ProudScot Posted November 30, 2015 Share Posted November 30, 2015 The SFA will wait until Euro draw on 12th December when there will be no shortage of offers to play us. Yes we are a big draw for teams... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wanderer Posted November 30, 2015 Share Posted November 30, 2015 Yes we are a big draw for teams... Given Wales, NI and Rep of Ireland are all in the same pot for Euro 2016, I think he is meaning along the lines of teams who are drawn with them seeing us as good opposition to get a idea of what they will be up against. Ideally, if these teams can be drawn with the likes of Austria, Ukraine, Czech Republic, Romania etc... it would be ideal for us to get some practice against teams from a similar area and standard as Slovenia and Slovakia. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LewisEDI Posted November 30, 2015 Share Posted November 30, 2015 Given Wales, NI and Rep of Ireland are all in the same pot for Euro 2016, I think he is meaning along the lines of teams who are drawn with them seeing us as good opposition to get a idea of what they will be up against. Ideally, if these teams can be drawn with the likes of Austria, Ukraine, Czech Republic, Romania etc... it would be ideal for us to get some practice against teams from a similar area and standard as Slovenia and Slovakia. Romania could be a good shout, unless there is some lingering bad blood between the FAs after the Kennedy tackle though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wanderer Posted November 30, 2015 Share Posted November 30, 2015 Romania could be a good shout, unless there is some lingering bad blood between the FAs after the Kennedy tackle though Doubt there will be anything between the two FA's, but our media would probably run to the hill with a Kennedy story in the build up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orraloon Posted November 30, 2015 Share Posted November 30, 2015 Given Wales, NI and Rep of Ireland are all in the same pot for Euro 2016, I think he is meaning along the lines of teams who are drawn with them seeing us as good opposition to get a idea of what they will be up against. Would it not be more sensible for them to arrange friendlies against somebody half decent? Instead of utter shyte no hopers like Scotland. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProudScot Posted November 30, 2015 Share Posted November 30, 2015 Would it not be more sensible for them to arrange friendlies against somebody half decent? Instead of utter shyte no hopers like Scotland. Yes playing us is something you would do if you had a game against Latvia, Lithuania, Malta etc. Depressing stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wanderer Posted November 30, 2015 Share Posted November 30, 2015 Would it not be more sensible for them to arrange friendlies against somebody half decent? Instead of utter shyte no hopers like Scotland. At the moment there is very little between us, ROI and NI. Anyone drawn with ROI will look at their qualification results and see that we beat them and drew with them.... plus man-for-man probably very little between the squads (made up predominately of EPL and Championship level players), so we will be viewed as a good alternative without actually having to play the real thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aaid Posted November 30, 2015 Share Posted November 30, 2015 At the moment there is very little between us, ROI and NI. Anyone drawn with ROI will look at their qualification results and see that we beat them and drew with them.... plus man-for-man probably very little between the squads (made up predominately of EPL and Championship level players), so we will be viewed as a good alternative without actually having to play the real thing. Our style of football is nothing like ROI, England or Wales. Haven't seen enough of NI to comment. Its a completely outdated myth that there is some sort of "British" style of football. That disappeared decades ago. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wanderer Posted November 30, 2015 Share Posted November 30, 2015 Our style of football is nothing like ROI, England or Wales. Haven't seen enough of NI to comment. Its a completely outdated myth that there is some sort of "British" style of football. That disappeared decades ago. Agree, it is outdated and somewhat stereotypical, but its a view a number of European nations still view football in the UK and Ireland with (simply because our squads are made up from a mainly the top two divisions in England) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProudScot Posted November 30, 2015 Share Posted November 30, 2015 Our style of football is nothing like ROI, England or Wales. Haven't seen enough of NI to comment. Its a completely outdated myth that there is some sort of "British" style of football. That disappeared decades ago. Exactly. We are miles behind. Negative, defensive and average sides like Lithuania, Estonia and Finland is the level we are at currently. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donaldo87 Posted November 30, 2015 Share Posted November 30, 2015 They probably defend better than we do just now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProudScot Posted November 30, 2015 Share Posted November 30, 2015 They probably defend better than we do just now. Fair point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barney Rubble Posted November 30, 2015 Share Posted November 30, 2015 At the moment there is very little between us, ROI and NI. They have both qualified for a tournament next summer and we haven't. So, with all due respect, there's a fair bit between us and them right now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wanderer Posted November 30, 2015 Share Posted November 30, 2015 They have both qualified for a tournament next summer and we haven't. So, with all due respect, there's a fair bit between us and them right now. Northern Ireland got out of a group that we would have chopped their arms off to get (while we got the World Champions and a team with, arguably, the most inform striker in Europe over the last year....) while it was the view of most folk on here that it was going to be neck and neck between us are the Republic for who finished 3rd.... and even just on the head to head alone, that shows there was nothing between us. I would not say neither team are much better than us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barney Rubble Posted November 30, 2015 Share Posted November 30, 2015 Northern Ireland got out of a group that we would have chopped their arms off to get (while we got the World Champions and a team with, arguably, the most inform striker in Europe over the last year....) while it was the view of most folk on here that it was going to be neck and neck between us are the Republic for who finished 3rd.... and even just on the head to head alone, that shows there was nothing between us. I would not say neither team are much better than us. I fully respect your opinion, but the facts are both have qualified for next summer, we haven't. The CVs of Ireland, N.Ireland and Wales are now superior to ours since 1998, that's incontrovertible. And let's face it, that's what counts. Not head to head results. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aaid Posted November 30, 2015 Share Posted November 30, 2015 Agree, it is outdated and somewhat stereotypical, but its a view a number of European nations still view football in the UK and Ireland with (simply because our squads are made up from a mainly the top two divisions in England) Half the nations in Europe have players from the top two divisions in England. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wanderer Posted November 30, 2015 Share Posted November 30, 2015 I fully respect your opinion, but the facts are both have qualified for next summer, we haven't. The CVs of Ireland, N.Ireland and Wales are now superior to ours since 1998, that's incontrovertible. And let's face it, that's what counts. Not head to head results. So does same apply to Greece (who finished bottom of their group), Denmark and the Netherlands who all have superior CV's than us from what they have done in the last 30 years alone, than we have had in the last 130 odd years? We are far from the biggest footballing nation to miss out on next summer. Suppose once the draw is made and we start to hear rumors of games will we know what to expect for March and May, but I still fully expect that there will be a link to at least one of the other home nations from our potential fixtures next years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barney Rubble Posted November 30, 2015 Share Posted November 30, 2015 So does same apply to Greece (who finished bottom of their group), Denmark and the Netherlands who all have superior CV's than us from what they have done in the last 30 years alone, than we have had in the last 130 odd years? We are far from the biggest footballing nation to miss out on next summer. Suppose once the draw is made and we start to hear rumors of games will we know what to expect for March and May, but I still fully expect that there will be a link to at least one of the other home nations from our potential fixtures next years. We are probably the biggest football nation, alongside Hungary, who have consistently failed to qualify this century. That's my point. Hell, Greece won the bloody thing in 2004, so no idea what they are doing in this discussion. Agree with you last point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aaid Posted November 30, 2015 Share Posted November 30, 2015 Since France 98 when we last qualified, we have played precisely *one* friendly in the run up to the finals against teams that have been drawn in the same group as either England or the Republic of Ireland. That was Nigeria in 2002 at Pittodrie. That's one game in 18 years, its a complete myth that the group opponents of England, Wales, NI and ROI are queuing up to play us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orraloon Posted November 30, 2015 Share Posted November 30, 2015 Northern Ireland got out of a group that we would have chopped their arms off to get (while we got the World Champions and a team with, arguably, the most inform striker in Europe over the last year....) while it was the view of most folk on here that it was going to be neck and neck between us are the Republic for who finished 3rd.... and even just on the head to head alone, that shows there was nothing between us. I would not say neither team are much better than us. We got almost the easiest draw we could have. We got drawn against the bottom and second bottom seeds in pot 2 and pot 3. The only way it could have been easier is if we had got Greece instead of Germany. We are really shyte. What amazes me is that so many folk still haven't realised it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eastiebeastie Posted November 30, 2015 Share Posted November 30, 2015 Iceland at home & NIre away plus a game in London. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aaid Posted November 30, 2015 Share Posted November 30, 2015 Iceland at home & NIre away plus a game in London. No chance we will play NI away. Too much baggage, the stadium is too small and they won't be able to come up with a big enough match fee to make it worthwhile. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wanderer Posted November 30, 2015 Share Posted November 30, 2015 Since France 98 when we last qualified, we have played precisely *one* friendly in the run up to the finals against teams that have been drawn in the same group as either England or the Republic of Ireland. That was Nigeria in 2002 at Pittodrie. That's one game in 18 years, its a complete myth that the group opponents of England, Wales, NI and ROI are queuing up to play us. Then what's stopping us arranging a fixture? We know our World Cup group, so know who not to play..... Sound of things from ATAC minutes SFA have made enquires, but are some time from announcing anything, clearly down to see what comes our way in terms of offers after the Euro draw. Maybe the SFA will get offers from opponents of the other home nations, maybe they will not, but I suspect this thinking is playing a factor at the moment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aaid Posted November 30, 2015 Share Posted November 30, 2015 Maybe the SFA will get offers from opponents of the other home nations, maybe they will not, but I suspect this thinking is playing a factor at the moment. Why? What possible reason do you have to think that? Even if it were true - and I don't believe it is - why would the SFA wait for interest from other nations who may be playing England, etc., ? Who does that benefit - not Scotland? I'd imagine a lot of countries who have qualified are holding off arranging their friendlies in case they are drawn against each other in the finals and that causes problems for Scotland in finalising fixtures but I really don't think that Sweden are saying to the SFA, we'll play a friendly against you if we draw Wales. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deecie Posted November 30, 2015 Share Posted November 30, 2015 There's no chance Sweden will ever play us again after we brought over Garry Kenneth to mark Zlatan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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