Arrogant Germans as usual nothing changes .

halbpro said:

The problem with it is they want to hold all of it in the autumn/early winter. There's not another break till March now. I think they could do a better job of spreading them out throughout the year, but then you run into issues with other competitions.

Also you know they'll keep it the same. Current qualifying takes 10 rounds. Even if you went to groups of four it'd take 7 rounds, which gives plenty of scope of qualifier/friendly double headers.

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Easy 10 said:

Groups of 4 would only be 6 games. Perfect. Top 2 to qualify, or (if they must) top team qualifies, 2nd place goes into Playoffs. Either way its leaner, and makes it highly probable that just about EVERY game would actually be meaningful.

The trouble with that is, there's just not enough TV right to sell. Which is obviously the singlemost driving factor these days, along with votes to buy.

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Biscuit said:

What a horrible thread title, it says more about you than it does the German people.

Let's be honest, Muller is completely right.

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NooBHA said:

I don't mind these smaller countries taking part.

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Easy 10 said:

And fvck knows what kind of a MESS we're going to have in qualifying when they expand the Finals to 40-50 odd teams..

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NooBHA said:

I disagree. if the Germans don't want to risk injury to the like of Muller then they are free to select a 2nd string team. I am sure Herr Muller didn't refuse to collect his fee for playing in that match.

I don't mind these smaller countries taking part. Many years ago countries like Iceland and Cyprus and Finland and Norway were whipping boys but they have improved a great deal in recent years. Latvia and Slovenia and Albania have reached national finals.

The top sides can take matches against them seriously or not, that's up to them but we have to recognise their existence. Great Britain is not very good at Ski Jumping or speed skating but no ones tells us we cant take part in it because we are not very good at it and that's the way it should be.

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hans kraay fan club said:

Agree with the thrust of your post, but confused by the last line. Surely the MORE teams they allow into the finals, the LESS qualifying matches are required?

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nicko31 said:

To be honest there is no place for such teams in WC qualifiers, we all know its a joke and the likes of Andorra, Gib, San M should do a pre-qualifying round

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Biscuit said:

So Brighton have an England or a German international, who gets injured playing in a totally pointless 8-0 thrashing of San Marino. It effects our promotion chances hugely. You'd be OK with that?

San Marino are involved purely to create more games to sell TV rights at inflated prices.

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tiberious said:

Don't forget to add Scotland to that list

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Goldstone1976 said:

Not just the Germans...

"What is the point of the San Marino football team? Excuse the bluntness but any Sunday league side with a record as bad as theirs would have disbanded years ago."

http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/...waste-their-time-with-san-marino-8201266.html

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Easy 10 said:

I disagree. We don't have International breaks for friendlies, they're PRIMARILY for qualifiers (friendlies just occur sometimes if there's not a qualifier double-header). I cannot see FIFA / UEFA grinding all the domestic leagues to a halt for another 2 weeks just for a round of International friendlies - the clubs would kick off big time. And I doubt a series of meangingless midseason friendlies would be a serious of moneyspinner for FIFA/UEFA anyway.

Nope, if we had less flotsam washing around in these oversized groups, we could indeed cut down on the number of International breaks. 3 breaks between the start of the season and mid-November is utterly RIDICULOUS now. Something needs to be done about it, but unfortunately there isn't the political will within FIFA. So we're stuck with it.

And fvck knows what kind of a MESS we're going to have in qualifying when they expand the Finals to 40-50 odd teams. They are absolutely killing International football.

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halbpro said:

The problem with it is they want to hold all of it in the autumn/early winter. There's not another break till March now. I think they could do a better job of spreading them out throughout the year, but then you run into issues with other competitions.

Also you know they'll keep it the same. Current qualifying takes 10 rounds. Even if you went to groups of four it'd take 7 rounds, which gives plenty of scope of qualifier/friendly double headers.

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Herr Tubthumper said:

Wouldn't happen in Germany

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AZ Gull said:

You may have forgotten (or perhaps not have been aware) that UEFA are effectively planning on doing away with international friendlies after the 2018 World Cup, and introducing the UEFA Nations League.

This will also be linked to qualifying for Euro 2020 - Wikipedia - UEFA Euro 2020

I've just spent 15 minutes trying to make sense of it, and I can't.

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