Predictions for 2005?????

Well all in all, its being a relatively good year for Irish football, shame we didnt play in the euros but under Kerr the team are progressing nicely. (upto 12th in the world and top of our group). Good year for the EL too, with shels doing us proud in europe. But what about next year, the big question is will or wont we qualify for WC in Germany??

I have my fears of the away game in Israel being make or break for us, if we could avoid defeat there i give us a great chance, if we win we might just top the group. Would expect us to beat the Swiss at home, not so sure about the french, I'm afraid I have a feeling it will be playoff time for us again and then its a lottery who we get!!

On the player front-robbie keane to have a bad year, morrison a good, reid to finally move to the premiership and hopefully the continued emergence of lads like elliott, kelly and flood.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by elroy

shame we didnt play in the euros

---

It will only benefit us for the future. All the friendlies from the Swiss game of 2003 to the Cyprus game were to build a new team. If we had've qualified for the Euro's Kerr most likely would have stuck with the players that got us there. O'Brien wouldn't be first choice partner for Cunningham (actually, Cunningham probably would have retired after the Euro's), Kilbane wouldn't be a central midfielder, Keane wouldn't be back, Reid would only be coming into the team this club season, etc, etc, etc.

Kerr needed this bunch of friendlies otherwise it would be another McCarthy style slow transformation.