World Cup Qualifying Group 8

[Paddy Garcia]

It won't be an easy game for Cyprus though and then they have to travel here to play us on the Wednesday. We should have a fully rested and fit squad for that game so that we can pay them back with a 3 or 4 nil drubbing for the last campaigns shambles!!!

If we win 1-0 I'd be very very happy.

[Bonovox]

If anyone has two tickets to spare for the Cyprus game would they pm me please?

[eirebhoy]

If anyone has two tickets to spare for the Cyprus game would they pm me please?
http://foot.ie/showthread.php?t=98841

[Montenegrin]

25. minute
Georgia-Bulgaria 0-0.
I have some kind of filling that it will end up like that.

[eirebhoy]

I think this is a stream of the Bulgaria match but I can't get it to play:
http://www.bnt.bg/live/

/its half time though (0-0) so probably best to try in a few minutes.

[TheOwl]

Have the game on here in work. It is quite even - very few chances - I would guess it will finish 0-0. 65 mins gone.

[Carrigaline]

Come on Georgia!

[Montenegrin]

0-0 full time:):p.

[TheOwl]

I'll take that!!

[Fergie's Son]

Great result for us. Bulgaria have dropped points. Cyprus will be a handful for a lot of teams.

We just need to beat Georgia at home and then Bulgaria will need to come to Ireland looking for the win.

[Qwerty]

Bulgaria has given us a 2 point advantage by drawing with Georgia, and perhaps more importantly they don't look like world beaters and were lucky to get a draw. Kudos to the FAI for removing home field advantage for our 'away' game with Georgia, that could end up being the difference at the end of this campaign :)

If we can beat Georgia and Bulgaria next year we will be in great shape.

[Adrianovic]

Great result for us. Bulgaria have dropped points. Cyprus will be a handful for a lot of teams.

We just need to beat Georgia at home and then Bulgaria will need to come to Ireland looking for the win.

Agreed. I'd like to have ten points from the first four games when Bulgaria come to town. It'd represent what would be, collectively, an excellent start.

Lads, it's been a long time since I've felt this confident about the Irish team. OK, it wasn't spectacular tonight, but we're winning games while our rivals aren't.

[Duggie]

ya we should be looking to top this group. 2nd place is to much of a lottery with play off and one group isnt even guaranteed that. italy are no world beaters. georgia did us a huge favour last night against bulgaria.

[Montenegrin]

We lost to Italy 2-1.It was equal game.We had five great chances(when I say great I mean that,one on one with goalkeeper and in one situacion one on one with only Zambrota) and also two dangerous free kicks.Italy had four great chances and four or five dangerous shoots from distance.Only difference is that they scored twice and we scored only once.In the last 20 minutes I think that Italians spent at least ten minutes lying down on the ground:mad:.They and Bulgarians are same concerning that.When they have result they are droping like flies and when they dont have result you can not bring them down whatever you do.
The worst think abou this match is that Vucinic got yellow card(his second)so he will not be able to play in next match against same opponent in Podgorica:(.
We really don not have any luck.

[Maroon 7]

Was over on the Tranny Army website earlier on and the sweaties reckon whoever comes 2nd in our group will be the lowest placed 2nd and won't make the playoffs.

Then again they could just be trying to make themselves feel better.

[gspain]

Was over on the Tranny Army website earlier on and the sweaties reckon whoever comes 2nd in our group will be the lowest placed 2nd and won't make the playoffs.

Then again they could just be trying to make themselves feel better.

Way too early to call this.

Norway have already lost at home to Holland and only drawn with Iceland and Scotland so they could well be the worst 2nd placed team. :D

[tetsujin1979]

the Tranny Army website
The what??

[Maroon 7]

The what??

Tartan army in layman's terms.

[paul_oshea]

and tets, sweaties are sweatie socks as in jocks. its mockney rhyming slang.

[Metrostars]

Actually Scotland is currently in last place of the second place teams:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2010_FIFA_World_Cup_qualification_(UEFA)#Ranking_o f_second-placed_teams

We're in 6th place but only having played 2 games against the top 5 teams in our group while the others all have played 3.

[Montenegrin]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hvoJ36vAQ0o
Some of the highlights of the Italy-Montenegro game.Esspecially our two chances you can see near the end of clip.Also,you can see how stupid our defence is.
This video does not include two great Italian and one our chance.I dont know why.

[Donegalcelt]

Actually Scotland is currently in last place of the second place teams:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2010_FIFA_World_Cup_qualification_(UEFA)#Ranking_o f_second-placed_teams

We're in 6th place but only having played 2 games against the top 5 teams in our group while the others all have played 3.

Is that not wrong cos the only team we've dropped points against is the bottom ranked team and it shouldn't count?

[Colbert Report]

I could be wrong, but I think the results against the BOTTOM team in the final group standings don't count, not the lowest ranked team going in. I hope this is the case. Montenegro will likely not finish last in the group. They've already drawn Bulgaria and Ireland at home and I'd say they'll take four points off Cyprus and six off of Georgia.

[Schumi]

It's points against the bottom finishing team that don't count for play-off purposes. Doesn't make sense for it to be the bottom ranked team, especially with new teams coming in.

[Wolfie]

A refreshing change to hear a manager unafraid to at least have aspirations on the top spot.

http://www.independent.ie/sport/soccer/trap-backs-confident-irish-to-top-group-ahead-of-azzurri-1544077.html

[Morbo]

I could be wrong, but I think the results against the BOTTOM team in the final group standings don't count, not the lowest ranked team going in. I hope this is the case. Montenegro will likely not finish last in the group. They've already drawn Bulgaria and Ireland at home and I'd say they'll take four points off Cyprus and six off of Georgia.
You hope the results against the team the finishes bottom doesn't count, why? Surely it would be better for Ireland if it was the results against the lowest seeded team that didn't count, since we have already dropped 2 points to the lowest seeded team Monty, but we should take maximum points against Georgia who will most likely finish bottom, i.e. we would probably be at least 2 points better off it the results against Monty didn't count rather than Georgia

[ifk101]

Bulgaria are currently losing 6-1 away to Serbia.

[Noelys Guitar]

Bulgaria are currently losing 6-1 away to Serbia.

Serbia ****ed two different peno's in the first 15 mins. Could have been 8-1.

[OwlsFan]

Cyprus won again. Beat Belarus. We'll need to be at the top of our game to get anything from a visit there.

[Wolfie]

Bulgaria are currently losing 6-1 away to Serbia.

This isn't great news for us. Could bring their current Managers tenure to an end quite quickly.

Bulgaria could well be under new management - with renewed effort and resolve - when we play them.

[OwlsFan]

This isn't great news for us. Could bring their current Managers tenure to an end quite quickly.

Bulgaria could well be under new management - with renewed effort and resolve - when we play them.

:confused: It's better they should be winning 4-0. It's great news for us since we didn't know they were that bad. Sure, a new manager might sort some of the problems out but the good thing is that they can't be a good side.

[Wolfie]

:confused: It's better they should be winning 4-0. It's great news for us since we didn't know they were that bad. Sure, a new manager might sort some of the problems out but the good thing is that they can't be a good side.

We're no world beaters ourselves.

Such heavy defeats can bring matters to a head and instill a resolve as a direct reaction to the previous result.

This yo-yo affect could be best seen under our tenure with Stan. A disasterous result against Cyprus was followed by a gutsy performance against the Czechs at home 4 days later which we could have won.......................

[Noelys Guitar]

Cyprus beaten 2-0 at home by Serbia in a friendly.

[irishfan86]

Cyprus beaten 2-0 at home by Serbia in a friendly.

After their recent impressive performances (especially at home) I threw a few bucks down on the Cypriots beating Serbia...ah well. :o

[Wolfie]

Upcoming fixtures in the group.

Entering a crucial phase................

Saturday, 28 March 2009
Cyprus v Georgia
Montenegro v Italy
Rep of Ireland v Bulgaria


Wednesday, 1 April 2009
Bulgaria v Cyprus
Georgia v Montenegro
Italy v Rep of Ireland

[kingdomkerry]

So best case scenario (being realistic)

Saturday
Ireland beat bulgaria
Montenegro hold Italy to a draw
Georgia beat Cypurs

Wednesday
Ireland draw against Italy
Bulgaria are held by Cyprus
Georgia beat Montenegro

[Pike B]

So best case scenario (being realistic)

Saturday
Ireland beat bulgaria
Montenegro hold Italy to a draw
Georgia beat Cypurs

Wednesday
Ireland draw against Italy
Bulgaria are held by Cyprus
Georgia beat Montenegro
Honestly I think it'll be more like:

Saturday
Ireland draw with bulgaria
Montenegro lose to Italy
Georgia draw with Cyprus

Wednesday
Ireland lose against Italy
Bulgaria beat Cyprus
Georgia draw with Montenegro

But hey, that's just me..

[magnumpi]

i know, although 4 points is in some way the best 'realistic' scenario, i don't know where everyone is deriving the confidence from.

ignoring the results themselves, i can see absolutely nothing from recent performances that suggests we will beat bulgaria.

they are not great, and neither are we. i'm hoping that the fact that they haven't played competetively since october works to our advantage.

however, i fear that the inability of our central midfield to hold onto the ball will ultimately result in us drawing or losing the match.

[TheBoss]

Bulgaria are not a great team, this might sound a bit stupid, but Berbatov playing for them is an advantage for us, Bulgaria play him up front on his own and that is not his position, he likes to come deep and play through balls etc, which means that they will have no player going forward as a result of this, we will not conceded, that is for sure, but to score we have possibilities and I feel we will nick it 1-0.

[Irish_Praha]

I predict another brutal 1-0 win for Ireland in the vein of the last game against Cyprus. Ireland will somehow get a one goal lead and the rest of the game will be a non-event with both teams only having long-range efforts and the odd close call where a player gets set up by a lucky bounce or deflection but it will be such a surprise that he is not ready for it and kick it wide or against one of his own players. Job done, another 3 points and happy days :D

[backstothewall]

I predict another brutal 1-0 win for Ireland in the vein of the last game against Cyprus. Ireland will somehow get a one goal lead and the rest of the game will be a non-event with both teams only having long-range efforts and the odd close call where a player gets a lucky bounce or deflection but it will be such a surprise that he is not ready for it and kick it wide or against one of his own players. Job done, another 3 points and happy days :D

Sounds good to me. Big Jack didn't exactly play football Arsene Wenger would have approved of, but it was one hell of a ride.

[theworm2345]

Ireland 3 -1 Bulgaria
Italy 0 - 1 Ireland

[Fizzer]

If that happens we win the group Yeah?

[elroy]

I predict another brutal 1-0 win for Ireland in the vein of the last game against Cyprus. Ireland will somehow get a one goal lead and the rest of the game will be a non-event with both teams only having long-range efforts and the odd close call where a player gets set up by a lucky bounce or deflection but it will be such a surprise that he is not ready for it and kick it wide or against one of his own players. Job done, another 3 points and happy days :D

Well the most important thing is that we dont have a start like we did against Georgia. I wouldnt fancy us coming from behind against them.

[aidz1]

I'd prefer georgia to beat montenegro and finish above them in the end as if ireland finish 2nd, that's be 6 points gained against a team in the "new group" when the runners up of 9 groups are assessed.

[Crosby87]

Best thing is some Italians are carded and miss the Ireland game.
We should beat Bulgaria at home. Doyle is due for a goal. Keane, Duff, Doyle, and McGeady can move the ball against them at home.

[eirebhoy]

I'd prefer georgia to beat montenegro and finish above them in the end as if ireland finish 2nd, that's be 6 points gained against a team in the "new group" when the runners up of 9 groups are assessed.
Montenegro are too good a team to finish bottom. Never gonna happen.

[TheBoss]

Anyone seen Cyprus's result, they lost 0-1 to Canada at Home, a really bad defeat.

Their team was quite strong:
Antonis Giorgallidis, Marinos Satsias (Jason Demetriou, 46) Elias Charalambous, Skevos Christou, Costantinos Charalampides, Marios Ilia (Andreas Constantinou, 75), Alexis Garpozis (Stelios Okkarides, 87),Marios Nicolaou, Yiannis Okkas (Constantinos Makrides, 46), Michalis Constantinou (Yiasemakis Yiasoumi, 58) Stathis Aloneftis (Giorgos Panagi, 63).

Their manager:

''"We were missing that explosiveness that is necessary in such matches and we couldn't convert on some easy opportunities, but I'm very satisfied with my players," he said.''

[Wolfie]

Soon to be heading for the preverbial "business end" of the group as SKY Sports like to say.

Saturday, 5 September 2009
Bulgaria v Montenegro,
Cyprus v Rep of Ireland
Georgia v Italy

Wednesday, 9 September 2009
Italy v Bulgaria
Montenegro v Cyprus

Saturday, 10 October 2009
Cyprus v Bulgaria
Montenegro v Georgia
Rep of Ireland v Italy

Wednesday, 14 October 2009
Bulgaria v Georgia
Italy v Cyprus
Rep of Ireland v Montenegro

[Serb]

Saturday, 5 September 2009
Bulgaria v Montenegro, - Home Win
Cyprus v Rep of Ireland - Away Win
Georgia v Italy - Away Win

Wednesday, 9 September 2009
Italy v Bulgaria - Draw

Saturday, 10 October 2009
Cyprus v Bulgaria - Away Win
Rep of Ireland v Italy - Draw

Wednesday, 14 October 2009
Bulgaria v Georgia - Home Win
Italy v Cyprus - Home Win
Rep of Ireland v Montenegro - Home Win

Those results are realistic I think, and would put us into the play-offs with one point to spare. The possible banana skins for both Bulgaria & Ireland are the Cyprus away results. I think if we win in Cyprus we are home and dry.