Perhaps UEFA and FIFA use different criteria when creating their coefficients for the purpose of ranking international teams? This site might help figure this out if anybody is bothered to read it (I'm not!).
You are right, the previous World Cup performance always did rank high in FIFA rankings - they don't place enough emphasis on current form.
Look at Israel - they are ranked 47th and are ahead of us in the Tables, (give or take a game in hand) - shurely somting wrong there!
We better hurry up and qualify to take advantage of the seedings in December while the going is good.