Guest Bilo Posted 9 September 2014 Posted 9 September 2014 I dont see how Iceland beating Turkey is a shock. Icelandic football is in the best period in its history, and they were a playoff away from the world cup. Maybe the ease of victory was a surprise, but not the win itself Iceland have come from nowhere in recent years, and Turkey are a shadow of their former selves.
Guest Col city fan Posted 9 September 2014 Posted 9 September 2014 I'm sure I heard on the radio earlier that Andorra hadn't scored an international goal for four years!, Wales struggled there, having fielded a good side. Don't think the joke pitch helped at all though.
Donut Posted 9 September 2014 Posted 9 September 2014 As i illuded to in a previous post, its really only San Marino, Andorra and probably Gibraltar now they are on the scene as minnows really. Kazakhstan went into their game today as favourites to win vs Latvia and could have done by all accounts, The Faroes fave Finland a huge scare, Luxembourg took a well deserved point off Belarus. Azerbaijan had a decent campaign last time out and narrowly went down to Bulgaria, and Cyprus bagged a brilliant win away in Bosnia. The old cliche of no easy games at international level looks more true than ever. The low seed teams wont give you an easy ride anymore.
Grandad. Posted 10 September 2014 Posted 10 September 2014 Albania are a tidy outfit that Michael Owen described after a 2-0 win to England as the most underrated team in Europe. ..but Albania are a decent outfit Michael Owen said that 13 years ago. In 177 competitive games they have won 25 games, all in qualification campaigns. God knows how you can come to the conclusion they are a 'decent' outfit.
Donut Posted 10 September 2014 Posted 10 September 2014 Michael Owen said that 13 years ago. In 177 competitive games they have won 25 games, all in qualification campaigns. God knows how you can come to the conclusion they are a 'decent' outfit. By the fact they score around 10 points in each qualifying group which is hardly dreadful is it. They are capable of giving teams a game and taking points off them here and there, they are competitive, thats what was said earlier in the thread. And its true
Grandad. Posted 10 September 2014 Posted 10 September 2014 By the fact they score around 10 points in each qualifying group which is hardly dreadful is it. They are capable of giving teams a game and taking points off them here and there, they are competitive, thats what was said earlier in the thread. And its true Yeah, real 'decent'. Michael Owen said they were underrated 13 years ago as well. Up the Albanians.
Donut Posted 10 September 2014 Posted 10 September 2014 Yeah, real 'decent'. Michael Owen said they were underrated 13 years ago as well. Up the Albanians. Are they capable of picking up points? yes. Are they capable of winning games? yes. Do they have players playing for respectable clubs in respectable leagues? yes? Obviously they arent going to be the Brazil 70 team are they. Theyre a respectable footballing nation and can score points. What more is there to say?
Grandad. Posted 10 September 2014 Posted 10 September 2014 Are they capable of picking up points? yes. Are they capable of winning games? yes. Do they have players playing for respectable clubs in respectable leagues? yes? Obviously they arent going to be the Brazil 70 team are they. Theyre a respectable footballing nation and can score points. What more is there to say? Exactly that, they are respectable, they are far from 'decent'. Or are we still in 2001?
Donut Posted 10 September 2014 Posted 10 September 2014 Exactly that, they are respectable, they are far from 'decent'. Or are we still in 2001? Why are you looking for a pointless argument? seriously.
Grandad. Posted 10 September 2014 Posted 10 September 2014 Why are you looking for a pointless argument? seriously. No argument here, I've just told you Albania aren't 'decent' and not to use a quote from Michael Owen 13 years ago.
Donut Posted 10 September 2014 Posted 10 September 2014 No argument here, I've just told you Albania aren't 'decent' and not to use a quote from Michael Owen from 13 years ago. Fine, well, they dont meet your decent criteria. I wont lose any sleep. Night
Dan Posted 10 September 2014 Posted 10 September 2014 Iceland are remarkable really considering they have a population smaller than Leicester.
Jordan Posted 10 September 2014 Posted 10 September 2014 Iceland are remarkable really considering they have a population smaller than Leicester.It really is a nation of anomalies.Before the banking collapse, Iceland and its absurd about of sports clubs invested in indoor pitches and artificial pitches, and their kids are playing football all year round now (instead of just playing handball in their long winters). There's a club called Breiðablik that for decades was a middling club by Iceland's standards, until they rode their country's economic wave by building top notch facilities and adding undersoil heating for their ground. The investment has paid off handsomely. Gylfi Sigurðsson (I think this dude is a big time player) and Alfreð Finnbogason (who is probably the best all around forward Iceland have, although he wasn't in the squad this week) both came from the Breiðablik set-up--there are Premier League teams that don't even produce two players like that in the same generation. The national team also has Lars Lagerbäck calling the shots. He's quite experienced managing internationally, and he's a decent name for a small country to have as manager. Iceland is probably a little lucky that they have had such a good generation of players come together, but it's probably no coincidence that this generation is better than the last considering the investments in sports that occurred when they were youngsters.
Dan Posted 10 September 2014 Posted 10 September 2014 Fair play. Despite all that I still think it's admirable how good they are as a side. The population of some countries amazes me when it comes to football and how much they've done at international level in comparison to some other teams. They punch above their weight immensely.
Jordan Posted 10 September 2014 Posted 10 September 2014 Fair play. Despite all that I still think it's admirable how good they are as a side. The population of some countries amazes me when it comes to football and how much they've done at international level in comparison to some other teams. They punch above their weight immensely.They certainly do. It's a unique place, where "punching above your weight" is almost a national pastime in itself.
Grantham Fox Posted 10 September 2014 Posted 10 September 2014 Agree with that about Iceland. Gylfi Sigurdsson, Alfred Finbogsson and Kolbein Sigthorsson (sp all of them ?) all quality players I think, there captain Aron Gunnarson (sp?) is also a steady player. Also when England play Lithuania, there's a good chance Leicester academy player, Simonas Stankevicous will play against us. 18 year old, 5 caps already.
Miquel The Work Geordie Posted 10 September 2014 Posted 10 September 2014 . Also when England play Lithuania, there's a good chance Leicester academy player, Simonas Stankevicous will play against us. 18 year old, 5 caps already. gwon stanky lad!
Miquel The Work Geordie Posted 10 September 2014 Posted 10 September 2014 behave, looks more like taylor lautner of twilight fame dont he
Trav Le Bleu Posted 10 September 2014 Posted 10 September 2014 People saying about Andorra scoring last night, it was a penalty. Anyone can score a penalty, I sure that with a bit of luck even I could put one past Joe Hart or Iker Casillas from the penalty spot. Not like they opened them up and left the defence flummoxed was it? No even sure it was a penalty having seen it now.
ScouseFox Posted 10 September 2014 Posted 10 September 2014 Well Andorra haven't been able to score this ever so easy penalty any other time in the past 4 years
Bert Posted 10 September 2014 Posted 10 September 2014 Lofty, I remember a particular 2-2 draw at Wembley... Thing with claims is you can always maintain your stance until the desired result flocks in. I've mentioned it before that both sides were equally wasteful up until the hour mark. You had your sitters, we had ours. If you want to talk deluded, one only has to go back and see what tosh you've written about superior England in the past and your World Cup 2014 output for most recent proof. Also, I just mentioned that we actually did have a prep game, just not one on the same scale as England. And I did also mention that we were a hopeless case in front of goal and that I never want to see Djourou in a Swiss national football team dress again. You had 2 clear cut chances all night. We had 6 at least. Even when you had the ball England were dictating how the game was played. At our worst (according to some) in a long time we dealt your team easily enough and we're well and truly deserved winners. How you can say anything else is either rose tinted spectacles or pathetic trolling. You might have a new manager but you're no way going through as much of a transition period as us at the minute. You had a better World Cup and should be thriving on that. Unfortunately for you you looked piss poor.
Pride_Of_The_Midlands Posted 10 September 2014 Posted 10 September 2014 Albania are obviously much better than Andorra, but I'd say that Portugal are the same difference ahead of Wales. Well according to the 2014 FIFA World Cup game 4.5* - Portugal 3.5* - Wales 3* - Albania 0.5* - Andorra
Finnegan Posted 10 September 2014 Posted 10 September 2014 Well according to the 2014 FIFA World Cup game 4.5* - Portugal 3.5* - Wales 3* - Albania 0.5* - Andorra lol lol!!! You are the gift that keeps giving.
Guest MattP Posted 10 September 2014 Posted 10 September 2014 Wales charged after the pitch invasion and could have part of the ground closed v Bosnia. Nothing like a sledgehammer to crack a nut.
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