International Footy

[Joe.]

But that is merely a minor factor.

Look at India, Pakistan and Afghanistan then.

If you're being narrow-minded and focusing on football, yes. And you're not taking into consideration cultural differences.

[Father Ted]

If you're being narrow-minded and focusing on football, yes. And you're not taking into consideration cultural differences.

You've said it yourself.

There are many factors that contribute to the quality of players, etc as you have just pointed out and not just population.

[Radovan's Caravan]

So apparently England are playing on Wednesday.

As are we and our good friends and shits next door who will poop all over your hoofers (again). The Ingermongs will then lose their match with Ukraine (and their brass monkeys) in Kiev's ice bowl in October.

It will then be left to Belarus to shut you out at Wembley to allow the unmentionables and the Ukraine through.

Stranger things have happened...

[TrickyTrev]

But that is merely a minor factor.

Look at India, Pakistan and Afghanistan then.

But India, Pakistan and Afghanistan don't love football. There are countries with similarly large populations with vibrant footballing cultures; That, is what Montenegro has to overcome.

No one denies that the Baltic states produce more players per head than your average country, but no country with a population below 35,000,000 (Argentina) has won the world cup since 1950. There is a rather obvious reason. To produce as many good players as France for example, Montengro would have to be 10 times better at producing good players.

[Radovan's Caravan]

But India, Pakistan and Afghanistan don't love football. There are countries with similarly large populations with vibrant footballing cultures; That, is what Montenegro has to overcome.

No one denies that the Baltic states produce more players per head than your average country, but no country with a population below 35,000,000 (Argentina) has won the world cup since 1950. There is a rather obvious reason. To produce as many good players as France for example, Montengro would have to be 10 times better at producing good players.

Argentina's population was a lot lower than 35 million when it won the World Cup in 1978. Of course it should be remembered that there is much speculation still about the integrity of that victory.

As there is about 1934 (Italy) 1954 (West Germany) 1998 (France) and 2002 (Brazil)

[Ultra]

As are we and our good friends and shits next door who will poop all over your hoofers (again). The Ingermongs will then lose their match with Ukraine (and their brass monkeys) in Kiev's ice bowl in October.

It will then be left to Belarus to shut you out at Wembley to allow the unmentionables and the Ukraine through.

Stranger things have happened...

The Ukraine away game has apparently been moved to Dnepropetrovsk.

But we'll be through by then anyway.

[Radovan's Caravan]

The Ukraine away game has apparently been moved to Dnepropetrovsk.

But we'll be through by then anyway.

A closed city during the Cold War era. Apparently they used to make rockets (the unfriendly kind) there.

Which means the workers lounged around and drank a lot of vodka.

[Uncle Albert]

I reckon England will win confortably against Croatia, something like 3-0 or 3-1. The Croat's will have to come and attack and England now play better when teams dont just sit back and try and take a point.

Gerrard, Rooney and Lampard to score.

[shen]

But India, Pakistan and Afghanistan don't love football. There are countries with similarly large populations with vibrant footballing cultures; That, is what Montenegro has to overcome.

No one denies that the Baltic states produce more players per head than your average country, but no country with a population below 35,000,000 (Argentina) has won the world cup since 1950. There is a rather obvious reason. To produce as many good players as France for example, Montengro would have to be 10 times better at producing good players.

I'm assuming you meant the Balkans and not the Baltic states

And stop trolling around Father Ted, you're not doing yourself any favours.

Argentina's population was a lot lower than 35 million when it won the World Cup in 1978. Of course it should be remembered that there is much speculation still about the integrity of that victory.

As there is about 1934 (Italy) 1954 (West Germany) 1998 (France) and 2002 (Brazil)

It was still a big country by most standards. But anyhow, would you anticipated any small country winning back then? Today the gap is arguably smaller between the 'big' footballing nations and the rest that are playing catchup. Even matches against the minnows aren't walkovers anymore.

[StanSP]

If you want permutations cleared up for results in tomorrow's WC qualifiers, this is a good place to look

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/i...les/default.stm

[Radovan's Caravan]

It was still a big country by most standards. But anyhow, would you anticipated any small country winning back then? Today the gap is arguably smaller between the 'big' footballing nations and the rest that are playing catchup. Even matches against the minnows aren't walkovers anymore.

Your current domicile was a much fancied side in the mid '80's were they not (and went on to justify that when they stole our place in Euro '92 )?

Holland and Hungary have contested two World Cup finals away from home. Three countries there with populations under 20 million and when you bung in the Swedes that's three under 10 million. However, material resources can compensate for a lack of player resources to some degree ('can' being the operative word - the exception to this rule is of course England, where the misuse of abundant resources is the problem).

If there was a level playing field in international football then the emerging countries of West Africa would probably be heading the FIFA rankings along with Brazil. The playing field though is anything but level. Africa has only just over half the finals slots allocated to Europe. That stupid mistranslated tournament 'The Africa Cup of Nations' is held just six months before the WC finals. And the players' own officials steal their match fees & kit and put them up in shoddy hotels and pocket the difference.

Not surprising then that African players see their club careers as paramount - they have whole villages to feed.

[Lillehamring]

But India, Pakistan and Afghanistan don't love football. There are countries with similarly large populations with vibrant footballing cultures; That, is what Montenegro has to overcome.

No one denies that the Baltic states produce more players per head than your average country, but no country with a population below 35,000,000 (Argentina) has won the world cup since 1950. There is a rather obvious reason. To produce as many good players as France for example, Montengro would have to be 10 times better at producing good players.

aren't most of france's best players just reapatriated africans anyway?

I'm off to Norway vs Maccedonia this evening, almost a pointless game, but it could still happen, if nothing else it would be fun to finish above scotland...and i'll be in the pub four and a half hours before kick off...

[StanSP]

aren't most of france's best players just reapatriated africans anyway?

I'm off to Norway vs Maccedonia this evening, almost a pointless game, but it could still happen, if nothing else it would be fun to finish above scotland...and i'll be in the pub four and a half hours before kick off...

Please draw . I'd like to see Scotland make the World Cup.

[C-man]

I'd like to see Scotland lose in the play-offs to Hungary or someone.

[The Doctor]

Please draw . I'd like to see Scotland make the World Cup.

i'd like to see all the home nations and thr roi in the world cup and all of them (home nations) in the same group.

[purpleronnie]

Please draw . I'd like to see Scotland make the World Cup.

Me too, I want as many home nations as possible to make it, still chance of Rep of Ireland, Scotland, England making it, and of course N Ireland too.

[The Doctor]

Me too, I want as many home nations as possible to make it, still chance of Rep of Ireland, Scotland, England making it, and of course N Ireland too.

wales can still make it with a major miracle. (they need to win all of their games and hope russia lose all theirs while finland pick up less than 8 points from their last 3 games. wales also need to make up a 14 goal swing in goal difference. pretty much screwed but there is still a chance)

[Lillehamring]

wales can still make it with a major miracle. (they need to win all of their games and hope russia lose all theirs while finland pick up less than 8 points from their last 3 games. wales also need to make up a 14 goal swing in goal difference. pretty much screwed but there is still a chance)

christ, i think that's more of a stretch than for norway!

[davieG]

wales can still make it with a major miracle. (they need to win all of their games and hope russia lose all theirs while finland pick up less than 8 points from their last 3 games. wales also need to make up a 14 goal swing in goal difference. pretty much screwed but there is still a chance)

Finnegan would need to be God for that to happen

[shen]

Your current domicile was a much fancied side in the mid '80's were they not (and went on to justify that when they stole our place in Euro '92 )?

Holland and Hungary have contested two World Cup finals away from home. Three countries there with populations under 20 million and when you bung in the Swedes that's three under 10 million. However, material resources can compensate for a lack of player resources to some degree ('can' being the operative word - the exception to this rule is of course England, where the misuse of abundant resources is the problem).

If there was a level playing field in international football then the emerging countries of West Africa would probably be heading the FIFA rankings along with Brazil. The playing field though is anything but level. Africa has only just over half the finals slots allocated to Europe. That stupid mistranslated tournament 'The Africa Cup of Nations' is held just six months before the WC finals. And the players' own officials steal their match fees & kit and put them up in shoddy hotels and pocket the difference.

Not surprising then that African players see their club careers as paramount - they have whole villages to feed.

It was, but the likes of Simonsen and Laudrup, Olsen and eventually Schmeichel are talents we won't see again for a long long time. Even with such great players we were never realistically in the running for any of the major tournaments (barring the occasional Olympics back in the pre-WW2 era).

I can't really back up the 'minnow'-argument, but it's logical that the number of people practising football in a country is a determinant for the talent mass available to said country. I guess my point is that the tactical side of the game has improved and made the respective 'minnows' with no outstanding footballing culture a threat to many established football countries.

The point you make about material resources is a very valid one in my view, and I agree that with proper investment and a sound setup can to a large extent compensate for the lack of 'raw material'. As long as UEFA and FIFA govern as they do, there will never be a level international football scene (whether club or country). That said, the emerging West African nations (Senegal, Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Cameroon and Ghana... Mali at a push) look to pick up at least three of the 5 currently allocated spots, one of them already secured.

It's some wild speculation though that those national teams would dominate world football/rank at the top of the FIFA list.

[ousefox]

I can see us thrashing Croatia tonight...

[Finnegan]

Finnegan would need to be God for that to happen

God's only on our side in the rugby.

[Dr The Singh]

God's only on our side in the rugby.

Good luck to all the UK\British teams, including Ireland!!

[leicesterfox86]

I reckon England will win confortably against Croatia, something like 3-0 or 3-1. The Croat's will have to come and attack and England now play better when teams dont just sit back and try and take a point.

Gerrard, Rooney and Lampard to score.

I don't think it will be easy. A 1-0 win I think. An early goal from Heskey. Job done.

[dandannieldanok]

Heskey surely cannot start tonight, I've never seen someone do so little for club and country yet still get picked constantly. Heskey will certainly not strike fear into the Croatians, or any defence for that matter.