Iggle Piggle
Well-known member
- Sep 3, 2010
- 5,410
Or is it that the other nations have grown stronger? Wales, Iceland, Austria, Slovakia, N Ireland and Albania all look like qualifying (and most of these would qualify if it were a 16-team tournament). That's some transformation
I'm of the personal belief that the 3 teams qualifying from the group has given historically underperforming teams a boost. There is a belief that they can qualify which is turn means the top players turn up, the games are more competitive and the groups have thrown up some surprises. If, plucking a team out of the air, Northern Ireland lose the first 2 games, half the team get ''injured'' for the next 2, the team lose more games, they get steamrollered and they effectively give up. That hasn't happened this time.
I wasn't a fan of the 24 team Euro's and the proof will be in France next year. The qualification phase, however, has been a vast improvement on the normal bore fest. There are more games that matter and they are better for it.