So who is going to Qualify from Ireland's Group

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Originally Posted by shakermaker1982

I predicted two wins for us (please see the Prediction thread displaying my Mystic Meg abilities!!!:D).

I can honestly see us getting a minimum of two points in our next 2 away games at the very least. If I had my optimistic hat on I could see us beating Slovakia and drawing with the Czech Rep. I've actually had a go at predicting our group when busy at work.......think we end up on same points as Czech Rep but lose out on goal difference. Wales do play a key role in the outcome of this group. They could surprise us all (fingers crossed) by beating or at least drawing with the Czech's at home, especially if their injury jinx clears up by the end of August. Germany should also beat the Czech Rep at home so points will be dropped along the way. Let's hope we give ourselves a chance by staying undefeated.

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At this stage they are all big games, but the really big game is the Czech game. A win there would be worth an extra point if we finished level on points with them because of the rules if teams end up on the same points;

If two or more teams are equal on points on completion of the group matches, the following criteria are applied to determine the rankings.
a) Higher number of points obtained in the group matches played among the teams in question.
b) Superior goal difference from the group matches played among the teams in question.
c) Higher number of goals scored in the group matches played among the teams in question.
d) Higher number of goals scored away from home in the group matches played among the teams in question.
e) If, after applying criteria a) to d) to several teams, two or more teams still have an equal ranking, the criteria a) to d) will be reapplied to determine the ranking of these teams. If this procedure does not lead to a decision, criteria f) and g) will apply.
f) Results of all group matches: 1. Superior goal difference 2. Higher number of goals scored 3. Higher number of goals scored away from home 4. Fair play conduct.
g) Drawing of lots.

Germany and Czechs to qualify.

Would love to be optimistic but we have not beaten a half decent team away from home since February 1987.
So I cant see us beating the Czechs. A draw would be good if we win in Bratislava and Cardiff and beat the Germans at home. Then it is possible.

No game on the last day. Delaney and Staunton are legends.

Lads we have nowt to fear in any of our remaining games...

Slovakia away (win, draw at least)
Czech away (draw)
Germany (win, we can take em in croker)
Cyprus(w)
Wales(w)

11 points at least... total of 24 or 26pts preferably..I agree foocking stupid were not in the last draw of matches...disgrace if you will!!

One word BELIEVE!!!!!!!!

Its simple really, if we win all our games, we qualify!! :D There's optimism for ya.

I think it's entirely conceivable that we're going to lose four of the five games.

Wales are due a good day. It'll probably be against us in Cardiff. Can't see us locking them, Slovakia or Czech out and can't see us getting enough goals to be anything beyond consolation.

I dont know why but i really feel we have a good chance in this group, and that Slovakia could prove to be our danger. The Czechs are definly on the way down, they have an aging coach and team, there was the whole controversy over the prostitutes and the fact that the only match they looked slightly impressive was against Slovakia, and im sure local history spurred them on against them. They got extremly lucky at home to Wales, only snuck a win at home to Cyprus and in truth we let them out of jail with a draw in Dublin. Ifelt it when the group was named and i feel it more now, the czechs are there for the



Also one other point, i seem to remember a qualifying campaign a number of years back where on the last day the Czechs had to get a win in Malta to qualify...they only drew. Hopefully this will be a good omen as their last match is in Cyprus

Everyone seems to believe we are going to walk the Cyprus game at home like we did last time they showed up in Dublin. Considering they've already hammered us I see us potentially dropping points against them as mentally they have one over on us already and will definitely fancy their chances of getting a draw at least. Considering the Czechs were lucky to beat them at home last week and they are improving all the time a draw is not an improbable result.

Of our last 5 games I think we will win 2 at most, probably draw 2 and lose 1. Either the Czechs away or the Germans will beat us. We won't get points off both I believe.

I don't think the Slovaks are good enough to beat us away. They were pretty poor in Dublin. I reckon that willl be a draw. If we play well we could even get a win though we need to improve over the summer.

Games we can realistically win (IMO):
Cyprus, Wales, Slovakia

Games that a draw will probably be all we can expect to get (IMO):
Czech Republic
Germany

However I think the Czechs may well drop points against either the Welsh or the Cypriots and definitely against Germany so they can be caught.

As for the Slovaks, I don't believe they are even at the races as they'll be beaten by the Germans and the Czechs and could easily drop points against the Welsh. They at best won't get more than 10 points from their remaining fixtures and are already 4 points behind us (with a poorer head to head if we get a draw against them away). We should at least get 6 points from our remaining games which should be enough for third spot.

TBH I do think it'll come down to us beating the Czechs away. If we don't manage to do that then I don't see us qualifying and at present we don't look good enough to get such a result against them.

A lot of people go on about the way we haven't beaten a side away from home since Feb 1987. Some day that run is going to come to an end. IMO I think Staunton is going to get somewhere in this group. The Czech Rep game looks hard but it's really the type of game where you would rely on the experience of Bobby Robson. He's been in those games numerous times, that's why he was hired. If we can't set ourselves up to get at least a draw, well then we don't deserve to qualify.

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Originally Posted by Ciaran

Cyprus are god awful.

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Czech Republic only barely beat them last week. Reports I read say Cyprus missed a few late chances.


I heard Doyle say on TV that "win at home, draw away" is the mantra. No, No, No! Win away to buy insurance against lost points at home.

24 points would be a very decent haul from this group and I'd have bitten your arm off for it at the start.

I posted this before the group started - interesting to see how it stacks up now:

http://foot.ie/showthread.php?t=37310

One good performance and we are going to qualify, it is enough to make you laugh!

Slovakia away draw (because we don't do away wins)
Czech away loose (Dunne and McShane suspended and a bad penalty)
Germany draw (spirited performance and the germans don't care )
Cyprus win (we need revange)
Wales win (because they are rubbish)

This is an optimistic assessment loss to Slovakia and Germany equally possible. I agree that the Czech's are aging but they should grap second place, wining in Slovakia and drawing in Dublin gives the the insurance for qualification.
Slovakia were missing 4/5 of their normal starting line-up in Dublin (suspension and injury) and we just scrped past.
4th in th group and 4th seed in the World Cup, forget a four plan, it will be 6 or 8 years at least before we qualify for anything.

Thats rubbish...there are no great international teams to fear anymore! if we had beaten cyprus away as we were expected to, we'd be sitting in an excellent position! the fact is that we can beat slovakia and czech rep awa, if we play them with the right attitude..we really have to go for it, none of this go for a draw crap it enevitably leads to defeat!!

We should do exactly what McCarthy did in the Amsterdam Arena in 2000, attack attack attack...

We missed our chance drawing with the Czech Republic at home. We were missing a few players but we had them on the rack and they were there for the taking. If we had been serious about qualifying then the team would not have been congratulating themselves on that draw. What makes people think that we are going to go away from home and beat them considering how bad we usually are away from home. "If" we beat Cyprus we would be in a position to challenge, nothing else but it doesnt matter because we got hammered 5-2. Slovakia look out of it as well. Germany and Czech Republic will go through and id say it will be wrapped up before the final round of games. Slovakia are going to have to finish a point ahead of the Czechs now because they lost 3-0 against them at home, i dont see that happening ordinary and all as the Czech's are.

All I'll say is that we should be in a far better position when looking at our players to choose from in 6 months time for a number of reasons:

1. Both Reids should be fit and playing regularly.
3. J O'Brien will be back for Bolton and should be playing regularly in the Premiership again, hopefully in his preferred position.
2. Stokes and Long will continue to develop and either could be playing regular football in the Premiership at that time.
3. Stephen Kelly will almost certainly be a regular starter in the Premiership.
4. Mc Shane could be playing in the Premiership. Even if he isn't he should continue to improve as a player (the difference in him this year to when I first seen him playing for Brighton early last season is unbelievable).
5. O'Dea will be an established regular in the SPL and the Champions League (bar injury or severe loss of form).
6. S Quinn will have another half season behind him.
7. Ireland should continue to improve as he has done this season.

Obviously not everything will go as well as we would like for all the players mentioned above over the next 6 months but either way even if half have a good few months it should impove our team no end. This could give us the extra push we need to win some games that at the moment we believe could go either way.

Think positively, we have some exceptional young talent (as I'm always saying more now than I ever remember coming through at the one time).

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Originally Posted by youngirish

Think positively, we have some exceptional young talent (as I'm always saying more now than I ever remember coming through at the one time).

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Despite the poor performances of the senior team and the serious doubts over its management, I think it's fair to say that in terms of emerging Irish talent in the UK there's been far more to cheer than moan about this season. Add to that the increasingly good form of Roy O'Donovan and other domestic players in the underage and B set up I think there's definitely qualified grounds to be optimistic.

Colin Doyle, Stokes, S. Quinn, O'Dea, McShane, Clarke, Long, Ireland and others have all shown signs of great promise, while the likes of Keogh, Ward, S. Kelly, Murphy, Elliott etc. are very close to the top of the Championshio and are in with a real shout of Premiership next year.

I feel everything hinges on the game in Bratislava....a win and the confidence will rise significantly, resulting in a possible win in Prague, followed by the "big one" against Germany in Croker, which by then could be a home "banker".:)

However, defeat in Bratislava would bring an almost certain loss the following Wednesday in Prague.....leaving the rest of our Qualification dream as one big Car Crash!!:(

A combination of luck (in terms of player availability) and good managerial judgment could reap rewards if the forthcoming friendlies are utilised well.

I do think qualification is too big an ask however. I just doubt the ability of management to get the best out of what we have I'm afraid.

I wonder how optimistic this thread would have been if the Wales performance had come after the Slovakia one?

A serious load of nonsense being posted here, I think. Cyprus God awful? They hammered us, drew with Germany and only just lost in Prague. They were beating Slovakia until their keeper was sent off.

Stop looking at results and form, and look at the squads?! Results and form mean far more than paper squads, especially when the squad technically doesn't include the manager whose job it is to get the best out of the squads.

And as for people suggesting 15 points out of 15...

A huge ask to get the results required.

The only approach is to take each game as it comes.

I've a feeling Shay Given could be busy against the Slovaks and Czechs...............

Cyprus haven't won away from home yet in the qualifiers and have conceded 10 in 3 games, and only scored twice (6-1 VS Slovakia, 3-1 VS Wales, 1-0 VS Czech)
A win over them at home in Croker, after the Germany game is not unreasonable

I think there is a little bit over optimism following last week. Yes we won the two games but didnt excel by any means. The one thing that I am starting to gain some confidence in is our defence with the trio of Dunne, McShane and Given we are solid at the back so therefore wont lose too many games in my opinion.

Yes it is in our hands but I think if we manage to take four points from our next two games we will have done very well. Realistically we need to win in Slovakia because the Czechs won there. I think the Wales Czech game in June is massive for us, we really do need Wales to get something out of the game. If the Czechs are only a point ahead of us going into the sept games then we might just have a chance. But I dont think we have shown enough yet to be overly confident.