Where would a victory against the French rank?

[geysir]

The performance at home against Bulgaria was awful but we didn't lose. What made that result acceptable was our performance under pressure in Sofia against a Bulgarian team up for it.

[Scram]

From an article I have been reading right now.

“If I want to see a show, I go to the La Scala concert hall,” Trapattoni said, “I don’t go to the football stadium.”
The Italian philosophy dictates that one point — no matter how dreary for the spectators — is a pragmatic victory. The day after Ireland’s 1-1 draw with Bulgaria in Dublin in a European Group 8 on Saturday, Trapattoni told reporters in his emphatic but fractured English: “The objective is not to lose. This qualifying thing is draw, win. But no lose.”
His teams maintain possession of the ball, defend with vigor, avoid ostentation and danger. “The memory of beautiful football lasts for a while,” he said. “The result lasts forever.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/01/sp.../01soccer.html

So if you want to see a show go to La Scala or somewhere else. Trapattoni's job is not to entertain, it's to get us qualified. If you want someone to entertain, then we should have hired Bo-Bo the clown to manage the Irish soccer team.

Bobo was before Trap but I don't remember being entertained.

[tricky_colour]

I think it better to discuss the victory after it has happened

[OwlsFan]

“The memory of beautiful football lasts for a while,” he said. “The result lasts forever.”

What a great quote from Trapp. Future generations will look at our 0-0 against Egypt in 1990 and say, not bad. Those of us who were at it will remember otherwise performance wise but our memories will pass with us.

This French team isn't anything to write home about but on paper they are better than us. Beating them by whatever means will rank highly. They are favourites (perhaps 65/35) but for me beating Holland at home with an average team in 2001 was our greatest achievement in a qualifying campaign.

[Royal rover]

in my view beating France would be our greatest victory - i think we had a far better side in 2001 than we have now- we had a better central midfield , fullbacks , strikers etc , than now - it would be a remarkable story - also i often hear people talk about how Italia 90 lifted us out of the doom & gloom as a nation - so equally it's important for those reasons - and i would love to see all the irish newspapers on thursday 19th of November with headline that doesn't relate to the government or economy

[paul_oshea]

People have romantic visions of irish history and the irish football teams of past years!

[magnumpi]

if we beat france it will be our greatest victory because it will be over two legs. even if we don't win either of the games, that's more impressive, to match a world class side over 180+ mins.

[Scram]

in my view beating France would be our greatest victory - i think we had a far better side in 2001 than we have now- we had a better central midfield , fullbacks , strikers etc , than now - it would be a remarkable story - also i often hear people talk about how Italia 90 lifted us out of the doom & gloom as a nation - so equally it's important for those reasons - and i would love to see all the irish newspapers on thursday 19th of November with headline that doesn't relate to the government or economy

Yes but you can be sure your friendly Govt. ministers will be jumping on the bandwagon Well, forget about it Fianna Fail, your days are numbered and it will take more than SA qualification for us to forget what you (and FG previously!) did to our country!

I’m, reminded of the 3 lads (Darren RIP) coming back from Beijing with the medals and the appalling Micháel Martin talking about how “direct targeted investment” in particular sports was now paying off…I nearly puked, my stomach hasn’t been right since. The LAST thing I want on 19th November is to hear from any of those corrupt fiddling scumbags!

[weldoninhio]

if we beat france it will be our greatest victory because it will be over two legs. even if we don't win either of the games, that's more impressive, to match a world class side over 180+ mins.

On what planet is it more impressive to draw with France and match them, rather that BEATING them???

PS. It doesn't matter anyway, i expect the match to be over as a contest by about 8.45 on Saturday evening. 0-3 France

[OwlsFan]

if we beat france it will be our greatest victory because it will be over two legs. even if we don't win either of the games, that's more impressive, to match a world class side over 180+ mins.

We matched and beat Holland in 2001 over 180 minutes (draw and win). We have a reasonable record (4-3 in their favour) in WC games against France. Holland was a huge monkey off our back.

No doubt a victory would be up there with the best. Just not sure it would be THE best.

Allez les verts.

[Stuttgart88]

i expect the match to be over as a contest by about 7.45 on Saturday evening.

15 minutes before kick-off? That's pessimistic even by your standards.

[Emmet7]

15 minutes before kick-off? That's pessimistic even by your standards.

If they bottle it in the dressing room, he could be right, but yeh, it's a good point, it can't be over before it's begun...unless someone like Robbie Keane, Shay Given or Richard Dunne is injured before the game.

[mjpcc]

if we beat france it will be our greatest victory because it will be over two legs. even if we don't win either of the games, that's more impressive, to match a world class side over 180+ mins.

If we beat France over two legs, I'll be legless .........

[paul_oshea]

I love welondinho, assuming we do lose to France, he will be back on here saying "I told you so and none of ye would listen and trap has to go". Yet this would be the only one he would have "predicted" "right"....out of all the others he predicted

He still hasn't acknowledged all the other ones he got wrong yet...

Foot.ies Eamon Dunphy.

[magnumpi]

thank god weldondinho is predicting that we'll get hammered, just like in every other game so far this campaign. i can sleep easy now.

[weldoninhio]

I love welondinho, assuming we do lose to France, he will be back on here saying "I told you so and none of ye would listen and trap has to go". Yet this would be the only one he would have "predicted" "right"....out of all the others he predicted

He still hasn't acknowledged all the other ones he got wrong yet...

Foot.ies Eamon Dunphy.

There were threads about the predictions for the other games that were full of predictions, i acknowledge i was wrong now, should i set up a "acknowledge you were wrong in the predictions" thread?? we drew instead of losing, so what?? Is it just me that should acknowledge i was wrong?? What about all the people who said we would win in those threads?? Where should they acknowledge that they were wrong??

I would love to see the back of Trap.

[irishfan86]

I would love to see the back of Trap.

There are plenty of sites like that but foot.ie isn't one of them.

[M@ttitude]

There were threads about the predictions for the other games that were full of predictions, i acknowledge i was wrong now, should i set up a "acknowledge you were wrong in the predictions" thread?? we drew instead of losing, so what?? Is it just me that should acknowledge i was wrong?? What about all the people who said we would win in those threads?? Where should they acknowledge that they were wrong??.

4 acknowledges, 3 predictions and 3 wrongs in that paragraph.. You've ingrained those words into my brain now! I acknowledge your predictions are wrong.

[weldoninhio]

4 acknowledges, 3 predictions and 3 wrongs in that paragraph.. You've ingrained those words into my brain now! I acknowledge your predictions are wrong.

OK, get back to me after the play-offs, i expect my prediction hoodoo to end. Spectacularly.

[as_i_say]

1-0 against the Dutch in 2001 still the greatest ever win for me. Playing the last half hour with 10 men and scoring as well, with everything at stake. A transitional Dutch team no doubt but still.

Beating the French to qualify would top it.