Irelands World Cup Chances

[pete]

Automatic Qualification is almost impossible now but 6 points from Irelands last 2 games will guarantee a play-off position.

[Sligo Hornet]

Two wins are VITAL.......it gives us a 'chance' of qualification via the Play-Off, but just as important will the extar Fifa ranking points to assist in getting a better draw for the Euro 2008 qualification.

[redgav]

I can't see houlliers ...sorry I mean Kerrs team get a win against the swiss.He's too afraid to reach out and grab a victory cos he's too worried about defeat.Reckon we'll get 4 points from the last 2 games

[Murph]

We'll get the 6 points we need from the last two games and go to Germany after beating england in the playoff!!

[youngirish]

We probably won't even beat Cyprus away without Keane and Reid. Anyway unless we get someone s**te in the play offs we wouldn't go through anyway.

[deego11]

its gonna be really tough for us to get to the playoffs. cant see us beating the swiss!

[shakermaker1982]

Have faith lads, Kerr picked the most positive team he could have played last night and they did well. Beating the swiss is not beyond us.

[thejollyrodger]

yeah, a bit of fait lads.. only 4 weeks till the next set of games. We can do it if everyone is getting first team football and hungry for victory.

My worry is that Switzerland only need a draw at lansdowne road

[shakermaker1982]

I'm gonna come over to Dublin for this one and try and get a ticket. Keano deserves a big send off and hopefully the world cup in Germany is his final swansong. After managing to get tickets for the world cup I'll be gutted if we don't make it.

Any Swiss players on yellow cards?

[gustavo]

here here i agree one loss doesnt make us a bad team:)we will do it!!!!!!

[TerryPhelan]

one loss doesnt make us a bad team

Admire the optimism, but in fairness nobody is saying that because we lost we are suddenly a bad team. The signs of weakness have been there throughout the campaign whenever the pressure has been on (Basel, Tel Aviv and Israel at home) and our flaccid performances in front of goal don't exactly fill the mind with hope.

People should not underestimate how difficult it will be going to Cyprus for a win, let alone missing Roy, Andy R and Clint. We could be out before we line out against the Swiss.

[Schumi]

We've done nothing in this group and I don't see this changing against Switzerland.

[pete]

Irish people always over estimate our footballing abilities. Our world ranking is inflated as we tend to be very competitive in friendlies & do well to field a team of top level first team players let alone a squad. We are completely dependent on the english leagues for developing our players.

We have afterall only qualified for 1 from last 5 major championships.

[zinedineontour]

We've done nothing in this group and I don't see this changing against Switzerland.

dont see why we should be in fear of the swiss ... no better than we are and havent got players like duffer and robbie keane who can change a game .... we will get second and win beating spain in the qualifiers ....

[thejollyrodger]

the swiss are about the same as israel. we can beat them if we do everything right

[brine3]

Robbie Keane hasn't changed a game since 2002.

[elroy]

We've done nothing in this group and I don't see this changing against Switzerland.


Yes maybe we havent but by that same basis either have the Swiss!!!

People are over reacting to last night, we played quite well and were unlucky to lose. Considering a few of our supposed top players had terrible games we did very well.
Best thing is a draw or a French win in Switzerland, that means they also have to come here and win, such a game would suit us much better than them just needing a draw and throwing 11 men behind the ball.
As for top spot, lads forget it, its gone.

[livehead1]

we're sh*te, truth

[tonycuna]

My worry is that Switzerland only need a draw at lansdowne road

That's right
I'm sure that we can beat switz, but I'm worry about same of jolly, and about mentally position of them too, if we'll come to Lansdowne after beating france

[Dawn_Run]

Less of the negativity - think positive - we can still win the group !!

[FarBeag]

Dawn_Run Less of the negativity - think positive - we can still win the group !! .

Tell me you are joking. Whatever chance we have of winning the last two matches we have no chance of winning the group ,we blew that opportunity on Wednesday.We may get to the play offs with a bit of luck but that will be the end of our mission.I wish i could be more optimistic but as this stage its not happening for me.

[OwlsFan]

Normally a pessimist, but I think we'll beat the Swiss by 2 at home and France will lose by a goal in Switzerland and we'll qualify as winners (assuming and it is a bit of an assumption due to the self imposed exile from the game by Keane that we'll win in Cyprus).

As for the play offs, remember we haven't lost away from home in this group yet under Kerr and we won our last play off series and we could get someone like Scotland or Norway or Slovenia so I'm going to be optimistic.

[Dawn_Run]

. Tell me you are joking. Whatever chance we have of winning the last two matches we have no chance of winning the group ,we blew that opportunity on Wednesday.We may get to the play offs with a bit of luck but that will be the end of our mission.I wish i could be more optimistic but as this stage its not happening for me.

The Swiss WILL beat the French. We WILL beat the Swiss. We WILL score the goals. We WILL win the group.

[FarBeag]

Dawn Run..The Swiss WILL beat the French. We WILL beat the Swiss. We WILL score the goals. We WILL win the group


Good Man,thanks for the reassurance at least you have a sence of humor. :D

[Giuly]

Voted yes, Ireland will qualify ;)

[gaf1983]

.

Tell me you are joking. Whatever chance we have of winning the last two matches we have no chance of winning the group ,we blew that opportunity on Wednesday.


assuming we beat cyprus:

if Switzerland beat France and we beat Switzerland by a bigger margin than they beat france we'll top the group.

by winning our last two games were guaranteed second UNLESS Switzerland beat france. in this scenario Ireland France and Swiss wud all be level on points:

If Swiss beat France by the same margin we beat swiss goals scored between the 3 and then overall goal difference in all games will settle it.

If Swiss beat France by greater margin than we beat swiss- We'll come second and Swiss will come first.

If swiss beat france by less margin than we beat Swiss we'll come top.

SO AS FAR AS I CAN SEE WE STILL HAVE A DECENT CHANCE FOR PLAYOFF PLACE AT LEAST AND MAY EVEN TOP THE GROUP!

[paul_oshea]

i cant see us beating swiss, can see us going ahead, then giving away a silly goal and then them holding out for a draw.

[TerryPhelan]

i cant see us beating swiss, can see us going ahead, then giving away a silly goal and then them holding out for a draw.

An t-uasal Ó Sé, normally I am with you as regards the harsh realism in predicting results for Ireland matches - but I have a feeling we are going to scrape through by the skin of our teeth. I don't make such optimistic statements lightly nor often, but I just have a Phelan about this one. ;)

Seriously. 2-1 against Cyprus and a 1 goal win against Swiss in an incredibly nervous game. We just about make it.

As regards what happens in the playoffs - lap of the gods, that one...

[Closed Account 2]

think we'll just make the play-offs but i dont fancy our chances in them

[Irish Pride]

I think its amazing how people can say i dont fancy are chances in the play-off when we dont even know who we will get. I think we will be Cypus but it will be very hard and it will come down to the last game...........ONCE AGAIN.

I'm sick and tired of people saying Swiss are crap and we will beat them. they did the double over us for euro 2004 and we have to show them respect but not fear them. It was very funny before the france game when Kerr got offended by the french boss saying Ireland are a long ball team.......as soon as ireland went behind all we did was knock it long and then Kerr brings on Doc.

Not that there is anything wrong with the long ball but Kerr should really think about these things.

I hope we make the play-offs but i'm not sure. I would love to get england......Once Sven is still charge we would win by a few goals.lol.

[Colie]

I'm sticking with them. We'll do it. No hat eating promises here anymore though!

assuming we beat cyprus:

if Switzerland beat France and we beat Switzerland by a bigger margin than they beat france we'll top the group.Holy crap, we're gonna top the group. Yessss.

[Lionel Ritchie]

I reckon we'll make it in time honoured Irish Tradition ...namely by the skin of our teeth, last in to the party and laughing at what a shower of gobsh1tes we are to so effortlessly do it the long way and the hard way every fcuking time when the gold paved path was there for us to stride.

We can beat Switzerland, we should beat Switzerland and if we don't beat Switzerland -then they and Israel will be the reason we failed to qualify and the reason why we'd have no business being at the finals of a major tournament. Not for losing to France as you have to allow for the possibility that a team as good or better than you will have the better luck -as France did the other night.

I have to believe we can do it as this will be the last world cup in Europe this side the 2020's.

[Feech]

dont see why we should be in fear of the swiss ... no better than we are and havent got players like duffer and robbie keane who can change a game ...

I suggest you do some homework before making statements like that!

[Condex]

Originally Posted by zinedineontour
dont see why we should be in fear of the swiss ... no better than we are and havent got players like duffer and robbie keane who can change a game ...


I suggest you do some homework before making statements like that!

They don't have players like Robbie Keane playing, they wouldn't get in the their squad...

[Stuttgart88]

France will lose by a goal in Switzerland and we'll qualify as winners
Thierry Henry out for a month & likely to miss Swiss game. Makes your prediction above a little more realistic. I still think France will get something from the Swiss though.

[thejollyrodger]

anyone fancy a draw there ?

[tetsujin1979]

Thierry Henry out for a month & likely to miss Swiss game. Makes your prediction above a little more realistic. I still think France will get something from the Swiss though.
Will Trezeguet be back from suspension for the game?

[Stuttgart88]

Will Trezeguet be back from suspension for the game?I don't think so. I think he got a 3 game ban & this is the third game since then (Faroes, Ireland & then Switzerland).

[tetsujin1979]

I don't think so. I think he got a 3 game ban & this is the third game since then (Faroes, Ireland & then Switzerland).
Excellent! That only leaves them with Cisse, Anelka, Wiltord, Aliadiere...

[Robitaille]

Zidane is also injured and out for 3 weeks or so...

[paul_oshea]

i think ye girls should give up the ghost on winning the group, it is extremely difficult to win it a mon avis, and if shweiz do beat france, they will be happy to hold out for a draw in ireland. something which i think would effect us badly and make things a lot more difficult.