Euro 2012 Qualifying Group B - General Discussion

**Bungle** · 18/04/2011, 7:24 PM

Originally Posted by French Toasht

Well lads this is probably the wrong thread for this but the World Cup 2014 qualification draw takes place on July 30th 2011. The seeding will be decided purely on the latest FIFA rankings immediately before the draw. There will be 9 groups. 9 winners qualify automatically. 8 best runners up go into play offs. As it currently stands Ireland are ranked 22nd in Europe and will be a third seed. If we can get into the the top 18 by the time of the draw, we will be second seeds.

As it stands the seedings would be as such:
Pot 1:
Spain
Holland
Germany
England
Portugal
Italy
Croatia
Norway
Greece

Pot 2:
Serbia
Slovenia
Russia
France
Montenegro
Switzerland
Slovakia
Denmark
Sweden

Pot 3:
Turkey
Czech Republic
Israel
IRELAND
Ukraine
Belgium
Romania
Bosnia *** (May be disqualified)
Bulgaria

Pot 4:
Lithuania
Albania
Hungary
Belerus
Georgia
Armenia
Northern Ireland
Scotland
Poland

Pot 5:
Austria
Estonia
Latvia
Finland
Macedonia
Moldova
Cyprus
Azerbaijan
Wales

Pot 6:
Iceland
Luxembourg
Faroe Islands
Kazakhstan
Liechtenstein
Malta
Andorra
San Marino

Heres hoping we can sneak our way into the second seeds but if it were to stay as it is now, probably the worst case scenario would be to get would be Spain from the first pot and a rejuvinated France under Blanc from the second. A combination of Norway and Slovenia would be just lovely.

I'd say with the exception of France, pot 3 is almost as good as pot 2. Would love Norway or Greece in pot 1, but Ireland would play rubbish against teams like that, but would probably be brilliant against Spain or Germany.

**paul_oshea** · 18/04/2011, 8:25 PM

Originally Posted by SkStu

Oh check out the funbags on that hosehound

Ya he must work out

SVD i thought i remembered nearly every single line, but id forgotten that one, brilliant.

Harry your hands are freezing.

I think the fact norway are in pot 1 shows that this system is flawed.

**geysir** · 18/04/2011, 8:58 PM

The odds are better for the Euros where we have a 72% chance of qualifying.

Though tempered by a 1-2 odds of not qualifying.

**Charlie Darwin** · 18/04/2011, 9:59 PM

It's probably worth noting that we've done better as third seeds in recent years than we have as first and second seeds.

**mypost** · 19/04/2011, 1:55 AM

Originally Posted by BonnieShels

Correct me if I'm wrong but were the wc2010 qualifiers drawn in January 2008?
If that's the case why are these qualifiers for 2014 being drawn so early?

They were drawn in November 2007, 4 days after the previous ECQ's ended. The WCQ draw was always made around November-December time, have no idea why it is on in July now.

Originally Posted by French Toasht

Yes it is crazy that the draw is being made before the outcome of the Euro qualifiers is even known but the reasoning behind it is that this world cup will be in South America and the South American qualification having 18 games during the qualifiers is much longer than the European qualification procedure and thus always starts much earlier in advance of the tournament, thus why all the other federations draws are being made so early.

I agree with you paul o shea, the old system would have benefited us more but in saying that the current system would have benefitted us much more in the Brian Kerr era, in that he left when we were 14th in the world (primarily due to an impecable record in friendlies and always playing our strongest XI in them and not treating them for the desired purpose of experimentation).

The Conmebol Qualifiers start earlier, but it's a straight-forward league basis, not a group one, and not needing any draws.

If there was a system used based on previous performance, we'd probably be Pot 4 or 5, given our erm...lack of qualifying successes lately. I'm glad it's based on world rankings.

About Group 2 of the current qualifiers, I notice Slovakia's next home game is back in Bratislava. Obviously Zilina isn't deemed obscure and hostile enough to host Andorra.

**Kingdom** · 19/04/2011, 2:03 AM

Originally Posted by mypost

They were drawn in November 2007, 4 days after the previous ECQ's ended. The WCQ draw was always made around November-December time, have no idea why it is on in June now.

The Conmebol Qualifiers start earlier, but it's a straight-forward league basis, not a group one, and not needing any draws.

If there was a system used based on previous performance, we'd probably be Pot 4 or 5, given our erm...lack of qualifying successes lately. I'm glad it's based on world rankings.

About Group 2 of the current qualifiers, I notice Slovakia's next home game is back in Bratislava. Obviously Zilina isn't deemed obscure and hostile enough to host Andorra.

I think it's that the refurbishment in the Telehne Pole is finished - or that the secondary Bratislava ground is big enough to cater for the 5 Andorrans that will travel over. Putting them on the disco train would be just mean.

**DannyInvincible** · 19/04/2011, 3:11 AM

Originally Posted by mypost

If there was a system used based on previous performance, we'd probably be Pot 4 or 5, given our erm...lack of qualifying successes lately. I'm glad it's based on world rankings.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but, bar Turkey, the Czechs and Romania, who all qualified for Euro 2008, I don't think any of those other teams in the provisional pot three have had much luck with qualification lately either. It's probably about right considering we just missed out on World Cup qualification at the play-off stage, as did Ukraine and Bosnia & Herzegovina. Montenegro's lofty rise into pot two is staggering, mind.

**BonnieShels** · 19/04/2011, 8:06 AM

Originally Posted by mypost

They were drawn in November 2007, 4 days after the previous ECQ's ended. The WCQ draw was always made around November-December time, have no idea why it is on in July now.

Cheers for that. I remember watching it online in my old house in Harold's Cross. Eugh.

I do love a good draw though. Yeah.

**paul_oshea** · 19/04/2011, 9:03 AM

Originally Posted by Charlie Darwin

It's probably worth noting that we've done better as third seeds in recent years than we have as first and second seeds.

Yes, but averaging we have finished at the same position, irrelevant of which pot we were seeded, which says we are rightly about 3rd seeds(bar when we finished 4th and 2nd obviously).

**BonnieShels** · 19/04/2011, 3:24 PM

Originally Posted by paul_oshea

Yes, but averaging we have finished at the same position, irrelevant of which pot we were seeded, which says we are rightly about 3rd seeds(bar when we finished 4th and 2nd obviously).

They only come out at night. Or in this case the day time.

**Edgar** · 20/04/2011, 5:19 AM

Originally Posted by mypost

They were drawn in November 2007, 4 days after the previous ECQ's ended. The WCQ draw was always made around November-December time, have no idea why it is on in July now.

To give more time (match dates) for AFC and CONCACAF.

**French Toasht** · 10/05/2011, 12:15 AM

Whilst on the one hand Trap would be a very cagey and conservative manager, I find it odd that on the other hand that he announces his starting 11 in some cases two days before the match. It maybe an extremely minor concession to the opposition but at the same time it does make their preparation a lot easier for playing us. Our starting 11 has been pretty predictable under Trap, but nonetheless I can see no reason why going public on the starting 11 is of any benefit anyone?

Maybe I'm being a bit festidious but for a manager he doesn't give an inch on the field, he seems to be giving generous yards in the build up to the game.

**zero** · 18/05/2011, 12:48 PM

doyle out of the macedonia game

http://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2011/0518/doylek.html

a blow, but it should guarantee a start for long. hopefully no more injuries between now and then. will we call up a replacement for the celtic cup?

duff appears to be touch and go for the macedonia game aswell.

**tetsujin1979** · 18/05/2011, 12:56 PM

Sammon or possibly Stephen Elliott would be the obvious options

**zero** · 18/05/2011, 12:58 PM

Originally Posted by tetsujin1979

Sammon or possibly Stephen Elliott would be the obvious options

might not be any replacement, the original squad of 33 (now 32) has to be whittled down anyway to 23 i think.

**Stuttgart88** · 18/05/2011, 2:43 PM

I thought Duff was definitely out.

I think Tets' imagination is getting the better of him

I'm not sure there will be a replacement either. Keane, Long, Walters, Folan, Stokes and Ward are already called up. Is Keogh also there?

**Kingdom** · 19/05/2011, 3:47 AM

I read somewhere on Weds that while Doyle is definitely a blow, more worrying is Robbie's total loss of form. I'd agree with that. I still think we should have enough to get the three points over there. Thankfully McGeady should be fit going into the game, as he misses the Celtic Cup games as they're outside the agreed dates. With Duff out, it should mean that Fahey and Treacy see some game time. The selection on the wings will be as crucial as anything else now. Wonder will he continue to keep the two traditional wingers or will he utilise a more modern flanker like Lawrence?