World Cup Qualifying Group 8

[Crosby87]

i think andrews given and mcgeady?

[centre mid]

Given, Whelan, Andrews & McGeady are a yellow away from suspension

[SkStu]

bbc saying 2-1 to Bulgaria??

[Crosby87]

they said 2-1 bulgaria on the radio a while ago stu

[SkStu]

yep, sorry, im a few mins behind everyone else it seems!!!

[Crosby87]

this is a disaster in the making.

[Boo_Boy]

Bulgaria 3-1

[Crosby87]

Bulgaria smells blood. green blood.

[geysir]

55 mins gone in Georgia
Italy score
1-0

desperate og
no danger

[centre mid]

B*stard

[geysir]

Italy turning the screw and ripping now
A hairsbreadth from scoring a 2nd

[Crosby87]

no use to pay for Trap I could coach the team like this. No cohesion what so ever.

[cudsy1]

johnny mcdonnell at half time

´´look like the plan is to score from a setpiece....we´re easy to play against´´

sounds like sense to me

[geysir]

Can you believe it
second og
italy 2 up

[SkStu]

no use to pay for Trap I could coach the team like this. No cohesion what so ever.

well said - we are overwhelmingly average.

[Stuttgart88]

overwhelmingly average.

I love it

[bob_h]

I made a Flash application which allows you enter in your predicted results for the remaining games in Group 8, and the outcome of these results are shown in the league table.

The Flash application can be found here:
http://permutations.netau.net/

I made it before yesterdays games but have updated it to include those scores. Just enter in a score beside each team and you'll see the effects instantly on the table. The table only updates if a score is entered in for both teams of a fixture.

To show others your predictions and resulting table, just click the Save As Image button and the results and table will be saved as an image which you can post up here.

Here is what I thought would happen before yesterdays games, and I actually got 2 of yesterdays results correct!

Ireland to finish top with Italy a point behind :D

http://permutations.netau.net/img/c0d32c3e94f219be0601627fb1dc44aa0905044453.jpg

[Stuttgart88]

Good man Bob, I like your work.

I've been running a spreadsheet for each of the last 3 campaigns - even with some nice coloured bits - but you're technologically superior to me.

[Colbert Report]

There's no way we're going to win the group. Italy would have to draw Bulgaria on Wednesday followed by a loss to Ireland and a win against Cyprus.

We would have to beat Italy and Montenegro and hope for a draw in the Italy/Bulgaria match or else hope that Cyprus can get at least a draw from the Italians (not gonna happen).

[elroy]

There's no way we're going to win the group. Italy would have to draw Bulgaria on Wednesday followed by a loss to Ireland and a win against Cyprus.

We would have to beat Italy and Montenegro and hope for a draw in the Italy/Bulgaria match or else hope that Cyprus can get at least a draw from the Italians (not gonna happen).

Very optimistic, the main point is at least we have put ourselves in this position. The only result you could complain about so far in this campaign is the draw away to Montenegro and thats been picky, maybe the home game against Bulgaria but we didnt deserve a win that night. So overall the results have been very good.

The combination of results we require isnt that far fetched, although one of my concerns would be us going into the final game against Montenegro needing to win for either first or second place, would be a very very nervy night.

[pineapple stu]

There's no way we're going to win the group.
Yeah, looks that way alright.

But against that, if Bulgaria don't beat Italy on Wednesday, a win at home against Montenegro guarantees second in the group, regardless of the results in Ireland v Italy, Bulgaria v Georgia and Cyprus v Bulgaria. Very good position for us. Looks like Scotland/Norway won't make the play-offs (ten points; we've ten already), so we're hoping to draw Latvia or Hungary really and take it from there.

[Schumi]

We're very likely to get second as it stands, and more likely to get first than third. Who could complain about that in a group with Italy?

[pineapple stu]

What's first third mean?

[geysir]

Sounds like a Delaneyism.

[paul_oshea]

in chances he means:

most likely to get 2nd, 2nd most likely to get 3rd place, and 3rd most likely to get 1st place.simples.

[Schumi]

What's first third mean?

I meant "first than third". :o

[paul_oshea]

Ah schumi you could have played on the pervese logic instead of being all sensible and commenting on your mistake. :D

[pineapple stu]

I meant "first than third". :o
Ah right. Thought you'd found a new way for us to get into the play off!

[Stuttgart88]

Look, I know we were (are) crap, but by all accounts Italy were awful on Saturday, as they have been all year. I hear Buffon made a great save just before Gerorgia scored their first OG. We can beat Italy and Italy and Bulgaria drawing ain't beyond fantasy either. Come on...

(Any suspicion of Italy based Kaladze being bribed? :)

[ifk101]

Look, I know we were (are) crap, but by all accounts Italy were awful on Saturday, as they have been all year. I hear Buffon made a great save just before Gerorgia scored their first OG. We can beat Italy and Italy and Bulgaria drawing ain't beyond fantasy either. Come on...

(Any suspicion of Italy based Kaladze being bribed? :)

As crap as we are, we have gone through a qualification campaign without losing an away game. Traditionally we are a very strong home team and with just two home games left in this campaign we are in a very strong position (no matter how we stumbled into it).

I'm sure Italy will be happy to come away from Dublin with a draw so let's take the game to them.

[Noelys Guitar]

Every Qualifying campaign one of the so called major world powers fails to qualify. Bulgaria have to go for broke on Wednesday. Berbatov had an excellent game on Saturday according to reports. Italy have not looked good in any game I have seen them play recently. I can see the Bulgarian's winning this match. The scenario of a team led by Trap knocking out Trap's World Champions home country might yet happen.

[DeLorean]

Any suspicion of Italy based Kaladze being bribed? :)

Stranger things have happened. They would have probably just asked for one o.g though as two would be too obvious!!

Topping the group is a possibility but there's not much point in speculating too much til we see how the Italy Bulgaria game goes Wednesday night. A draw would be super.

[elroy]

Look, I know we were (are) crap, but by all accounts Italy were awful on Saturday, as they have been all year. I hear Buffon made a great save just before Gerorgia scored their first OG. We can beat Italy and Italy and Bulgaria drawing ain't beyond fantasy either. Come on...

(Any suspicion of Italy based Kaladze being bribed? :)

They showed the highlights on rte after, was a fantastic low down to his right. Quality. I think the score was one-nil at that stage but could be wrong.

He apparently was unreal when they were away to Cyprus earlier in the campaign as well.

[Duggie]

lads this is a very VERY average italian side. there struggling big time upfront. iaquinta and quigleirri(sorry bout spelling) i think played sat. rossi is probably there best forward now. cassano is our andy reid, totti retired, del piero not considered. i cant see where they can score in games at the minute.

[Montenegrin]

Look, I know we were (are) crap, but by all accounts Italy were awful on Saturday, as they have been all year. I hear Buffon made a great save just before Gerorgia scored their first OG. We can beat Italy and Italy and Bulgaria drawing ain't beyond fantasy either. Come on...

(Any suspicion of Italy based Kaladze being bribed? :)



Italy-Georgia.Must see!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0IRgxtKoCVI&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fvideo.google.com%2Fvideosearch%3 Fhl%3Den%26safe%3Doff%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla%3Aen-US%3Aofficial%26hs%3DcTn%26q%3Dgeorgia%2520italy%2 6um%3D1&feature=player_embedded


Is this possible?

[pineapple stu]

Two quality finishes, in fairness.

Italy even tried to make it 2-1 towards the end; that was nice of them.

[TheBoss]

They do look a bit odd. he is not that type of defender, more a tackler than clearing balls out of the box or for corners, I would be suspicious.

[Stuttgart88]

That's a classic match summary! Great save by Buffon just before first goal, but Georgian striker looked a mile offside.

[Montenegrin]

Two quality finishes, in fairness.

Italy even tried to make it 2-1 towards the end; that was nice of them.


LOL:)
It is becoming boring that Italy always win matches in which they were not better team,to say at least.

[paul_oshea]

those goals are awful dodgy they aint just simple tap ins on clearances, he was being unmarked and in no pressure on the first one for definite, even the second one he had loads of time but he rattled it into the corner. The way he was over-doing the thing as well.....and it is the italians after all :D

[eaststand85]

LOL:)
It is becoming boring that Italy always win matches in which they were not better team,to say at least.

Presume the rest of Group 8 saying the same about us! :)

[shakermaker1982]

what the hell was he trying to do for the second goal?!

[Wolfie]

what the hell was he trying to do for the second goal?!

Fulfill the terms and conditions of the bribe...................

[Pauro 76]

I'd be gutted if I was a Georgia fan. Is this being looked into?

[tricky_colour]

1 Italy ............. 7 5 2 0 11 3 +8 17
2 Rep of Ireland. 8 4 4 0 10 6 +4 16
3 Bulgaria .........7 2 5 0 10 5 +5 11
4 Cyprus .......... 7 1 2 4 7 11 -4 _5
5 Montenegro.... 7 0 4 3 6 12 -6 _4
6 Georgia ......... 8 0 3 5 4 11 -7 _3



09/09/09 Montenegro Cyprus
09/09/09 Italy - Bulgaria
10/10/09 Montenegro - Georgia Georgia
10/10/09 Cyprus - Bulgaria
10/10/09 Republic of Ireland - Italy
14/10/09 Republic of Ireland - Montenegro
14/10/09 Italy - Cyprus
14/10/09 Bulgaria - Georgia

Is a draw the best outcome of this match?
Certainly seems to be, an Italy win mean we have no chance of toping the group and a Bulgaria win means we could end up third and is no better than a draw regards to our chance of winning the group.

[Stuttgart88]

This is how I'm looking at it:

1. Italy win and they win the group in reality. Bulgaria max points 17. We'll only need 2 more to beat them into second.
2. Italy draw and then 6 points in our last 2 games win us the group. Bulgaria max points 18. 3 points in last 2 games will guarantee us second.
3. Bulgaria win and then we may need 6 points just to secure second; anything less and we're looking at third. Bulgaria max points 20. If we only get 4 more points we'll face off against Bulgaria on GD and they're 1 ahead. We'll need to find goals because they'll be at least 3 ahead if we assume any wins for either of us are by 1 goal.

I'm all for thinking let's get 6 points and not worry about anyone else, but let's face it, option 2 is by far the best outcome for us.

In a way Italy drawing will give us a license to go all out for the win knowing even if we lose, a win over Monty (not easy) will still get us something.

[DeLorean]

I'll take option 2 as well please. A no-brainer.

[pineapple stu]

Absolute no-brainer. Amazed there's still discussion over it. Almost guarantees second and gives us a good shot at first? Yes please.

[geysir]

It's not a no brainer for the pessimistically inclined, fearing a Murphy's Law scenario.

[pineapple stu]

If Scotland beat Holland and we beat Montenegro, we come ahead of Scotland. So I don't think that's an issue either.