World Cup Qualifying 2018, UEFA Group D - Opponent Watch

**DannyInvincible** · 14/06/2017, 6:59 PM

Originally Posted by DeLorean

I think there's a big difference between "playing for a draw", and believing a more cautious approach gives you a better chance of winning the game. It's the latter that I think O'Neill was guilty of against Austria. I didn't agree with his strategy but I don't think he was happy with the draw either, or indeed the execution of his game plan.

That's probably a better way of putting it, in fairness.

The pattern of play against our main group competitors at home seems to be to play very cautiously - giving our opponents a greater deal of respect than they probably deserve - and then making a big push for the final quarter or so. From what I can recall (and correct me if I'm wrong), against Poland (in the last qualification campaign), Wales and Austria all at home, that late burst proved to be just too late for us to snatch the three points and we've ended up with draws in games when we really could have won them had we started as we finished. Had we had another ten minutes or so in each of those three games, I think we could have won them. Despite having clawed back and squaring things up from being a goal down in two of those games, the end-result of a draw still felt oddly frustrating or irritating in the immediate aftermath considering how strongly I think we had finished those games.

**liamoo11** · 14/06/2017, 7:56 PM

Originally Posted by Real ale Madrid

Obviously it would be better if we won - but the fact remains Austria are still in the game, although I don't hold out much hope that they get a result in Cardiff.

I see no reason why people would think Wales will definitely beat Austria at home. Wales were seriously lucky to draw with georgia and Serbia at home. They are no more impressive than us and Austria certainly have more squad depth. I think Austria will be revitalised come September they Know they have it in their hands to have a great chance to at least finish second. I'd have more money on Austria been in the shake up than Wales and I'm certainly happier we r heading to Cardiff in last game than vienna.

**DeLorean** · 16/08/2017, 9:23 AM

Serbia recall Torino's Adem Ljajic as they announce squad for Moldova/Ireland double header - http://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/s...sh-457140.html

Originally Posted by Serbia squad for World Cup qualifiers against Moldova and Ireland

Goalkeepers:
Vladimir Stojkovic, Aleksandar Jovanovic (Partizan), Predrag Rajkovic (Maccabi Haifa), Marko Dmitrovic (Eibar).

Defenders:
Branislav Ivanovic (Zenit), Jagos Vukovic (Olympiacos), Stefan Mitrovic (Gent), Nikola Maksimovic (Napoli), Matija Nastasic (Schalke), Aleksandar Kolarov (Roma), Uros Spajic (Anderleht), Ivan Obradovic (Anderlecht), Antonio Rukavina (Villarreal).

Midfielders:
Ljubomir Fejsa (Benfica), Luka Milivojevic (Crystal Palace), Nemanja Matic (Manchester United), Nemanja Gudelj (Tijandin Teda, China), Nemanja Maksimovic (Valencia).

Forwards:
Dusan Tadic (Southampton), Filip Kostic (Hamburg), Adem Ljajic (Torino), Aleksandar Mitrovic (Newcastle Utd), Andrija Pavlovic (Copenhagen), Mijat Gacinovic (Eintracht Frankfurt), Aleksandar Prijovic (PAOK).

**liamoo11** · 16/08/2017, 9:45 AM

Originally Posted by DeLorean

Serbia recall Torino's Adem Ljajic as they announce squad for Moldova/Ireland double header - http://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/s...sh-457140.html

See stojkovic has been released by forest

**DeLorean** · 16/08/2017, 10:01 AM

Originally Posted by liamoo11

See stojkovic has been released by forest

Oh right... I just assumed both goalkeepers were on the books at Partizan.

**liamoo11** · 16/08/2017, 10:12 AM

Originally Posted by DeLorean

Oh right... I just assumed both goalkeepers were on the books at Partizan.

You are completely right it seems http://www.nottinghampost.com/sport/...ojkovic-323935 . He still seems to be there first choice for Serbia hopefully a possible weak link

**Diggs246** · 16/08/2017, 10:43 AM

I hope Serbia play Predrag Rajkovic in nets against us, he "played" against us out in Serbia and quite frankly I thought he wasn't even good enough to be a professional footballer

**seanfhear** · 16/08/2017, 12:49 PM

Originally Posted by Diggs246

I hope Serbia play Predrag Rajkovic in nets against us, he "played" against us out in Serbia and quite frankly I thought he wasn't even good enough to be a professional footballer

Is he good enough to be a professional Goalkeeper ...Only Kidding....

**DannyInvincible** · 01/09/2017, 11:31 PM

Originally Posted by Diggs246

I hope Serbia play Predrag Rajkovic in nets against us, he "played" against us out in Serbia and quite frankly I thought he wasn't even good enough to be a professional footballer

He did look very flaky. He also played against Dundalk for Maccabi Tel Aviv in last season's Europa League and didn't look too sharp.

Originally Posted by DeLorean

Serbia recall Torino's Adem Ljajic as they announce squad for Moldova/Ireland double header - http://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/s...sh-457140.html

Interestingly, Adem Ljajić, who is an ethnic Bosniak Muslim, was suspended by the Serbian association in 2012 for having opted out of singing the Serbian national anthem before a match. Serbia's manager at the time, Sini�a Mihajlović, enforced a policy demanding that his players should sing the anthem. As a result, Ljajić didn�t play for the national team again until Mihajlović's time in charge came to an end in February of 2014. That Examiner piece mentions how he recently impressed the current Serbian boss in order to "lose his outcast status"; I wonder is Ljajić still regarded as an unpopular or controversial figure in Serbia - or at least amongst ethnic Serbs who make up the overwhelming majority (over 80 per cent) of the Serbian population - as a result of the earlier anthem thing...

**DannyInvincible** · 02/09/2017, 8:19 PM

Cracking goal for Woodburn to put Wales 1-0 ahead against Austria, but an awful result for us if it stays like this. If we draw against Serbia (bringing us to 14 points) and Wales beat Moldova (also bringing them to 14 points), am I correct in thinking they're back in second place ahead of us on goal difference?

**DannyInvincible** · 02/09/2017, 8:40 PM

An amazing finish from Wales there too. They should/could have scored three further goals in stoppage time alone. They kept attacking until the final whistle and fully deserve to be back in reckoning in this group. If that was us, we'd have been sitting back trying to soak up the pressure and it would be nail-biting. We really need to beat Serbia now on Tuesday or we're in trouble.

**Bungle** · 02/09/2017, 8:48 PM

We simply have to beat Serbia now. Very annoying that we have let Wales back in to this group.

Let's just hope that Georgia can do us a favour on Tuesday and beat/draw with Wales.

**tricky_colour** · 02/09/2017, 9:31 PM

Cracking goal! Only 17 too!

He is gonna be worth a bob or two.

That and Bale, Wales is our final game, away, could be very final.

Sorry if I am sounding pessimistic!

**DeLorean** · 02/09/2017, 10:55 PM

Originally Posted by Bungle

Let's just hope that Georgia can do us a favour on Tuesday and beat/draw with Wales.

Wales play Moldova on Tuesday which seems inconvenient right now as it's a good chance for them to sustain their momentum. On the flip side, they'll be flying back from Tbilisi (hopefully after a negative result) before they play us.

**boysingreen** · 03/09/2017, 12:03 AM

Even if we beat Serbia now, we'll only go a point clear of them.

So we'd probably also need Austria to take points off them in Vienna, or Georgia in Belgrade, because it's a long shot we'd take 3 points in Cardiff.

**DeLorean** · 03/09/2017, 12:06 AM

An unmotivated Austria at that. It's been a bad day that should've been even worse.

**tricky_colour** · 03/09/2017, 12:57 AM

Hopefully we can bounce back from this, we should I believe be taking a good squad, no new injuries or yellows?

This game was always the big one anyway even if we had won, it is a 6 pointer after all.

Look on it as a bad game out of the way and hopefully a good result to follow!

**DeLorean** · 03/09/2017, 9:59 AM

We've three bad games out of the way now since Vienna... and a couple prior to that as well.

**Cymro** · 03/09/2017, 1:52 PM

Well, last night keeps the interest in this group. I had a tenner on Ireland to beat Georgia and thought it would come good in the final minute with McCarthy's chance - but in truth Georgia probably should have won that. Austria can feel a bit aggrieved too, but as bad as we were in the first half we showed much more attacking intent towards the end of the game. A draw was no good for either side anyway, so at least one of us can carry on

Tuesday's games are very important now, anything other than an Irish win is probably a decent result for us if we can beat Moldova. However, it's hard to say as an Irish win keeps us in with a better chance of winning the group. Draw is great so please let O'Neill do his steady Eddie tactics!

If either we or you end up in the play-offs, none of the teams we might face, with the exception of Italy and possibly Portugal although I think they can still win their group, fill me with great dread.

**DannyInvincible** · 03/09/2017, 3:31 PM

Originally Posted by Cymro

I had a tenner on Ireland to beat Georgia and thought it would come good in the final minute with McCarthy's chance - but in truth Georgia probably should have won that.

McCarthy is injured. You must be confusing him with either McClean or McGeady, both of whom missed very good chances in the latter stage of the game.