EURO 2024 QUALIFICATION GROUP STAGE DRAW: ENGLAND COULD FACE A TOUGH GROUP?.
So before the World Cup even takes place in November there is a really important draw coming up that I think a lot of England fans haven't though of up to now yes it's the European qualification draw for euro 2024 which will be hosted in Germany.
This is the draw that's going to take place on the 9th of October in Germany and there's few things we need to discuss.
Yes so the draw is going to be of the 9th of October in Frankfurt in a building called best best hall sorry on my pronunciation there are going to be 54 teams in total for this European qualification campaign they will be divided into 10 groups with six of those ground hosting five teams and four grounds having six teams within them the games will commence from march next year.
So that's 2023 the winners and the runners -up of each group will automatically qualify for euro 2024 the remaining spots for that competition will be made up from the playoffs and the Uefa nations league.
Now the interesting part of this draw and where England need to focus their attention upon is that teams will be ceded based upon their performances within the Uefa nations league the 2022 campaign which could mean giving England's current standing within the nations league with two games to go.
But with. their performance so far England could potentially not be ceded for this European qualification campaign. draw as could maybe france and maybe a couple of other big teams.
Therefore England are likely to get a tougher ground than what we've had in previous years which could obviously make the group rather interesting and obviously a lot more difficult and less straight ward than what we've had under Southgate in the last European qualification campaign for euro 2020.
England were drawn with Czech Republic Kosovo Bulgaria and Montenegro ad obviously they topped that group and topped it quite comfortably before that's the qualification group for the euro 2016.
Tournament England were drawn with five teams that were Switzerland Slovenia Estonia Lithuania and San Marino another group that we've actually finished top off quite comfortably as I have already stated though complications with seeding for this qualification campaign could mean that England are going to be drawn.
Now in one of those groups with a tougher opponent a much tougher opponent arguably one that may challenge England for that top spot however I don't think we need to worry too much the European qualification campaigns, unlike the qualifications for the World Cup it isn't just the top team.
That goes through because the tournament has been expanded in recent years in the European qualification campaign the top two teams like I've said qualify.
So I do believe despise England probably being drawn in a much tougher group than what we have done over the previous eight years we should still be quite confident that we should make it out of this group even if we have a team that could potentially pip us to that number one spot.
But it does show the importance of England doing well within the uefa nations league let's face it the team the squad back in including the manager in the last round of fixtures were already on the holiday.
They all turned ip against Hungary Germany and Italy with a sunnier in the backpack and a pint of beer in there and they didn't care they showed it no respect and this could potentially come to hurt us.
Now having said that though I think England being drawn against tougher teams is always a bonus I think it's good to test ourselves against tougher teams it should make for great entertainment for a neutral and as England fans it's great to have competitive games there has been some criticism and probably be a little bit disrespectfully from England that qualification campaigns are almost a bit of a waste of time pretty simple pretty straightforward particularly in recent years England haven't struggled.
And I do think it's nice and a good reminder for England that we need to constantly perform at our best regardless of the fixture or what we're playing for ideally though I would like to avoid probably Germany and Italy just because I feel like we've played them quite a few times actually in recent years.
I would like us to maybe draw you know a Portugal or france even Spain maybe just teams bigger teams that we haven't necessarily played as often over the past couple of years having said that I would be happy with said that I would be happy with any those having said all that England may actually get very lucky not be drawn with any of those and may still be seeded.
So who knows but I think the likelihood is that this group slightly more difficult that what we've had previously but I think bring it on there's going to be some cracking away games the England travel supporters club obviously renews after this extra round of fixtures for the uefa nations league.
I'm going to be joining and hoping to get away to some of these games I'm can't wait for my first England away journey I cannot wait I think it is going to be the best feeling in the world and hopefully once I'm travel club member I'll be bale to get to a couple of those games.
So yeah look out for the European qualification campaign like I said that's coming in early October before the World Cup who do you want England to be drawn against who do you want England to avoid do you not care.
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