Wales in Pot 2 for World Cup Qualifiers Draw

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/55099601

Pot 1: Belgium, France, England, Portugal, Spain, Italy, Croatia, Denmark, Germany, Netherlands.

Pot 2: Switzerland, Wales, Poland, Sweden, Austria, Ukraine, Serbia, Turkey, Slovakia, Romania.

Pot 3: Russia, Hungary, Republic of Ireland, Czech Republic, Norway, Northern Ireland, Iceland, Scotland, Greece, Finland.

Pot 4: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Slovenia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Albania, Bulgaria, Israel, Belarus, Georgia, Luxembourg.

Pot 5: Armenia, Cyprus, Faroe Islands, Azerbaijan, Estonia, Kosovo, Kazakhstan, Lithuania, Latvia, Andorra.

Pot 6: Malta, Moldova, Liechtenstein, Gibraltar, San Marino.


I hope we don't get one of the home nations from pot 3, sick to death of playing them now.

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Originally Posted by Monster munch

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/55099601

Pot 1: Belgium, France, England, Portugal, Spain, Italy, Croatia, Denmark, Germany, Netherlands.

Pot 2: Switzerland, Wales, Poland, Sweden, Austria, Ukraine, Serbia, Turkey, Slovakia, Romania.

Pot 3: Russia, Hungary, Republic of Ireland, Czech Republic, Norway, Northern Ireland, Iceland, Scotland, Greece, Finland.

Pot 4: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Slovenia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Albania, Bulgaria, Israel, Belarus, Georgia, Luxembourg.

Pot 5: Armenia, Cyprus, Faroe Islands, Azerbaijan, Estonia, Kosovo, Kazakhstan, Lithuania, Latvia, Andorra.

Pot 6: Malta, Moldova, Liechtenstein, Gibraltar, San Marino.


I hope we don't get one of the home nations from pot 3, sick to death of playing them now.

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Ideally I'd go for Croatia, Russia, Slovenia, Andorra and San Marino. That's the type of group England usually draw.

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Originally Posted by Moodybluebird

Ideally I'd go for Croatia, Russia, Slovenia, Andorra and San Marino. That's the type of group England usually draw.

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Yeah would take that.
You are right too, even though they are usually in the top pot, their qualifying groups seem to be far easier than most.

Hardest would be;

France
Wales
Czech Republic/Iceland
Bosnia & Herzegovina
Armenia
Moldova

I’d settle for
Germany
Wales
Iceland
Kosovo
Luxembourg
Gibraltar

Not bad

I hope we get Kazakhstan as my trip there in May had to be cancelled.

I think its easier to say who we definitely don't want than who we do want

Pot 1 anyone other than Denmark & Croatia is a huge challenge and we can kiss top spot goodbye
Pot 3 definitely want to avoid Norway, wouldn't really want either of Scotland, Ireland or Northern Ireland because those kinds of games become scrappy affairs although I'd back us on paper, not too keen on Hungary either
Pot 4 definitely want to avoid Georgia, don't fancy going to any of the Balkans due to our historically poor record
Pot 5 anyone but Kosovo
Pot 6 much of a muchness

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Originally Posted by City123

I think its easier to say who we definitely don't want than who we do want

Pot 1 anyone other than Denmark & Croatia is a huge challenge and we can kiss top spot goodbye
Pot 3 definitely want to avoid Norway, wouldn't really want either of Scotland, Ireland or Northern Ireland because those kinds of games become scrappy affairs although I'd back us on paper, not too keen on Hungary either
Pot 4 definitely want to avoid Georgia, don't fancy going to any of the Balkans due to our historically poor record
Pot 5 anyone but Kosovo
Pot 6 much of a muchness

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Pretty much agreed although I’d like Northern Ireland in pot three.

We've got the safety net of knowing have a play off spot already nailed on. Which makes me wonder if better to get a better 3rd place team to try and take points off the top seed or a weaker one and then hope whitewash all the others and can get a result against a top team which I think we are capable of on our day.

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Originally Posted by mazadona10

We've got the safety net of knowing have a play off spot already nailed on. Which makes me wonder if better to get a better 3rd place team to try and take points off the top seed or a weaker one and then hope whitewash all the others and can get a result against a top team which I think we are capable of on our day.

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Only if three of Italy, Belgium, Spain and France finish top 2 in their qualifying groups. Risk of seeing it as nailed on thing is that you'd rather not need that safety net - finishing top 2 in the group means you've picked up a lot more points, and have much better form, than any side outside of that who is relying on 2020 results (ancient history) for the play-offs.

It's been pointed out that there are more rules to these groups than I first expected. Those four aforementioned countries are guaranteed a group of 5 instead of 6 and I saw it mentioned that certain teams (Iceland and Faroe Islands?) can't be drawn together due to distance away.

How does it work, 10 group winners through, 10 runners up plus 2 from nations league play for a further 3 spots?

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Originally Posted by OurManFlint II

How does it work, 10 group winners through, 10 runners up plus 2 from nations league play for a further 3 spots?

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Correct, 12 teams in play offs. 1 leg semi and final for last 3 places

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Originally Posted by mazadona10

Correct, 12 teams in play offs. 1 leg semi and final for last 3 places

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Jesus, not sure winning the nations league was such a lifeline as some expected :thumbup:

Please, please do not give us Republic of Ireland , fed up of playing them !!

Denmark
Wales
Greece
Luxembourg
Andorra
San Marino

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Originally Posted by surge

It's been pointed out that there are more rules to these groups than I first expected. Those four aforementioned countries are guaranteed a group of 5 instead of 6 and I saw it mentioned that certain teams (Iceland and Faroe Islands?) can't be drawn together due to distance away.

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I think there’s a cap on the number of countries from the more western / eastern fringes of the Uefa area being in the same group because of excessive travel. I think we may count as one of those (western) teams but not entirely certain.

I think there’s also some rules on separating countries due to political reasons that also may factor into the draw.

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Originally Posted by billy.ronson

Denmark
Wales
Greece
Luxembourg
Andorra
San Marino

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Apart from Croatia instead of Denmark, that's the group I'd like to see us end up with :thumbup:

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Originally Posted by the other bob wilson

Apart from Croatia instead of Denmark, that's the group I'd like to see us end up with :thumbup:

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Yep I would be happy with that too.