I agree with Porky. His plan wouldn't stop a Denmark or Greece in the Euros as it is aimed at getting rid of the likes of Gibraltar, Andorra, Faroes and The Isle of Man. Their presence is a mockery. Put them all in a league / tournament of their own and every two years the winner gets to join the big boys in the world cup / euro rounds. At least this way they will get to develop and grow as they will actually be in with a chance of winning a game....I heard that. He was babbling fucking nonsense - firstly the idea that there should be some sort of pre-qualification for the minnows. It would just constant group qualifying matches for them. What he / they want is just the favourites in each tournament to play each other over and over again ( and in domestic and European club comps too ). He was citing sports like golf and tennis where the same to players just rock up and play each other week after week. His raison d'etre for this was that that is what the punters all want ffs.
That logic flies in the face of things like the success of Denmark and Greece in the Euro's - if he had his way this would never happen. And of course that logic neatly sidesteps the truth that Steve Davis, Eric Bristow, Jimmy Connors, Ian Woosnam and many many others whilst fitting his stereotype about what the punters want to watch do inevitably wane BUT get replaced by other new talent. To follow the Parry Method would mean that however dire England or say Italy get they would be safe in all tournaments never likely to drop out and be replaced by Ivory Coast or the USA - mental. However it is the sort of mentality of someone who despite his age probably now doesn't accept there was football before the PL and nothing worthwhile happens outside the PL....... I wonder how he rationalises promotion and relegation to and from the PL in his little world ?
To be fair how happy were people with the thought of Sterling having to play on that pitch at San marino the other day? it was a state. If there is a way to protect MCFC's mulitimillion pound trophy winning(hopefully) asset, then I am all ears, fuck England and every other national team at the end of the day it's all about City.
Enjoyable might be the wrong word.always has and always will be for me, england is just an enjoyable diversion every now and then
Enjoyable might be the wrong word.
Iceland seem to have grown alright without the need for "pre-qualifying". 20 years ago they finished bottom of their qualifying group for Euro 96 and now they're top of a group containing Turkey, Netherlands and Czech Rep.I agree with Porky. His plan wouldn't stop a Denmark or Greece in the Euros as it is aimed at getting rid of the likes of Gibraltar, Andorra, Faroes and The Isle of Man. Their presence is a mockery. Put them all in a league / tournament of their own and every two years the winner gets to join the big boys in the world cup / euro rounds. At least this way they will get to develop and grow as they will actually be in with a chance of winning a game....
Iceland wouldn't be on my list of teams to axe.... do you think Gibraltar, San Marino, Andorra, Liechenstein, San Marino, even Malta will do anything of any note in the next 20 years?Iceland seem to have grown alright without the need for "pre-qualifying". 20 years ago they finished bottom of their qualifying group for Euro 96 and now they're top of a group containing Turkey, Netherlands and Czech Rep.
I've no idea but 20 years ago if you'd asked me I wouldn't have seen Iceland topping their qualifying group. Teams tend to improve over the longer term by playing against better opposition and learning from the experience. I doubt that a string of, say, San Marino vs Andorra matches would teach either side very much at all.Iceland wouldn't be on my list of teams to axe.... do you think Gibraltar, San Marino, Andorra, Liechenstein, San Marino, even Malta will do anything of any note in the next 20 years?
I've no idea but 20 years ago if you'd asked me I wouldn't have seen Iceland topping their qualifying group. Teams tend to improve over the longer term by playing against better opposition and learning from the experience. I doubt that a string of, say, San Marino vs Andorra matches would teach either side very much at all.
Iceland wouldn't be on my list of teams to axe.... do you think Gibraltar, San Marino, Andorra, Liechenstein, San Marino, even Malta will do anything of any note in the next 20 years?
I've no idea but 20 years ago if you'd asked me I wouldn't have seen Iceland topping their qualifying group. Teams tend to improve over the longer term by playing against better opposition and learning from the experience. I doubt that a string of, say, San Marino vs Andorra matches would teach either side very much at all.
Edit: Incidentally Malta has a larger population than Iceland so who knows.
It takes time for so-called minnow nations to catch up and become competitive, and who's to say one of them can't or won't, at some point in the future, give some of the established teams a good game. Hang on, wait a minute, the current campaign for the Euro 2016 qualifiers is full of great and truly surprising results by some of the minnows against some of the bigger teams.
Cyprus won in Bosnia.
Luxembourg won in Macedonia.
Faroe Islands have beaten Greece home and away, and remember them beating Austria in their first ever qualifying campaign.
Liechtenstein currently have 5 points, including a credible win against Stefan Jovetic's Montenegro.
Malta held Bulgaria to a draw in Sofia and twice lost by a single goal to Italy.
Albania currently have 11 points and are serious contenders to qualify from Portugal's group, or at the very least take a spot in the play-offs. They've already won in Portugal and held Denmark to two draws. That's right, they won in Portugal.
Remember Turkey in the 1980s. England thumped them 8-0 twice and another 5-0 in different qualifying campaigns. They conceded 48 goals in two World Cup qualifying campaigns, scoring only 3 in reply, and finishing with 1 point from both campaigns. They fared little better in the Euro campaigns. Fast forward to the 90s and they're qualifying for Euro 96, reaching the quarter finals of Euro 2000, and then the World Cup semi-finals in 2002.
The great Juventus side of the mid-80s contained a midfielder called Massimo Bonini. He partnered Marco Tardelli in midfield in the teams that won the European Cup in '85 and who lost the 1983 final to Hamburg. Italy, who were going through a transitional period in the mid-80s after their World Cup win, were desperate for him to choose to play for the Azzuri. He refused. It was his dream to represent San Marino, who weren't recognised officially by UEFA until they were allowed to participate in the qualifiers for Euro 92. He played 15 times for San Marino when he might easily have played in several major tournaments with Italy.
To suggest so-called minnow sides shouldn't be allowed to compete is, frankly, crap. It suggests supporters of major countries and major clubs perhaps have their heads up their own arses, rendering themselves oblivious as to what representing their countries means for those players from smaller countries, what it means for them to play against England, Italy, Germany, Spain, etc., what it means for them to hear their national anthems played at the Bernabeu or at Wembley.
Shut up. You are just jealous and bitter.A rag just come on talksport and said theres 4 nailed on England players for the Euro's:
Hart
Smalling
Carrick
Rooney
YCNMIU.
San Marino, Andorra, Gibraltar etc are not so much minnows as plankton.It takes time for so-called minnow nations to catch up and become competitive, and who's to say one of them can't or won't, at some point in the future, give some of the established teams a good game. Hang on, wait a minute, the current campaign for the Euro 2016 qualifiers is full of great and truly surprising results by some of the minnows against some of the bigger teams.
Cyprus won in Bosnia.
Luxembourg won in Macedonia.
Faroe Islands have beaten Greece home and away, and remember them beating Austria in their first ever qualifying campaign.
Liechtenstein currently have 5 points, including a credible win against Stefan Jovetic's Montenegro.
Malta held Bulgaria to a draw in Sofia and twice lost by a single goal to Italy.
Albania currently have 11 points and are serious contenders to qualify from Portugal's group, or at the very least take a spot in the play-offs. They've already won in Portugal and held Denmark to two draws. That's right, they won in Portugal.
Remember Turkey in the 1980s. England thumped them 8-0 twice and another 5-0 in different qualifying campaigns. They conceded 48 goals in two World Cup qualifying campaigns, scoring only 3 in reply, and finishing with 1 point from both campaigns. They fared little better in the Euro campaigns. Fast forward to the 90s and they're qualifying for Euro 96, reaching the quarter finals of Euro 2000, and then the World Cup semi-finals in 2002.
The great Juventus side of the mid-80s contained a midfielder called Massimo Bonini. He partnered Marco Tardelli in midfield in the teams that won the European Cup in '85 and who lost the 1983 final to Hamburg. Italy, who were going through a transitional period in the mid-80s after their World Cup win, were desperate for him to choose to play for the Azzuri. He refused. It was his dream to represent San Marino, who weren't recognised officially by UEFA until they were allowed to participate in the qualifiers for Euro 92. He played 15 times for San Marino when he might easily have played in several major tournaments with Italy.
To suggest so-called minnow sides shouldn't be allowed to compete is, frankly, crap. It suggests supporters of major countries and major clubs perhaps have their heads up their own arses, rendering themselves oblivious as to what representing their countries means for those players from smaller countries, what it means for them to play against England, Italy, Germany, Spain, etc., what it means for them to hear their national anthems played at the Bernabeu or at Wembley.
San Marino, Andorra, Gibraltar etc are not so much minnows as plankton.
and on this forumPlankton plays a MASSIVE part in this world of ours..