Before the game, Greece knew if they won, they would qualify, Russia knew if they won or drew they would qualify. The system may suck, but everyone knew what was needed. Greece stood up and Russia wimped out.
Personally, I believe that Goal difference is the best "footballing" method. I don't like Head to Head as its based on one game, which may not reflect the other two game performances. For example, in the head to head game, you may miss several top players through injusy or suspension or a bad refereeing decision may hand a team a victory. These incidents would have less impact on a teams performance over 3 games.
Suppose Team A loses to Team B and and now both teams have one loss each. A rest 5 goals on de group minnow while B only scored 4 on them. Let's make it juicy, B really scored 6 but two goals negated by bad offside calls. So B should be ahead on goal differential but due to a foul up they trailing.
B lost it's only game in stoppage time... despite missing "several top players thru injury or suspension or bad refereeing decisions". Despite beating Team A, under your scenario Team B would not advance. How that better than head-to-head?
Trying to follow this, but in your scenario I will assume B lost 1-0 and A won 1-0 and B beat A 1-0.
P W D L F A PTS G/D
A 3 2 0 1 6 1 6 5
B 3 2 0 1 5 1 6 4
So as I understand your scenario, Team A wins on goal difference. Why is that a problem? Man City won the EPL on a goal difference of 8. Now it could have happened that United beat City twice and City would still be Champions. Traditionally, its always been points, then goal difference. Although I believe there was something called goal average at one time, but I can't remember how that worked or if it was the same mathematic, just named differently.
Goal difference, in my opinion, encourages teams to go for more goals rather than sit back on a 1-0 and park the bus.
A scenario for Group D could be that if France lose to Sweden 4-0 and England draw with Ukraine, France will go forward as they beat Ukraine, yet Ukraine would have the better overall record.
But I'm wondering about Group B. If Spain and Croatia draw 0-0 and Italy win 2-0, the 3 teams will have 5 points. Croatia and Italy would both have a plus 2 g/d and scored and conceded exactly the same goals. So which team goes forward?
According to the rules:
Equality of points after the group matches8.07 If two or more teams are equal on points on completion of the group matches, the
following criteria are applied, in the order given; to determine the rankings:
a) higher number of points obtained in the matches among the teams in question;
b) superior goal difference in the matches among the teams in question (if more
than two teams finish equal on points);
c) higher number of goals scored in the matches among the teams in question (if
more than two teams finish equal on points);
d) superior goal difference in all the group matches;
e) higher number of goals scored in all the group matches;
f) position in the UEFA national team coefficient ranking system (see Annex I,
paragraph 1.2.2);
SEE BELOWg) fair play conduct of the teams (final tournament);
h) drawing of lots.
8.08 If two teams which have the same number of points, the same number of goals
scored and conceded play their last group match against each other and are still
equal at the end of that match, the ranking of the two teams in question is
determined by kicks from the penalty mark (Article 16), provided no other teams
within the group have the same number of points on completion of all group
matches. Should more than two teams have the same number of points, the criteria
listed under paragraph 8.07 apply.
1.2.2. Final drawFor the calculation of the national team coefficient to be used for the final draw for
the 2010–12 UEFA European Football Championship, the following competitions
are taken into consideration:
a) UEFA EURO 2008 (qualifying competition and final tournament)
b) 2010 FIFA World Cup (qualifying competition and final tournament)
c) UEFA EURO 2012 (qualifying competition)