World Cup Qualifying 2018, UEFA Group D - Opponent Watch

[SkStu]

Roll on Vienna

#revengefor95

[backstothewall]

Even a draw in Vienna and we are in great shape

[BonnieShels]

I don't think they're gash, they've got some decent players especially from midfield up. They were missing Matic tonight as well. That said, having just seen the highlights there, the defending by both themselves and Austria was really shambolic this evening, really atrocious stuff (just to emphasise the point!). Austria's second equaliser was offside but there was still really poor defending in the build up. Tadic's winner was a bit of a fluke, his miscontrol actually took him away from Wimmer. I presume it was flukey anyway otherwise it was an outrageous piece of of skill. I'm not sure I'm mad about the fact that Austria really need to beat us now but I suppose that'll bring its own pressures for a team that can't be too high in confidence.

Not gash but rubbish? :P

Roll on Vienna

#revengefor95

Toni, it's time!



*(obviously we're ignoring Mr Alaba and the WC2014 Qual. late goals he got against us costing us)

[Fergie's Son]

Toni did a number on us at home and away. He enjoyed playing Ireland.

Great results for us and the group is opening up nicely.

[geysir]

Not gash but rubbish? :P

By dint of our version of crude football we can make another team look even worse than us.
That doesn't mean they are actually worse than us.
Serbia played well in their last 2 games and are now in pole position in the group.

[Lionel Ritchie]

Toni did a number on us at home and away. He enjoyed playing Ireland.

Great results for us and the group is opening up nicely.

We were in poor, poor shape by the time we played Austria in summer and autumn 95. It's not just that the squad was getting old either -the squads attitude was terible too and they were running riot when they'd be in Ireland for games. Jack was barely bothering to manage them at all -outsourcing a lot of it to his son John and Maurice Setters.

Austria just got to take advantage of the mayhem. They got dicked home and away by a Northern Ireland side of whom only one or two would've made our team back then. A desperate pity.

[BonnieShels]

We were in poor, poor shape by the time we played Austria in summer and autumn 95. It's not just that the squad was getting old either -the squads attitude was terible too and they were running riot when they'd be in Ireland for games. Jack was barely bothering to manage them at all -outsourcing a lot of it to his son John and Maurice Setters.

Austria just got to take advantage of the mayhem. They got dicked home and away by a Northern Ireland side of whom only one or two would've made our team back then. A desperate pity.

As I mentioned in a previous thread those Austria results stick out like sore thumbs in my history of watching this team and my hatred for Toni Polster still exists and I was merely 11 when they were played!!!

When you think of how that campaign ended and the difference to how it was at the start and what a couple of more points would have done (4 dropped v the IFA and Liecthenstein). Though we were unfortunate in how we ended up losing to the 4th place team how we did as only 1, 3 and 4 were regarded for the second placed ranking results.

[DeLorean]

It was the porn star Stoger that did all the damage in Vienna really.

Toni had a lovely mullet.

[BonnieShels]

You...

My FB cover photo for a time was that multiple times defaced with something... I HATE him so much. Almost as much as Kieran Donaghy.

[geysir]

.. I HATE him so much. Almost as much as Kieran Donaghy.

At least us Monaghan lads knew how to deal with Kieran when he got above himself.

[Fergie's Son]

Yet you still lost....

Toni played with a pony-tail that day in Dublin. He looked like something left over from Tamango's circa 1986.

[BonnieShels]

At least us Monaghan lads knew how to deal with Kieran when he got above himself.

Was that the qualifier in 2008 that Kerry robbed from ye?

Double header that day between my ancestral seat Fermanagh and Kildare?

First time I ever got to see Fermanagh play live. And I was dying with an almighty hangover that could cut concrete. And Kerry won. So an awful day.

[geysir]

That's right, that was 2008 but the smash and grab was the year before. We smashed them but they grabbed the winner.

[BonnieShels]

That's right, that was 2008 but the smash and grab was the year before. We smashed them but they grabbed the winner.

I meant mostly because of the ref and umpires having a 'mare. I was in the lower Hogan down by the Hill when Donaghy scored and he was sleeping in the square. Meltyfaces all 'round.

[Littlest Hobo]

Remember those games very well. Long live Polster and Stoger...!

Anyway fast forward to today... I'd say Austria will go with this 4-2-3-1 line-up and aim to take 3 points;

Almer (Austria Vienna)

Klein (Stuttgart)
Dragovic (Bayer Leverkusen)
Hinteregger (Augsburg)
Wimmer (Tottenham)

Baumartlinger (Bayer Leverkusen)
Alaba (Bayern Munich)

Sabitzer (Leipzig)
Junuzovic (Weder Bremen)
Arnautovic (Stoke City)

Janko (Basel)

Keeping an eye on these lads over the next few weeks.

[BonnieShels]

remember those games very well. long live polster and stoger...!

anyway fast forward to today... I'd say austria will go with this 4-2-3-1 line-up and aim to take 3 points;

almer (austria vienna)

klein (stuttgart)
dragovic (bayer leverkusen)
hinteregger (augsburg)
wimmer (tottenham)

baumartlinger (bayer leverkusen)
alaba (bayern munich)

sabitzer (leipzig)
junuzovic (weder bremen)
arnautovic (stoke city)

janko (basel)

keeping an eye on these lads over the next few weeks.

get! Out!

[DeLorean]

It's definitely a bigger catastrophe to drop points against Georgia (home) /Moldova (anywhere) than to draw in Serbia.

Lets see Sunday night, where Serbia stand, and come back to that one Delores!

#			P	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	PTS
1		Serbia	3	2	1	0	8	4	4	7
2		Republic of Ireland	3	2	1	0	6	3	3	7
3		Wales	3	1	2	0	7	3	4	5
4		Austria	3	1	1	1	6	6	0	4
5		Georgia	3	0	1	2	2	4	-2	1
6		Moldova	3	0	0	3	1	10	-9	0

[Stuttgart88]

I read on twitter that Tadic has either scored or assisted all of Serbia's last 10 goals.

[tetsujin1979]

That's true, starting with Serbia's last goal in the 3-1 win over Israel in a friendly in May, he's been involved in the ten goals they've scored

[paul_oshea]

#			P	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	PTS
1		Serbia	3	2	1	0	8	4	4	7
2		Republic of Ireland	3	2	1	0	6	3	3	7
3		Wales	3	1	2	0	7	3	4	5
4		Austria	3	1	1	1	6	6	0	4
5		Georgia	3	0	1	2	2	4	-2	1
6		Moldova	3	0	0	3	1	10	-9	0

Very Surprised I was, especially after seeing the highlights. It actually reinforces my point though, both teams are muck at the back, and if serbia are proving that our game was an off day, then we really did let it slip by not imposing ourselves and going for the 2nd when 1 up. When I made this less than bold prediction, I over-estimated Austria defensively, they are as cack as Serbia defensively. Time for O'Neill to be brave now and actually go for an away win for once.

Even against Wales they(austra) seemed to be dodge. I am a lot more confident about the Austria game now, granted oneill will be more than happy if we go ahead and then concede from not holding onto possession and come out with a draw. Serbia could be well ahead by the time we finish up the austria-wales-austria games, and we will probably be sitting where Austria are.

I watched the second half of Wales, and the highlights from Austra/Serbia, and Wales are exceedingly average without Allen and Ramsey, they couldn't get near Georgia, had georgia more composure they would have won, they played some lovely stuff and dominated midfield for about 20 mins in the second half. If we could sort out our defence we could be in such a strong position, our defense for once does not seem to be the weakest out there. Serbia and Austria seem to like gifting goals at the minute. We seem generally ok defensively, bar 1 or 2 silly mistakes per game, sort them out and the lack of firepower wont matter as much against these teams.

On a side note, we have set some record for the quickest goals scored in 2016 of any other UFEA member, which is pretty impressive. It's unforunate the next 80+ mins we can't do anything