Install the app
How to install the app on iOS

Follow along with the video below to see how to install our site as a web app on your home screen.

Note: This feature may not be available in some browsers.

  • Participation within this subforum is only available to members who have had 5+ posts approved elsewhere.

Group F: Turkey, Georgia, Portugal, Czech Republic

Status
Not open for further replies.
Rita_Poon said:
So, who are the staunch Scotland supporters that need Georgia's passage beyond the group stages on their debut pointing out to?
Click to expand...

Scotland were terrible

No one in Scotland isn't well aware of that

Well done to Georgia, I watched the game, they played with heart, passion, were extremely well-organised and took there chances when they got them

Sign that keeper
 
Rita_Poon said:
Oh dear. And Georgia's national game is Rugby Union as well. The indignity.
Click to expand...

What's with you guys treating this as a totally black-and-white issue? :hayee:

Denmark won the Euros in 1992

No one has claimed that there aren't one-offs/anomalies where a smaller nation doesn't play out of their skin or have a golden generation etc and do well

If we did the opposite and looked at the populations of the teams that have qualified for the last 16 as opposed to those that didn't then I suspect the truth of the matter would be entirely apparent

There's a good chance that'll become even more apparent in the quarters, semis and the final
 
Last edited:

DuncanPatterson said:
What's with you guys treating this as a totally black-and-white issue? :hayee:

Denmark won the Euros in 1992

No one has claimed that there aren't one-offs/anomalies where a smaller nation doesn't play out of their skin or have a golden generation etc and do well

If we did the opposite and looked at the populations of the teams that have qualified for the last 16 as opposed to those that didn't then I suspect the truth of the matter would be entirely apparent

There's a good chance that'll become even more apparent in the semis and the final
Click to expand...
I'm largely on your side in this argument but I don't think this point about population is as relevant as you make it out to be.

I mean it is funny reading the back and forth happening about this, but it would mean that nations like Romania (football as a national sport, ~20m population) should be incredibly successful, and yet their biggest achievement in internationals is barely qualifying for them and 1 QF.

There's more to it than just "you have a big pool of players" and it's a fact Scotland are failing for many reasons beyond just population, sadly. Same international football syndrome as England in that regard - reaching the big stage and crapping your pants is the norm; it's the British syndrome if anything.
 
DualityNSNO said:
I'm largely on your side in this argument but I don't think this point about population is as relevant as you make it out to be.

I mean it is funny reading the back and forth happening about this, but it would mean that nations like Romania (football as a national sport, ~20m population) should be incredibly successful, and yet their biggest achievement in internationals is barely qualifying for them and 1 QF.

There's more to it than just "you have a big pool of players" and it's a fact Scotland are failing for many reasons beyond just population, sadly. Same international football syndrome as England in that regard - reaching the big stage and crapping your pants is the norm; it's the British syndrome if anything.
Click to expand...

This honestly isn't about Scotland for me

We're awful at tournaments and I'm not sure we'd be any better if we had a 50-million population. Change is needed

So I agree, it's not all about population, in fact I wouldn't be able to find the evidence to claim that it is

Yet the fact is that if you look at who will be expected to get through the last 16 it will be pretty much all the highest-populated nations in the tournament and the same will play out all the way to the final

Italy
Germany
England
Spain
France
Turkey
Portugal
Netherlands
 
DuncanPatterson said:
This honestly isn't about Scotland for me

We're awful at tournaments and I'm not sure we'd be any better if we had a 50-million population. Change is needed

So I agree, it's not all about population, in fact I wouldn't be able to find the evidence to claim that it is

Yet the fact is that if you look at who will be expected to get through the last 16 it will be pretty much all the highest-populated nations in the tournament and the same will play out all the way to the final

Italy
Germany
England
Spain
France
Turkey
Portugal
Netherlands
Click to expand...

And yet I bet there’s at least one “upset” in there. Switzerland beating Italy would not be an upset for me, but if you looked at populations you’d believe it would be.
 
DualityNSNO said:
I'm largely on your side in this argument but I don't think this point about population is as relevant as you make it out to be.

I mean it is funny reading the back and forth happening about this, but it would mean that nations like Romania (football as a national sport, ~20m population) should be incredibly successful, and yet their biggest achievement in internationals is barely qualifying for them and 1 QF.

There's more to it than just "you have a big pool of players" and it's a fact Scotland are failing for many reasons beyond just population, sadly. Same international football syndrome as England in that regard - reaching the big stage and crapping your pants is the norm; it's the British syndrome if anything.
Click to expand...
The Romanian league is literally a farmers league.

The SPL is of higher standard. There's a few British players ended up in the Super Liga, but they're probably league 1 standard at best.
 
MikeH72 said:
And yet I bet there’s at least one “upset” in there. Switzerland beating Italy would not be an upset for me, but if you looked at populations you’d believe it would be.
Click to expand...

Again one-offs will happen, I'm talking more about the general trends related to populations

There's other factors at play too of course

It may be a lot easier to see the very obvious dominance of this tournament by highly populated nations if you're from a much smaller populated nation
 

DuncanPatterson said:
This honestly isn't about Scotland for me

We're awful at tournaments and I'm not sure we'd be any better if we had a 50-million population. Change is needed

So I agree, it's not all about population, in fact I wouldn't be able to find the evidence to claim that it is

Yet the fact is that if you look at who will be expected to get through the last 16 it will be pretty much all the highest-populated nations in the tournament and the same will play out all the way to the final

Italy
Germany
England
Spain
France
Turkey
Portugal
Netherlands
Click to expand...
Imma suggest something completely and utterly wild here mate, but all the nations you've listed have historically been economically the richest in Europe (or actual empires).

I feel like that might have something more to do with it.
Daveysgingerlovechild said:
The Romanian league is literally a farmers league.

The SPL is of higher standard. There's a few British players ended up in the Super Liga, but they're probably league 1 standard at best.
Click to expand...
Yeah, same for us sadly, but see above point.

Realistically our richest club even sells players straight to European/rich teams for hilarious money - Igor Thiago, who joined Brentford for 30m euro or something, played in Bulgaria and looked hilariously average as well :lol: He's turned out quite good but I think the league makes them look bog standard too.

He also has a Bulgarian passport, but we have a very real racist as head of the FA so I doubt he gets called up, sadly.
 
DuncanPatterson said:
Again one-offs will happen, I'm talking more about the general trends related to populations

There's other factors at play too of course

It may be a lot easier to see the very obvious dominance of this tournament by highly populated nations if you're from a much smaller populated nation
Click to expand...

Georgia are less populated than Scotland and also don’t have access to a larger neighbouring country to lend them players to help them out mate.
 
DualityNSNO said:
Imma suggest something completely and utterly wild here mate, but all the nations you've listed have historically been economically the richest in Europe (or actual empires).

I feel like that might have something more to do with it.
Click to expand...

It's not like I haven't considered this but then you also have to take the Scandinavians into consideration

Highly prosperous, generally relatively football-focused nations with some great players but not killing it at the Euros

What the other more successful countries mentioned do have to various extents along with higher populations is good to great football leagues (England, Spain, Italy, Germany etc)

Which of course is highly related to prosperity

So we agree there are various issues at play

I just don't think it's possible to deny that the highest-population countries will dominate this tournament and in fact have done so already

So prosperity and a large population can perhaps be part of what will identify a likely candidate to do well at the Euros
 
MikeH72 said:
Georgia are less populated than Scotland and also don’t have access to a larger neighbouring country to lend them players to help them out mate.
Click to expand...

Georgia made it through with a win against a Portugal team that had already qualified at the top of their group and didn't need anything from the game

Scotland played Germany in the opening game and soiled their underwear against a team who were very obviously out to make a statement

That's just a couple of examples of how certain scenarios affect results

There's masses of different factors, again I'm more talking about the general, very obvious dominance of the Euros by the larger nations
 
DuncanPatterson said:
Georgia made it through with a win against a Portugal team that had already qualified at the top of their group and didn't need anything from the game

Scotland played Germany in the opening game and soiled their underwear against a team who were very obviously out to make a statement

That's just a couple of examples of how certain scenarios affect results

There's masses of different factors, again I'm more talking about the general, very obvious dominance of the Euros by the larger nations
Click to expand...

Sorry, to repeat. Scotland have never progressed from the group stages of a tournament in their entire history.
 

Status
Not open for further replies.

Welcome to GrandOldTeam

Get involved. Registration is simple and free.

Register
Back
Top