Play Off Predictions?

[SkStu]

You are right...we'd be much better under Stan and Kerr...maybe it was a mistake for us to get rid of Stan...if we kept him on, we'd be playing lovely free flowing football now, we'd have cruised through the group, hammered the Italians, got revenge on the Cypriots by thrashing them home and away.

We'd have won 10, lost none and drawn none, goals for 50, against 0. Bring back Stan.

yes, because thats exactly what i said.

What age are you? Do you have problem with comprehending a point? Or answering a question?

[Emmet7]

Grand so.

Our 4 wins were well deserved.

We should have beaten the Italians at home and possible away too. We should have beaten the Bulgarians home and away if it wasn't for elemental defensive mistakes.

Had we taken the Montenegro game more seriously, we could easily have won that.

That would have made it 8 or 9 wins if it wasn't for a couple of mistakes.

However, this is only Trap's first campaign and he is only with the players 3 or 4 days for each match. That's the context you have to take it in. To go undefeated through a difficult group is a good if not spectacular achievement given it's his first term.

We don't have the strength in depth or quality the English team have for example so we were never going to win most of our games.

[SkStu]

should have (X2)
could have
would have

now, im not disputing that we have done well - we have. I just think that if we dont qualify, we dont qualify and what have we got to show for the last campaign? 4 wins, 6 draws maybe two defeats and memories of moral victories. Not alot else.

[Razors left peg]

should have (X2)
could have
would have

now, im not disputing that we have done well - we have. I just think that if we dont qualify, we dont qualify and what have we got to show for the last campaign? 4 wins, 6 draws maybe two defeats and memories of moral victories. Not alot else.

What we have done is made a hell of alot of progress

[shaneker]

Calm down lads, I'm here, with my phenomenal (!) 3-game streak of the correct results...so for the first leg, here it is.

Ireland 1 France 0

You heard it here first.

...okay, maybe you didn't, but I get points for optimism, right?

[Colbert Report]

First Leg: Ireland 0 France 4
Second Leg: Ireland 0 France 0

Sorry lads but I just don't see it happening for us. I hope I'm wrong. France are excellent odds to qualify at -270 (just a bit cheaper than 3/1 on for ye who are not familiar with American odds)

[Supreme feet]

I'll say 1-0 Ireland. Based on no footballing logic or precedent whatsoever. Just a feeling.

As for Trap's achievement thus far, qualification would be an absolute vindication of his methods, given the enormity of the task. However, if we don't qualify, should everything he's achieved be denigrated? No. If we were to go into next year managerless, we would be back exactly where we were post-Staunton, and probably sink into a Belgium/Romania/Hungary-type of decline. Trapattoni has given us a base and structure from which to build. The fact that we've remained competitive in this campaign despite missing our best full-back (Finnan), our best central midfielder (Steven Reid) and our best winger (Duff) for most of the campaign (not to mention the Stephen Ireland farce) is a commendable achievement.

Even in our better days under Charlton and McCarthy, we went through the pain of failing to hang on to leads, failing to keep possession in midfield, conceding last-minute goals, drawing our big home games and dropping points against inferior teams. It's not exactly a new phenomenon. The challenge for any Irish manager is to stamp out the silly results, i.e. Poland '91, Liechtenstein and Austria '95, Macedonia '99, and Israel '05, which cost us so dear. Expecting us to beat Italy and France and declaring anything less as outright failure is, in my opinion, snobbish and deluded.

[galwayjames]

Ireland 1-0 France
France 0-0 Ireland

[Razors left peg]

First Leg: Ireland 0 France 4
Second Leg: Ireland 0 France 0

Sorry lads but I just don't see it happening for us. I hope I'm wrong. France are excellent odds to qualify at -270 (just a bit cheaper than 3/1 on for ye who are not familiar with American odds)

did u not learn from your prediction of 4 nil in the Italy game.

[Colbert Report]

did u not learn from your prediction of 4 nil in the Italy game.

If I keep predicting it eventually it will come true.

Honestly though I fear we're in for a right hiding, especially if Henry plays. The level of talent the French have is downright frightening. I think they are better than us at every position, including goalkeeper.

[tetsujin1979]

If I keep predicting it eventually it will come true.

And a broken clock is right twice a day. Fact is we've only conceded more than one goal in a competitive game once, and that was Italy.
Even in the worst games, we've only conceded three (Australia and Poland), and we've only conceded more than 3 goals under any manager a handful of times.

[Emmet7]

If I keep predicting it eventually it will come true.

Honestly though I fear we're in for a right hiding, especially if Henry plays. The level of talent the French have is downright frightening. I think they are better than us at every position, including goalkeeper.

Nice to see a bit of confidence in the Irish team.

[SuperDave]

I'll say 1-0 Ireland. Based on no footballing logic or precedent whatsoever. Just a feeling.

As for Trap's achievement thus far, qualification would be an absolute vindication of his methods, given the enormity of the task. However, if we don't qualify, should everything he's achieved be denigrated? No. If we were to go into next year managerless, we would be back exactly where we were post-Staunton, and probably sink into a Belgium/Romania/Hungary-type of decline. Trapattoni has given us a base and structure from which to build. The fact that we've remained competitive in this campaign despite missing our best full-back (Finnan), our best central midfielder (Steven Reid) and our best winger (Duff) for most of the campaign (not to mention the Stephen Ireland farce) is a commendable achievement.

Even in our better days under Charlton and McCarthy, we went through the pain of failing to hang on to leads, failing to keep possession in midfield, conceding last-minute goals, drawing our big home games and dropping points against inferior teams. It's not exactly a new phenomenon. The challenge for any Irish manager is to stamp out the silly results, i.e. Poland '91, Liechtenstein and Austria '95, Macedonia '99, and Israel '05, which cost us so dear. Expecting us to beat Italy and France and declaring anything less as outright failure is, in my opinion, snobbish and deluded.

Absolutely! I think it is ridiculous that if we qualify, Trap will be nigh on unquestionable but if we fail, there will be likely be some calling for his head. Neither position is anywhere near tenable. He has done a good job with limited resources and a seeding status that did us no favours. If we were second seeds (which hopefully we will be by the time of the 2014 qualifiers) we would have stood a magnificent chance at automatic qualification by drawing home and away with the first seeds. That we weren't and won't be for 2012 is largely a result of the Staunton era results..

[irishfan86]

I think they are better than us at every position, including goalkeeper.

You and Pat Dolan should hang out.

[richieos]

I saw this post over on ybig.ie, if this doesnt pump you up for the match i dont know what will, excellent stuff.

Can't wait for this. Time seems to be taking an etenerity to pass. All I want is to be back home in Ireland with my family and friends along with 80,000 others roaring the lads on in Croker and then again in Paris!! Ive never been so excited about 2 games of Soccer in my life. Trapaoni has given us hope again. We must believe in him and the 11 players he chooses next Saturday night. The energy, the passion, the determination and the will to succeed is evdent in this team its supporters, and the manaer. No matter how technically superior a team may be on paper, that Irish trait makes anything a possibility!!! I lost my father 2 months and know that he like Eirebhoy and a lot of other Irish Supporters no longer with us will be looking down on Croker and the Stade de France. Knowing this makes me believe we are going to do this!!.

[Murfinator]

He's right Lloris, Mandanda and Frey (if Domenech and him ever made up) are all world class keepers and probably as good if not better than Given, and they outclass us everywhere else too.

But the one place they don't outclass us is the man standing on the touchlines and that's probably the most important position of all. They also have poor supporters who won't get behind them if things aren't going their way.

[elroy]

Watching Sky Sports advertising their upcoming football today made me so proud, similar sized nations, Scotland, Wales and NI all have meaningless friendless next sat then its ROI V France in a WC playoff.

Just think about that for a second, and in particular compare it to this time last campaign. How far we have come and who knows how far more we will go. As Ireland football fans, enjoy the next 10 days or so, cherish them, these are days we long for. We've had Malta, NI, Holland, Belgium, Turkey and Iran in recent times, some great days in there, we can now add France to the list and hopefully another qualification.

Im a nervous wreck after reading today papers previews, but am starting to believe. Its not going to be pretty, but I think we can get a good result at home to go to paris with. Not sure we will win, but think it may well be scoreless at home, setting up an intriguing winner takes all in paris. COME ON YOU BOYS IN GREEN!!!

[wallis]

We will knock out France for the simple reason that those corrupt , draw fixing cheats at UEFA / FIFA will get their comeuppance and I for one will be chanting " ARE YOU WATCHING PLATINI ??" at the top of my voice when we put the French out in Paris.

Ireland 1-0 France
France 1-1 Ireland

Au revoir Monsieur Platini - get it right up ya.

[FarBeag]

What’s worrying me about our chances against the French is the amount of playing time some of our players are getting. We have two areas where we are most vulnerable left back and the central midfield. These are the positions where most of our goals conceded have come from over this campaign so far and this was when the players in these positions were getting regular first team places. Kevin Kilbane who is not a natural left back cannot get into a poor Hull team. Keith Andrews has spent a lot of time on the bench in recent matches, Darron Gibson is just returning from injury. Surely none of them can be match sharp for such an important match.

On another note Liam Lawrence did not make it off the bench for Stoke to-day, Steven Hunt was rubbish in the same game and Aiden McGeady looked bad against lowly Falkirk also missing a penalty.

I know that Given, Dunne, O’Shea, Duff, Keane have all excelled lately and also Whelan and Doyle to a lesser extent.

Will we have enough to beat the French over two legs? I hope to God I am wrong but I really don’t think so. Looking at our present first 11 the French appear way too strong for us and their strength in dept is frightening.

1-1 and 2-1 I am afraid.

[donalmcdonagh]

[QUOTE=Murfinator;1268161]He's right Lloris, Mandanda and Frey (if Domenech and him ever made up) are all world class keepers and probably as good if not better than Given, and they outclass us everywhere else too.



This is pure rubbish.....are you French?? Yourself and COlbert are talking cr@p

I think it will be really tight, we will not be beaten 4-0. I think Ireland find it easier against teams who are stronger up front as opposed to midfield. Thats why Im confident. If we compare France to Italy, the Italians had a much stroner midfield than attack and this was very diificult for us. Whereas the French have a stronger attack than midfield and I believe we can cope with this easier. The french midfield is strong but I believe its not as good as the italian one we faced.
Collectively we are very strong, I think its 50-50 to be honest. Georcuff I believe is pulling the strings these days so hopefully we can keep him quiet.
Cant wait for the game....