QuoteAlong with Israel, Cyprus and the Faeroe Islands. All capable of taking points off Ireland.
And the bloody Swiss!
Along with Israel, Cyprus and the Faeroe Islands. All capable of taking points off Ireland.
If Israel still have to play their "home" games in Cyprus, the FAI should make it a double header and save the fans 2 trips to the same place
Last edited by Daxion; 05/12/2003 at 5:07 PM.
We can definitely take the Swiss, Israel, Cyprus and the Faroes. It's going to be a battle for second place, but I wouldn't be too disheartened. That group with the Dutch, the Czechs and the Romanians looks a lot worse to me.
Maybe you should put her on a leash, agent-man.
Definitely possible to come 2nd . Time for revenge with the Swiss. Two trips to Cyprus is a nice prospect (Israel are playing their home games their at the moment ) . At least their shouldn't be any hassle getting tickets for the Stade de France !!
Yeh could have been worse, if we cant come second then were just not good enough.
We probably will have the worst home ground out of all the teams in the group including the Faroes . At least when we are playing them we don't have to worry about Lansdowne Road , St Annes Park should do the business
It's not an easy group, but thankfully it's not Group 1 or 2 - they are groups of death!
Well there goes the Spring friendly in Paris up in smoke!
I hate that we'll be basically playing for a playoff.They've not been kind to us(against european opposition).
Anyway some interesting trips ahead,can't way to go to Faroe Islands(their pitch is perched in the middle of huge fjords),Cyprus trip has to be a double header agreed, and it looks like we'll see Basel again (Tram 14 here we come!)
<insert witty remark>
Second place isn't definitely a play off, the two best runners up qualify automatically.
I'm strangely happy with Irelands group. We're essentially playing for second place, which means we can't really lose against France. If we get beaten it wont really effect us too much so any result we get there is a bonus, and despite the 2004 qualifyers I'm fairly confident we'll get our revenge on Switzerland. Israel will be tricky, hopefully they're still playing in Cyprus though, but Cyprus themselves and the Faroes should be four relatively easy wins for us anyway.
Group 2 was the one I wanted to avoid, it's one of the big ones which would be a pain and it's really a group that could go either way, not a weak team in there except Kazakhstan and even then they're an unknown quantity.
Tricky group could have been better could have been worse. But World Cup 2002 was harder with Holland and Portugal. We should get revenge on an over confident Swiss side. Faroes should be beaten twice. Same for Cyprus and Israel who will be approached with caution. A result away to the French would be a bonus. Result required at home.
They should try to get the Swiss away for the first game. Banish the ghosts and get our campaign going. Hopefully against a tournament playing side who will be tired. Then France away who will also be hungover from the Europeans.
Yeah, but France have an exceptional qualifying record of late (100% records in Euro 2004 and Euro 1992, didn't have to qualify for 2002, 2000 or 1998). If they beat us home and away - quite possible - that's six points gone and we're not going to have the best second-placed record.Originally posted by Slash/ED
Second place isn't definitely a play off, the two best runners up qualify automatically.
2nd place is an altogether realistic target for us. There's no reason why we can't beat Switzerland. They're 40th odd in the world, they're not the greatest side out.
Should expect full points from all the Faroe, Cyprus and Israel games.
Being honest, I can't see us getting anything from France. A draw at home may be the best we can hope for.
What happens if we finish 3rd? There's a 'best of the runners up' thing, aye?
Nothing for third place, the best two second-placed teams qualify.Originally posted by brendy_eire
What happens if we finish 3rd? There's a 'best of the runners up' thing, aye?
looks like playoff spot for us cos of the 2 losses to france (u never know tho, post euro hangover n all that). theres no way we'll get 6 wins from faroes, cyprus and israel. we're bound to get a draw or 2 with that lot
the scheduling will be important, but so will where we play the games. we wud look like idiots if we play our games abroad
Followin Our Own Teams In Eire
theres no cure for the League of Ireland bug. spread it :)
Let's not forget what the Senegalese, Danes and Uruguayans did to France at the World Cup. They're not invincible at the back and Desailly won't last forever.
I think second place is a real possibility so long as we can win our games against Cyprus, Isreal and the Faroes while taking at least four or five out of twelve against the Swiss/French, winning the group is highly unlikely.
A win and a draw Vs. the Swiss along with a draw and a loss against the French would be good.
Isreal is the only team there that would really worry me, we should take ten points at least from the four games Vs. Cyprus/Faroes.
A rough guess would be nineteen or twenty points for us. Should be enough a play-off spot and hopefully the best or second best runner-up record.
And stay out of Bumtown, ya no talent bum.
First off, it's a six team group, so Kerr has more preparation time.
Hopefully Cyprus and Israel will be in the same away trip. Can't wait for the Stade de France. I didn't want the Swiss, but at least we can bury the ghosts of Basel once and for all. Could have been worse. Faroes, Cyprus should be twelve points. Israel could be tricky but should be another six.
We can finish second, no question about it. I can't see us getting the automatic best second place, but you'd never know, a point form France would be needed.
Group 8 How will it be decided?
The way I understand it is.... The first team from all 8 groups qualify. The two best teams coming in second also qualify.....The remaining 6 teams will be drawn against each other and the three winners qualify. There are 52 teams in Europe taking part and 14 qualifiers..Germany are already in so that would leave the thirteen places mentioned above. However one question.. How will the teams that qualify automatically in second place be determined when there are 5 groups of 6 and 3 groups of 7 which will have higher and lower points and goals...............???????
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