good result for Ireland against Serbia and Scotland beating Austria in Vienna.
Doesn’t that all but end Austrian hopes?

[miller0863]

Only against Gibraltar tonight but Jebus wept.
The wages and Agent’s fees are still ridiculous but don’t tell me there are any doubts about this lad’s goal scoring ability. Wherever he ends up, he is massively improving that team.


“Erling Braut Haaland continued his phenomenal goalscoring form with a hat-trick as Norway thrashed Gibraltar in World Cup qualifying.

Kristian Thorstvedt opened the scoring and then provided the assist for Haaland to make it 2-0.

Haaland then got his second before Reece Styche's lob made it 3-1.

Alexander Sorloth pounced on a loose ball to restore Norway's three-goal lead in the second half and Haaland tapped in his third in injury time.

Borussia Dortmund striker Haaland now has 11 goals in eight games for club and country so far this season and has already scored two hat-tricks, having got one in his first game of the campaign in a 3-0 win against Wehen Wiesbaden in the German Cup.“

[miller0863]

Watching Poland v England, Kane been atrocious for 71 minutes, the belts one in from 35 yards.

Still can’t stand the fucker.

And as for Grealish, he’s spent 70 minutes running down blind alleys and whinging about every little touch on his delicate lickle body.
Three times he has just stopped when in possession demanding a free kick and not getting one.