Yeah Sweden look a shadow of their usually efficient selves. I wouldn't be too fussed whether it's them or Bosnia, Hungary the dream ticket and Ukraine the nightmare, but hardly that big a nightmare really.Quote:
Originally Posted by Kingdom
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Yeah Sweden look a shadow of their usually efficient selves. I wouldn't be too fussed whether it's them or Bosnia, Hungary the dream ticket and Ukraine the nightmare, but hardly that big a nightmare really.Quote:
Originally Posted by Kingdom
There's not a lot of difference between seeded and unseeded.
I'd rate Bosnia the best seeded team there.
i think they were actually top ranked team in their group but started badly.Quote:
Originally Posted by geysir
for ireland i think having the away leg first is nearly more important than who we draw. could we get trap in to coach the away leg ??
I don't know why Ukraine are regarded a nightmare, they are an average team. If we draw them it's 50/50 imo.Quote:
Originally Posted by DeLorean
There are a lot of unknowns here. An injury to Dzeko or Ibrahimovich could massively change our thoughts on playing Bosnia or Sweden
i would argue that a Poland side with a serious in form lewandowski are at least as good as any of the seeded teams
Polish team with Lewandowski is better than all the playoff teams by virtue of the fact that they didnt need a playoff to get through!Quote:
Originally Posted by elroy
Can I just point out something with Hungary....they've been bringing through a decent group of youth teams since the Millenium, nothing crazy in the scheme of things, but decent for them, and football does seem to be on the upswing there. They were unlucky in the extreme in the youth world cup, conceding in the last minute to go to extra time against eventual winners serbia. They've had some really notable results underage too, and facing us will not be something they're fearful of.
In the last few qualifiers:
Euro12 a crazy last round saw them edged out for second, WC14 a last minute Romania goal kept them out of the playoffs (which Romania made)
Even this group, they were the better team in Belfast before Lafferty struck late on to equalise, which ultimately kept Romania just ahead.
They're not to be feared either, but they're no mugs.
That should go without saying, otherwise we would say nothing.Quote:
Originally Posted by backtowalsall
Hungary finished third in the group of bottlers (Faroes excepted of course).Quote:
Originally Posted by Kingdom
Spot on, I wouldn't go as far as saying Hungary are a dream ticket though, but they'd be my pick from that bunch.Quote:
Originally Posted by DeLorean
NI managed to beat them in Budapest, although it is over a year ago now.Quote:
Originally Posted by Kingdom
If we consider last week's 2 games to have been a playoff of sorts we went through on away goals
Germany and Poland will both be stronger than any of those sides
We have at least a 50/50 chance against any of the play off opponents and seeded or unseeded makes little difference. We just have to turn up in fine fettle to take the advantage.Quote:
Originally Posted by backtowalsall
Are the unseeded teams drawn to play at home first in these playoffs
Bucharest
Ukraine - win in Belarus, point in Slovakia
Hungary - Point in Bucharest, Point in Belfast
Sweden - point in Vienna, point home v Russia, 4 points v Montenegro
Bosnia - 4 points from Wales, Point in Bruxelles
Slovenia - win v Switzerland, win in Vilnius,
Norway - 6 points v Bulgaria, home win v Croatia
Denmark - 6 points v Serbia, rescued point away v Albania.
these are some of the nice results the other play-off qualifiers achieved versus their peers. We took a point away to Scotland and at home to Poland.
I'm worried.
Ireland - 4 points from Germany, point in Glasgow
Why leave out the fact we got 4 points against Germany?Quote:
Originally Posted by Kingdom
I used the phrase "versus their peers" specifically. We achieved two incredible results versus Germany, in both situations where there was no pressure, and no expectation. The days where there was pressure to beat our peers, Scotland and Poland, we failed on 3/4 ties, the Poland home tie was when we responded. That is what worries me.Quote:
Originally Posted by MeathDrog
we lost in glasgow.Quote:
Originally Posted by backtowalsall
So what is the current situation in a comprehensible manner?
ie something like this:
the Irish team have discovered their four potential playoff opponents: Sweden, Ukraine, Hungary and Bosnia.
Quite frankly that's not one of your better posts Kingdom, you are indulging in contrivance.Quote:
Originally Posted by Kingdom
There was no such thing as playing Germany with no pressure, what planet are you on?
Celtic were invariably at home first in their great run to the UEFA Cup final under O'Neill. Not sure it matters too much to us. In theory being at home first would give us a better chance of having something to hold on to going into second leg. By the same token playing away first means there's a bigger chance we'll have to chase the tie in the second leg. Think I'd prefer to be hanging on than chasing.Quote:
Originally Posted by zero
That's it, I think.Quote:
Originally Posted by tricky_colour
Maybe. :)
Ah right. So we might as well put an asterisk beside every win we have ever had against better sides than us due to "no pressure or expectation". :rolleyes:Quote:
Originally Posted by Kingdom
Daft comparison.
So if we do qualify then we will be in Pot 4 for the EURO 2016 group stages and drawn against 3 teams who are theoretically better than us.
We need to have a better coefficient than 6 other teams there to make Pot 3. We are already 'better' than four N. Ireland, Wales, Iceland and Albania who have all qualified. So we would like Norway and Slovenia to also qualify through their playoff. It might make life a little easier at the tournament proper - but then again with Wales and Iceland in the bottom Pot who knows.
So I want:
Slovenia to beat Hungary
Norway to beat Sweden
Ireland to beat Bosnia
Ukraine to beat Denmark
This gives the other two teams with lower coefficients (Norway and Slovenia) a chance to qualify too and I think we can take Bosnia. And also puts Ukraine in Pot 2 for the potential of an easy draw!
Then in France we have can have a group of England, Ukraine, Ireland, N.Ireland and take it from there!!
I do understand where he's coming from when I draw a comparison between the home game against Scotland and the home game against Germany. Admittedly, Germany are a far superior outfit and one we weren't expected by anyone to beat. On the other hand, Scotland came here and, whilst we put in a good performance, managed to get a draw from us. I found that really disappointing, personally, and really lowered my expectations going into the Germany and Poland games this past week.Quote:
Originally Posted by geysir
In effect, we lost over two legs to both Poland and Scotland. We'll be playing sides of that calibre or similar in the play-offs and we'll probably need to draw away and win at home- we didn't manage to draw away to either Poland or Scotland.
I don't think Kingdom was disputing the validity of our 4 points against the Germans but it was worth noting when stating the notable results of the seeded sides.
Hard to know who I fear from that 4. Probably Ukraine the most. I think Hungary would be the best draw for us, as most people do. Tamas Priskin is their centre forward. Keane signed him for Ipswich and he was pretty poor. It's understandable that people would prefer facing him to Dzeko, Ibrahimovic and Konoplyanka.
Si we face one of these four.
------- --p-------w------d-------l--------f------a-------gd------ots
hungary 10 4 4 2 11 9 2 16
Sweden 10 5 3 2 15 9 6 18
Ukraine 10 6 1 3 14 4 10 19
Bosnia 10 5 2 3 17 12 5 17
---------------------------------------------
Ireland 10 5 3 2 19 7 12 18
Do I hate the editor it is useless!!
Draw looks fine if we avoid Ukraine, they are the booby prize
Yes I think someone posted a list of four teams, but nothing else was not sure what they signicified so I had to find out myself.Quote:
Originally Posted by Philly
I think is current form rather than historic form we should look at even over a year a teams form can change dramitically.Quote:
Originally Posted by davidatrb
I mean look at Chelsea for example great last year crap this year.
When is the draw?
Sunday morning... 10am-ish.
Would still prefer to avoid them though.Quote:
Originally Posted by tricky_colour
I am quite optimistic we will qualify now especially if we avoid Ukraine.
Said before though it is quite likely it will go to penalties?
I think we will given than are not eligible for international national competitions!!;)Quote:
Originally Posted by DeLorean
[edited to make more sense, or not as the case may be!! ;) ]
Never thought of that.
Ideally Hungary, but I would take anyone other than Ukraine.
If you think there is the same pressure and expectation playing away to Germany, Netherlands, Spain, Portugal, the standard-bearers (usually) of European football, as there is playing Scotland, Austria, Slovakia, or any other of the 20 middling teams in the Eurozone, then it's not me that is on a different planet.Quote:
Originally Posted by geysir
I think that is a particularly unfair thing to hold against me.Quote:
Originally Posted by MeathDrog
thank you.Quote:
Originally Posted by Olé Olé
To be fair I think your point was valid enough as well. I wouldn't get too bogged down with the various points some of our potential opponents picked up though. You must admit you'd surely be more concerned if any of them had picked up four points against a Germany or Spain than drips and drabs against so called direct rivals? I definitely would anyway.Quote:
Originally Posted by Kingdom