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Yes, but you are habituated at looking for miserable outcomes.Quote:
Originally Posted by paul_oshea
Our away performances under Trap put us favourites to at least get a draw there. Our away performances are trademarked by a will to win and enough grit to at least get a draw. Not only will we perform more credibly than in past efforts against Macedonis but we will give Russia a much different game in Moscow.
Correct. A great double save from Bonner from Ceulamans helped that day. In the home game against Scotland Stapo missed a great chance with the last kick of the game. Tha ball ended up down on Sanydmount strand.Quote:
Originally Posted by Wolfie
or Shirley!Quote:
Originally Posted by geysir
It all turned OK in the end, eh?????? How many times have we been able to say that!!!Quote:
Originally Posted by Noelys Guitar
I might be but those are the outcomes that have occured most often in the past.Quote:
Originally Posted by geysir
I don't know what you base this Russia away day on, but its not the facts, if they destroyed us here and they are very strong in russia, a draw would be a very good result now.
I see us getting 5 or 7 points from Russia/Macedonia/Slovakia with 5 the more likely. Thats hardly pessimistic.
When one refers to the form of past away games, the games are certainly in the past.Quote:
Originally Posted by paul_oshea
The recent past, as in the last away game and the distant past, to the first 2 away games from the last campaign.
Lets not forget the September factor as well.
I think 47% is one of our better possession stats of recent vintage.
If we get 7 points from those 3 games we should top the group. I think we'll sneak a win out in Macedonia like we did out in Armenia.
It is one game at a time, but if I was to pin-point a game it'd probably be the Slovakia match. There's a chance Slovakia will have shaken off their post-World Cup hangover by then, but I think we'll win which would virtually guarantee second place. Then fly out to Moscow on a high and with a bit of pressure off, ready to put it up to the Ruskies.
If we don't get a win, or worse lose, against Slovakia then I can't see us raising ourselves for Russia and we'll probably be out.
It has to be one game at a time.
Lose to Macedonia, then it would be extremely doubtful that we find the 'moral courage' to step up to a higher qualification bar and get a win in Russia.
Vividly. Which proves that the results are more important than the performances.Quote:
Originally Posted by Noelys Guitar
I watch as much international football as I can. Rarely to the seeded teams do more than is needed in the banana-skin games. Usually the wins are narrow and influenced by surviving a few scares and maybe getting some breaks. We got some breaks early in the game on Saturday. That's not saying we depended on them to win the game. If it had been 0-0 at 70 minutes we'd have been far more urgent with the ball I'm sure.
You really would expect Russia to pick up 9 points in these home games:
Armenia, Macedonia and Andorra
Hopefully we can match them, even if one of ours is away.
Russia drawing 1-1 at the moment away to Qatar. Pavlyuchenko scored the equaliser. No idea why he didn't play on Saturday. I don't think Dick Advocat rates him as he rarely starts him.
Link here http://www.stopstream.tv/ch6.html
Finished 1-1. Another mediocre performance from Russia. They really do look poor at the back.
I think Dick Advocaat might be our MVP at the end of this campaign.
They're not functioning at the moment - even against us, it's telling they nearly folded completely late on. What's odds Advocaat is gone by the time we roll round to Moscow?
hopefully the night before.
what's this stupid American mvp term being used all about
Dick Advocaat our MVP? I'm not seeing the similarity, I'll be honest.Quote:
Originally Posted by paul_oshea
Slovakia beaten 1-2 at home by Denmark. Started with their strongest team as well.
There was all this talk about the Russians being under supreme pressure and going backwards when they played in Lansdowne. I don't buy it that much. We have no idea what will happen between now and then. Let's just get to Moscow and worry about it then. We have more pressing issues like beating Macedonia and Slovakia. If we don't win them the Russia game will be academic.Quote:
Originally Posted by SwanVsDalton
Absolutely but we should take heart in whatever problems are rivals are facing. Plus Russia are struggling for results and need to win games as much as us.Quote:
Originally Posted by BonnieShels
Quote:
Originally Posted by SwanVsDalton
You're right we should take heart from others' problems. I think that Slovakia's woes are of more interest right now to me.
Between now and Moscow we need to ensure we cement our superiority in the Nation's Cup. In those games and the games in America we need to develop a plan B (which will hopefully morph into plan A); something like tonight with a back 4 that works. If we had played like we did tonight in attack I might add, we wouldn't have been so easily routed in Dublin. This is what we should be trying to guard against.
Let's not bank on other's woes, but let's capitalise on them by going about our plan effectively and taking it one game at a time.
Big time - let's take advantage and not allow for luck to play any part in this process again. With some forward planning, some extra edge and passion, we can win this group.Quote:
Originally Posted by BonnieShels
I think it's interesting - and timely - we're arranging so many games. Trap may be a cautious selector but at least he's giving the players the opportunities. And, as has been said, it's great we have genuine options for the first time in ages. The Nations Cup games are virtually an audition for who starts in Skopje - Given or Westwood; Fahey, Gibson, Whelan, McCarthy, Green or Andrews; Kilbane or Clark; Kelly or Foley; Keane or Long (if Doyle's fit). Opportunities for the likes of O'Dea, Best, Walters et al to put their hands up too. Really heartening.
I can almost hear Barack Obama or John F. Kennedy addressing the masses...Quote:
Originally Posted by BonnieShels
I'm about as rousing as Gloria Hunniford eating cake in Grimsby.Quote:
Originally Posted by Stuttgart88
Despite their European provenance I reckon I could take them tactically.
I'm feeling oratorical tonight.
Swanny, its funny you should mention that about Trap. If you go back to the last campaign we seemed to kick on around the summertime and look where that got us. Maybe the auld bastid knows what he's doing after all.
I don't think he would change it for that game so quickly after playing those friendlies(more like after the whole summer he has with them).Quote:
Originally Posted by SwanVsDalton
I don't subscribe to the view that we have benefited from what you would call our due breaks, in this campaign. Playing an away game on neutral ground, saving a last minute penalty or getting a last gasp winner, is a break.
IMO, getting a soft goal early on, losing Doyle and working hard for 60 minutes does not qualify as a break.
I don't know how these breaks are calculated in the grand scheme of things. But after reading an interview with Trap I calculate that we have bolstered our case for a huge qualification size break, just by association with Trap.
The reference is to that dodgy World Cup ref
After what was effectively an unsuccessful time as Italian national team manager, which he puts down to a variety of factors including questionable decisions by a referee who was arrested last year for drug smuggling, Trapattoni admitted to having a certain sense of unfinished business in the international game.
“I think I achieved good results with a strong team but sure, I am also in credit with Uefa and Fifa a little after some of the things that happened. I’m due something back in international football.”
Trapatonni could teach Ferguson and Mourinho a few tricks in the "messing around with your head" stakes. Big away game coming up and the last thing we want in Macedonia is a "homer". And he will amplify his concerns come Moscow.
Don't see why not? This is the first time in a while (possibly ever under Trap) there's been genuine debate over 4-6 team places. With two games just beforehand, he can look at two players, such as Kelly/Foley and Gibson/Fahey, and see who's most up to the job. Great chance to see exactly how these players are responding after a long season or who can do the job required in Skopje.Quote:
Originally Posted by paul_oshea
Agreed. Hope he does too. Don't care how it comes our way, don't even care if we or Trap deserve it or not - I'll take a lucky, flukey, referee assisted win in Moscow every day.Quote:
Originally Posted by Noelys Guitar
Foley has already played, kelly has been around long enough and has played often enough, with Dunne gone we know that at least one of those is going to start anyway... I don't think we are talking about him as have gibson and fahey, i agree there is a chance fahey could play in midfield, im talking the likes of newer players(already selected for the squad) to come in.Quote:
Originally Posted by SwanVsDalton
I'd say if JOSH and St Ledger are fit for the Nations Cup, they will start at centre back against Macedonia. I'd say he's going to try and get the back 4 as close to selection as early as possible in the 3 game period around Macedonia. The nightmare scenario is that the centre back partnership of the other night takes the field again.
For me anyway ideally it would be OShea and Ledger, or OShea and O'Dea, followed by Ledger and O'Dea.
Paul Green out for the rest of the season.
I don't know who to nominate as the replacement fall guy.
never wish injury on a player, but it's one less limited player to compete for a spot in the middle. (also gives the other options a run out in the friendlies too)
Yeah sure Kingdom, when you heard the news you probably hit your head off the ceiling and then thought it better to express a morsel of compassion (crocodile tears) in the first 6 words.
Biggest but this side of JLO.Quote:
Originally Posted by Kingdom
Funny though he gets injured now after not performing so badly in the last game.
I immediately smiled, then I heard that David Moran is out for the year. What you gain on the swings....Quote:
Originally Posted by geysir
Sorry that's an off-topic gaa reference. I know you Monaghan boys aren't too hot at Gaa.
You know when a Kerryman's moral tank is empty when they try and reclaim the high ground with sly references to GAA superiority.
Anyway, the force is with Cork these days;)
Form, class, temporary, permanent etc etc. Anyway, I'd be quite happy if Mr Green made a full recovery for the start of the new season.
Well lads this is probably the wrong thread for this but the World Cup 2014 qualification draw takes place on July 30th 2011. The seeding will be decided purely on the latest FIFA rankings immediately before the draw. There will be 9 groups. 9 winners qualify automatically. 8 best runners up go into play offs. As it currently stands Ireland are ranked 22nd in Europe and will be a third seed. If we can get into the the top 18 by the time of the draw, we will be second seeds.
As it stands the seedings would be as such:
Pot 1:
Spain
Holland
Germany
England
Portugal
Italy
Croatia
Norway
Greece
Pot 2:
Serbia
Slovenia
Russia
France
Montenegro
Switzerland
Slovakia
Denmark
Sweden
Pot 3:
Turkey
Czech Republic
Israel
IRELAND
Ukraine
Belgium
Romania
Bosnia *** (May be disqualified)
Bulgaria
Pot 4:
Lithuania
Albania
Hungary
Belerus
Georgia
Armenia
Northern Ireland
Scotland
Poland
Pot 5:
Austria
Estonia
Latvia
Finland
Macedonia
Moldova
Cyprus
Azerbaijan
Wales
Pot 6:
Iceland
Luxembourg
Faroe Islands
Kazakhstan
Liechtenstein
Malta
Andorra
San Marino
Heres hoping we can sneak our way into the second seeds but if it were to stay as it is now, probably the worst case scenario would be to get would be Spain from the first pot and a rejuvinated France under Blanc from the second. A combination of Norway and Slovenia would be just lovely.