5/2 to top the group (gamebookers) is a good deal I think, considering this: If we beat France, we will most likely top the group. I have an inkling if Robbie is fit that we can scrape a win - don't forget the French were underperforming bigtime the last time Zidane and Maka were in the team...
Ireland 2 France 1
"I would like to celebrate today this team, because they are really exceptional mentally as well - not only footballistically" - A Wenger
i'm being my optimistic self and going for 1-0 to Irelandin the 63rd minute. That is all I see in my crystal ball.....
Ireland to win by a goal
you using the same crystal ball as me?Originally Posted by thejollyrodger
1-0 to Ireland courtesy of our own legend and top scorer Robbie Keane. I think it will be backs to the wall after he scores in the early part of the 2nd half but we hold out due to great defending by King Kenny and great goalkeeping by Shay Given. But then again did any of us predict 2-2 against Israel after being 2 nil up.
In Trap we trust
I'm going for a 1-1 result,with the French to score first and us to equalise early second half and then it's us defending an onslaught for the last 20 minutes as the French roll us over in midfield,we'll hang on but it will be close.
MOT
If we can recreate the atmosphere like the Holland game then I can see a famous 1-0 victory.
Saying my prayers already
This is a former great French team, not a great French team. They have achieved nothing in football since 2000 except the honourable distinction of losing to Senegal. They were muck in 2002 and muck in 2004 and couldn't beat Greece, whose only real talent was in organisation and belief.
I couldn't give a toss if Zidane, Makelele and Thuram are back. All these greats only retired after Euro 2004 when they had presided over the decline of one of the best teams of our era.
Yes, they're due a really great game but so are we. If we don't produce it at home against France, then we're never going to.
We can take absolutely anyone in Lansdowne and I expect us to beat them as we have the players, we have the belief and the home advantage. I will be disappointed if we don't beat them as there is no reason for us not to.
1-0 to the boys. Allez les irlandais.
We rode lady luck like she was the cheapest wh0re in all Kansas in that Holland game.If we can recreate the atmosphere like the Holland game then I can see a famous 1-0 victory.
Saying my prayers already
Yes France are due a good game and who knows ...maybe so are we.
Probably since Switzerland and the two Israel games I've concluded my expectations of this team are simply too high and, premiership players all or none, that as a unit they simply aren't as good as we'd like to think they are.
Maybe that's defeatist ...or maybe I've just smacked my last beer can off the TV and given up on this batch being a great team.
I don't think we'll win this game and I don't think we'll win the group. Just so long as they do their best -which they didn't in the three games referred to -I'll settle for that.
" 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?"
0-0 draw for me....Zinedines dead brother telling him to put a last minute penalty high into the south terrace cos he backed a 0-0 draw in Ladbrokes heaven office....
1-0 for France. But we'll whoop the Swiss and the Cypriots and the Israeli bandwagon will fall apart. Then we'll knock out the European champions in a play-off.
No bother.
Lads I have to be honest after seeing Italy tear us apart at will last night in the first half I worry about our defensive frailities against the French. I know we came back into the game in the second half but Italy always sit back and try to hold leads and I reckon that had a lot to do with it. I'm trying to be positive but we have been s**t lately in Internationals and are particularly poor at converting our chances.
Hopefully both Elliot and Morrision will get a few games in the premiership before the match and develop a bit more sharpness in front of goal.
OH youll pay for that especailly the purple monkey diswasher remark
Anyways. To be honest Im slightly worried. IMO were too slow at the back and cisse's pace could destoy us. However I remeber after the Croatia friendly in 2001 saying the same thing and we went on to beat Holland just after that so I dunnop what it is I just have a feeling. My Head says draw but my heart says a 1-0 win lets wait and see.
KOH
JUZ
I think this game will defintely have scores in it. Im almost 100% it wont be 0-0 after 90 minutes going by the two teams need for points.
I still think (after last night) that we will beat or draw with France. I know they won 3-0 but they were hardly playing against quality opposition.
We have a big performance left in us too. I know we played 4-3-3 and didnt get anywhere but once we went back to 4-4-2 we started to show what we can do and that was missing 2 key players. We always raise our game against quality opposition and all the players will be well up for it.
France will play very well but so will we. 3-2 to ireland. Clinton to score first. I think it might be a cracker of a game.
Brilliant post, TerryPhelan.... 'cos I just can't get it out of my head.
Deffo contender for POTM, IMHO.
Injustice anywhere threatens justice everywhere - Martin Luther King Jnr.
I reckon he was using the same crystal ball that told him Shels would beat CCFC 5 - Nil last Monday.you using the same crystal ball as me?
Injustice anywhere threatens justice everywhere - Martin Luther King Jnr.
remember
Sep 99 2-1 v Yugoslavia ( Kennedy magic strike)
Sep 01 1-0 v Holland (McAteer magic strike)
Sep 03 1-1 v Russia (Duff magic strike, missing Robbie and Roy Keane)
Sep 05 I think we will win 2-1 but who gets the magic strike I'll go with Clinton
We are the Wanderers from Bray
Yugoslavia were a decent team and it was indeed a great goal -but we should expect to win matches against their ilk.
Unforgettable. But lady luck couldn't sit for a week after it.
It wasn't enough -we needed the win.
I hope you're right. I'm actually more confident after last night. It might just be the wake up call we needed. While I'm disappointed for Clinton that his perfectly legit goal wasn't allowed stand -I think it might be better for our lot psychologically that we didn't "get out of jail". I'd hate to think of anyone going into this game going "ah sure we'll be grand" or "we'll scrape through in the end" -me may very well not scrape through.
Whatever about our outfield defensive shortcomings -we've a keeper who's certifiably on fcukin fire!!! Add to that the fact we kept going right to the final whistle -which we haven't been doing in quite a while (Paris excepted) and there's light at the end of the tunnel (let's just hope it aint a TGV)
" 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?"
Sep 05 I think we will win 2-1 but who gets the magic strike I'll go with Clinton[/QUOTE]
Dont turn up to Lansdowne on the 5th of September expecting Ireland to win. In fact I will bet 1 million Euro that the Senior Irish International Team will not beat France and Lansdowne Road on the 5th of September.
In Trap we trust
Thanks. Sadly our performance against the Italians in the first half (which, in friendlies, is the only real barometer of a performance you can have, given the deluge of tinkering and substituting that goes on in the second) gave me no cause for comfort. They literally strolled through our defence God knows how many times in the first 20-25 mins. Henry, Cisse et al are much faster than a permanently rubicund Vieri who, let's not forget, has not even started his season yet, and the game will be well over after 5 minutes if we commit the same mistakes against France. Our central midfield, apart from looking confused, were anaemic and were shown up by a classier, faster outfit. Gamebreakers like Pirlo had acres of space in our half - I tread to think what Zidane would do to us there. Generally our defence was shown up to be flatfooted and blunt whenever a quality team really presses us. I noted it first in the Romania friendly, how we panicked whenever they launched balls or ran players towards our central defenders. My resignation about a defeat to the French (another Basle 2003) hasn't been lifted at all, I'm afraid...
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