So who is going to Qualify from Ireland's Group

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Originally Posted by Lionel Ritchie

Other credible away wins have to include Albania 93 (came from a goal down) and the Lithuania/Latvia double header a couple of months later

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The same week actually - very good performance taking nine points from three awkward-ish away games (as much in terms of the conditions of the places as anything else) in the space of 21 days.

But yeah, we haven't beaten anyone of note away since Scotland.

We need to start believing we can win home or away. Close down their back players from minute one. No allowing them to settle or bring it out from the back. OK not my origianal idea! but it works a lot of times. And it can work against the Slovaks and Czechs.

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Originally Posted by youngirish

What's most interesting about that quote eirebhoy is that it proves footballers shouldn't attempt complex mathematical problems (addition). 4 points is never going to be enough bar Wales or Cyprus performing a miracle against the Czechs.

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I'd be suprised if the Czechs got 6 points from the Wales and Cyprus games. 4 points from the next 2 games and I'd be confident of qualifying. They're the 2 toughest games we have left.

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Originally Posted by eirebhoy

I'd be suprised if the Czechs got 6 points from the Wales and Cyprus games. 4 points from the next 2 games and I'd be confident of qualifying. They're the 2 toughest games we have left.

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I think Germany at home will be tougher than Slovakia away. The Germans have been decent away all through qualifying (bar the mishap in Cyprus). It doesn't seem to matter that much to them whether they are playing at home or away.

I think it'll come down to us needing to beat the Czechs away to progress though hopefully they'll slip up instead in a couple of their other games (Slovakia, Wales or Cyprus) and a draw will be enough.

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Originally Posted by youngirish

Surely the perfectly good goal against Belgium in 81 away that was disallowed (think it was Stapleton) that cost us qualification for the 82 World Cup and delayed our progression to the position of one of the elite footballing powers in Europe by another six years (a position we still occupy to this day) was the most costly of all by a distance.
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I was at that game but can't remember the disallowed goal (happens with age). I remember their goal being a bit iffy and being wet and depressed but that's not an unusual feeling for an Irish fan.

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Originally Posted by OwlsFan

I was at that game but can't remember the disallowed goal (happens with age). I remember their goal being a bit iffy and being wet and depressed but that's not an unusual feeling for an Irish fan.

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You can't remember :eek:

Brady dinked a free kick over the wall, Stapleton ran past a defender, the defender was impeded by the ref (who is part of play) and Stapo slotted home. Then in the last minute Eric Gerets surged forward and dived at least twenty yards (look it up). They smacked the resultant free kick against the bar and Ceulemans headed home while holding down Seamus McDonagh.

ROBBED, RAPED, GIVEN IT UP THE AR$E.

Bulgaria in 77 was 100% Iron Curtain corruption. Michel Hidalgo (French Manager, they were in our group) was awoken in the middle of the night before the game by a man and two prostitutes who entered his room by mistake. The following day Hidalgo recognised the referee, yep you got it. Hookers and Rolex's, thats they way it was done in the 60's and 70's. A perfect Giles goal dissallowed, a dodgy Bulgarian goal, a 20 man brawl and four sent off.

It was Chelsea-Arsenal, Betis-Sevilla and Valencia-Inter all rolled into one.

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Originally Posted by OwlsFan

We were lucky for the 0-1 in Scotland. The quick free kick that led to the goal wasn't taken from the right spot.

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STOP.

We dominated the game from start to finish.

Probably the best XI players assembled on the pitch at the same time.

McGrath and Whelan were the full backs. Davie Cooper (RIP) never got a kick.

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Originally Posted by stojkovic

You can't remember :eek:

Brady dinked a free kick over the wall, Stapleton ran past a defender, the defender was impeded by the ref (who is part of play) and Stapo slotted home. Then in the last minute Eric Gerets surged forward and dived at least twenty yards (look it up). They smacked the resultant free kick against the bar and Ceulemans headed home while holding down Seamus McDonagh.

ROBBED, RAPED, GIVEN IT UP THE AR$E.

Bulgaria in 77 was 100% Iron Curtain corruption. Michel Hidalgo (French Manager, they were in our group) was awoken in the middle of the night before the game by a man and two prostitutes who entered his room by mistake. The following day Hidalgo recognised the referee, yep you got it. Hookers and Rolex's, thats they way it was done in the 60's and 70's. A perfect Giles goal dissallowed, a dodgy Bulgarian goal, a 20 man brawl and four sent off.

It was Chelsea-Arsenal, Betis-Sevilla and Valencia-Inter all rolled into one.

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I was ill for a week after that Bulgaria game. That game was an absolute sickner. RTE came back after the half-time break and we saw the IRISH players hugging each other. We had equalised and RTE had been showing rantacar ads! Then Giles scored and it was disallowed for Johnny having wavy hair. I went to the Belgium game and again remember the mill (Shepherds Bush crew of about 4!). The disallowed goal. The ****ing down rain. The coach window been hit by a brick. Staying in Ostend in freezing March. And all this for 79 pounds and 50 pence!