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Quoted from Maringer

Until recently, intent was important. If it hit a hand by accident, then it wasn't handball. In the VAR era it is if the arm is in an 'unnatural position' which seems to include being attached to the body, in some situations.

Maybe in domestic football, but referees were always harsher on handballs everywhere else in the world.

VAR shouldn't have sent the referee to look. As soon as they did it put him in an impossible position and he felt forced to give the penalty despite him probably thinking it was ridiculous.

Quoted from Civvy at last

Surprised we’re allowed in the competition after the disgrace of Brexit.
Would never have happened under Labour.
Bloody Tories

Weird.

Watched it. We did what we needed to do. Doesn’t change my opinion that the minnows should have to qualify for the qualification stage.

90 minutes of my life I won’t get back.

Quoted from horsforthmariner

Watched it. We did what we needed to do. Doesn’t change my opinion that the minnows should have to qualify for the qualification stage.

90 minutes of my life I won’t get back.

You didn't have to watch it, especially considering your attitude about "minnows".

Town were minnows against Southampton

Quoted from horsforthmariner

Watched it. We did what we needed to do. Doesn’t change my opinion that the minnows should have to qualify for the qualification stage.

90 minutes of my life I won’t get back.

The minnows should be in a group together, guaranteeing one a place at the tournament and one a play off place.

That won't happen though because it makes qualification harder for the rest of Europe.

Quoted from jamesgtfc

The minnows should be in a group together, guaranteeing one a place at the tournament and one a play off place.

That won't happen though because it makes qualification harder for the rest of Europe.

It would take up two places, though those two minnows would then get absolutely mullered in the group stages so would make it unfair on the other groups that these teams aren't in.

Quoted from Maringer

Good result, but possibly the least exciting game I've ever seen.

Agreed. Based on his enthusiasm about England’s performance, Andros Townsend seemed to be watching a different game. I thought James Maddison was poor, Townsend had a different opinion.

They were very keen to big up TAA in midfield. Good pass for the first goal, took his own goal well, but the media seem to have ignored the fact that we were up against such a weak team. Can you really imagine TAA starting in central midfield against one of the stronger nations?

He's got a lot of talent, but can't defend well enough to be a full-back at international level and isn't trusted to play in central midfield for his own club. Unfortunately, he's stymied by the fact that we've got a few good right-backs ahead of him in the pecking order and Saka is way too good to be dropped. Otherwise, he might get the odd chance as a Beckham-type wide player, there to put in crosses, set-pieces and spread the play.

Didn’t watch it but reading the paper this morning you’d think England had found the next Messi the way they are bigging up TAA, let’s be honest it was Malta,if any premiership player doesn’t look good against them then he shouldn’t be there. On a humour note, Kelvin Phillips has spent longer celebrating the three trophies Man City won then he actually played, at this rate he’ll be able to play into his 40’s as he only plays about 200 minutes a season.

Quoted from Gaffer58

Didn’t watch it but reading the paper this morning you’d think England had found the next Messi the way they are bigging up TAA, let’s be honest it was Malta,if any premiership player doesn’t look good against them then he shouldn’t be there. On a humour note, Kelvin Phillips has spent longer celebrating the three trophies Man City won then he actually played, at this rate he’ll be able to play into his 40’s as he only plays about 200 minutes a season.

kAlvin.

Talking of minnows, Scotland scored 2 late goals to win 2-1 in Oslo. 6 points ahead of Spain.

Maybe we need to upgrade their status? 😐

Quoted from rancido

You didn't have to watch it, especially considering your attitude about "minnows".

I do want to watch it - I love watching England. I’d prefer however if there were more competitive matches. There’s a limited amount of space for international matches so why are we wasting some of this precious time on matches that are so obviously uneven? If we had prequalifying we could have more interesting groups maybe with 3 qualification places.

Quoted from mimma

Town were minnows against Southampton

And we had to qualify by winning four matches to play them.

Quoted from horsforthmariner

I do want to watch it - I love watching England. I’d prefer however if there were more competitive matches. There’s a limited amount of space for international matches so why are we wasting some of this precious time on matches that are so obviously uneven? If we had prequalifying we could have more interesting groups maybe with 3 qualification places.

Every country within the FIFA umbrella has a right to compete for its showpiece 4 yearly event. Would you like more selection with the FA Cup so that " minnows" like Grimsby Town don't meet much higher ranked teams until the much later stages? It's the fact that these "minnows" get the chance to play and compete against much higher ranked teams that makes it exciting, interesting with the possibility of an upset.

Quoted from rancido

Every country within the FIFA umbrella has a right to compete for its showpiece 4 yearly event. Would you like more selection with the FA Cup so that " minnows" like Grimsby Town don't meet much higher ranked teams until the much later stages? It's the fact that these "minnows" get the chance to play and compete against much higher ranked teams that makes it exciting, interesting with the possibility of an upset.

Grimsby aren’t really the minnows in the scenario. They are the 83rd best side in the EFL. Malta are ranked the 177th side in international football. I’m talking about some rubbish non league side like Worksop Town, Whitby Town or Scunthorpe United. And yeah I think it would devalue the FA Cup if all of EFL 92 were put in the competition at the fifth qualification round and we had all the premier league battering going to shoddy stadia like Glanford park and beating them 12-0. However, I like the fact in the FA cup that every team has the theoretic chance of winning the FA cup - but it’s right that every club has to show that they can compete against their peers then the teams just above before they get a shot at a dream tie.

I’m not suggesting there isn’t pre qualifying. I just think it would be better for everyone of Malta had to play and beat the likes of Andorra, San Marino etc to qualify so we had less mismatches in international football. If we had less boring games like England Malta maybe we would have time to play interesting friendlies against top ranked teams.

I think the issue here is that it is only the visits of the bigger international teams that keep the smaller associations afloat. Without England and Italy filling the stadium when they visit during this set of qualifiers, would the Maltese FA struggle?

I think there has been talk of separate qualifiers for the weaker nations in the past, but I can't see it ever happening.

Quoted from Maringer

I think the issue here is that it is only the visits of the bigger international teams that keep the smaller associations afloat. Without England and Italy filling the stadium when they visit during this set of qualifiers, would the Maltese FA struggle?

I think there has been talk of separate qualifiers for the weaker nations in the past, but I can't see it ever happening.

But, if one of them is getting to a EURO tournament and a World Cup then surely that more than covers whatever they get from getting trounced by a big team?

It might more than cover it for the lucky FA. What about the rest of them?

Quoted from Maringer

It might more than cover it for the lucky FA. What about the rest of them?

The Maltese FA earn about €9m per annum and in their 2022 statement, that comprised of:

€100k in international gate receipts compared to €786k in local gate receipts.
€623k in sponsorship.
€2m in TV rights.
€1.15m for UEFA participation.
€1.22m FIFA Financial Assistance.
€1.5m in UEFA solidarity payments.

Those figures are fairly similar going back to 2019, although in 2021 their UEFA participation income was €65k with no gate receipts due to the pandemic, but it suggests they don't particularly need the big teams.

Getting to the World Cup or EUROs brings in huge rewards and would enable development, pushing them up the rankings and demoting another team in there.

The likes of Luxembourg and San Marino are more likely to shïthouse a narrow victory and actually develop against Malta or Andorra than they are getting run ragged by England, France, Italy and Spain.

I'd imagine TV rights payments would be negligible without the big boys visiting. You aren't going to get many people interested in Malta vs Liechtenstein. Or how about San Marino vs Andorra (combined population lower than Grimsby)?

I think that having the 'minnows' competing is only fair so don't have too many problems with the games, even if many of them are a huge mismatch.

Quoted from horsforthmariner

Grimsby aren’t really the minnows in the scenario. They are the 83rd best side in the EFL. Malta are ranked the 177th side in international football. I’m talking about some rubbish non league side like Worksop Town, Whitby Town or Scunthorpe United. And yeah I think it would devalue the FA Cup if all of EFL 92 were put in the competition at the fifth qualification round and we had all the premier league battering going to shoddy stadia like Glanford park and beating them 12-0. However, I like the fact in the FA cup that every team has the theoretic chance of winning the FA cup - but it’s right that every club has to show that they can compete against their peers then the teams just above before they get a shot at a dream tie.

I’m not suggesting there isn’t pre qualifying. I just think it would be better for everyone of Malta had to play and beat the likes of Andorra, San Marino etc to qualify so we had less mismatches in international football. If we had less boring games like England Malta maybe we would have time to play interesting friendlies against top ranked teams.

I am doffing my hat to you for sneaking Scunny in at the end of 'some rubbish non league side...'

Top work ;D