Euro 2012 Qualifying Group B - General Discussion

[Bungle]

Well lads this is probably the wrong thread for this but the World Cup 2014 qualification draw takes place on July 30th 2011. The seeding will be decided purely on the latest FIFA rankings immediately before the draw. There will be 9 groups. 9 winners qualify automatically. 8 best runners up go into play offs. As it currently stands Ireland are ranked 22nd in Europe and will be a third seed. If we can get into the the top 18 by the time of the draw, we will be second seeds.

As it stands the seedings would be as such:
Pot 1:
Spain
Holland
Germany
England
Portugal
Italy
Croatia
Norway
Greece

Pot 2:
Serbia
Slovenia
Russia
France
Montenegro
Switzerland
Slovakia
Denmark
Sweden

Pot 3:
Turkey
Czech Republic
Israel
IRELAND
Ukraine
Belgium
Romania
Bosnia *** (May be disqualified)
Bulgaria

Pot 4:
Lithuania
Albania
Hungary
Belerus
Georgia
Armenia
Northern Ireland
Scotland
Poland

Pot 5:
Austria
Estonia
Latvia
Finland
Macedonia
Moldova
Cyprus
Azerbaijan
Wales

Pot 6:
Iceland
Luxembourg
Faroe Islands
Kazakhstan
Liechtenstein
Malta
Andorra
San Marino

Heres hoping we can sneak our way into the second seeds but if it were to stay as it is now, probably the worst case scenario would be to get would be Spain from the first pot and a rejuvinated France under Blanc from the second. A combination of Norway and Slovenia would be just lovely.

I'd say with the exception of France, pot 3 is almost as good as pot 2. Would love Norway or Greece in pot 1, but Ireland would play rubbish against teams like that, but would probably be brilliant against Spain or Germany.

[paul_oshea]

Oh check out the funbags on that hosehound

Ya he must work out :D

SVD i thought i remembered nearly every single line, but id forgotten that one, brilliant.

Harry your hands are freezing.

I think the fact norway are in pot 1 shows that this system is flawed.

[geysir]

The odds are better for the Euros where we have a 72% chance of qualifying.

Though tempered by a 1-2 odds of not qualifying.

[Charlie Darwin]

It's probably worth noting that we've done better as third seeds in recent years than we have as first and second seeds.

[mypost]

Correct me if I'm wrong but were the wc2010 qualifiers drawn in January 2008?
If that's the case why are these qualifiers for 2014 being drawn so early?

They were drawn in November 2007, 4 days after the previous ECQ's ended. The WCQ draw was always made around November-December time, have no idea why it is on in July now.


Yes it is crazy that the draw is being made before the outcome of the Euro qualifiers is even known but the reasoning behind it is that this world cup will be in South America and the South American qualification having 18 games during the qualifiers is much longer than the European qualification procedure and thus always starts much earlier in advance of the tournament, thus why all the other federations draws are being made so early.

I agree with you paul o shea, the old system would have benefited us more but in saying that the current system would have benefitted us much more in the Brian Kerr era, in that he left when we were 14th in the world (primarily due to an impecable record in friendlies and always playing our strongest XI in them and not treating them for the desired purpose of experimentation).

The Conmebol Qualifiers start earlier, but it's a straight-forward league basis, not a group one, and not needing any draws.

If there was a system used based on previous performance, we'd probably be Pot 4 or 5, given our erm...lack of qualifying successes lately. I'm glad it's based on world rankings.

About Group 2 of the current qualifiers, I notice Slovakia's next home game is back in Bratislava. Obviously Zilina isn't deemed obscure and hostile enough to host Andorra. :rolleyes:

[Kingdom]

They were drawn in November 2007, 4 days after the previous ECQ's ended. The WCQ draw was always made around November-December time, have no idea why it is on in June now.



The Conmebol Qualifiers start earlier, but it's a straight-forward league basis, not a group one, and not needing any draws.

If there was a system used based on previous performance, we'd probably be Pot 4 or 5, given our erm...lack of qualifying successes lately. I'm glad it's based on world rankings.

About Group 2 of the current qualifiers, I notice Slovakia's next home game is back in Bratislava. Obviously Zilina isn't deemed obscure and hostile enough to host Andorra. :rolleyes:

I think it's that the refurbishment in the Telehne Pole is finished - or that the secondary Bratislava ground is big enough to cater for the 5 Andorrans that will travel over. Putting them on the disco train would be just mean.

[DannyInvincible]

If there was a system used based on previous performance, we'd probably be Pot 4 or 5, given our erm...lack of qualifying successes lately. I'm glad it's based on world rankings.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but, bar Turkey, the Czechs and Romania, who all qualified for Euro 2008, I don't think any of those other teams in the provisional pot three have had much luck with qualification lately either. It's probably about right considering we just missed out on World Cup qualification at the play-off stage, as did Ukraine and Bosnia & Herzegovina. Montenegro's lofty rise into pot two is staggering, mind.

[BonnieShels]

They were drawn in November 2007, 4 days after the previous ECQ's ended. The WCQ draw was always made around November-December time, have no idea why it is on in July now.

Cheers for that. I remember watching it online in my old house in Harold's Cross. Eugh.

I do love a good draw though. Yeah.

[paul_oshea]

It's probably worth noting that we've done better as third seeds in recent years than we have as first and second seeds.

Yes, but averaging we have finished at the same position, irrelevant of which pot we were seeded, which says we are rightly about 3rd seeds(bar when we finished 4th and 2nd obviously).

[BonnieShels]

Yes, but averaging we have finished at the same position, irrelevant of which pot we were seeded, which says we are rightly about 3rd seeds(bar when we finished 4th and 2nd obviously).

They only come out at night. Or in this case the day time.

[Edgar]

They were drawn in November 2007, 4 days after the previous ECQ's ended. The WCQ draw was always made around November-December time, have no idea why it is on in July now.:rolleyes:

To give more time (match dates) for AFC and CONCACAF.

[French Toasht]

Whilst on the one hand Trap would be a very cagey and conservative manager, I find it odd that on the other hand that he announces his starting 11 in some cases two days before the match. It maybe an extremely minor concession to the opposition but at the same time it does make their preparation a lot easier for playing us. Our starting 11 has been pretty predictable under Trap, but nonetheless I can see no reason why going public on the starting 11 is of any benefit anyone?

Maybe I'm being a bit festidious but for a manager he doesn't give an inch on the field, he seems to be giving generous yards in the build up to the game.

[zero]

doyle out of the macedonia game

http://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2011/0518/doylek.html

a blow, but it should guarantee a start for long. hopefully no more injuries between now and then. will we call up a replacement for the celtic cup?

duff appears to be touch and go for the macedonia game aswell.

[tetsujin1979]

Sammon or possibly Stephen Elliott would be the obvious options

[zero]

Sammon or possibly Stephen Elliott would be the obvious options

might not be any replacement, the original squad of 33 (now 32) has to be whittled down anyway to 23 i think.

[Stuttgart88]

I thought Duff was definitely out.

I think Tets' imagination is getting the better of him :)

I'm not sure there will be a replacement either. Keane, Long, Walters, Folan, Stokes and Ward are already called up. Is Keogh also there?

[Kingdom]

I read somewhere on Weds that while Doyle is definitely a blow, more worrying is Robbie's total loss of form. I'd agree with that. I still think we should have enough to get the three points over there. Thankfully McGeady should be fit going into the game, as he misses the Celtic Cup games as they're outside the agreed dates. With Duff out, it should mean that Fahey and Treacy see some game time. The selection on the wings will be as crucial as anything else now. Wonder will he continue to keep the two traditional wingers or will he utilise a more modern flanker like Lawrence?

[Charlie Darwin]

Well I think Hunt has to play in the Celtic Cup games, if for no other reason than he needs game time ahead of Macedonia.

[Kingdom]

Haha, Jaysus I'd forgotten about Hunty altogether!

[French Toasht]

Anyone know what time (Irish time) the kick off in Macedonia is at?

[paul_oshea]

was it said somewhere here before that its an evening kick off 9pm local time i think?

[paul_oshea]

So given looks like starting then?

Dunne, Duff, Doyle out. Keanes loss of form might as well include him then, even though he will be playing, im not sure he will do the business for us i wonder will he be replaced by walters at some stage. We are so reliant on duff though, he is one of the first on the teamsheet for me these last 2 years. I honestly think we will find it very tough to get the 3 points. Its a huge 3 points but with 3 players missing and 4th in terrible form thats almost half the outfield team.....

[SwanVsDalton]

Keane hasn't been in good form for two years, Celtic aside, but it hasn't stopped him doing the business. Rubbish form certainly didn't stop him scoring the decisive goal in the last qualifier...

[Wolfie]

Long should be first shout in the event of us winning a peno. Keane will miss.

[paul_oshea]

Keane hasn't been in good form for two years, Celtic aside, but it hasn't stopped him doing the business. Rubbish form certainly didn't stop him scoring the decisive goal in the last qualifier...

The last away one maybe. Slovakia away poor form and lack of match practice, lack of match practice being the reason for poor form or the main reason at least.

[Stuttgart88]

Hopefully the Celtic Cup will sharpen him up a bit. It may knacker him out though.

[geysir]

A familiar theme, hope V apprehension.

[French Toasht]

The kick off time for the Macedonia match is 20.30 Irish time, so 21.30 their time. This is a great as it means the unyielding heat that many of us anticipated, should not really be a factor. Also looking at their form of late, they have only scored one goal in their last five and that was against us, but on the other hand they seem to be very tight at the back. We're in for a dogged and brutal encounter I feel.

Ps found this old footage of our defeat to Macedonia back in 1997. Watch out for Jason "Trigger" McAteers Cantana style kung fu kick at the end.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B3X8XnIRkBE&feature=related

[DannyInvincible]

A Russian training session prior to their match with Armenia has been jeopardized by a fire: http://www.panarmenian.net/eng/sport/news/71544/


On June 1, Russia held their second planned trainings in Moscow prior to the UEFA EURO 2012 qualifier against Armenia.

The event was jeopardized by a fire near Eduard Streltsov stadium, which hosted the training. However, firemen managed to extinguish the fire, and the training proceeded normally.

“I am rather satisfied with the shape of all footballers,” Russia coach Dick Advocaat said after the training. He added that some footballers are not in the best competition form, but there is some time until the match. “The guys understand that it will be a very important match,” he said.

Advocaat said he expects the team to gain only three points in the match due June 4 in Saint Petersburg.

Meanwhile, I'm hoping we can gain at least four points from our game against Macedonia.

[Kingdom]

Got rather excited reading that Danny....in a book I'm reading at the moment, it's accepted that Dynamo are cursed and cursed in Petrovsky park, which I mistook for the Streltsov stadium as you mention above. Still Eduard Streltsov was an interesting character himself. Worth a read...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eduard_Streltsov

[Noelys Guitar]

I'll be very happy if the top three are still level on points tomorrow night. Job done for us. Armenia have an outside chance of sneaking a point but I just can't see it happening.

[DannyInvincible]

Russia's game against Armenia will kick-off at 4PM our time. If anyone's interested in watching, you're bound to find a working stream here:

http://www.myp2p.eu/broadcast.php?matchid=119133&part=sports or http://www.livefootballol.com/streaming/euro-2012/round-7-russia-armenia-04-06-2011.html

[Kingdom]

Very humid here in skopje. Just had 14" cullen pizza for 3€. Holed up in a brothel opposite Greek embassy. Macedonia irony\humour i guess.

[Noelys Guitar]

For anyone in North America the Russia match is live on Espn3.com

[Noelys Guitar]

How is it not 1-0 for Russia! Three corners in the first 2 mins.

[DannyInvincible]

Just watching a Sopcast stream here which is about 7 minutes behind, but Russia could be 2-0 up within the first two minutes. They've been laying siege on the Armenian goal right from the off and won a string of corners that weren't defended too competently.

[SwanVsDalton]

Armenia keeper flapping at em too. Looks ominous. Come on Armenia!

[DannyInvincible]

Armenia have barely touched the ball yet. Hopefully just early nerves before they settle into it.

[Fixer82]

COME ON IRELAND!!!!!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rJkxeH7DViQ

[Noelys Guitar]

Game getting a bit scrappy now which is what we want.

[Noelys Guitar]

What a chance for Armenia!

[geysir]

It´s all Armenia now:D

[DannyInvincible]

Armenia doing alright now. Have had a few shots and corners themselves. If only Movsisyan had passed it across instead of being greedy. They had two free men in the centre of the box.

[Noelys Guitar]

That guy Movsisyan has the beating of the Russian right back everytime. Both Russian full backs look poor. How the hell did Russia score three goals against us.

[Charlie Darwin]

Some decent build-up play from both sides but the final ball and shooting has been poor.

[Noelys Guitar]

yessssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss whoa whoa whoa

[SwanVsDalton]

Yesss!

[DannyInvincible]

Yesss!!

[SwanVsDalton]

My stream was cutting out so much, it froze just as the ball was getting to the last man - I thought he'd cleared it. Brilliant, come on Armenia!

[EastTerracer]

That makes things interesting. Keep it tight at the back now.

Edit: I hadn't even finished typing that!