To think if we win tomorrow night we'd be 3 points behind the Germans with the same number of games played. Baffling.Quote:
Originally Posted by shakermaker1982
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To think if we win tomorrow night we'd be 3 points behind the Germans with the same number of games played. Baffling.Quote:
Originally Posted by shakermaker1982
I still think it is of benefit to us, as I said at the start of the campaign, to keep Germany close. I don't want to see the Austrians fade, and I don't want to see Germany sail the group before the last game. But they play Kazakhstan again tomorrow so they will be 16 points, with an extra game played and we will be 10 - if we win. They are home and dry.
Yes they are home and hosed alright no doubts about it.Quote:
Originally Posted by paul_oshea
Germany will keep on kicking until they are mathematically home and dried, then anything can happen in their remaining games, especially the last game in Stockholm. Possibly they might want some revenge for getting humiliated by Sweden, or possibly they just won't care that much, like in previous qual campaigns.
We just have to beat Austria and Sweden in Dublin.
No though, we don't just have to. If Sweden were to beat them at home, even if we beat Sweden, Sweden would finish a point ahead of us, unless we get a point in Germany. And I cant see that happening at the moment.
Plus if Sweden got 6 against the Austrians, then we would have to do the same, and I cant see us beating Austria away from home.
I mean we just have to beat Sweden and Austria at home.Quote:
Originally Posted by paul_oshea
Not, we just have to beat Sweden and Austria and that will do.
Can't you tell the difference? :)
Other results should take care of themselves, they usually do but we won't be in the ballpark without the home wins.
I was suggesting that in order to ensure our passage to the World cup was secured we need a Germany still involved right to the end. How else was I meant to interpret your statement other than it being the successful criteria that I had suggested in the previous post i.e. qualification? :)
In our last group where we weren't up against serial qualifiers for 2nd place, you could count on one or two shock results. With Sweden in there this time,
I don't think we can count on that happening again. I don't think they will get 6 but I wouldn't be surprised to see them get 6. This time unfortunately we
need to worry about other results, as much as people would believe its in our own hands, its not really, cos even if we get the results you suggested a loss against
Germany and its out of our hands.
So, by your analysis you now reckon Sweden are a good team, not likely to falter at any stage?
Personally at this stage, it's enough to be stressed about winning our upcoming game. Good things happen to those who win their home games. I'm not afraid to look for the best possible scenario once we do our bit. That's how it usually works.
On the basis of just Friday, Sweden will be doing well to even draw with the Germans at home or take 6 points from Austria. Unless the latter are rubbish.
Just looking at the team and I realised only 1 Dub in there. Great to see.
And no its not anti-Dub bias, just think its great to see that we aren't so concentrated in one area (Dublin). It can only help promote the game if we have lads from all over.
That's a roundabout way of being optimistic about our chances to finish ahead of Sweden?Quote:
Originally Posted by ArdeeBhoy
Sammon and Whelan are both from Dublin, but I take your point.Quote:
Originally Posted by paul_oshea
There has to be some sort of advertising campaign to be made from the number of ex-LOI players in the squad too?
Ya I don't really consider him a player, just a ball boy :D
5 ex LOI players too. Ya exactly. That in itself should be a form of promotion, use it as much and as far as they can.
Steady on with all the optimistic predictions!Quote:
Originally Posted by ArdeeBhoy
Let's come back down to earth for a second and remind ourselves why there are so many among us who can't stand Trap (and I'm saying this just days after that very positive result in Sweden).
For starters Whelan recovers from injury and he replaces Green in the team. Now I'm no lover of Green but Whelan is not as good as Green. Green has a lot more to offer and even then he's limited. But why not play Hoolahan? And bringing in Sammon for Keane? Another very poor choice. Doyle is a proven quantity at international level, albeit going through a poor run of form at the present.
I honestly hope Whelan falls flat and his face and Trap trips over him. I just cannot stand to read his team selections anymore. We deserve to lose to Austria for shooting ourselves in the foot before the first whistle.
Fixed that.Quote:
Originally Posted by paul_oshea
Whilst I still hope we win. I understand teh gut-wrenching feeling you obviously felt like I on reading the team selection It boggles the mind.Quote:
Originally Posted by mark12345
What is even more worrisome is that because he has started with Sammon and Whelan we will not see Green, Doyle, Hoolahan or whoever is likely to come on until 60min or so have gone. Who knows where we will be at that stage of the game.
No, because besides the Faroes at home, wouldn't guarantee we'll beat anyone...Quote:
Originally Posted by geysir
Sweden/Ireland/Austria are three very mediocre sides and will finish in that order.
And short of playing Iceland/Albania, will struggle to beat most other sides in the play-offs...Sweden and us at least, do have some experience of this.
That's why he's been brought in according to captain sheasy.Quote:
Originally Posted by pineapple stu
http://www1.skysports.com/football/n...-aerial-threat
The best fans in the world.Quote:
Originally Posted by tommy_c12000
People who think Austria are a "mediocre" side are in for a nasty surprise. I personally think they'll finish 2nd, they've a lot of young highly regarded bundesliga/turkish league players you might not know a lot about yet but you will soon enough.Quote:
Originally Posted by ArdeeBhoy
Sweden are a mediocre side with a couple of exceptional players who or may not do enough individually to get them by.
Ireland are a mediocre side with no exceptional players.
well youre bang on the money so far.Quote:
Originally Posted by geysir
Know an Austrian lad who I got tickets for tomorrow, who keeps telling me they won't qualify and is only obsessed about beating Germany, though guess they missed their chance there.Quote:
Originally Posted by Murfinator
All I'd add is they're a largely unknown quantity and one of Ireland's 'bogey' teams, enough said...
Quote:
Originally Posted by Charlie Darwin
wow. That is one of the worst written, indulgent pieces of tripe I have read in a long time and I agree with his general premise...
Sometimes you wonder is Trap just taking the ****. Sammon has looked comically bad in his cameos so far. hopefully the nerves will settle and he can provide a threat. Dissappointing because i was sure it was going to be Hoolahans big chance to break into the team.
Such a positive performance last friday we really made progression, Mccarthy, Wilson & Coleman were the most important cogs in the way we played so i'm hoping having them there tommorrow will see us continue in the same vein. If they are still looking for the ball to feet and trying to keep it hopefully not even the great Glenn Whelan can stink it up.
Bit harsh. He played one friendly in which he admittedly wasn't great.Quote:
Originally Posted by the bear
He didn't see the ball for the ten minutes or so he was on against Sweden
Yes maybe a bit harsh, I just thought he didn't look like a footballer at all. I will be delighted if he proves me wrong tomorrow.Quote:
Originally Posted by Fixer82
Hyperbolic tripe. Granted, I'm biased (but would still have started either Hoolahan or Doyle), but off the top of my head, you've got -Quote:
Originally Posted by tommy_c12000
6-0 down against Germany
The Euro 2012 let-down
Henry's handball
San Marino's late equaliser
Ireland's late equaliser against Cyprus
5-2 in Cyprus
Sitting back on the 2-0 lead against Israel and blowing it
Saipan
0-0 v Liechtenstein
Chris Woods' rugby tackle somehow not being the penalty to send us to Euro 92
Any time John Delaney opens his mouth.
All far, far more disappointing than a Championship forward starting for Ireland.
I was hoping for a league one forward myself.
And being cheated by FIFA as far as back as 1965 and the play-off v.Spain.Quote:
Originally Posted by pineapple stu
Not to mention being cheated in the '80's in France, Belgium (or Holland. Or maybe even both?) and Bulgaria where the officials were probably bribed in keeping those times.
For all you optimists?
http://thescore.thejournal.ie/poll-h...44690-Mar2013/
:)
That poll has a blatant leading question/intro, designed to weed out optimism.
Sammon works hard, he can swim upstream as they say. He will do fine, as long as there is no roe during the match. He's a lover not a fighter.
I think he will go well with McLean who Nigel-Harps describes as kind of a "garlic mashed potatoes" sidedish of a player. And he is always in demand at weddings which makes him a well liked chap I suppose.
Absolutely. And turning down a place in the 1950 World Cup too.Quote:
Originally Posted by ArdeeBhoy
I was only going on living memory though. And even then, I got plenty.
And lets not forget those shorts Mick wore in the World Cup as manager, giving nightmares to Irish across the globe.
Sammon is an odd choice. Walters there to do what exactly? Seat holders at the Oscars are more effective.
Walters has been doing a job for Stoke on the right hand side of midfield all season long.
Except Wally should be up front and Brady play on the right. Sammon for the metaphorical glue factory...
In the fan's verdict on their club's season so far in the Guardian a couple of days ago he was singled out for having "struggled, playing out position" or words to that effect.Quote:
Originally Posted by Colbert Report
Walters usually looks like he's struggling no matter what, elegance or comfortable doesn't apply, Trap has a soft spot for the battler.
'Memory lane: Roy Keane on when Ireland lost to Austria but passed ‘Harry’s Challenge’': http://thescore.thejournal.ie/roy-ke...aign=from_page
Quote:
AFTER TRIPS WITH the Irish team, players would go back to their club at the end of an international week and swap stories with English players and those from other nations about the weird but wonderful Ireland camp.
Everyone had a laugh at the Irish. No one laughed harder than the Irish players telling the stories about the ****-ups, ****-ups and the various impediments you faced as a professional player representing your country. When I was young I told stories. And laughed.
Here’s a good one from Ireland’s qualifying campaign for Euro 96 – towards the end of Big Jack’s time as national team manager.
Because of injury I played only three or four games from the qualifiers. But Dennis Irwin and Paul McGrath were witnesses to this story.
Ireland were at home to Austria in a vital qualifying game. The day before the match, the team went to Lansdowne Road for a training session. On the way they stopped at a branch of Harry Ramsden’s on the Naas Road.
The photographers were on hand to capture the Irish team tackle their first big challenge of the week: Harry’s Challenge, a giant-sized haddock with chips and beans or peas, with a sweet to follow.
Eat up, lads, urged Jack. Some of the lads tucked into Harry’s Challenge. Then off to Lansdowne Road for the final training session.
Yes, Austria won 3-1. Some of the lads reported that their legs ‘went’ twenty minutes from the end. F**ked. But they’d passed Harry’s Challenge.
The story went down a treat in the dressing rooms around England.
Significantly, Ireland failed to qualify for Euro 96 because of that defeat. Holland beat them easily in a play-off game at Anfield. That was Harry’s Challenge.