Wales Vs. Czech Rep 2nd June

[RogerMilla]

Anyone fancy the Welsh to do us a favour here ? it would throw the group wide open if they got a point or dare i say it even won it. Czechs would then be on a very bad run having given it up at home to the Germans and getting lambasted in the press for partying afterwards.


Germans to hockey San Marino the same night. Welsh game live on SKY.

[carloz]

Now hang on. Expect San Marino to improve as the group progresses. Id expect them to beat the Germans. If Wales play with the intensity they had in Prague id fancy them to win

[gustavo]

Now hang on. Expect San Marino to improve as the group progresses. Id expect them to beat the Germans. If Wales play with the intensity they had in Prague id fancy them to win


Really ????

[carloz]

Yes....as the great man Stan predicted, San Marino will improve as the group progresses and will cause problems. Germany are probably petrified of playing them and will take a 1-1 draw

[Theskinloyal]

I'd be shocked if the Welsh won, draw not out of the question if Giggs is up for it and Bellamy doesn't get arrested between now and then

Best bet would be for them to coax Gary Speed, Mark Hughes, Ian Rush, Neville Southall and Eric Young (remember him?) out of retirement. Form a nice little unit.

[Noelys Guitar]

I really fancy Wales to win this game. If they have all of their players back and fit then I can see a 1-0 here. Eastwood to score.

[Cymro]

It would take a big effort to win this one. I know the Czechs aren't on the best of form but they are still a much better side than us on paper.

Eastwood will hopefully provide the goalscoring touch we've been missing but I'm not convinced he can do for Wales what he does at club level. We have failed to get Earnshaw to score for us regularly and he's scored consistently in the Premiership.

International football is much different to UK club football in it's style. It's more patient and more techincal. While I appreciate that Toshack is trying to get us playing that way, the problem is that the players don't play the same way for their clubs so they are used to the British hoof and chase style and can't be expected to adapt to the continental style of play with a few training sessions, no matter how talented the coach, so Toshack faces an uphill struggle for me despite his superb coaching abilities.

I've always felt that Wales and England (and to a lesser extent Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Republic) have under-achieved in world football. I think England do well despite their style of play not because of it while we have not achieved anything in years.

I feel what is needed is a more technically based game down to grass roots level. Players should be encouraged to get the ball down and pass it rather than play long ball. This applies to all home nations. I feel we could achieve more if that was the case as we've all had some very good players over the years.

[RogerMilla]

i hear ya cymro but you're asking a bit much i reckon , it would take a serious rethink in the minds of all those coaches out there . anyway I'm hoping tosh outfoxes the czechs in a couple of weeks time.

[Cymro]

I think however awkward it may seem now it's the way to go long term. Our ball retention has improved dramatically under Toshack we just need a cutting edge. If Bellamy could finish it'd be a help. :D

[RogerMilla]

he was putting them away in scotland , dotn know what happened to him at liverpool

[Cymro]

he was putting them away in scotland , dotn know what happened to him at liverpool

Yeah but to be fair some of the teams in Scotland would be League 1 or even League 2 whereas in the Premiership the standard is consistently more difficult.

He had a good season at Blackburn, but I get the feeling that he will only score goals prolifically if he is the focal point of the team and the opposition is not always the best. That was the case at Blackburn where he was putting them away against the likes of Portsmouth and Man City but may not be the case for Wales where he plays against better opposition and is maybe not the focal point of the team. And that is certainly not the case at the 'pool where the likes of Gerrard, Alonso, even Crouch play a more prominent role.

He also needs about 5 chances before he finally sticks one away. Unfortunate but true.

He's rumoured to be leaving for Aston Villa in the summer, hopefully that one comes off. He needs regular football.

[RogerMilla]

predictions ??
I say 1-1

[Cymro]

Eastwood's out of it now, so I'll go for 1-0 to the Czechs.

We'll try to hold out for a draw but an individual error will let us down and we won't be able to score, as usual.

[RogerMilla]

will there be much of an attendance cymro ?

[Cymro]

I don't know to be honest. I will be there as I was for San Marino but only about 18,000 have been turning up for our recent games as results haven't been good.

With it being the Czechs I imagine it would add a bit to the crowd but I would still expect the place to be no more than half to two thirds full which means about 35,000-40,000 at the game. :(

[RogerMilla]

lack of other football alternatives will surely bring a few out , long boring summer ahead except for the lads in ireland and sweden who can go to domestic games.

[SuperDave]

I don't know to be honest. I will be there as I was for San Marino but only about 18,000 have been turning up for our recent games as results haven't been good.

With it being the Czechs I imagine it would add a bit to the crowd but I would still expect the place to be no more than half to two thirds full which means about 35,000-40,000 at the game. :(


how do you get tickets for the games there? It probably wouldn't be a bad idea to look into it now especially if Ireland have a meaningful game in November and Wales don't. Ireland will take over lots of fans and I'm damned if I'd pay tout prices. I know you mightn't want non welsh fans in the Wales sections, but imagine the sight of a crowded Irish end of 7-odd thousand, and the remaining sixty thousand seats barely half full.

[Cymro]

how do you get tickets for the games there? It probably wouldn't be a bad idea to look into it now especially if Ireland have a meaningful game in November and Wales don't. Ireland will take over lots of fans and I'm damned if I'd pay tout prices. I know you mightn't want non welsh fans in the Wales sections, but imagine the sight of a crowded Irish end of 7-odd thousand, and the remaining sixty thousand seats barely half full.

I think we'll sell out for the Irish game whether or not we're in a position to qualify. It was the same with England in the last campaign.

[zenokelly]

I think we'll sell out for the Irish game whether or not we're in a position to qualify. It was the same with England in the last campaign.

Well Cymro just a little off topic but what was the crowd like when you played the Czechs away in September, just to know for ourselves when we start trying to get tickets.

But I can see Wales pulling off a draw maybe 1-1, Tosh won't give it to the Czechs on a plate after your poor recent results and I'd say he'll have his pplayers well up for this match.

COME ON WALES!!!!

[Cymro]

Well Cymro just a little off topic but what was the crowd like when you played the Czechs away in September, just to know for ourselves when we start trying to get tickets.

But I can see Wales pulling off a draw maybe 1-1, Tosh won't give it to the Czechs on a plate after your poor recent results and I'd say he'll have his pplayers well up for this match.

COME ON WALES!!!!

We played the Czechs in Teplice's home ground which holds about 17,500. It was sold out, but I expect the game versus the ROI to be played in Prague, which means about 35,000 capacity, if you were to play at the national stadium.

We had a very generous 5,000 tickets from the Czech FA for our game in Teplice, so I imagine you'll get in the region of 7,500. Hope that helps.

[SuperDave]

I think we'll sell out for the Irish game whether or not we're in a position to qualify. It was the same with England in the last campaign.

still... my... welsh... friend... superdafydd... yeah, that sounds plausible... he's after tickets. how do you get them?

[RogerMilla]

i'm sure ticklet master will have an allocation

[Lionel Ritchie]

I smell blood ...Czech blood. Said at the start I think Wales will be good for at least one good win ...here's to this being the one. :ball:

[youngirish]

I smell blood ...Czech blood. Said at the start I think Wales will be good for at least one good win ...here's to this being the one. :ball:

I agree but I'd bank on it against us.

[Cymro]

You lot clearly have far more confidence in our team than we do. :D

I'd love to see us do the Czechs as well, but I wouldn't get my hopes up.

[youngirish]

We played the Czechs in Teplice's home ground which holds about 17,500. It was sold out, but I expect the game versus the ROI to be played in Prague, which means about 35,000 capacity, if you were to play at the national stadium.

We had a very generous 5,000 tickets from the Czech FA for our game in Teplice, so I imagine you'll get in the region of 7,500. Hope that helps.


Just got a letter from the FAI the Czech stadium in prague only has a capacity of 20,565 and the FAI are only getting 2 thousand tickets which is a bit sh*t.

[NeilMcD]

|Yeah sure the czechs dont have any stadium with 35,000 seats in it.

[ollie]

|Yeah sure the czechs dont have any stadium with 35,000 seats in it.

And theres us moaning that 50k is too little for the new lansdowne road.

[Cymro]

Seriously? Their national stadium has only 20,000 capacity?

F***ing hell......for a football country with their history and pedigree, that's shocking!

I know we played in a 17,000 cap. stadium but I assumed the national stadium would be a lot bigger.

[eirebhoy]

The big day today. Come on Wales!

[Noelys Guitar]

Come on Wales. 1-0. last minute peno. First minute og. Just win.

[Saint Tom]

i reckon we are looking at 20,000 travelling in september

[geysir]

Come on Wales. 1-0. last minute peno. First minute og. Just win.
If so, then we are due another Bollywood epic :)
Will Mystic Stans's prophecy "There's still a lot of football to be played in this group yet" finally hit the bullseye?

[eirebhoy]

Wales:
--------------Hennessey--------------
------Collins--Gabbidon--Nyatanga-----
Ricketts-------------------------Ledley
------Davies--Robinson--Koumas-------
----------------Giggs-----------------
---------------Bellamy----------------

Czechs:
--------------Cech---------------
Ujfalusi--Kovac--Rozehnal--Jankulovski
--------------Polak---------------
--Sivok------Rosicky------Plasil---
----------Koller--Baros------------

[Noelys Guitar]

John Toshack on the match
http://www.grapheine.com/bombaytv/index.php?module=see&lang=uk&code=08d8614992e11e6539a8b84175d567f9

[Noelys Guitar]

First half pretty dire stuff. But happy at 0-0. Still think Wales can win this with a bit more adventure in the second half. Hope the Welsh crowd start up singing. Very low key in first half.

[onenilgameover]

koumas hits post...giggs nearly scores twice...czechs poor

[eirebhoy]

Great 2nd half so far.

[Irish_Praha]

Great 2nd half so far.

Hope this is a one off for Wales and not the start of a turnaround in fortunes.
They played dire against us at Croker and we still only managed to scrape a 1-0 win.
They still haven't managed to sore with all the chances they've had though.

[co. down green]

Wales playing the better football in the 2nd half, 5 mins left.

another good chance for Wales

[beautifulrock]

Very good result for us (ended 0 0 )

[Noelys Guitar]

Happy with that. The Czechs have some very good players but wow some real wasters as well. Wales with a full team are a good side. Played some good football in the 2nd half. This group (well 2nd place) is now wide open. Stan is turning into a lucky ****er and with our improving squad we can get that 2nd place.

[eirebhoy]

The Czechs just a point ahead.

My predictions.

Ireland fixtures:
Slovakia (a) - Draw
Czech Republic (a) - Draw
Germany (h) - Win
Cyprus (h) - Win
Wales (a) - Draw

Czech fixtures:
San Marino (a) - Win
Ireland (h) - Draw
Germany (a) - Lose
Slovakia (h) - Win
Cyprus (a) - Draw

Both finish on 22 points but we qualify thanks to the 2 away goals in Czech Republic. ;)

[Noelys Guitar]

The Czechs just a point ahead.

My predictions.

Ireland fixtures:
Slovakia (a) - Draw
Czech Republic (a) - Draw
Germany (h) - Win
Cyprus (h) - Win
Wales (a) - Draw

Czech fixtures:
San Marino (a) - Win
Ireland (h) - Draw
Germany (a) - Lose
Slovakia (h) - Win
Cyprus (a) - Draw

Both finish on 22 points but we qualify thanks to the 2 away goals in Czech Republic. ;)

That could well happen. The only thing I worry about is the loss of Duff. Hunt is not Duff but in his own way can be a dangerous player for us. As might Murphy. Kevin Doyle is going to be our key player. If he has another good season then we are going to get that 2nd place.

[eirebhoy]

I agree about Hunt and I don't know if I'd play him. Doyle up front with Murphy/Long/Stokes/other and Keane the link between midfield and the front 2. The 2 Reid's and Carsley in midfield and the usual defence.

[Stuttgart88]

I can't see us getting second without an away win, if not 2, along the way.

We need to have our remaining senior players fit: Given, Doyle, Robbie, Dunne & Finnan. If Steven and Andy Reid regain fitness we'll have options and one of the young turks may prove a wildcard.

I hope Stan doesn't read eirebhoy's predictions as it'll lead to the usual " draw away, win at home" bullsh1t.

Great result for us though. That's two points we can gain that the Czechs didn't. That's how you have to look at it.

[Ceirtlis]

Its a good result for us but not a great one. We still have an awful mountain to climb and id imagine we will have to get 2 wins away from home.

[onenilgameover]

We'ill gain those two points and i can see us going for it when we go away.....its a good result today for sure but I have 5-2 tattooed to my brain still....its too soon to let the mistress gain the upper hand...

[eirebhoy]

I definitely don't think we'll need 2 away wins. If we fail to beat Germany we will but I think Germany at home is easier than any of the away games.

[danonion]

Must say I'm pleased, too bad that free kick didn't go in for Wales though. 4 points from the Eastern Bloc tour and we could be in business. The big problem with Eirebhoy's predictions is that our qualification in that scenario is for the Czech's to draw in Cyprus. Although they were in big trouble when they played Cpyrus at home, that fixture is a long time away and the Cyprus team probably wont be up for it at that point and the Czechs will no how important it is.

Steven Reid is to be fit by the end of July. He is the strong midfielder we need.