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My expectations are: Draw Croatia, Loss Spain, Draw Italy. = 2 points and we go home.
My realistic hope is we are still in it as the last game against Italy comes up and Trap puts one over on his country and we qualify. Jack never lost against England, Trap hasn't lost against Italy.
Statistically we should come home with null poins.
Whatever happens please don't let us go home because of a terrible referee decision.
2 points could be enough if Spain beat everybody and all the other games are draws :)
I hope we'll win it. I expect we won't.
Realistically one or two points are the expectation, five is the hope (unbeaten with a win against Croatia).
Hoping for four points and to dart into the second place with a draw against Croatia and a win against Italy.
Speaking realistically it'd be our greatest achievement ever in the sport if we managed to qualify from this group, the caliber of opposition is too great. I hope we get to the last day with something to play for, even if its only a slim chance hoping on another result. Would be a real dampener to play Italy for nothing but pride, would effectively cut our tournament to 2 games....which isn't much of a tournament.
My expectation is that we'll be out after two games.
My hope is a quarter final or magically a semi-final.
My expectations would be 3 draws.
So spain beat everyone we draw with italy and croatia and Italy v Croatia is a draw?
Murf, in any sport. Grand slam is nothing to getting through the group we are in.
Its like beating Australia(oz behind SA and NZ, a bit like spain and italy and then croatia) in the RWC every game.
2 opening draws followed by an edge of the seat win against the italians. Progression into the quarters where no matter who we get we will give them one hell of a game.
Im quietly confident that we are going to surprise quite a few people.
I wont be making the trip, but our fan base there is going to make a massive impact imo and really will help the team.
Memories of the fans in paris spring to mind.....to those going do as we always do.....Roar the roof off the stadium. COYBIG
I hope we get a rub of the green at some stage that I am sure our gritty, organised and determined performances will merit, if it comes, and squeeze out of the group, but it will be by a toe nail if we do.
I expect us to be well set up, drilled, organised, no one will be more aware than Trap of how unlikely it is, and if we cant progress, emerge at least with credit. We will create a small handful of chance, the guys they fall to have to put them in.
I would love to see the man who was playing for Derry ten minutes ago slam one in off the crossbar from outside the box against a world power, just to laugh at the bar stool boys for evermore.
Most of all, I am going to enjoy every moment, I cannot wait for it to begin. I was in National school last time we made the Euro's and was young enough at the time to believe Ireland did this most summers. Wrong.
I expect nothing. 3 defeats.
I hope we can suckerpunch Spain and get a sneaky 1-0 win, with echos of the north and Gerry Armstrong and all that, and be in for a hell of a ride trying to pinch the points to get through in the remaining 2 games, hoping Spain do us a couple of favours along the way
Realistically, I think Ireland will finish last or third by picking up a win or draw from the Italians but will get nothing against Croatia and battle bravely against Spain, only to eventually succumb to the wrath of their superior talents.
On the other hand, I'm hoping for qualification (as with all other Irish supporters) to the next round. I think it's very conceivable that we'll manage to do so, by beating Italy and getting at least another draw, maybe 2 or maybe another win or 2.
I think Shane Long is one of our players who has quite a strong chance of taking the tournament by storm, with his incessant ability to run the channels, link-up and finish off opportunities. But for injuries depriving him of momentum, he could have finished the season with a double-digit Premiership goal tally, having scored crucial goals against Man United and Chelsea in his first handful of games. However, it does appear presently that Trap will persist with the Doyle-Keane partnership that tends to combine graft with guile to strong enough effect. I do maintain, though, that if given the chance, Long may well find the back of the net a few times.
As well as Long, McClean is an obvious hook on which to hang the coat of hope. He took the Premiership by storm and there exists the hope that he can translate this into international form. To see him terrorizing the full backs of La Liga, Serie A and Bundesliga would be a further demonstration of his ability to surprise and take games by the scruff of the neck, no matter who the opponent. I really hope he proves against Bosnia that he has all the traits required to fit into Trap's system. Were it not for his uncanny ability to produce a goal, I'd prefer him as an option off the bench but I think substitute appearances don't provide him with ample enough opportunity to nab an early, unexpected goal, which I think will be required at least one stage of the qualifiers.
I think we'll be lucky to score even a single goal in the tournament. Anything better than that is a bonus. I'm just happy to be there.
I think we will draw our first two games and win against Italy.
Spain will do a France (wc2002) on it and go out with two draws and a loss.
Croatia will win the group with a draw and two wins.
Just to clarify, we finish second in the above scenario
For no reason what so ever I feel we are going to get out of the group.
I've had this feeling for a while now and my typical pessimism hasn't come home yet.
We will know more after today's game.
Such a tall task to get out of this group, but it's all I can think of. Scared of the Croatia game because I know both teams will be playing as tho their life depends on it. Rather we were playing Italy or Spain out of the gate, they're used to sauntering to the latter stages of competitions and might not have the same sense of urgency on match day 1.
Seeking refuge in the fact Croatia lost at Georgia and Greece. Just hope it's our day!
I expect to have a really good time.
I hope not to suffer outright liver failure.
I think we are close to the waterline
This is bound to go down as the big one.
I've a tenner on Ireland and Croatia to get out of the group (35/1). Could've gotten 60/1 if I'd called Croatia to win it or 80/1 for Ireland to come first.
In the much mooted possibility of Spain walking the group (I really can't see it) the possibility of us finishing 2nd with just two points is a live one.
Conversely -my nightmare scenario is a dazzling display by Ireland matched by an Italian capitulation where Italy go home with three defeats and Ireland go home after finishing 3rd with six points. Lopsided groups do throw up those phenomena.