2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifying Group A

Originally Posted by pineapple stu

I'll admire your optimism, elated, even if I can't come close to sharing it!

I don't see us winning even a crap group. We've only ever once won a qualifying group (Euro 88) and I don't see how the worst team since then (and indeed, some time beforehand too) is going to buck that trend even if we do get Denmark and Romania.

I'd have no problems being wrong of course! But I still think a sneaky second in a group with a dominant top seed and a weak second seed is our best bet. Even if, as you say, it's a 1 in 4 play-off now.

I agree. Based on what we've seen from Kenny so far I'd be over the moon if we got a play-off even with the weakest first and second seeds in our group. We'd be lucky to get 1 point off some of the fourth seeds during qualifying based on current form.

Originally Posted by youngirish

I agree. Based on what we've seen from Kenny so far I'd be over the moon if we got a play-off even with the weakest first and second seeds in our group. We'd be lucky to get 1 point off some of the fourth seeds during qualifying based on current form.

Why Kenny? have you seen something magical in the squad that was available that Kenny missed out on? If so what was it? a cosmetic change that would have transformed performance?
Based on what we have seen from our severely dirsrupted Nations League game, we would have little chance at WC 2022 qualifiers, retaining 3rd seed status would be good. But I'd expect that Kenny will have a more settled squad to select a decent 11 from.

First the Republic must stabilize the ship with Captain Kenny, the guy must put order of everything in its place and clean up this mess ........ must decide the best formation, 4-3-3 need an adjustment. Work with the current group of players, and some new ones to be added in the future, and needs to focus on the strategy, which is grass passing style of football, apparently at the moment. Today Ireland's main rival is Ireland itself.

so the european draw, tombola is tomorrow?

5pm today Irish time

Spain
Ukraine
Ireland
Montenegro
Albania

my prediction,

im very good at

iceland
croatia
nigeria
argentina
got it right

Just started on RTÉ News Now or (I presume) on FIFA.com

Rafa van der Vaart is a professional darts player now.

Did not know that.

Denmark-Austria in Group F an obvious target now. Though I'm still not convinced we could top that mini-group, and Spain-Sweden in Group B, France-Ukraine in Group C, or Germany-Romania in Group J may be better practical choices.

Third seeds coming out now

Group A with Portugal and Serbia, and just five teams.

Interesting one.

Certainly not a disaster in terms of the two pots above us.

Luxembourg as fourth seeds - nice draw that.

Azerbaijan as fifth seeds makes up for Luxembourg as fourth I think.

Portugal
Serbia
IRELAND
Luxembourg
Azerbaijan

The thing that jumps out is that Serbia should have hammered us in that 2-2 draw a couple of years back, and did win in Lansdowne. If it's us or them for second, it's a tough draw.

Azerbaijan the fifth side. Travel aside, that's not bad at all..

Fairly decent draw that.

Portugal serbia lux. Were all in same euro2020 group!

It'll happen somewhere across the draw. 3 teams isn't that many to coincide.

Interesting draw for travel. If we'll get to travel.

Suggest we play Ryan Swan up front against Luxembourg - there's six points.

I'd worry that Serbia will take points off Portugal, and that'd make it much more difficult for us.

And Azerbaijan - they beat Norway at home and drew in Prague in the last World Cup. They're a banana skin for a side like us, and would definitely rather have avoided them.

Not confident, but that'll change come kick off of the first game!

Pretty happy with that tbh. Even for some sort of "variety".

We avoided, Georgia, Denmark, Wales and Gibraltar and England. That's all you can ask for at this point.

being in a 5 team group i assume means we won't be having to play 3 games in a week in march and sept?

Matchday 1: 24–25 March 2021
Matchday 2: 27–28 March 2021
Matchday 3: 30–31 March 2021
Matchday 4: 1–2 September 2021
Matchday 5: 4–5 September 2021
Matchday 6: 7–8 September 2021
Matchday 7: 8–9 October 2021
Matchday 8: 11–12 October 2021
Matchday 9: 11–13 November 2021
Matchday 10: 14–16 November 2021
Play-offs: 24, 25, 28, 29 March 2022

or perhaps it's too soon to say.

Azerbaijan drew their last 3 competitive games 0-0 - should be rip-roaring encounters.

Originally Posted by pineapple stu

Azerbaijan as fifth seeds makes up for Luxembourg as fourth I think.

Portugal
Serbia
IRELAND
Luxembourg
Azerbaijan

The thing that jumps out is that Serbia should have hammered us in that 2-2 draw a couple of years back, and did win in Lansdowne. If it's us or them for second, it's a tough draw.

Serbia 2 -2 ire... they were blessed? We should have beaten them. If memory serves they got a v soft peno and their keeper was a disgrace