Why I'm disappointed/negative
I was thinking about a lot of the stuff I've read in the Independent/Times/Examiner & websites forums over the past few weeks and I think the mood of everyone is that of disappointment. It certainly reflects my mood. I'm not trying to be negative before these qualifiers, but if I'm honest, I don't expect us to get through (which doesn't mean I'm not 100 per cent behind the lads). It's not that I ever expected us to cruise through this group. Here's why.
I've followed the progress of this group of players quite closely for a period of time that I suppose I can neatly bookend with the spring of 98. This was the period when Robbie Keane and Duff came on the scene. This was the dawning of the new age for Ireland A period when there finally looked to be a crop of decent young players coming through to replace the magnificent team of the Charlton era. Players like Given, Carr, Robbie Keane, Duff and later Dunne, O'Brien, O'Shea etc all came through to support the greatest Irish player of my generation Roy Keane.
After the shambles that was the Saipan fiasco, things looked grim. Until Roy came back.
Now like him or loathe him, there almost seemed to that fate might be dealing us a great hand.
That golden generation was to be peaking around 2006. Robbie Keane was to be 25 and in his prime. Duff 27 and playing for the Premier League Champs. Given one of the Premierships top stoppers. Dunne starting to realise his potential and O'Shea, O'Brien and others looked to play supporting roles. Even Matt Hollland and Kenny Cunningham looked like they would give us a glorious swansong. And all to be marshalled by one last final act of redemption and the best sorry a man could ever give for breaking so many hearts in Saipan..Roy Keane's last stand...ala Lothar Mattheus in his mid-late 30's.
Things even looked like they were heading that way. Everyone was exuberant about Kerr's appointment. The feel good factor was back. Young players were coming through again (Andy Reid, Elliott) and the results in our group were going our way.
A draw away to Switzerland, France and Israel whatever the circumstances were ideal results without taking into account the performances.
But therein lies the problem.
Since then, we've largely gotten what we deserve and out of the matches we've played and occassionally been hard done by. Whether you agree with Kerr's tactics, we got robbed against Israel at home and were perhaps unlucky not to get a point against France.
The performances dont point to us beating both Cyprus away and Switzerland at home. We dont have a killer instinct with our best team out
Less so without Roy Keane.
I dont think it's impossible. I just think it's unlikely that we'll get six points.
In the event that we do, I dont fancy us to beat one of the second placed teams over two legs.
I know this is negative, but I'm really just dissappointed. Disappointed that the team I've watched grow up together, the team I thought would peak at Germany 06 and might just cause an upset probably wont even make it.
I rarely thought we'd make the European Championships, the 02 World Cup was an unexpected bonus. But just based on the team we had, I was fairly sure that if we qualified for Germany 06, we would make an impression.
I've waited so long and now judgement day is here...it feels very anticlimactic.
