Our qualifying group specifically......

[Scots_Wha_Hae]

I'm very much enjoying this thread

Oops, early post. I'm very much enjoying this thread, it is the complete opposite of almost every qualifying campaign I can remember when we were all doing the maths on unlikely scenarios to justify why we could still qualify. Now we are all trying to convince ourselves there is some mathematically improbable route to us not qualifying! Delightful!

Edited September 11, 2023 by Scots_Wha_Hae
Stupidity

[Texas Pete]

3 hours ago, todd said:

Exactly this.  Every qualification process we go through it's just a matter of time before we get the old, 'if we don't beat such and such we don't deserve to qualify'  It makes absolutely zero sense 

I wouldn’t word it that way but I am of the opinion that if we don’t beat the teams ranked below us at home then we can have no complaints if we don’t qualify. 

Whoever finishes in the qualifying positions deserves to qualify regardless of who they beat or don’t beat along the way. 

[todd]

2 hours ago, Texas Pete said:

I wouldn’t word it that way but I am of the opinion that if we don’t beat the teams ranked below us at home then we can have no complaints if we don’t qualify. 

Whoever finishes in the qualifying positions deserves to qualify regardless of who they beat or don’t beat along the way. 

That's what I mean.  If you're in a qualifying spot you deserve to qualify.  So folk saying we don't deserve to qualify if we can't beat lower ranked teams.  Are they therefore suggesting if we slip up and lose to a so called lesser team and yet still qualify, we didn't deserve to?

[Texas Pete]

8 minutes ago, todd said:

That's what I mean.  If you're in a qualifying spot you deserve to qualify.  So folk saying we don't deserve to qualify if we can't beat lower ranked teams.  Are they therefore suggesting if we slip up and lose to a so called lesser team and yet still qualify, we didn't deserve to?

I think most people who use the phrase do so when we don’t actually qualify rather then when we do but yeah it’s a stupid thing to say really. 

[Malcolm]

13 hours ago, exile said:

 

By that logic, if Spain were to lose to us at home, they don't deserve to be in the tournament?

Someone has to 'deserve' to go - that's the two teams with the highest points tallies. 

i agree, but the scenario presented was if we needed to avoid defeat at home to norway to qualify… by definition to be in the top 2

[exile]

10 hours ago, Malcolm said:

i agree, but the scenario presented was if we needed to avoid defeat at home to norway to qualify… by definition to be in the top 2

OK I see what you mean now.  If we don't get enough points to qualify in the last game, we don't [deserve to] qualify. 

I guess I am just not a fan of the term 'deserve' which people often use in the form "If Scotland can't beat X, they don't deserve to be at the finals" or "If they can't hold on to the ball in their own half, they don't deserve to win".

[Grim Jim]

Sitting here with us on max points after five games and I'm still crapping myself.   Is this as good as it gets?   😆

Trouble is I think, is that these three fixtures have all been very troublesome for us in the not too distant past.   This time I have every confidence 😬

[scottincarlisle]

47 minutes ago, Grim Jim said:

 

Trouble is I think, is that these three fixtures have all been very troublesome for us in the not too distant past.   This time I have every confidence 😬

I think in the past we could have lost all 3 remaining games, not now.

It would be a spectacular fail if we did but I suppose we've still got our NL play off as back up.

[Diamond Scot]

2 hours ago, scottincarlisle said:

I think in the past we could have lost all 3 remaining games, not now.

It would be a spectacular fail if we did but I suppose we've still got our NL play off as back up.

Our biggest backup is Spain not losing to Norway. Spain arent the side they were years ago but have some exceptional players coming through who just need to click.

[Caledonian Craig]

21 minutes ago, Diamond Scot said:

Our biggest backup is Spain not losing to Norway. Spain arent the side they were years ago but have some exceptional players coming through who just need to click.

Norway may have Haaland but that is counter-balanced by a leaky defence. Seven goals conceded in four games and even Cyprus breached their defence.

[Clyde1998]

1-0 Norway - Haaland

[Clyde1998]

2-0 Norway - Odegaard

[EddardStark]

It would seriously take a right shit show for us not to qualify from this group. Surely this disaster is even beyond probability?  

[Clyde1998]

8 minutes ago, EddardStark said:

It would seriously take a right shit show for us not to qualify from this group. Surely this disaster is even beyond probability?  

You'd think so. I can't see Norway beating Cyprus (away), Spain (home) and us (away) - something that would be required for us to have any chance of not qualifying - and then I'd expect we'd get at worst two points from Spain (away), Georgia (away) and Norway (home). Realistically we've got to be getting four minimum and going for at least six if we're looking at having a successful Euros.

Edited September 12, 2023 by Clyde1998

[one t in scotland]

13 minutes ago, EddardStark said:

It would seriously take a right shit show for us not to qualify from this group. Surely this disaster is even beyond probability?  

Genuinely think our best chance is Norway v Spain. Not a stretch of the imagination to see 0 points from Spain and at most 1 from Georgia away.

[Caledonian Craig]

Norwat leak goals whilst Spain score for fum. They will handle Norway. I have no doubt of that?

Georgia are now out of the rquation so that should help us in Tblisi.

 

[Ally Bongo]

10 minutes ago, Caledonian Craig said:

Norwat leak goals whilst Spain score for fum. They will handle Norway. I have no doubt of that?

Georgia are now out of the rquation so that should help us in Tblisi.

 

It will need to because we are in line for royal gubbings within 5 days against Spain then France

The only consolation is that there are 4 weeks to get over them before we play in Tblisi

[scotlad]

Georgia were rubbish tonight and bar their (admittedly very good) goal - scored in injury time - they played like minnows and barely threatened Norway.  If they play like that against us we should win comfortably.  However, as we know, Georgia have a history of raising their game against us when they are playing at home and have little but pride to play for.

[Tartan Chris]

11 hours ago, scotlad said:

Georgia were rubbish tonight and bar their (admittedly very good) goal - scored in injury time - they played like minnows and barely threatened Norway.  If they play like that against us we should win comfortably.  However, as we know, Georgia have a history of raising their game against us when they are playing at home and have little but pride to play for.

They're in the play offs aren't they so they at least need some sort of form going into that so they'll be looking at Scotland and Cyprus home as chance to get a couple of wins as obviously going to get nothing in Spain.

I'd be happy with a point there tbh.

[Caledonian Craig]

3 minutes ago, Tartan Chris said:

They're in the play offs aren't they so they at least need some sort of form going into that so they'll be looking at Scotland and Cyprus home as chance to get a couple of wins as obviously going to get nothing in Spain.

I'd be happy with a point there tbh.

The way to look at it is Georgia aren't big scorers and have a leaky defence. Lots of reasons to be hopeful plus they big up lots of bookings and red cards.

[Craig Fae Hamilton]

On 9/8/2023 at 6:45 PM, Third Lanark said:

Spain got 7 now. We have to improve our goal difference now.

If points are same it goes to results v the 2 teams.

To be above Spain if we end up level on points, we need to lose by 1 goal or less in Spain.

[Orraloon]

17 minutes ago, Craig Fae Hamilton said:

If points are same it goes to results v the 2 teams.

To be above Spain if we end up level on points, we need to lose by 1 goal or less in Spain.

If Spain beat us by two goals it goes to GD for all the group games. Can't see us catching Spain on GD now but you never know.

[vanderark14]

The best thing to happen to spain was losing to us and its going to help us get through. They will want to win the group and head to Germany as one of the favourites. I believe they will beat Norway in Norway and its good night vienna for them. 

[Diamond Scot]

Said it many times that I think we will qualify as I dont see Spain losing to Norway. (Am I correct in saying a draw puts Norway out, even if we lose the rest of our games?)

Just looking at ourselves though, chances are we lose in Spain regardless of our prerformance. My concern is the Georgia game. We have been amazing for a long time now so hopefully that just continues and if it does we will win however my fear is that a performance where 4 or 5 of the players drop standards and we could easily draw or lose. Ie if we play as flat as last night we wont win. Yes England are lightyears better than Georgia but from the very start last night we had no tempo or fight. 

My point has always been we are potentially one bad game away from a crunch match against Norway. Against the backdrop of us being "there" and Norway being "out", thats a difficult one mentally for the players.

[The Black Bra]

8 minutes ago, Diamond Scot said:

Said it many times that I think we will qualify as I dont see Spain losing to Norway. (Am I correct in saying a draw puts Norway out, even if we lose the rest of our games?)

Just looking at ourselves though, chances are we lose in Spain regardless of our prerformance. My concern is the Georgia game. We have been amazing for a long time now so hopefully that just continues and if it does we will win however my fear is that a performance where 4 or 5 of the players drop standards and we could easily draw or lose. Ie if we play as flat as last night we wont win. Yes England are lightyears better than Georgia but from the very start last night we had no tempo or fight. 

My point has always been we are potentially one bad game away from a crunch match against Norway. Against the backdrop of us being "there" and Norway being "out", thats a difficult one mentally for the players.

That’s been my fear as well, going into the Norway game needing a point when we’ve been top of the group all this time with people talking as if we’ve already qualified. Hopefully Spain do the business against Norway to spare us that arse-clenching scenario. As good as we’ve been generally, we’re still capable of shite performances like last night, Ukraine & Ireland last summer, etc.