Delaney: "We'll be going for the play-offs"

any way here is a quote from him in the irish times , he is hardly raising the white flag !!

The line-up in the group has, he said "given us the ability to challenge to qualify. But it's a tough group. Italy are world champions and topped their Euro 2008 qualifying group while Bulgaria have improved a lot in recent years and just missed out on qualification for Euro 2008 by one point to Holland. Still, I am sure the new manager will relish the challenge of taking on the world champions home and away."

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Originally Posted by RogerMilla

any way here is a quote from him in the irish times , he is hardly raising the white flag !!

The line-up in the group has, he said "given us the ability to challenge to qualify. But it's a tough group. Italy are world champions and topped their Euro 2008 qualifying group while Bulgaria have improved a lot in recent years and just missed out on qualification for Euro 2008 by one point to Holland. Still, I am sure the new manager will relish the challenge of taking on the world champions home and away."

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Looks like he lifted that from my suggested quote earlier in the thread :)

Of course I'd be happy if we got to a play off spot, but it's just very very poor PR from the top man in Irish football. He should know better, it's as simple as that.

He should just keep his mouth closed. He knows nothing about football and no one expects him to. It'll be the new manager's job to decide on tactics.

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Originally Posted by Student Mullet

He should just keep his mouth closed. He knows nothing about football and no one expects him to. It'll be the new manager's job to decide on tactics.

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Oh yeah?

And guess who is STILL trying to hand-pick the new manager???

I don't have a problem with what he said. It shows he is being realistic at least. everybody on the "World Cup Draw" thread has accepted that we won't win the group (with some making far more pessimistic predictions) and Delaney and the FAI see it likewise.

I agree that he could have said nothing at all, but after a World Cup draw he has to say something, and I'd rather he be realistic than blindly optimistic.

He didn't imply that we won't do all we can to win the games against Italy, he is implying that we have focussed on a play-off spot as the most likely favourable result, which the vast majority of posters here would agree with.

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Originally Posted by el punter

Was Saipan in vain? Do the FAI still not get the point that we should at least have intentions to win the group and the entire tournament?

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er yes, Saipan was in vein, Roy Keane throwing a hissy fit before the tournament and abandoning our world cup hopes was in vein. What part of that story don't you get?

maybe you thought that posting a comment where Delaney is settling for second best would be foot.ie gold and you'd get lots of kudos for stating the bleeding obvious, but there are also people who are honest and sincere before opening their trap, and don't just flippantly remark "we can win it" like our deluded english friends because we know in fact there is little chance of winning this group based on recent history.

How dare Delaney think that a team that finished a lucky 3rd (17 points would get 4-5th in all but 1 other group) in current campaign cannot beat the current World Champions.

:rolleyes:

I think it's less what he said and more the fact that screen captions all over the world would read

"John Delaney - Republic of Ireland"

While his face was flapping & making lying noises.

Therefore making us all eejits by association.

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Originally Posted by Bondvillain

Really, anyone who witnessed the car crash that was the 2008 qualifying campaign,would find it hard to disagree with Delaney's sentiments, however, Delaney should really learn the difference between "inner monologue" and "silly things I say out loud that people can hear and use to make me look like a big eejit".

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Seems to sum it nicely as far as this outside observer is concerned.

I don't think there was anything wrong with what Delaney said. I think most people would be happy if we got 2nd place in that group. I think people are being overly critical.

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Originally Posted by ruben_sosa

maybe you thought that posting a comment where Delaney is settling for second best would be foot.ie gold and you'd get lots of kudos for stating the bleeding obvious, but there are also people who are honest and sincere before opening their trap, and don't just flippantly remark "we can win it" like our deluded english friends

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it's the people who are honest and sincere before opening their trap that you need to watch out for. I'm leaving this thread to post some populist comments elsewhere to enhance my kudos.