Teams from our WC group in action tonight...

[holidaysong]

Ourselves and Cyprus are the only teams not in action from Group 8. I'll definitely take in the NI - Georgia game myself.

Bulgaria v Finland, KO 16:00
Montenegro v Norway, KO 18:30
Northern Ireland v Georgia, KO 19:45 (Live BBC2 NI)
Spain v Italy, KO 21:00 (Live Setanta Ireland)

[Wolfie]

Ourselves and Cyprus are the only teams not in action from Group 8. I'll definitely take in the NI - Georgia game myself.

Bulgaria v Finland, KO 16:00
Montenegro v Norway, KO 18:30
Northern Ireland v Georgia, KO 19:45 (Live BBC2 NI)
Spain v Italy, KO 21:00 (Live Setanta Ireland)

Sound. I'll buzz over to Montenegro to keep an eye on them. HIGH 5!!!!!!

[holidaysong]

Sound. I'll buzz over to Montenegro to keep an eye on them. HIGH 5!!!!!!

We need more who are as committed as you. Sure Belfast is only up the road from Dundalk. :o

[Wolfie]

We need more who are as committed as you. Sure Belfast is only up the road from Dundalk. :o

Yeah - but Windsor Park looks like its from somewhere from the depths of Eastern Europe!!

I suppose they'd shoot back that at least they own it.

[deecay]

Spain v Italy, KO 21:00 (Live Setanta Ireland)
Great

[jmurphyc]

Spain v Italy, KO 21:00 (Live Setanta Ireland)

Yeah, I'm looking forward to that one. I didn't realise it was on and settled for the NI game to see what Georgia are like.

[ifk101]

Finland 1 up on Bulgaria.

Bulgarians look dodgy enough at the back.

[Supreme feet]

Bulgarians look dodgy enough at the back.

I lived in Bulgaria for a while last year, saw a lot of their games on the telly. Their defence isn't great, and their full-backs and midfielders have an uncanny knack for passing the ball straight into touch. I actually felt sorry for Berbatov and Petrov, who looked frustrated and ordinary, given their lack of service.

Actually, it was a bit like watching Ireland and Duff/Keane for the last five years.

[carloz]

Montenegro beating Norway 2-0. That is gonna be one hell of a difficult game out there.

[zenokelly]

Montenegro beating Norway 2-0. That is gonna be one hell of a difficult game out there.

3-0 now!!! And I have backed Norway:mad:

[NeilMcD]

Finished 3-1 to Montenegro and Northern Ireland are winning 3-0 against Georgia. What betting Montenegro to finish ahead of Georgia in the group.

[finnpark]

Georgia 3-1 down at Windsor.

They are absolutely rubbish. Their defense is woeful, especially their 17 year old keeper who has made a few bloopers. Their centre backs are also crap. Really bad side, shocking stuff. I think Harps would definitely beat them.

[onceahoop]

Georgia 3-1 down at Windsor.

They are absolutely rubbish. Their defense is woeful, especially their 17 year old keeper who has made a few bloopers. Their centre backs are also crap. Really bad side, shocking stuff. I think Harps would definitely beat them.


Is it any where near Georgias first eleven.

[finnpark]

Is it any where near Georgias first eleven.

It seems to be mostly their first team. They brought on a few subs who have done better but NI have lost their shape.

Lingfield's Peter Thompson has just made it 4-1. 3 lingfield players playing. Delaney and Brady at the match.

[Maroon 7]

Georgia look fairly pants but they usually are away from home. They'll still be dangerous at home but we should be beating them.

Montenegro beat Norway 3-1. The trip there could be a banana skin for everyone in our group.

[SwanVsDalton]

Georgia are absolutely abject though I don't think Napoleon Dynamite will be between the sticks when we face them.

[cavan_fan]

Montenegro beat Norway 3-1. The trip there could be a banana skin for everyone in our group.


I think thats the best way of looking at them. Unless you think they are going to qualify (which is unlikely) then they are going to be as tough for everyone else as for us.

[jmurphyc]

If I'm not mistaken the Georgian league is a winter league, so they could be an entirely different proposition in September (and away from home).

[jmurphyc]

Also, I know it's only a friendly, but Italy have not looked very impressive tonight. Then again, I'm now wondering when Italy have ever looked impressive. Hopefully we catch them during a transition phase, but it's probably too early to tell right now.

[NeilMcD]

I think the semi final against Germany they were pretty impressive.

[NeilMcD]

Great goal by Spain.

[theworm2345]

Jesus did we get the short end of the stick from the last pot, Montenegro look to be the real deal from the two matches I've seen

[Dr. Ogba]

Montenegro a definite worry but aren't Norway absolute muck at the moment???

[eirebhoy]

Jesus did we get the short end of the stick from the last pot, Montenegro look to be the real deal from the two matches I've seen
We can be happy with Georgia and Cyprus though.

[CJTheGull]

Without stating the obvious - because Montenegro are a 'new' country and have no previous record in a qualification campaign they automatically go ionto the last seeded pot so to answer your question:
Jesus did we get the short end of the stick from the last pot, Montenegro look to be the real deal from the two matches I've seen
- yes, indeed we did. Although in fairness San Marino nearly beat us too. :eek:

[blobbyblob]

Montenegro a definite worry but aren't Norway absolute muck at the moment???


Black, Pot and Kettle spring to mind :(

Only as good as your last campaign and all that.

[carloz]

Montenegro a definite worry but aren't Norway absolute muck at the moment???

Not really. They were always on to qualify from the last campagn but self imploded. Think they lost at home to Turkey in the last match which meant Turkey qualified ahead of them. They would be about our level

[newrynyuk]

Managed to watch some of the Montenegro v Norway game on the satellite on RTV Montenegro (!) First two goals owned more to Norwegian keeper howlers and back four alseep defending a free kick. Will they be as generous in Oslo this August?

BTW, the stadium, if you're thinking of going in September, looked decent enough. Three sides of the ground were like Lofus Road (high stands packed close to the pitch) whilst the pitch side opposite the TV camera side was one long low open terrance.

[theworm2345]

We can be happy with Georgia and Cyprus though.
Thats what we thought last time :o

[Wolfie]

Thats what we thought last time :o

And the time before that...........................

[eirebhoy]

Thats what we thought last time :o
They're a higher seed now though.

[Irish_Praha]

Montenegro beat Norway 3-1. The trip there could be a banana skin for everyone in our group.

I think its bad that we play them away so early in the qualifiers. Firstly because they will probably be really up for it at the start of the qualifiers but after they lose a few games and have no hope of qualifying then their confidence might drop later in the campaign.
Secondly because they are a bit of an unknown entity at the moment and it would have been helpful to see them play a few competitive games to plan for how to play against them.

[lilywhite stu]

They're a higher seed now though.[/QUOTE]
only because of their performances against Ireland!

[Cymro]

Georgia 3-1 down at Windsor.

They are absolutely rubbish. Their defense is woeful, especially their 17 year old keeper who has made a few bloopers. Their centre backs are also crap. Really bad side, shocking stuff. I think Harps would definitely beat them.

It's a friendly and they're away from home. They beat Scotland at home in a competitive game so do you honestly think Finn Harps would beat them :rolleyes:

[EalingGreen]

Georgia 3-1 down at Windsor.

They are absolutely rubbish. Their defense is woeful, especially their 17 year old keeper who has made a few bloopers. Their centre backs are also crap. Really bad side, shocking stuff. I think Harps would definitely beat them.

Was at the game. I thought they were a typical medocre Continental side - decent enough, dangerous even, if you let them play. However, to paraphrase Corporal Jones in Dad's Army, "they don't like it up em!"

Which is why we tore them to shreds in the first half. Big Kyle Lafferty was all over them in the air, with Healy pulling them this way and that on the deck and Gillespie skinning them down the right wing. In midfield, Steve Davis was near back to his best and ran the show, with Damien Johnson "minding the shop" at the base of the midfield. With a little luck, or if Healy hadn't been 'rusty' from bench duty at Fulham, we could have gone in six up at half time.

The second half was very different, though. I'd say their manager, Klaus Topmuller, gave them a right bollocking, because they came out with more purpose. Also, Worthington started using all his subs, inc three or four who simply weren't up to it, so that we lost our shape, the Georgians drew encouragement, and suddenly we were finding it hard. It didn't help when a nervous-looking Michael O'Connor (on for his debut as a sub), gave away a penalty, which Taylor pushed onto the post, but Healy kicked into our goal as he tried to thwart the penalty-taker on the follow up! [As Lafferty said afterwards, Healy only needs a sight of the net to score ;)]

Eventually, though, their comeback fizzled out and Linfield's Peter Thompson fluked a keeper's error at the end of the game to make the score a little more respectable.

They have some skilful players, especially in midfield. However, their defence was, as you say, dreadful, despite containing their best player, centre back and captain Kaladze. Seems he plays for Milan, where he's won a Champions League Medal.
Their keeper is said to be a prospect and has signed for Schalke, where German regulations don't allow him to play for the first team, since he's not yet 18! He seemed very nervous - and playing in front of a typically boisterous Kop won't have helped any!
Their attack seemed to lack anyone who could finish.

From what I gather, towards the end of their 2008 Euro Qualifiers, Topmuller decided to clear out the team completely and start again with youngsters. The team which beat surprisingly, but justifiably, beat Scotland 2-0 at home
was incredibly young - 3 or 4 teenagers making their debut, inc the keeper who was only 16 at the time?

My guess is that they have the talent to be dangerous in front of a home crowd, but are so inexperienced they could easily be intimidated away from home. When do ROI play them?

P.S. I've never seen Finn Harps play, but if it could be arranged, I'd bet any amount you like that they wouldn't beat Georgia!

[ifk101]

Thanks for that EG but you can't read too much into friendly results. I expect we'd be comfortable enough at home (as would Finn Harps) against Georgia but it's away in Georgia we'd have problems.

That's right about Georgia starting a 17 year ago against Scotland in goals. I remember that because I placed a bet on Scotland to win only to get burned :D

[Cymro]

I don't think Finn Harps would beat them either home or away. Regardless of their dodgy away form at international level, they're still a fairly serious UEFA team with quality professionals from Europe's top leagues, such as that lad Kaladze who plays for AC Milan, and Khizanishvili. Finn Harps are a semi-professional team as far as I know. That should illustrate the sort of gulf we're talking about, even with Georgia.

Having watched the second half of that game and seen them against Scotland (and I'll see them again fairly soon as we have them in a friendly) I do think Ireland will get probably at least 4 points but it won't be a walk in the park by any stretch of the imagination. They're a young team, but there's some talented players there, certainly.

[Soper]

Finn Harps are professional.

[NeilMcD]

If Finn Harps could beat Georgia and Bohemians can beat Finn Harps 3-0, does that mean Bohemians are better than Scotland.:)

[geysir]

Playing Georgia away in the first game of the qualifiers now looks to be an inspired choice.

[Cymro]

If Finn Harps could beat Georgia and Bohemians can beat Finn Harps 3-0, does that mean Bohemians are better than Scotland.:)

Yes. Yes it does.

But Finn Harps wouldn't beat Georgia anyway, so it's all moot. :D

Soper, they must have very recently turned professional as FM has them semi-pro for every year since I started buying it, including this year. I'll take your word for it, though. I still don't think they'd beat Georgia.

[carloz]

Playing Georgia away in the first game of the qualifiers now looks to be an inspired choice.
I have my doubts. It might be a good thing that they got that result out of their system. Having said that i really think its a better idea to play in Tblisi at the start of the campaign rather than at the end, as Scotland showed.

[EalingGreen]

I have my doubts. It might be a good thing that they got that result out of their system. Having said that i really think its a better idea to play in Tblisi at the start of the campaign rather than at the end, as Scotland showed.

The reason why Scotland had unexpected problems was effectively because Georgia's Manager (Topmuller) tore up his team sheet and started again against the Jocks with one of the youngest teams ever to play senior international football. As such, they were fearless (or naive, if you prefer).

Therefore, if I had to guess, I'd say that notwithstanding how inept they were in the first half in Belfast, they are liable to be equally fearless as against Scotland in their first home match of WC2010 qualification, with the crowd giving it ninety at the Anthem etc. Far better imo to play them in Dublin first, then later in Tbilisi after they've had the stuffing knocked out of them by the Italians and Bulgarians etc.

As for playing your next match in Montenegro, it might turn out to be inspired. Personally, however, I fear it could be a disaster, since as well as coming up against Montenegran fearlessness, you will also face the patriotism which comes with a "new" nation: i.e. their hearts will be pumping out of their shirts!

Look at the results achieved by e.g. Latvia and Slovenia when they first achieved nationhood (i.e. qualifying for Euro and World Finals), or even the likes of the Faroes.

P.S. Don't hold me to this when the time comes, since it wouldn't be the first time I've got it completely wrong with my predictions! ;)

[jmurphyc]

The reason why Scotland had unexpected problems was effectively because Georgia's Manager (Topmuller) tore up his team sheet and started again against the Jocks with one of the youngest teams ever to play senior international football. As such, they were fearless (or naive, if you prefer).

Therefore, if I had to guess, I'd say that notwithstanding how inept they were in the first half in Belfast, they are liable to be equally fearless as against Scotland in their first home match of WC2010 qualification, with the crowd giving it ninety at the Anthem etc. Far better imo to play them in Dublin first, then later in Tbilisi after they've had the stuffing knocked out of them by the Italians and Bulgarians etc.

As for playing your next match in Montenegro, it might turn out to be inspired. Personally, however, I fear it could be a disaster, since as well as coming up against Montenegran fearlessness, you will also face the patriotism which comes with a "new" nation: i.e. their hearts will be pumping out of their shirts!

Look at the results achieved by e.g. Latvia and Slovenia when they first achieved nationhood (i.e. qualifying for Euro and World Finals), or even the likes of the Faroes.

P.S. Don't hold me to this when the time comes, since it wouldn't be the first time I've got it completely wrong with my predictions! ;)

I'm not so sure about that. Georgia have now had two bad results in a row. They got beaten comprehensively against you and lost 3-1 at home to Latvia. They may get better in the qualifiers - I'm certainly dreading playing them in September - but the Scottish result may have just been due to a new set of players trying to prove themselves. Their bubble may well have burst by then. There are no guarantees in that game, but I think it's a good risk to take, as it'll give us confidence and could set us up nicely should we win.

Whilst Montenegro do look like a dangerous team to play (especially for 6th seeds) they will have played their first competitive home game a few days before against Bulgaria so we won't have to play them in their first ever competitive game and I think the Bulgarians have a lot more to be worried about in that respect.

[ifk101]

Our away record is abysmal so both Georgia and Montenegro away will be difficult games. Georgia and Montenegro will be well aware of our away record so they know that we are very much beatable. But at this stage it's difficult to assess our chances against these sides as we don't know how good (or bad) we are under Trapattoni.

[geysir]

The harder game is away obviously. It didn't work for Scotland to play them at home first. Scotland scraped past them at home and then they played very poorly away.
Georgia's one off renaissance didn't last very long.
We should be a few degrees better set up that we were with Stan. I think we will be looking at 4 to 6 points out the first 2 games.

.

[ifk101]

Toppmoller has resigned

http://www.eleven-a-side.com/worldcup2010/news.asp?n=31636

[carloz]

Toppmoller has resigned

http://www.eleven-a-side.com/worldcup2010/news.asp?n=31636

Could be very good news or us. They will certainly NOT attract a manager of the quality of Toppmoller so they will be on a downer going into our game. However there is a flip side that they might be motivated more under a new manager. I believe the latter is most likely