From today's Irish Times:
The mood remains confident within the squad ahead of Saturday's game and the one against the Faroe Islands next week, although, he insisted, it is not essential that Ireland win both games.
"I've been asked about this before and I said the same thing," he said. "We can win the group without winning the games, but obviously it would make things a little easier.
"We'll certainly be aiming for six points, though, and things have been going well so we feel we have reason to be (confident) as we prepare for them."
Crikey. I think it is absolutely essential we win both games - to put Israel out of the running, to get confidence running after underperforming against them away as well as the Swiss and Faroes, and to send a message out to the rest of the group. While he says he will be aiming for six points, his earlier comment doesn't sound like he will really be going for it. Balls.
Could be just my traditional pre-qualifier anxiety attack - I am the most pessimistic Irish fan in the world - but it seems to confirm some of the fears voiced on this forum about his overly-conservative and defensive approach. I sincerely hope I am proved wrong, and with Andy Reid starting on the right (and who knows, even Steven Reid at right back) we would be looking to take the game to them.
One more thing: Reid (either one will do as both are quality!) or Kavanagh for our frees? I hope to God it's Andy Reid, Kavanagh hasn't hit a single good free since he started taking them for Ireland. And I'm sure we'll be getting a lot of them, given the kicking they gave Duff in the last match, what with the referee being in front of Duffer's home crowd now to boot...
I think he's just covering himself in case we don't win them both. If he says we absolutely must win the two of them and then we don't, he'll get hammered in the media.
I don't think theres any chance of us sitting on a one goal lead again, theres no need against israel at home.
Keane O'Shea Given Best Smallbone
Nothing wrong with his comments. If we draw one of these and win the rest of our games we still win the group. We don't need to win both games but he'll certainly be trying to win them both comfortably.
Of course we need to win we always need to win and should win both games.The Israel game will be tight but we should beat the Faroe's, although i don't predict a walk over.We need to think positively and not taking all six points against both these countries will be disappointing.
Sorry to say it but I'm as anxious as Mr Phelan.
Saturday's game is Kerr's biggest test to date. The qualifier from this group will be the one who can get some wins against the other "big 3" and Saturday is our best chance.
I really, really hope that Kerr puts out a team that is tactically and mentally up to getting us that win.
One more thing - Mr Phelan mentioned free kicks. I think all of our set pieces have been abysmal under this management. Lets hope they put that to rights during the week.
Together with all our hearts.
Utter nonsense. We have to win both games next week. If we beat the Israeli's then we will have taken 4 points off of them when the French have only gotten 2. So we automatically have a 2 point cushion against the French. This will require France to take points off of the Swiss which suits us. Secondly, beating the Faroe's is also required as they are points in the bank. We cannot afford to be looking for a win against the French in September. Why not give ourselves some room by getting the wins Kerr!
There is no such thing as a miracle cure, a free lunch or a humble opinion.
i wouldnt read too much into the quotes... kerr is defintely ultra defensive but he was simply not putting pressure on the players.
We really need the 6 points to move away from the rest and top this group.
However, If we go out there with a siege mentality trying to really beat the israeli's they might hit us on the counter and be 1 or even 2. They will simply park 11 bodies behind the ball and it could be a long afternoon
We can easily beat this israeli team if we go at them at the right tempo for 90 minutes. THe fans will have to be patient
6 is great, 4 is good, 3 is not so good, 1 is terrible, 0 is a disaster.
We need 6. Who knows what sort of French team will show up in September. They have the potential to play us off the park. Further, I wouldn't be so confident of us getting a result against the Swiss even in Dublin. We win both matches and then we can sit back and watch the Swiss and French take lumps out of one another.
There is no such thing as a miracle cure, a free lunch or a humble opinion.
Well if we can only get a draw with the Faroe's I doubt we will manageOriginally Posted by totalfootball
a draw in Israel
I think you should look up the definition of need. Kerr was asked if we absolutely need to get the 6 points next week. If he said yes it was basically a lie. If we get 4 points from these games and win our remaining 4 matches, no matter what happens we will win the group. This is a yes or no question and only one answer is correct. Not needing to win both games is the correct answer and that can't be argued.
If you hear a manager saying that they need to win the 2 games it basically means if they don't, the group/league will not be in their hands. That is not the case here.
Quotes and soundbites don't count for that much. We don't mathematically have to win the next two games but I think everyone is still waiting for this Irish team to really get motoring. We weren't great against the Swiss, pretty good against the French (their results since indicate that we could well have beaten them!), average against Cyprus and the Faroes and not too impressive against Israel. The next two games are a chance to (a) put Israel back in their box, five points behind us and (b) to finally take the group by the scruff of the neck.
If we dont win both games, we dont deserve to qualify.
France and Swiss will then only need a draw in Dublin to pip us.
The Israelis are no better than alot of 'good' sides that have come to Dublin in the past and been 'hammered'.
I agree that we should be doing everything for the 6 points but if we don't deserve to qualify by drawing with Israel that means France don't either so we're left with Switzerland and Israel.
The French had a bad year and they will recover and qualify. They should have won in Tel Aviv.I agree that we should be doing everything for the 6 points but if we don't deserve to qualify by drawing with Israel that means France don't either so we're left with Switzerland and Israel.
Im very disapointed with the Irish performances to date in this WCQ. But i guess its a sign of a good side that gets results playing poorly. Were noting near our top gear yet.
We have to give the Israelis a good monkeying when the visit us on Saturday and send a message out to the rest of the group that they are going to have a really tough time when they play us.
We can see get to Germany if we dont get the full 6 points but its about time this team started delivering.
I dont mind Kerr's comments but if he is going for a 1-0 victory at home and a defensive line out to match Im going to be really ****ed.
I think we've dropped enough points that were there for the taking in this group already thank you very much. Yeah we can mathematically not win both and still top the group but then you're banking on us having a good day against a stronger team in the autumn. why do it the hard way?
If we can't beat Israel in our own back yard -we've no business going to world cup finals.
" I wish to God that someone would be able to block out the voices in my head for five minutes, the voices that scream, over and over again: "Why do they come to me to die?"
We should have won in Tel Aviv but Israel were better than France in Tel Aviv imo.
I have a feeling the fans in Lansdowne are going to get on the players back if we are still drawing after half time. There was plenty of moans and groans after half an hour against Cyprus. I'm the type that wants to believe the task is harder than it is and takes the positives out of failing to win (even before the match) as it means we'll be on less of a downer going into work on the Monday morning. There's still plenty of the old fashioned Ireland fan in me who has low expectations I suppose.
There's people like Donal who are the complete opposite to me by saying the Israeli's are a poor team, etc, etc. Well in this case i'm right though.
I think Kerr's quote reveals absolutely nothing about his so called caution. It's pointless to try & read anything into it. Kerr will be as desperate for 6 points as the rest of us but he's just trying to dampen the hype about the game. One aspect of his job I don't relish is having to feed journalists' mouths with something to write about a week before a big game.
After the first Israel game he said it was a decent result because if you draw away & win at home you go through.
Irrespective of the result against the Faroes, we did get a draw in Israel.
Ah so we did now, my mind must be going, I can't even remember if I
saw it on TV or not, just a vague recollection of a late equaliser!!
Oh yes its flooding back, low shot from outside the area inside the keepers
right post.
Well we should hammer the Faroes anyway and Israel when we are at home.
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