Can we all put on our logical lenny lenses please and resist saying who we want to avoid????
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Can we all put on our logical lenny lenses please and resist saying who we want to avoid????
No. I want to avoid anything that leads to Turkey away. Thats my bottom line. I'd be fine with any of the pot 2s really for the reasons in my earlier post.
The universe can do whatever it wants with those statements.
Given how important a game it is i wouldn't be surprised if whoever we face pull a Bosnia on us and hold the game in some small foggy town far from an airport and at the end of a long and ****ty road.Quote:
Originally Posted by OMTY
I watched Wales - North Macedonia last night …..North Macedonia were brutal.
I’m resigned to the fact that we’ll end up with Wales and Denmark (away).
Slovakia are no great shakes so I’d take them in a heartbeat. I’ve not seen much of Czech Republic in recent years but no standout stars in their squad so 50/50 games against both of them.
I think Wales would be a tricky encounter but Poland away is the toughest one. A fit Lewandowski is a scary prospect.
Here we go…
Path D looks easily the most favourable
Definitely.Quote:
Originally Posted by backstothewall
We've dodged Italy!
And Poland!
Not Path A…Phew!
Yesss. Path D it is.
We get Czechia!
Czechia!!!!
NI get Italy.
Sorry Ealing Green.
We’ll play the winner of Denmark v North Macedonia.
Thats the best draw we could’ve hoped for!
Denmark tough if we get past the Czechs, but could definitely have been worse.
I'm assuming North Macedonia lose in Copenhagen - would be a lovely spot for a friendly if it did come to it - but let's look at winning this. The Czechs lost 5-1 in Croatia and away to the Faroes. Needed a late winner at home to the Faroes too.
And we're at home in the final if we get there, which is brilliant.
And…we’d play the Final at Home.
That's a dream of a draw. We couldn't realistically have done better
Home against Denmark to qualify for the World Cup - where have I heard that before?
But have to ignore that one for now. This time last week we were looking at a comfortable defeat confirming elimination with a round to spare. Can't get too cocky just cos Parrott turns out to be God!
Totally agree. About as good as it could be. Denmark could be tricky at home but I think we've shown what we can do now and both games are absolutely winnable. Should be practicing penalties :)
The home draw for the final felt critical...the two games we've just had were a more difficult sequence by a distance...
Name on a trophy!!
As the draw progressed we got pretty much exactly what we wanted. So not Italy, Poland or Turkey, done - home draw in final, also done. Avod real banana skins from potential pot 4 winners eg NI, Sweden, at face value done. Now just the small matter of replicating beating a higher ranked side for 3/4 in a row or not tripping over the supposed lesser side at home. Context, first path a nighmare so luck holds and avoided. Im pretty sure the Czechs and Danes are very happy too, NM also.
God for a week!! Im sure there are plenty doing the very Irish thing of he'll miss the penalty.....Quote:
Originally Posted by pineapple stu
Best draw possible,2 winnable games and all to play for….
Italy were in a different section of the draw - we could never have played them in the first match. Honestly, pay attention.Quote:
Originally Posted by backstothewall
Quite a good draw. Denmark are good though - I saw them play Scotland during the week. They should never have lost in Glasgow. Don't know much about the Czechs. They lost 5-1 to Croatia and had rather a poor qualification group.
But we could have played them in the second match - until we dodged them...?Quote:
Originally Posted by Straightstory
Lost to the Faroes last month too...Quote:
Originally Posted by Straightstory
Not a bad draw at all, though the Danes are rather a bogey team for us.
Is it written in the stars that we should play in the States again? Would be magic. USA '94 probably my favourite World Cup.Quote:
Originally Posted by joey B
Confidently incorrect. Should have got his story straight.Quote:
Originally Posted by Straightstory
I watched the Scotland Denmark game and while Scotland were very good Denmark were in the game bexause they were let. They stepped up more with 10 men on the other hand. The preference is the least worst option of course. I wouldnt have particularly feared this Italy side but I wouldnt have wanted to play Wales. As the mantra goesm lets worry about the next game. North Mcedonia were hammered last time out but arent as bad as that result suggests, I dont think they'll cause a shock but I dont think they'll have another Wales either. We've gotten teams more at our level and that nearly plays against us as slow starters until we have to go at someone and thats from long before this manager.
Worth noting they were unbeaten in the group up to that point - three draws against Belgium and Wales, and won the rest. Only conceded three goals in the first seven matches.Quote:
Originally Posted by Nesta99
I think you're right they won't cause a shock, but they're not complete minnows either. Enjoyed watching them at Euro 2020(1)
Amazing draw. Czechia had a ridiculous qualifying group and are very beatable. Might even suit us to play them away so that the counter game is more in our favour.
The Danes are on a big slump similar to us a few years back and I wouldn't say there's any guarantees they beat the Macedons...perfect draw all things considered.
Cheap enough flights to Prague...any idea when tickets will go on sale from past experience?
Its was an absurd result in the overall context. Everything Wales did hit the back of the net, NM flooded forward and then gave up, they knew they had a fall back of the NL slot too. Conspiracy theorist, once the game was gone, get hammered and hope opposition from higher pots underestimate the Pot 4 rank....it would be a very Italy thing to do, not turn up thinking its only North Macedonia only to find they can be a handful. Denmark wont be that arrogant.Quote:
Originally Posted by pineapple stu
Im struggling to pinpoint what was off about their game in Hampden, and I think its that their are like a side that has just suddenly aged, not saying they have but its how they looked, they were leggy, and the penalty flattered the performance - it was more about how can Scotland manage to lose this rather than Denmark win it. Dorgu was a physical and pacey handful but they werent imposing unlike Denmark teams prior who were units. We'd now have a much more imposing side in that regard and they lacked the Eriksen influence that killed us in the last play-off. Solid but not unlike ourselves missing that world class midfielder pulling the strings.
Anyway this chat about Denmark is premature, I certainly know very little about the Czechs so probably why Im overlooking them a bit.
Where you getting cheap flights.. robbing *******s Ryanair are looking for 500 quid over on Wednesday, back FridayQuote:
Originally Posted by rebelmusic
right lads.. hotel booked.. anyone want to figure out a way of getting there without losing a kidney?
Are you willing to spent a night in a train seat? Prague is well connected by train. There's berths too but they're more expensive. Got the train from Cherbourg to Prague earlier this year (Cherbourg - Paris - Mannheim - Prague) but you could easily fly into, say, Austria, Poland, Germany, etc. and get a train.
Interrail app or bahn.de are great for train times. Interrail gives great ticket prices too.
Denmark were cruising through their group and just needed to beat Belarus at home to qualify, who they had allready beaten 6-0 away. The scraped a draw after being 2-1 down. Just needed a point against scotland and blew that chance too. Thats gotta hurt, i dont think their game v North Macedonia is a walkover for them....anyway lets concentrate on Czechia i guess.
I've heard a small allocation for away fans of 900-1000,anyone else hear this?
Their biggest stadium less than 20K
Will it be Czech mate for us, lads?
I'm seeing 200 out of Cork but that was at 1pm. Won't book anything until I have a ticketQuote:
Originally Posted by Insidetherock
If you could substitute Denmark for Ukraine, it would have been perfection.
Still Czechs apart from their huge heritage were arguably the poorest pot 2 team and we avoided Sweden as a pot 4. I really didn't want the Poles away. Denmark are a fine side but we are at home and if we come through Prague, that is huge.
Italy with their gigantic name would have been a nightmare and Turkey are a really good team.
We have a decent chance.
Not the worst draw by any means, especially when you see what the north got in comparison. That said, we'll still be rank outsiders to qualify from this position. But we can now watch the finals draw next month with genuine interest as there's a not completely unrealistic possibility that we may end up at the tournament, which wouldn't really have been the case if we had drawn Italy away in either fixture.
Unfortunately there's going to be an awful lot of Ireland fans spending huge sums of money to get to Czechia for this who will end up watching the game in a bar in Prague.