2nd Place

[Toepoke]

To be fair aye a point at Wembley and Hampden for the Slovaks would ensure second place and a points total to guarantee a play-off.

[iainmac1]

Anyone known the likelihood of our group being the one that misses out on a play-off spot?

[Toepoke]

6 minutes ago, iainmac1 said:

Anyone known the likelihood of our group being the one that misses out on a play-off spot?

Cannae see it, especially if it's us given the points we'll need to get.

Slovakia might be struggling if they get beat off us and England but still finish second.

 

[dezmondo]

I've just been looking at the groups and there's more of a chance than I thought that our group could be the one to miss out. 

If we somehow managed to finish 2ND on 18 points it's almost a definite we'd miss out. 

If we win the last 3 matches and finish on 20 there's worryingly still a chance. Given the results against Malta don't count, our goal difference is likely to be poor, meaning we would need to hope some other second place team finish on 19 points ( or 14 points excluding bottom place team).

Groups A C D E H are the groups to watch, the other groups should see the second placed teams easily finishing on 20 points plus.

Looking at each group individually is worrying as it's not difficult for the second place teams to finish on 20 points but you would think one slip up will happen (albeit it's Scotland we're talking about beer).

An away win for Belgium in Greece tonight would be good. 

 

[Caledonian Craig]

21 minutes ago, dezmondo said:

I've just been looking at the groups and there's more of a chance than I thought that our group could be the one to miss out. 

If we somehow managed to finish 2ND on 18 points it's almost a definite we'd miss out. 

If we win the last 3 matches and finish on 20 there's worryingly still a chance. Given the results against Malta don't count, our goal difference is likely to be poor, meaning we would need to hope some other second place team finish on 19 points ( or 14 points excluding bottom place team).

Groups A C D E H are the groups to watch, the other groups should see the second placed teams easily finishing on 20 points plus.

Looking at each group individually is worrying as it's not difficult for the second place teams to finish on 20 points but you would think one slip up will happen (albeit it's Scotland we're talking about beer).

An away win for Belgium in Greece tonight would be good. 

 

I prefer to just focus on the most important fact here - winning our next three matches. That is within our control anything else is not.

[Orraloon]

16 minutes ago, dezmondo said:

I've just been looking at the groups and there's more of a chance than I thought that our group could be the one to miss out. 

If we somehow managed to finish 2ND on 18 points it's almost a definite we'd miss out. 

If we win the last 3 matches and finish on 20 there's worryingly still a chance. Given the results against Malta don't count, our goal difference is likely to be poor, meaning we would need to hope some other second place team finish on 19 points ( or 14 points excluding bottom place team).

Groups A C D E H are the groups to watch, the other groups should see the second placed teams easily finishing on 20 points plus.

Looking at each group individually is worrying as it's not difficult for the second place teams to finish on 20 points but you would think one slip up will happen (albeit it's Scotland we're talking about beer).

An away win for Belgium in Greece tonight would be good. 

 

Aye, anything can happen yet. Too early to say really but I think 20 points should be OK. 18 would be very dodgy although I think Greece or Bosnia could finish 2nd on 17? Ireland and Wales could be another chance but Wales will probably win their last 3 games to finish on 20 points.

[Orraloon]

2 minutes ago, Caledonian Craig said:

I prefer to just focus on the most important fact here - winning our next three matches. That is within our control anything else is not.

One game at a time. 

Beat Malta and score as many goals as possible. This could still go down to goal difference.

[Caledonian Craig]

1 minute ago, Orraloon said:

One game at a time. 

Beat Malta and score as many goals as possible. This could still go down to goal difference.

Yes, yes and I strongly doubt it.

[Texas Pete]

13 hours ago, ParisInAKilt said:

Knowing our luck Slovakia will beat England. 

Ssshhhh sorry those negative thoughts keep just appearing. It's almost like we've been here before . . . 

Cannae see it. 

England have been pretty poor by their standards in this campaign but they have only lost 2 goals and have not conceded at Wembley. 

I could see a 0-0 draw but that would be OK for us. 

In the unlikely event that Slovakia do win then we'll just need to accept our fate. It's our own fault (well Strachan's fault) that we are relying on other teams results at this stage. 

[Texas Pete]

1 hour ago, Orraloon said:

One game at a time. 

Beat Malta and score as many goals as possible. This could still go down to goal difference.

I think the only real possibility of it going down to goal difference is if both Slovakia and Scotland finish on 18 points and I highly doubt that will be enough for a playoff (unless we draw with Malta and win our last 2 games which is pretty unlikely).

If we do finish on 18 points then we will probably either have drawn with Slovakia (we'll be in third place) or Slovenia (we'll be in joint second at best with only 12 points counting towards the best runners up). This is assuming Slovakia beat Malta of course which of course they should do comfortably. 

Most second place teams are already on 10 points or better (not including points against the bottom team). 

Won't do our confidence any harm if we run up a cricket score tomorrow but I can't really see it going down to goal difference in a meaningful sense anyway. 

[Orraloon]

Sweden currently 0-3 up in Belarus, so we can forget about catching them unless we win all 3 games. Either Sweden or Netherlands will get at least 19 points.

[Doric]

N Ireland seem home and dry for second but last 3 games v Czech Rep,  Germany and Norway away. They may struggle to gather many points there,

[er yir macaroon]

30 minutes ago, Orraloon said:

Sweden currently 0-3 up in Belarus, so we can forget about catching them unless we win all 3 games. Either Sweden or Netherlands will get at least 19 points.

We can forget about catching anybody if we don't worry win all three games. All this speculation is nonsense. Win the damned games.

[macy37]

For us to win our last 4 games would be a miracle and totally against any of our form over the last number of years.

It is not going to happen so stop wasting time working out the scenarios.

[todd]

27 minutes ago, macy37 said:

For us to win our last 4 games would be a miracle and totally against any of our form over the last number of years.

It is not going to happen so stop wasting time working out the scenarios.

Well that's one down, three more for the miracle! ?

27 minutes ago, macy37 said:

 

27 minutes ago, macy37 said:

 

 

[Caledonian Craig]

32 minutes ago, macy37 said:

For us to win our last 4 games would be a miracle and totally against any of our form over the last number of years.

It is not going to happen so stop wasting time working out the scenarios.

Enjoy Coronation Street tomorrow night then and switch over for EastEnders.

[macy37]

Just now, Caledonian Craig said:

Enjoy Coronation Street tomorrow night then and switch over for EastEnders.

Wtf have soaps got to do with this? Odd remarks.

[ironbrew]

Is there not a fair chance we`ll finish 2nd with 20 points or even 18 on goal difference and have to wait 1 or 2 days to see if we`re worst runner up?

[Doric]

3 hours ago, Orraloon said:

One game at a time. 

Beat Malta and score as many goals as possible. This could still go down to goal difference.

Only way I can see GD comeing in is if we slip up which means we are fecked anyway.

[TDYER63]

Even without the singing, this actually IS beginning to sound like the Eurovision song contest voting. 

[Bino's]

1 hour ago, macy37 said:

For us to win our last 4 games would be a miracle and totally against any of our form over the last number of years.

It is not going to happen so stop wasting time working out the scenarios.

there's a chance it will happen, if we keep the ball away from our centre halves

[Caledonian Craig]

56 minutes ago, macy37 said:

Wtf have soaps got to do with this? Odd remarks.

Well no point in you wasting your time watching the match for a lost cause as you are sure it is.

[Texas Pete]

1 hour ago, macy37 said:

For us to win our last 4 games would be a miracle and totally against any of our form over the last number of years.

It is not going to happen so stop wasting time working out the scenarios.

Unlikely? Yes. 

A miracle? No where near it. 

Two of our last four games are against very poor teams. We've already won the first game and unless there's a major shock tomorrow we will win the second. 

We are more than capable of beating Slovakia at home. A lot of people seem to think this is impossible since they beat us 3-0 in Slovakia. England also beat us 3-0 but we were a baw hair away from beating them at Hampden. The team that starts against Slovakia will be very different from the team that lost 3-0 in Trnava. It won't be easy but it is achievable. 

Can we go to Slovenia and win? Who knows. Hopefully we will still be in with a chance when that game comes around though. We can't really ask for more than that. 

[Caledonian Craig]

Spot on Texas Pete. Nowhere near a miracle.

[Doric]

Yes well said Pete.Lets hope the scenario after tomorrow takes us into the Slovakia game at Hampden as a cup final type game. Probably biggest game since the Italy game.