Bulgaria Sack Markov (their manager)

**paul_oshea** · 03/12/2008, 12:18 PM

Thats again assuming too much in relation to other games, and you know what to assume does....

**geysir** · 03/12/2008, 1:06 PM

We would be favourites based on the most likely outcomes in the later games.
That's what odds are based on.
I'm not saying it will happen should we beat Bulgaria at home.

Assuming that we can beat Georgia again

**elroy** · 03/12/2008, 2:57 PM

Originally Posted by paul_oshea

This could be a 2nd place finish by the easiest of margins given how poor the opposition actually turn out to be, and then prematurely we could be singing Trap as IL Savior

Remember the lowest second place will not even get a play off slot so even if we are comfortable in second it will be important to amass as many points as possible.

**NeilMcD** · 03/12/2008, 2:59 PM

I think that will be Scotland or Macedonia or Norway in my opinion.

**Brendan 82** · 03/12/2008, 3:12 PM

If we beat Georgia (2/11/09) and Bulgaria (28/3/09) it will be looking a bit bleak for Bulgaria.

We still would have our three hardest games yet to play, Italy away (1/4/09) Bulgaria away (6/6/09) and Cyprus away (5/9/09), but at least we would be heading to those places with some points earned.

Bulgaria, potentially still on three points, will then play Cyprus at home, who will have most likely just beaten Georgia at home (28/3/09), they will be tough to beat. Then we play Bulgaria in Sofia. They still have to play Italy and Cyprus away after that. I think they might just run out of games to make up the difference.

I really think that if we win our next two games and avoid complete disaster after that, we will come second.

Trapp will engineer a playoff victory, but it won't be pretty!

**paul_oshea** · 03/12/2008, 3:45 PM

Originally Posted by elroy

Remember the lowest second place will not even get a play off slot so even if we are comfortable in second it will be important to amass as many points as possible.

I know and more importantly if georgia finish last, with us beating them twice which we hope they could well finish last and leave us in a worse position than bulgaria if they were to finish second, assuming they also beat them at home. I meant to add that earlier.

**Lenny82** · 03/12/2008, 3:51 PM

Jesus Brendan, I hope you are right.
If we don't win our next 2 games then we don't deserve to go to the World Cup. I think we will lose in Italy so it is vital to avoid defeat in Bulgaria and Cyprus after that but nothing is gauranteed and there is every chance we could come away from those 3 games with zero points if luck is against us. Italy and Montenegro at home is not a gauranteed 6 points either.

4 wins and a draw from our opening 5 games is a must and will put us in a great position for the last 5 games. Assuming worst case scenario and we lose home and away to Italy, a home win against Montenegro and 2 away draws in Bulgaria and Cyprus would definitely put us in 2nd place and definitely in line for a play-off spot, unless, by some miracle, Bulgaria win in Italy and Cyprus!!

**John83** · 03/12/2008, 5:28 PM

Originally Posted by Lenny82

...4 wins and a draw from our opening 5 games is a must...

This is what I don't get about football fans. Thirteen points from the first five games would put us no worse than joint first. That's not 'a must'. It's damn near ideal, it's unlikely and it's almost certainly unnecessary to finish second.

**Lenny82** · 04/12/2008, 7:44 AM

Originally Posted by John83

This is what I don't get about football fans. Thirteen points from the first five games would put us no worse than joint first. That's not 'a must'. It's damn near ideal, it's unlikely and it's almost certainly unnecessary to finish second.

4 wins and a draw from the opening 5 games IS a must when you consider the fact that we have to go to Italy, Bulgaria and Cyprus and then play the World Champions again at home in our last 5 games.
The fixtures for our 1st 5 games are the easiest of the group. 3 home games, 1 away game to Montenegro, and 1 game at a nuetral venue and seen as our away record is far from fantastic, we really need to make the most of the 1st half of this campaign.

**Kingdom** · 13/12/2008, 9:52 AM

I know I'll get killed for this, but Lawrie Sanchez was on soccer am today and they're alluding that he's thrown his hat into the ring for the Bulgaria job. Please let it be. He wasn't denying it either.
He's a smug bast*rd.

**Irish_Praha** · 13/12/2008, 11:45 AM

Originally Posted by Kingdom

I know I'll get killed for this, but they're alluding that he's thrown his hat into the ring for the Bulgaria job. Please let it be.
He's a smug bast*rd.

Who? Roy Keane?