Group D - opponent watch!

[Stuttgart88]

Anyway, back in the real world...
http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/international/european-championship-qualifiers-strachans-good-mood-depends-on-beating-georgia-9788702.html
I like the La Perla ad in the right hand corner of that web page. I'm glad I didn't see that before going to bed.

[DeLorean]

Result - Scotland 1-0 Georgia. Flicked over here and there, looked a pretty nervous win. Georgia were in Scottish territory the majority of the times I put it on. An own goal in the first half settled it, made by Maloney I think. Brown and Morrisson terrific in the deep lying midfield positions according to commentator. Ibrox has seen bigger crowds in the Scottish Division 3.

[DeLorean]

Poland v Germany live on ITV4.

[ArdeeBhoy]

Scotland looked subdued, but we really need a draw from their match on Weds, though may depend on how much of a beating Polska take from Deutschland?

[DeLorean]

I don't think this is a foregone conclusion at all. I'd be happy with any kind of German win. I suppose in relation to Poland v Scotland then, anything bar a Scotland win would be okay, a draw ideal alright.

[ArdeeBhoy]

It is if you look at Polska's recent record and their overall one v.Deutschland. Germany not at full strength but they are expecting to win and the Poles to not.

Though a closer game than we might expect?

[DeLorean]

Poland have never beaten them, in eighteen attempts. They're set up pretty defensively and limiting the Germans so far but early days. That high line by Germany is baffling, hope it continues for Tuesday.

[geysir]

I find it impossible to be hoping for a Germany win, regardless of the beneficial effect of Poland not gaining a point, would have for us.

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

Poland have never beaten them, in eighteen attempts. They're set up pretty defensively and limiting the Germans so far but early days. That high line by Germany is baffling, hope it continues for Tuesday.

It won't matter a jot if we select Walters and Keane for the next game.

[liamoo11]

It won't matter a jot if we select Walters and Keane for the next game.

germans not playing that high line tonight so far anyway. germans are all over them few good chances missed

[DeLorean]

They only started to look dangerous in the few minutes before half time I felt.

[DeLorean]

I find it impossible to be hoping for a Germany win, regardless of the beneficial effect of Poland not gaining a point, would have for us.

Interesting, I find it kind of bizarre. I was actually nervous for the few minutes between Scotland equalising and Germany retaking the lead in the first game. Under normal circumstances I'd have been routing for the Scots big time.

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

Surely it's a good thing if Poland can take points off Germany or at least challenge them? We can do the same surely.

Look at it from that perspective instead of assuming we will get slaughtered in a few days.

[Closed Account 2]

Holy s##t! poland have scored, header, looked like poor play from Neuer

[DeLorean]

Surely it's a good thing if Poland can take points off Germany or at least challenge them? We can do the same surely.

Look at it from that perspective instead of assuming we will get slaughtered in a few days.

I'm not assuming we're going to get slaughtered. I am assuming Germany will top the group so anything Scotland or Poland get from them is bad for us.

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

And it could be bad for Poland and particularly Scotland if we get points off Germany. Glass half full.

[DeLorean]

Yes TOWK, I want Ireland to get something off Germany and Poland/Scotland to not get something from Germany. Stop trying to complicate a very straight forward situation.

[Closed Account 2]

2-0 now

[DeLorean]

2-0.... Disaster.

[geysir]

Bad for us, but otherwise this is effin brilliant.

[DeLorean]

What a time for Poland to grow a back bone. Kind of need the Scots to get something out there now.

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

FFS it just means we can get something off them too if we can ever stop fawning over them. Practically a first team worth of players are retired, injured or off form; they have a poor defence. They aren't infallible.

It makes Tuesday more interesting anyway.

Need the players to play their hearts out.

[DeLorean]

I felt we could possibly get something anyway... But now it would be less of a bonus even if we did. And it's possibly more unlikely now that the Germans will be desperate for a result. Anyway, all to play for. We'll need the kind of results that have eluded us the past few campaigns, which we can get, but this is not good. No point pretending otherwise unless you genuinely believe Germany might not win the group.

[Closed Account 2]

If poland win vs Scotland on Tuesday and if we lose to Germany then you get the feeling our november match in glasgow will be a knockout game... And one for 3rd place too

[geysir]

What a time for Poland to grow a back bone. Kind of need the Scots to get something out there now.
Neither of them have been to Georgia yet :)

Maybe we could spring a reverse tactic on the Germans, like play a high offside line and use Forde as a sweeper. Would be a sight to see Forde galloping off his line to send man and ball into row z.

[liamoo11]

this group is going to be a dogfight for us now. it wil be a super effort to get in the top 2. walters will most likely play wide for that diagonal ball that the poles exposed the germans with tonight

[shakermaker1982]

Poland have definitely lain down a marker tonight. What a result. I know it's still early days but that puts them in such a strong position. They'd have to implode to mess it up now.

Germans will definitely be up for our game now, overconfidence jibes will hurt them and no way will a German side get caught cold twice in a matter of days.

We'll need a good start. If we could get an early goal that would really rock em.

Just cannot believe it. Spain and Germany both losing to opposition they'd normally swat with ease. Holland also nearly on the end of a major shock....just goes to show the big boys can be vulnerable.

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

I just utterly despair if Walters plays on Tuesday and no doubt he will. He's not good enough. I would be very happy if I was proven wrong.

Barely wins any headers, first touch is poor, slow, poor passing, can't cross.

He will run all day and he won't give players a rest but it's demeaning to McClean and Long to suggest that they can't perform such basic functions while also providing impetus on the attack.

[tricky_colour]

Poland v Germany live on ITV4.

Dam I saw your post 4 hours too late, would have liked to watch that unfortunately I was stuck with the Xfactor.

The result certainly puts the cat amongst the pidgeons though, looks like Poland have the Xfactor!!

This is a bad result for us I think :upset:

I suppose you could say we are as good as Poland after our matching 7-0 v Gibralta :witless:

However looking on the bright side it give us a chance to top the group.:smug:

[BonnieShels]

It was a disaster of result. Never minding what we do out there.

[tricky_colour]

Poland have definitely lain down a marker tonight. What a result. I know it's still early days but that puts them in such a strong position. They'd have to implode to mess it up now.

Germans will definitely be up for our game now, overconfidence jibes will hurt them and no way will a German side get caught cold twice in a matter of days.

We'll need a good start. If we could get an early goal that would really rock em.

Just cannot believe it. Spain and Germany both losing to opposition they'd normally swat with ease. Holland also nearly on the end of a major shock....just goes to show the big boys can be vulnerable.

Oh dear, we being Germany's next opponent makes it even worse, we will likely get get the backlash from their defeat.

However if you are a real optimist you could say it is a great time to play them, unfortunately I am a bit of a pessimist!!

[tricky_colour]

Can I ask a question?

Did Germany did any players of Polish descent playing for them?

I thought they had a couple of players of Polish descent, maybe I am wrong?

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

Podolski.

[Stuttgart88]

It was a disaster of result. Never minding what we do out there.
Bonnie, I liked your article on Borussia Dortmind in today's Irsh Times. Why didn't you tell us you were Ken Early?

Bad result in Poland tonight but either way we should go to Germany with some fire in our belly. Games aren't won on paper. Germany are fallible, we're just not necessarily the team to expose their fallibility, but let's give it a go. Stranger things have happened.

[tricky_colour]

Podolski.

Ahh... my suspicions confirmed, mind you he was not on the pitch for the first goal, German must have been
nuts to bring him on. It would be like bringing on Mark Nobel when we are 1-0 down to England!!

Maybe Podolski organised a secret booze up for the German players the night before the game??!

Wonder when was the last time Germany lost two game on the trott?
Actually it was 2012, Italy then Argentina, but the Argentina was a friendly

[DeLorean]

Podolski hit the bar actually with a rocket of a volley. Klose is Polish as well I think? I know he's retired though.

[Stuttgart88]

BBC match report suggests Germany had loads of possession, loads of shots, 8 on target. It doesn't sound like they were roundly beaten. Anyone have their own synopsis? I didn't see it.

[bennocelt]

Seen the game, Polish goalkeeper and two centre defenders were awesome, but a lot of backs to the wall stuff from the Polish. Showed good determination though

Edit: just going to see ITV4 catch up now (with some sickly sweet Swiss cider!)

[Olé Olé]

Oh dear, we being Germany's next opponent makes it even worse, we will likely get get the backlash from their defeat.

However if you are a real optimist you could say it is a great time to play them, unfortunately I am a bit of a pessimist!!

Heard the score and my mate took a pessimistic attitude. I can comprehend it, but I'm deeming it as a positive time to play them. From the players' perspective, I'm sure they've been listening to Keane and O'Neill trying to drill into them that Germany can be beaten and I'm sure the players are trying hard to instill some belief in themselves also. This result is tangible and now provides genuine foundation for such belief.

I'm hoping for a really inspired performance Tuesday night- result aside.

[Stuttgart88]

Scotland didn't seem that much tonight, did they?

[Olé Olé]

Scotland didn't seem that much tonight, did they?

Their team was Marshall, Hutton, Robertson, Hanley, Martin, Anya, Morrison, Brown, Naismith, Fletcher and Maloney.

Why were people talking them up so much even before the Germany game?

[BonnieShels]

Bonnie, I liked your article on Borussia Dortmind in today's Irsh Times. Why didn't you tell us you were Ken Early?

Bad result in Poland tonight but either way we should go to Germany with some fire in our belly. Games aren't won on paper. Germany are fallible, we're just not necessarily the team to expose their fallibility, but let's give it a go. Stranger things have happened.

I don't like early but I did like that.

It does help I adore Dortmund.

[Kingdom]

I watched the second half, and it was a strange performance by both teams - I'll try to qualify that opinion.

First up I was a bit surprised by the German selection. I didn't think he'd start Ruediger, and I didn't think he'd leave out Draxler, but given Poland are pacy on the flanks maybe it wasn't such a big surprise.
Second, from what I saw, Germany were by far the better team, and the echoes to the Slovakia-Spain game were eery. Germany had an incredible amount of ball, had a number of chances, and did everything but score. The Polish opener was nicely worked, but it was a huge mistake by Neuer, and for a keeper of his calibre it was terrible. Poland retreated as you'd expect and hit Germany with a sucker-punch two minutes from the 90.

It's a huge result; huge for Germany, huge for Poland and unfortunately huge for Scotland and Ireland. I think it would be fair to say that it was a freak result - not to discredit Poland, but Germany really were on the front foot for so long - and the kind of freak result that really turns a group on it's head.

I said in the squad thread that I thought if Germany were pressed and their full-backs were targeted then we could have some success. I saw nothing to make me sway from that opinion. Durm is very much a weaklink at left back, and if McGeady can be supplied with enough ball, then that could be a real barometer on Tuesday night of how we fare. They are slow at the back too, and Long can make hay here.

I said it was a strange performance by both teams. Poland soaked up so much pressure, and yet they never seemed to be anxious. They just seemed so assured. They were quite happy to play the ball out from the back, and take their chances. They were different to the Poland of the last few campaigns. Germany on the other hand, despite so many times putting good moves together almost seemed to lose their heads. In a way their performance was akin to our match with Netherlands in 2001, a match we really had no divine right to get anything from.

That's just my take on it.

[Kingdom]

Podolski hit the bar actually with a rocket of a volley. Klose is Polish as well I think? I know he's retired though.

Klose is Polish, if Paul McGrath is English, or if Ronan O'Gara is American.

[NeverFeltBetter]

Terrible result for Ireland, both for the gain for Poland and how the Germans will be extra motivated to really go after the three points as hard as possible on Tuesday. We'll need to get 4 points off the Poles too.

[bennocelt]

I don't like early but I did like that.

It does help I adore Dortmund.

Interesting,ha :cool:

[geysir]

I don't like early but I did like that.

It does help I adore Dortmund.
Unbridled sycophancy.
The sensible thing to do when driving past Dortmund is to make sure the windows are shut.

[DeLorean]

Klose is Polish, if Paul McGrath is English, or if Ronan O'Gara is American.

I kind of meant in the same way Podolski is Polish, but I don't really know either's background. Just thought he qualified for them or something and that's what Tricky may or not have been thinking of.

[geysir]

Both Klose and Podolski are dual nationals with some strong ethnic Polish links, re language and family. Both could easily have played for Poland if things had been a bit different.

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

Yes. Koscielny, Klose and Podolski played for their home countries while still remembering their roots. Obraniak, Boenisch and Thiago Cionek declared for Poland.