Two friendlies tets
DID YOU NOTICE A SIGN OUTSIDE MY HOUSE...?
Sick of Germany. We're overdue England in a qualifier.
DID YOU NOTICE A SIGN OUTSIDE MY HOUSE...?
Should beat everyone but Germany tbh
Only have to finish 3rd to get a play off.
Just need to beat everybody at home (bar Germany) & pick up points on the road.
The final line-up:
Group A: Netherlands, Kazakhstan, Iceland, Latvia, Turkey, Czech Republic
Group B: Bosnia & Herzegovina, Andorra, Cyprus, Wales, Israel, Belgium
Group C: Spain, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Belarus, Slovakia, Ukraine
Group D: Germany, Gibraltar, Georgia, Scotland, Poland, Republic of Ireland
Group E: England, San Marino, Lithuania, Estonia, Slovenia, Switzerland
Group F: Greece, Faroe Islands, Northern Ireland, Finland, Romania, Hungary
Group G: Russia, Liechtenstein, Moldova, Montenegro, Austria, Sweden
Group H: Italy, Malta, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Norway, Croatia
Group F: Portugal, Albania, Armenia, Serbia, Denmark
Our group is very tough. Gibraltar are an unknown quantity whilst none of the others will be a walkover.
Very little between ourselves, Poland and Scotland IMO. Scotland had some good results at the tail end of their qualifying campaign, beating Croatia home and away
Georgia are unpredictable, but only won once in 2014 qualifying, and kept Spain to a late 1-0 win in Tblisi
Anything could happen against Gibraltar
When is the fixture list to be decided?
The more I think about the draw, the less I like it. There's almost nothing between us, Poland and Scotland. It's like four cup finals. Any dropped points against Georgia or (god forbid) Gibraltar will be punished big time. Consistency key. It's going to be tense, tight and luck will be a big factor.
In terms of travel, it ain't particularly exciting either but a couple of handy jaunts.
Ou-est le Centre George Pompidou?
Gibraltar away will be like a home game so we should be beating them easily home and away. Danny Higginbotham is probably their star player. Good group. I'd fancy Scotland and Poland to drop points all over the place.
Can't complain. We don't really deserve to be there if we can't finish ahead of Poland & Scotland, yet we still might even if we finish behind one of them. Group A would have been a nightmare and Group B would have been ideal. We got something in the middle which we have to be happy enough with I think. Some great trips too.
Last edited by DeLorean; 23/02/2014 at 11:13 AM.
There should be a deal of attrition in our group, 20 points should do nicely for2nd spot.
Poland and Scotland are well below Sweden's quality.
I think he's to play two more games for them before retiring from football for good: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/foo...-vanished.html
Out of the possibilities I think we got a middling strength group
If we had got group B, O'Neill would have jumped out of his seat and ran the length of the aisle. No wonder the Belgium manager had that smug smirk that oozed relief.
Don't get too hung up on Gibraltar lads, they'll be perennial 6th seeds. Have a very bad feeling about rest of the group though. Could be very scrappy just looking for third. Another German thumping would be horrible.
Author of Never Felt Better (History, Film Reviews).
Funny listening to Dunphy talking about O'Neill & Keane's drive for top spot, that they won't see Germany as automatic group winners. I flicked over to Sky Sports News where O'Neill was being interviewed and he said...
"It looks like a group, Germany apart, where teams might take points off each other"
Tough group, especially with Scotland in resurgence. Georgia is a tough away trip, Germany always hard, and Poland are a pretty decent side, the type we've always struggled against. Could have been a lot better, but at least I'll get to see an Ireland game in the flesh for the first time in years!
Georgia away is awkward, but I think we're less likely to drop points there than Georgia and Poland. In that sense it might be no harm to have a game of that nature in the group as they have served us well over the years.
Just saw Gibraltar is unbeaten in International football...
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