We don't fly but we may qualify

So. We lived through another unexciting performance from Sweden. If the option is between unexciting and disappointing, as it currently seems to be, I guess this was just about what we could wish for.  The inability of the Swedish

• defence not to make us nervous (too many free kicks conceded, too many uncontrolled passes from Antonsson who should never again play for Sweden I hope)
• midfield not to control the ball when the Moldovans increased the pressure (it will take not just one but a couple of injuries or suspensions before we see Wernbloom in the starting line-up again; Elm improved things when he came on, good to see)
• attack not to finish better (Zlatan's missed penalty was dreadful, Elmander ran but that was also all that he did)

do not bide well for the future qualification campaign.

But, still, other teams are doing what they should to help Sweden qualify.  We should finish second in this weak group, we really should, and we actually have a good chance of qualifying directly as the best runner up of all groups.

With the reservation that no one knows what will happen to Bosnia and hence the entire Group D, this is what seems to be going on:

Holland, Spain, Germany and Italy are cruising through their groups.  We can give them tickets to Euro 2012 already.

England and France are in good control of their groups although there is a little bit of work still to be done.

Croatia, Portugal and Russia look like the most likely winners in the three groups that remain really tight.

As to runners up, I think Denmark are in the best position to qualify as the best number two.  Sweden are not far beyond, but we need to see how Sweden behave in games away against the slightly worse teams before we can take anything for granted.  The other number twos will lose more points I believe and thus haev to qualify throw play-off against each other: Greece, Ireland, Czech Republic, Montenegro, Belgium, Bosnia (unless they are banned) and Slovenia.