It's tomorrow. We'll know the fixtures when they have been agreed.
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It's tomorrow. We'll know the fixtures when they have been agreed.
As soon as they agree them and give a press release I believe.Quote:
Originally Posted by The Swordsman
If there is no agreement it will go to UEFA\FIFA to make the list
The fixture list has been announced.
September 7, 2012
Kazakhstan v Republic of Ireland
October 12, 2012
Republic of Ireland v Germany
October 16, 2012
Faroe Islands v Republic of Ireland
March 22, 2013
Sweden v Republic of Ireland
March 26, 2013
Republic of Ireland v Austria
June 7, 2013
Republic of Ireland v Faroe Islands
September 6, 2013
Republic of Ireland v Sweden
September 10, 2013
Austria v Republic of Ireland
October 11, 2013
Germany v Republic of Ireland
October 15, 2013
Republic of Ireland v Kazakhstan
Couple of tricky away trips out of the way early and chance to get points on the board. Bit worried about having to go to Germany/Austria possibly needing points late on but good to have Sweden home before that. It'll likely be the crucial game.
I think I'd prefer to have one of the Faroes games in the last 4 games, but other than that I'm reasonably happy with it
Having to go to Germany almost immediately after the Euros will be tough.
Given that Germany are going to top the group (they are, I've accepted it) I'm happy that Sweden have to come here after we have played them in Stockholm
Going into the last game against Kazakhstan at home knowing our fate could be in our own hands isn't a bad way to be either
Also, given that the fixtures came out relatively early, I'd say there was little debate and the countries involved were happy with them, so it looks like the team got what they were looking for
From a selfish point of view I was hoping for Kazakhstan away in 2013, It needs at least 4-5 days off to go there and week would be standard, with the Euros coming up I might run out of annual leave this calendar year.
We're hosting them in the Aviva, not travelling.Quote:
Originally Posted by tetsujin1979
If we make it through Sweden away unbeaten, or perhaps only defeated by Germany, and having beaten the minnows, we'll have a decent chance. Three home games on the bounce then will make or break us. If we're relying on home form though, Trap and co will have to work on being more ruthless at Lansdowne to overcome the Austrians and Swedes.
Sorry, read that backwards for some reasonQuote:
Originally Posted by SwanVsDalton
Super stuff on no more start-of-the-month dates; should be able to make a few more now. Faroes away in October should be interesting - do not book a one-day trip for this one!Quote:
Originally Posted by SwanVsDalton
Because of the way the games are being spread out over a week almost, I've included days in the above post. I've also edited the travel threads in the Fans' Forum.
Full fixtures from http://greenscene.me/2011/11/ireland...res-announced/ :
06/06/2012 Faroe Islands - Austria
07/09/2012 Germany - Faroe Islands
07/09/2012 Kazakhstan - Ireland
11/09/2012 Austria - Germany
11/09/2012 Sweden - Kazakhstan
12/10/2012 Ireland - Germany
12/10/2012 Kazakhstan - Austria
12/10/2012 Faroe Islands - Sweden
16/10/2012 Germany - Sweden
16/10/2012 Faroe Islands - Ireland
16/10/2012 Austria - Kazakhstan
22/03/2013 Sweden - Ireland
22/03/2013 Kazakhstan - Germany
26/03/2013 Germany - Kazakhstan
26/03/2013 Ireland - Austria
11/06/2013 Sweden - Faroe Islands
06/07/2013 Austria - Sweden
06/07/2013 Ireland - Faroe Islands
06/09/2013 Ireland - Sweden
06/09/2013 Germany - Austria
06/09/2013 Kazakhstan - Faroe Islands
10/09/2013 Kazakhstan - Sweden
10/09/2013 Faroe Islands - Germany
10/09/2013 Austria - Ireland
11/10/2013 Germany - Ireland
11/10/2013 Sweden - Austria
11/10/2013 Faroe Islands - Kazakhstan
15/10/2013 Sweden - Germany
15/10/2013 Ireland - Kazakhstan
15/10/2013 Austria - Faroe Islands
March & Sept 2013 to decide our fate probably. The Faroes will be grim in October?
Personally reckon we'll possibly come 3rd as retirements kick in, though the Swedes seem pretty mediocre right now.
I see nothing has changed about the 3 day rest period in between match day for the double headers.
Overall, looking at those fixtures, looks like the WCQ campaign is going to be one hell of a slog.
Group starts in June? Is this new and is it happening in other groups?Quote:
Originally Posted by AlaskaFox
We went there in June last time if I remember right, and it was grim then. Don't think the timing overly matters, the Faroes is just grim full stop. Still a fun trip though.Quote:
Originally Posted by ArdeeBhoy
It's happened before; often one of the smaller countries will start early for some reason.
The 1994 group started in April (granted, it was a big group)
It was June. More bizarre than grim, but the long hours of light made it more bearable.
The weather will probably be worse and the fog issue, getting in and out by air will be potentially be worse.
Still if you go, find their shebeen. Or start yer own.
We play Germnaby on a Friday, not a Monday Pineapple.
We've 6 games on Friday, with four of them being followed by Tuesday games. No away double headers
Can't really argue with that too much. Would have preferred Germany away at the beginning instead of at home but otherwise the big games aren't clustered together so we should have a decent chance of 2nd place.
Those October dates will be very important. Germany away to Ireland and then home to Sweden and then vice versa a year later.
Oh aye bizarre is the word alright. Think the day of the game and the hames trying to get off the island has coloured my thinking, weather wasn't too bad before that.Quote:
Originally Posted by ArdeeBhoy
So we do; was looking at November 2012. Means the Faroes game is on a Tuesday now. Will have to be a full-weeker, that one.Quote:
Originally Posted by Dodge
The weather will be shíte, considerably worse than June, but fog should not be an issue in mid October.Quote:
Originally Posted by ArdeeBhoy
Fog on the Faroes is more a summer affair.
From what I've read, the change in International dates (Thu-Sun, Fri-Mon, Sat-Tue) begins in 2014, more than likely after the World Cup.Quote:
Originally Posted by geysir
Can't see too much wrong with that. Shades of Armenia starting and finishing with Kazakhstan.
Aviva is the same backwards as forwards thoughQuote:
Originally Posted by tetsujin1979
Are those dates absolute, for instance if you are thinking of going to Kazakhstan away and want to book flights now, might the game be switched to Thurs 6th or Sat 8th ?
Don't recall the final fixture list ever being changed before (barring visa problems). So yeah, can't see too much risk booking now.
Can't argue with that sequence of fixtures too much, I suppose.
The only slightly worrying aspect would be if we slipped up in Kazakstan and were straight into a very tough game with Germany. A home game that any country in the world could lose.
Could lose ground quickly.
The Swedish media seem satisfied with that result. They got what they wanted, Germany at home last. Their rationale behind that is that hopefully they will have banked all the points neccessary to be clear of Ireland, and at least secured a playoff spot by that stage. Also they beat Holland at home in the last game of their last campaign and are confident of beating anyone at home in their new stadium(they had a 100% home record in qualification for Euro 2012), if it does come to a winner takes all match between themselves and Germany for top spot.
Rumours persist over whether Zlatan may retire after the Euros. However he has just been awarded his 5th consecutive Swedish Golden Ball award and at the ceremony he stated he wanted to stick around for another campaign. He is such a controversial character (and has just released an equally controversial autobiography), that he has polarised much of the Swedish support. For example many commentators believed Sweden played far better against Holland in Zlatans absence.
I'm happy enough with the fixtures, but believe this group may be just a step too far for us. Would be much more confident of overturning Sweden if we drew them in our Euro 2012 group, but over ten games in qualification they are just so consistent and whilst I think we measure up to them in personnel, I think the crucial difference is Traps old favourite the "mentaliteee" to go and secure away wins against the big guns and confidence to beat any side at home. On the positive side the ageing centre back combination of Majstorovic and Mellberg may be possible to exploit.
Best thing we can hope for is that Sweden have a terrible Euro 2012, Zlatan throws his toys out of the pram, decides to retire and the Swedes enter the WC qualifiers in a state of disorganisation.
I don't think we have to depend on Sweden falling apart in order to have a chance. They have a better record and possibly a better team but I would back us to finish ahead of them on present form. Though it's not going to be pretty.
The Ibrahimovic thing is interesting.
The same was said of Bulgaria with Berbatov, that the team were better without him. He was pretty ineffective against us, but look at how miserably Bulgaria performed in the campaign just gone. I would always be more wary of facing a team with a world class goalscorer than a couple of honest, hard working forwards. Same as us with Robbie Keane - he might not get through the dirty work as much as Doyle or Walters but he's the player other teams are always most wary of.
I think we can take Sweden. They are our benchmark in my mind, and have been for some time now. Norn Iron drew there last year and I think by and large they're like us, no stars (bar Zlatan) but lots of good enough guys. They're northern European too, which I think suits us.
I think even getting one point from Germany might be a result, as it might be one more than Sweden gets. When do GER & SWE play each other?
I'm sure NI would take any positive result they are given but it's four years since NI played Sweden. But agree with the generally gish of your point. Sweden are nothing to fear.Quote:
Originally Posted by Stuttgart88
ger v sweden is on 16th October 2012Quote:
Originally Posted by Stuttgart88
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2014_FI...3_UEFA_Group_C
Full fixture list. Sweden with toughest run in of all 4 potential qualifiers IMO
Do you not think Hamrén has got them playing very well these days? Don't think the challenge is beyond us but it is a massive step up from our previous two second seeds under Trap, Bulgaria and Slovakia, neither of whom, we managed to beat.Quote:
Originally Posted by ifk101
Ps on a completely unrelated note, the hero who nicked the Estonia tracksuit and balls and blagged his way onto the pitch has made the news over here. Fair play to him.
http://www.dn.se/blogg/leonelsguldkorn/?a=
Kazakhstan away first - think it's definitely a goo thing to get that trip out of the way. Echoes of Armenia there. Must be a Trap tactic.
It's really difficult to see Germany dropping many, if any, points in this group. That's a good thing from our perspective as it levels the playing field with ourselves as Sweden.
Sweden home and then Austria and Germany away in Sept/Oct of '13 could make or break it.
Not very happy with the list tbh, especially relating to the Germany games. Delaney probably saw the 10 million on offer for the German game asap, and ran away. But having to go to their (probable) qualification celebration party 12 months later, how or why did he agree to that? :mad:
No double-headers away in the same week either, the run-in looks very tough. Sweden, followed by trips to Vienna and the Germans wouldn't be my idea of a preferred run-in. Vienna is going to be a real banana skin, and we have an awful record there.
Kazachstan dates are the only real ones I could say I'm happy with. The Swedes have done very well with their list, and getting the Germans in their final game at home. I certainly didn't expect that. Germany are usually bankers for the last game at home.
Awkward is the best way I could describe our list, and a real challenge to make the playoffs again.
I'm happy enough. No one has an easy run-in and I think we've done well to get Sweden when we have and those run of home games in the middle will do fine. Sweden may be happy to play Germany at home last, but I'd still rather avoid Germany last full stop. They don't do dead rubbers.
By the time of the last round of games, the Swedes hopefully/probably will be looking at our home tie with the Kazaks, with envy.
Isn't it all centrally distributed now? There's no advantage to drawing Germany over a lesser TV watching nation.Quote:
Originally Posted by mypost
If we have to qualify by beating Kazakhstan in the last game...
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e3...rn32/Borat.gif