Predictions for the big Games [Archive]

CJTheGull

04/09/2007, 8:27 AM

Reckon we'll beat Slovakia (just about) and perhaps scrape a draw in Prague. After the debacle of Cyprus and then San Marino that would unbelivably put us back in the hunt for that 2nd qualifying spot. C'mon lads - the Czechs are an aging squad and we've been on a downward slump for way too long. 4 points if the Gods are smiling on us.

OwlsFan

04/09/2007, 8:29 AM

2-2 Slovakia and lose 1-0 to the Czech Republic (with a blatant penalty not being awarded to us).

ifk101

04/09/2007, 8:33 AM

I think we'll lose both games.

Obviously the win against Denmark was a great result but it doesn't count for anything coming into these matches. We've been very shaky throughout the qualifying campaign and are of tradition a team that's poor away from home.

cavan_fan

04/09/2007, 8:39 AM

Very hard to know which Ireland will turn up.:(

Hopefully not the Northern one

Hibs4Ever

04/09/2007, 8:57 AM

Ever the optomist I'll go with 2 wins

We're better than Slovakia, plain and simple

and Czech's are steadily declining, and missing some important players

KoemansCC

04/09/2007, 8:59 AM

I'll think we'll get a win in Bratislava but probably throw away a goal lead in Prague to lose, this will cost us any chance of qualification...

shanman2

04/09/2007, 9:30 AM

I'll think we'll get a win in Bratislava but probably throw away a goal lead in Prague to lose, this will cost us any chance of qualification...

A loss and a draw in that order...

NeilMcD

04/09/2007, 9:33 AM

2 wins, Ole Ole Ole.

youngirish

04/09/2007, 9:36 AM

My heart says a draw against the Slovaks and a win against the Czechs (we are always better when we are up against it).

My head says two draws or possibly even a loss against the Slovaks.

Bungle

04/09/2007, 10:09 AM

If we lose to Slovakia, then I'd really fear for our morale and confidence in Prague.

With McShane and Finnan in the side, I think we can beat Slovakia and draw with the Czechs (possibly even win).

However, my head says that we'll be atrocious in drawing with Slovakia and we'll be unlucky not to beat the Czechs.

I would love to see the likes of Keogh brought on towards the end of the games. I really think the likes of him could be the difference between us getting to 2008 and not. Still feel Stan might prefer a morale boosting draw than going for the win in places like Prague and ending up losing. I don't think he's adventurous enough and it will rub off on the players.

finnpark

04/09/2007, 10:56 AM

I agree with the general sentiment on here. Ireland will be out by the end of the Slovakia match. Slovakia to win, easily.

Staunton Out! Delaney Out!

Noelys Guitar

04/09/2007, 10:57 AM

I'm going with 2-1. Doyle and Ireland to score for us. I predicted before the Cyprus away game that we might lose and that Staunton might face the sack (we did but Stan got a reprieve). Everything at the time seemed wrong with the management of our team. San Marino away was just as bad. But somehow things have improved to the point that I really believe we will win on Saturday.

Colbert Report

04/09/2007, 11:52 AM

We just don't have the players we used too. Given, Keane, and Finnan are the only players that would have gotten into the 1990-1996 starting lineup.

1-1 draw with Slovakia
2-0 loss to the Czechs

Lionel Ritchie

04/09/2007, 12:33 PM

Would love us to go there and pick up some points but am struglling to see it.

Now there's question marks over McShane and Finnan hope is starting to disappear over the horizon.

Star turn from Stan naming 6 defenders. Probably got away with it on his playstation....

wallis

04/09/2007, 12:36 PM

2-0 win in Slovakia

Slovakia are seriously overrated. One good win in Wales is pretty much all they have done. They were woeful at home to Germany and the Czechs and were played off the park in germany last time out. The scoreline shows 2-1 but I saw the game and the slovaks managed 1 shot on target from about 25 yards and the goal was an awful og. Also the slovaks have lost their main stirker to injury.

1-1 draw with the Czechs.

After the win in Slovakia I think we can take a "professional away point" in Prague. Again , its an overrated side we are up against. If we can draw 1-1 at home with them when we were in a shambles we can easily take a point here.

Two other things Im looking forward to:

Firstly , I think Wales will get a point of the Germans who have huge injury problems and also have players pulling out.

Secondly, I hope Israel do to England what they did to us. Im looking forward to some of the worst acting performances since my junior school christmas play. Hopefully by the time we kick off I will have managed to have a smug revenge on my friends who wound me up after our Lansdowne shambles in the 2-2 draw.

jbyrne

04/09/2007, 12:36 PM

Star turn from Stan naming 6 defenders. Probably got away with it on his playstation....

and who else would you have included??????

finnpark

04/09/2007, 12:46 PM

and who else would you have included??????

Jason Gavin, Graham Gartland, Barry Ferguson, Colin Hawkins, Alan Bennet.

Hold on a minute, they r Irish....my mistake

jbyrne

04/09/2007, 12:48 PM

Jason Gavin, Graham Gartland, Barry Ferguson, Colin Hawkins, Alan Bennet.

enough said

Lionel Ritchie

04/09/2007, 12:55 PM

and who else would you have included??????

Harte would've allowed room to shuffle the pack, Paddy McCarthy, Andy O'Brien ...

I certainly WOULDN'T have included 4 goalkeepers and probably not 10 midfielders or 5 strikers either. It's not balanced and now he's getting caught out.

Just heard MCshane will travel though he has a shoulder injury. Fingers X'd.

passinginterest

04/09/2007, 12:55 PM

Back to predictions for the games...

Slovakia are a bit of a Jekyll and Hyde team, if we catch them on a good night we could be in trouble, but I feel optimistic so going for a 2-0 win.

Czech Republic are not the force they were two years ago, but, a draw would still be a good result. I'm going for 1-1 and a horrific last ten minutes.

EDIT: Just realised Wallis had the same predictions, I wasn't copying teacher I swear.

Dr. Ogba

04/09/2007, 12:56 PM

heart says 4 points, head says none....I think we may be losing the run of ourselves after the Danish match and I've a bad feeling that we'll be brought tumbling back to earth this week.

Saying that I would love to see us win in Bratislava cause there'll be a cracking atmosphere in Prague for the second game....would be a real downer if we lost the first one...

KildareRed

04/09/2007, 12:57 PM

I think we will only get a point

Slovakia 1 - 1
Czech Rep 2 - 0

Sligo Hornet

04/09/2007, 1:00 PM

Well my glass is always Half Full....and with the cheap beer, should remain FULL...do I will go for TWO WINS...3-1 against the Slovaks,:) and 1-0 against the Czechs!:)

Newryrep

04/09/2007, 1:09 PM

1-0 win against Slovakia and 1-1 Czech republic after leading for most of the game and playing the better football

jbyrne

04/09/2007, 1:10 PM

Harte would've allowed room to shuffle the pack, Paddy McCarthy, Andy O'Brien ...

I certainly WOULDN'T have included 4 goalkeepers and probably not 10 midfielders or 5 strikers either. It's not balanced and now he's getting caught out.

Just heard MCshane will travel though he has a shoulder injury. Fingers X'd.

harte hasnt played in months, paddy mccarthy hasnt been tested and, although hes had his good moments, obrien just isnt in form

he didnt include an extra keeper at the expense of another outfield player and we've since lost henderson so having 4 keepers named has proved good sense. just cant see any reasonable options for additional defenders at this stage with the possible exception of o'dea who hasnt really featured either for celtic this term

Rebel11

04/09/2007, 1:12 PM

I think we will get 4 points 1 in Slovakia and 3 in Czech Rep

Dodge

04/09/2007, 1:12 PM

Ireland will win both games.

Czech team is finished with only Rosicky and jankulovski (sp?) playing well in the past 6-8 months. New crop of players don't seem to be anywhere near as good as the nedved etc

Slovakia are rubbish and bar one goalkeeping catasprohe by Wales wouldn't be feared in anyway by Ireland

wallis

04/09/2007, 1:26 PM

PassingInterest.

Its a sign to lump on large. Get the wheelbarrow out and empty the load of cash on the double !

I have to say , Im suprised at the pessimism on here - its only Slovakia and the Czechs away from home. They are far more fearful of us than you perhaps think.

billybunter

04/09/2007, 1:38 PM

3-1 win against the slovaks. 2-1 win agains the czech's. 6 points in the bag.

Hibs4Ever

04/09/2007, 2:06 PM

kingdomkerry

04/09/2007, 2:10 PM

Slovakia 2-1 win. Czech rep 0-0.

tetsujin1979

04/09/2007, 2:39 PM

Colin Hawkins, Alan Bennet.
Hawkins has only played one game this season, at home to Notts County in the League Cup. Hardly ideal preparation for a competitive international.
Bennet hasn't played for Southampton since the 13th August, is he injured?
Can't comment on the eL players,

Hold on a minute, they r Irish....my mistake
so fcuking what? The majority of the squad named by Staunton is Irish born.

OwlsFan

04/09/2007, 3:00 PM

I have to say , Im suprised at the pessimism on here - its only Slovakia and the Czechs away from home. They are far more fearful of us than you perhaps think.

Based upon 30 years of following Ireland to away competitive game, I predicted 1 point above and would be delighted with 2. A win in either game would amaze me even if both teams were in terminal decline and manned by a load of geriatrics.

Pád Von Tirpitz

04/09/2007, 3:03 PM

We just don't have the players we used too. Given, Keane, and Finnan are the only players that would have gotten into the 1990-1996 starting lineup.

Yeah, there's no doubt that Alan Kernaghan and Phil Babb would have kept Richie Dunne on the bench.

loscherland

04/09/2007, 3:29 PM

Lose 3-1 v Slovakia
Draw 1-1 v Czech's

youngirish

04/09/2007, 3:52 PM

Yeah, there's no doubt that Alan Kernaghan and Phil Babb would have kept Richie Dunne on the bench.
I agree. The usual nostalgic, rose tinted, muck. Of course Tony Cascerino and David Connolly are a better Partnership than Doyle and Keane. Gary Kelly is better than Finnan. Terry Phelan was brilliant wasn't he? And Alan Kelly is much better than Shay Given. Oh yeah Mark Kennedy is better than Duff also.

Post 94 World Cup we were muck. Even in 93 and 94 we were average at best. Most of our best players were the wrong side of 30.

jbyrne

04/09/2007, 4:00 PM

Based upon 30 years of following Ireland to away competitive game, I predicted 1 point above and would be delighted with 2

our away luck / form has to change at some stage and i predict one win and one loss (not sure which as we rarely put two decent back to back performances these days)

Lionel Ritchie

04/09/2007, 4:49 PM

I agree. The usual nostalgic, rose tinted, muck. Of course Tony Cascerino and David Connolly are a better Partnership than Doyle and Keane. Gary Kelly is better than Finnan. Terry Phelan was brilliant wasn't he? And Alan Kelly is much better than Shay Given. Oh yeah Mark Kennedy is better than Duff also.
.

Usual mix of poorly informed snipes and rank garbage.

Cas and Connolly were and are respectively bloody decent lower prem/upper championship strikers. There's nothing at all to choose between Kells and Stevie Finnan. Terry Phelan in full gait was indeed brilliant. Alan Kelly I'll give you because he had the agility of a hippo who dreamt of flying. Kennedy is one of the great disapointments of a generation ...all the talent but a messer.

zenokelly

04/09/2007, 4:50 PM

I certainly WOULDN'T have included 4 goalkeepers and probably not 10 midfielders or 5 strikers either. It's not balanced and now he's getting caught out.

As far as I know, Colgan was only included because he was doing the goalkeeping coach duties as Alan Kelly has an injury.

But still, don't know how the FAI didn't get some non-playing member in to act as goalkeeping coach for a week and a half?

Cymro

04/09/2007, 4:51 PM

Slovakia scored 2 wonder goals and had Paul Jones in our goal to thank for their two others. Other than that, they were no better than us over the 90 and it honestly could have been 1-1 on another day.

If Steve Staunton does his homework and tells your players to not let them get in shots from the edges of the box where they can be dangerous I can see you getting a result. A draw at least, if not a win.

As for the Czechs, we were able to contain them and get a draw and actually looked fairly good at times against them, but that was one of best performances in yonks, no doubt due in paret to the fact it was Giggs's last game, and the Czechs still looked their old dangerous selves on the counter. They aren't finished yet and I'd still make them favourites to qualify from our group along with the Germans. That said a draw is a realistic result against them as for all their play they seem to have trouble putting the ball in the back of the net.

NeilMcD

04/09/2007, 4:53 PM

Good Summary there Cymro. I watched both the Welsh matches you talk about and I agree. Wales were really good against Slovakia for periods but they were hit by a few wonder goals and a terrible performance in goals from Jones. You were very unlucky against the Czechs too not to win it. I think if we go with the right positive attitude we can do it. Two 1 nil victories for me please.

youngirish

04/09/2007, 5:04 PM

Cas and Connolly were and are respectively bloody decent lower prem/upper championship strikers. There's nothing at all to choose between Kells and Stevie Finnan. Terry Phelan in full gait was indeed brilliant. Alan Kelly I'll give you because he had the agility of a hippo who dreamt of flying. Kennedy is one of the great disapointments of a generation ...all the talent but a messer.

As usual you're talking the same old rubbish. Just disagreeing without really knowing why. Connolly is a poor player and can't even get into the squad now (he was playing for Watford in league 1 when he first broke into the Ireland team in the timeframe mentioned) and Cascerino was way past his best after USA 94 playing in the second division in France (he was never brilliant even at his best when playing for Millwall IMO anyway). Kelly as good as Finnan? Can someone explain to this man about the game we support? That argument alone should show to everyone how ill-informed you really are. Terry Phelan brilliant? Good God.

So again what's your point? Do you have one? Have you ever watched a football match or even kicked a ball?

Torn-Ado

04/09/2007, 5:20 PM

We'll lose them both.

By one in Slovakia and a hammering in Prague.

Lionel Ritchie

04/09/2007, 5:25 PM

As usual you're talking the same old rubbish. Just disagreeing without really knowing why. Connolly is a poor player and can't even get into the squad now (he was playing for Watford in league 1 when he first broke into the Ireland team in the timeframe mentioned) and Cascerino was way past his best after USA 94 playing in the second division in France (he was never brilliant even at his best when playing for Millwall IMO anyway). Kelly as good as Finnan? Can someone explain to this man about the game we support? That argument alone should show to everyone how ill-informed you really are. Terry Phelan brilliant? Good God.

So again what's your point? Do you have one? Have you ever watched a football match or even kicked a ball?

This bull from the boy who consistently can't even spell CascArino. :rolleyes:

Connolly is a dick and Stan doesn't appear to like him ...but on the measure of merit that gets three of that five strikers in the squad he should be in there.

Now fold your uniform and away into your jim-jams.

Lionel Ritchie

04/09/2007, 5:27 PM

As far as I know, Colgan was only included because he was doing the goalkeeping coach duties as Alan Kelly has an injury.

But still, don't know how the FAI didn't get some non-playing member in to act as goalkeeping coach for a week and a half?

After the fact as far as I know. He'd named the four keepers in the squad, Alan Kelly only then pulled out and only then was Nick Colgan was told he'd be carrying the traffic cones.

onephillyhughes

04/09/2007, 5:42 PM

I agree with the general sentiment on here. Ireland will be out by the end of the Slovakia match. Slovakia to win, easily.

Staunton Out! Delaney Out!

So much for supporting your country through thick and thin:rolleyes:

If we lose either game then its game over, 4 points is the minimum. If it goes down to head to head with the Czechs we're going to need a 2-2 draw or a win in Prague.

Impossible to predict, but I think we have the upper hand on Slovakia, their home record is equally as bad as our away one, so who knows.

The Czechs aren't what they were, get at them, we should've beaten them with a makeshift side so its possible. God I wish i wasn't coming home after the Slovakia game :(

Have to say its saddening, yet unsurprising, to see some people will be happy for us to lose. Shame on you.

The Legend

04/09/2007, 5:43 PM

We'll lose them both.

By one in Slovakia and a hammering in Prague.

Jeez, i though I was a pessimist. If you're doing that reverse physcology thing, fair play to you.

Realistically we should hope for a win and a draw.

Colbert Report

04/09/2007, 6:08 PM

This is for whatever gob****e thinks we're better now than we were thirteen years ago.

Here's the team I'd pick based on all the available players we've had since 1990, playing at their peak

-------------------------Given-----------------------
Finnan-----------McGrath---------Babb----------Irwin

Houghton-------Keane-----Townsend-------Sheridan----Duff

----------------------------Robbie Keane-------------------

That's only three players from our current squad who'd make it into the team (in my opinion). Duff is out injured and I personally think that his career is over so he doesn't count for today's players. You could even make the argument to move Denis Irwin to his natural right full back, put Staunton in at left back, and omit Finnan altogether. That'd leave you with only two players from today's squad, only one of which is an outfield players, Robbie Keane! When you're up against the likes of a 30 odd year old Aldridge and Scottish League superstar Tommy Coyne that's really not saying much is it?

Babb started for Liverpool every match, one of the top three clubs in the mid nineties, along with Man United and Villa. As much as I love him, Richard Dunne is currently mucking it with Manchester City and will never play for a top four club.

Face it, we don't have the players and that's why we'll be dead lucky to get more than one point from this road trip. Just look at who we'll be playing in central midfield for heaven's sake. We don't have a fit central midfielder that is an established starter for ANY Premiership side. I don't want to hear Stephen Ireland's name, that's laughable.