Uefa Nations League starts today

[reddogkev]

Surprised there isn't a thread for this kicking around here.

But what the hell actually is it?  Can a team win this outright?  If so, will it class as winning a major competition, or this simply the UEFA equivalent of the League Trophy?

Is this the new way for teams to win qualification to Euro 2020?  Whatever it is, will be good for these previous meaningless friendlies to have a bit more importance attached.

Tonight's games:

Thursday 6th September 2018

• Wales v Republic of Ireland
• Kazakhstan v Georgia
• Armenia v Liechtenstein
• Germany v France
• Norway v Cyprus
• Slovenia v Bulgaria

[Donnydan]

Not city related here but yes, I see the nations league with England is due to start.

I am booked to be in Seville for the game away in Spain in October. Having been away with england twice in Germany using the easier alternative to sit in the home end, was expecting to find tickets for this one easy enough in the spain end next month. Weekly checks for months online and have found little in terms of ticketing information for the game next month including looking on the official F.C. Spain website. Thought I would post here Incase anyone reading knows anything about tickets for the game in and could help here? Thanks 

[Show Me The Money!]

I think it was dreamt up by some fruitcake who'd drunk a little too much scrumpy

[22A]

1 minute ago, Show Me The Money! said:

I think it was dreamt up by some fruitcake who'd drunk a little too much scrumpy

or Vino / bier / slivovitz / schnappes / ouzo.

So long as someone somewhere is making money that's all that matters.

[Lanterne Rouge]

I  had a look on the BBC football website earlier in a vain attempt to understand the rules of the competition. It`s fair to say I`m even more confused now.

[WessexPest]

1 hour ago, reddogkev said:

Surprised there isn't a thread for this kicking around here.

But what the hell actually is it?  Can a team win this outright?  If so, will it class as winning a major competition, or this simply the UEFA equivalent of the League Trophy?

Is this the new way for teams to win qualification to Euro 2020?  Whatever it is, will be good for these previous meaningless friendlies to have a bit more importance attached.

Tonight's games:

Thursday 6th September 2018

• Wales v Republic of Ireland
• Kazakhstan v Georgia
• Armenia v Liechtenstein
• Germany v France
• Norway v Cyprus
• Slovenia v Bulgaria

Baffling setup. The Euros have been markedly weakened by expanding to a 24-team format, and now we have a ridiculously elephantine qualifying tournament on top of it.

Instead of making up a new rubbish tournament, it would’ve made more sense to structure the qualifying thus:-

1. Preliminary round of two legged knockout for lowest ranking countries so chaff like San Marino, Gibraltar get separated from the wheat.

2. After 55 Nations are whittled down to 48 in the above step, have the group phase - 12 groups of four (six match days like CL group phase), top two go through - 24 finalists, the end. 

No more playoffs, no more endless chances to qualify and the qualifying goes back to something like it used to be before the collapse of the Soviet bloc, I.e. every game means something as even one defeat could prove disastrous to qualifying hopes.

I’m aware that there is no “host” this time, so in 2024 the hosts (likely either Germany or Turkey) would get an automatic berth and 23 qualifiers - simply eliminate the second-placed team in the 12 groups of four who have the weakest record.

I hate this “more is more” trend - 48-team WC (32 is perfect number, both mathematically and in the standard of play in Russia - only one nil nil) and 24-team Euros which encourages negativity.

[RedM]

1 hour ago, reddogkev said:

Surprised there isn't a thread for this kicking around here.

But what the hell actually is it?  Can a team win this outright?  If so, will it class as winning a major competition, or this simply the UEFA equivalent of the League Trophy?

Is this the new way for teams to win qualification to Euro 2020?  Whatever it is, will be good for these previous meaningless friendlies to have a bit more importance attached.

Tonight's games:

Thursday 6th September 2018

• Wales v Republic of Ireland
• Kazakhstan v Georgia
• Armenia v Liechtenstein
• Germany v France
• Norway v Cyprus
• Slovenia v Bulgaria

It’s explained pretty well here https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/0/uefa-nations-league-explained-four-simple-ish-steps/

They said on tv today that it’s to stop meaningless friendlies. There are also two Euro places up for grabs. Tv also said that Denmark’s players are having a protest of some sort so might field a weak team against Wales but a strong team against Republic of Eire, which of course Ireland are not happy about.

There is also relegation and promotion between the leagues which could also be abused, some retting relegated to get easier paths to finals. 

[Lanterne Rouge]

2 minutes ago, RedM said:

It’s explained pretty well here https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/0/uefa-nations-league-explained-four-simple-ish-steps/

They said on tv today that it’s to stop meaningless friendlies. There are also two Euro places up for grabs. Tv also said that Denmark’s players are having a protest of some sort so might field a weak team against Wales but a strong team against Republic of Eire, which of course Ireland are not happy about.

There is also relegation and promotion between the leagues which could also be abused, some retting relegated to get easier paths to finals. 

Denmark got dicked 3-0 by Slovakia yesterday with a team consisting of fifth tier and futsal players!

[BCFCGav]

As I understand it - in its simplest terms - it’s 4 leagues (A, B, C and D). Each has 4 groups. Win your group; move up a league. Finish bottom, move down a league. Win your group in group A and you enter semi-finals against the 3 other group winners, win your semi-final and the final and boom, you’ve won the UEFA Nations Cup. 

Bit more complicated now - euros qualification will happen as normal, but this new competition is a second chance for those who miss out. In all 4 leagues, the group winners enter a semi-final and final but not to move up a league, to qualify for the Euros. So if you qualified for the Euros through normal qualification, and top your group, second place enter the knockouts. If they have also qualified, third place enter the knockout and so on. Phew...

[Red Ferret]

It's a fantastic idea. UEFA get a lot wrong but this is right. No more meaningless friendlies and a better chance for the smaller nations to play more competitive matches at their level. 

[WessexPest]

Thanks for the Telegraph link - I understand it better now but still think it’s cretinous. So we still have the stupidly overblown qualifying tournament but with this new format as the cherry on top of the Cleveland Steamer coming before it.

Why do we have to have so many games? 

[Malmesbury-Red]

1 hour ago, Donnydan said:

Not city related here but yes, I see the nations league with England is due to start.

I am booked to be in Seville for the game away in Spain in October. Having been away with england twice in Germany using the easier alternative to sit in the home end, was expecting to find tickets for this one easy enough in the spain end next month. Weekly checks for months online and have found little in terms of ticketing information for the game next month including looking on the official F.C. Spain website. Thought I would post here Incase anyone reading knows anything about tickets for the game in and could help here? Thanks 

The tickets through the FA for England Travel club aren't out either yet. I wouldn't be worried I looked for a mate the other day and also saw not on sale yet as well. No chance Spain will sell out tickets be easy to get online once they out. 

[Up The City!]

Ireland are getting absolutely smashed. I'm in favour of this new competition, there wouldn't be the atmosphere and intensity if this game was a friendly.

[WessexPest]

2 minutes ago, Up The City! said:

Ireland are getting absolutely smashed. I'm in favour of this new competition, there wouldn't be the atmosphere and intensity if this game was a friendly.

O’Dowda having an absolute stinker by the sounds of things - not that I care when he’s representing an international side that isn’t England; just hoping he doesn’t pick up any knocks.

[Lanterne Rouge]

3 minutes ago, WessexPest said:

O’Dowda having an absolute stinker by the sounds of things - not that I care when he’s representing an international side that isn’t England; just hoping he doesn’t pick up any knocks.

Barely touched the ball but neither have hardly any of the Irish players TBF. He`s had the only shot on target for them though which got deflected and an easy save for Hennessey.

[Red Ferret]

35 minutes ago, WessexPest said:

Thanks for the Telegraph link - I understand it better now but still think it’s cretinous. So we still have the stupidly overblown qualifying tournament but with this new format as the cherry on top of the Cleveland Steamer coming before it.

Why do we have to have so many games? 

Because the alternative to this is meaninglessness friendlies

I would rather have this new format where something is at stake 

[WessexPest]

53 minutes ago, Red Ferret said:

Because the alternative to this is meaninglessness friendlies

I would rather have this new format where something is at stake 

Why not just have less games? 

I’d support this across the board:-

Domestically five leagues of 20 and only one knockout competition (FA Cup)

Club competitions: Pare the Europa League right down and reinstate the Cup Winners’ Cup

Internationally: Simplify the qualifying campaigns for the World Cup Euros. No need for example, for all nine South American countries to play in a nine-team league for what will be - what? - five, six qualifying places in a 48-team World Cup. That’s a lot of meaningless games.

[A Horse With No Name]

2 hours ago, Red Ferret said:

It's a fantastic idea. UEFA get a lot wrong but this is right. No more meaningless friendlies and a better chance for the smaller nations to play more competitive matches at their level. 

But as I understand it, countries are still free to play friendlies amongst themselves , in fact there are lots over the next 4 days 

[Lanterne Rouge]

2 minutes ago, The Horse With No Name said:

But as I understand it, countries are still free to play friendlies amongst themselves .

They must be - the ROI play Poland in one on Tuesday.

[WessexPest]

7 minutes ago, The Horse With No Name said:

But as I understand it, countries are still free to play friendlies amongst themselves , in fact there are lots over the next 4 days 

Good spot. In the leagues of three obviously one team has a “bye” match day.

So we have a whole new tournament, still have friendlies and then the usual qualifying malarkey. Plus a tournament where you can theoretically finish third with three draws in the groups and still make the last 16.

it’s way overkill.

[BobBobSuperBob]

3 hours ago, Red Ferret said:

It's a fantastic idea. UEFA get a lot wrong but this is right. No more meaningless friendlies and a better chance for the smaller nations to play more competitive matches at their level. 

What like our game against Switzerland on a Tuesday evening ?

[Mr Popodopolous]

Had a think about it, and think it's an improvement in some ways overall.

The groups look a lot better balanced than typical qualifying tournaments- should be a lot of decent games. Our group of Spain and Croatia a prime example. No absolute hammerings i.e. big  or even medium nation v in particular San Marino.

On qualifiers generally, I actually would consider scrapping seedings, or severely reducing them- would make it a lot more interesting as a lot of groups are fairly predictable usually these days.