Monte Carlo is up the mountains San Marino is by the beachOriginally Posted by Bald Student
want some serious cash going out there
I wouldn't say they were lucky,they got quite a tough group,a trip to Russia's hardly lucky plus Croatia and Israel ain't no pushovers and will cause them problems,they struggled in poorer groups to get to Euro 02 and this World Cup.
Anyway,tough group for us,I would agree with Colster's predictions above and think we will do very well to finish 3rd.
MOT
Its basically in Italy so will be easy to get to. Scotland were there not long ago and my mates said its a great trip and easy to get to and lost of good drinking.
Anyone think that there could be doulble headers with Prague and Bratislava or Prague and Berlin or Munich. There is a lot of possiblities for double headers there.
Dont tink my liver could take a Double header for Prague and Bratislava or my c%% either ha ha .
In Trap we trust
It's the other way round!
You still need loads of money though
on the face of it englands group is hard but have tough away games to macedonia, israel, russia ( in winter probably ) and croatia - they will qualifying but i would rate this group a lot harder than the one they just had for the world cup
as for us - reasonably happy - czechs are having a few of their best players retire and germany have a lot of young lads
think its all there to fight for
Some interesting local derbies thrown up by the draw.
Armenia vs. Azerbaijan
Greece vs. Turkey
Czechia vs. Slovak Republic
Eire. vs. Cymru
Romania vs. Bulgaria
Estonia vs. Russia
SIGNATURESCOPE
Good! Hopefully if you take a few more of your like and I might find it easier getting tickets than I've done in the last few years.
This is the cooooooooooooolest footy forum I've ever seen!
30 days to sort out fixtures this time around, so we'll know soon enough.Agree entirely.....BRING IT ON!!!
I think there are 90 days for fixtures to be agreed in the group.
It's a fantastic draw from a footballing, financial and fans point of view. There was a good chance of getting a british team and Wales were my preferred choice, so good stuff there. I fancied Gemany from pot 2. They won't have played a qualifier in 3 years and if we play them early away could catch them cold. Czechs are world class but it will be interesting to see how their squad shapes up after the World Cup. With the proper approach in all games(esp. Slovakia and Cyprus) we have a real fighting chance in this group. I predict a 2nd place finish.......ever the optimist
Be happy!
It's a decent draw.
All we need to do is 'put em unda pwessha'
And Wales certainly ain't great shakes, derby or not.
Ah, even better....at least we can all start planning for the away games30 days to sort out fixtures this time around, so we'll know soon enough.
It's a fantastic draw from a footballing, financial and fans point of view. There was a good chance of getting a british team and Wales were my preferred choice, so good stuff there. I fancied Gemany from pot 2. They won't have played a qualifier in 3 years and if we play them early away could catch them cold. Czechs are world class but it will be interesting to see how their squad shapes up after the World Cup. With the proper approach in all games(esp. Slovakia and Cyprus) we have a real fighting chance in this group. I predict a 2nd place finish.......ever the optimist
Yep - the draw is a good one for everyone (who's interested!)
"Inflatable hammers and Leprechaun suits, & a chorus of "Here we go" or Olé, Olé"....
An excellent draw in my opinion and leaves us with a great chance of qualifying.
San Marino- The worst team in Europe. Have been going for years now and have never seemed to improve at all unlike say Albania
Cyprus- Our third time in a row being in the same group as them. Nothing special.
Wales. Did great under Hughes. Toshack is useless and their better players like Giggs and Hartson are heading over the hill. Should be capable of beating them.
Slovakia. The worst of the teams in Pot 3. Best player would be Nemeth of Middlesbrough. Should be two good games between them and the Czechs. Kick lumps out of each other.
Germany. Nothing to fear. Will be coming off the back off a world cup campaign. More than capable of getting points.
Czech Republic. Mark my words. The Czechs will struggle to qualify. They are a good side now but most of there better players will be gone or past it after the World Cup. Nedved, Poborsky, Koller. Will not be up for it as they once were.
All in all Fantastic draw and we should do well!!
i never have a problem getting a ticket. all Eircomleague fans get an allocation. i presume being so Irish and all you have a local team?
gotta be happy with the group
Without doubt, the best post I've read since the draw was made.
I think the Czechs will struggle. Even with all the star players they've had over the past 10 years, they've struggled in the aftermath of appearing in championship finals. I really think we should play in the autumn when we can get them on the rebound.
I'd start the group with a home game against Cyprus (again), then I think we should play the Czechs away four days later. I think we should play the Germans and San Marino away in a double-header in October. We should save the big home games for Croker in 2007. Ideally, we should only play one game in June of 2007 as it will be at the end of a long, hard season for our players. San Marino at home would be ideal, but I can't see us having the use of Croker at that time of year.
In total, we will have to play 5 double-headers (i.e. 2 games in a week) during this campaign.
"Love many, trust few, always paddle your own canoe." Dillo
"Fantastic draw" - travel yes but getting a bit carried away from a football point of view. Germany have never, repeat never, failed to qualify for a major final and before someone says there's always a first time, does anyone really see them coming 3rd in that group ? If you do, see a psychiatrist.
So we are fighting with the Czechs/Slovaks and Wales for the 2nd spot. There isn't a huge amount of difference in ability between us and Wales. We have a slight edge and no more than that. Slovaks and Czechs will kick the same lumps out of each other as we and Wales will do. It's a stronger group than the one we just finished 4th in
Interesting, reasonable, tough but not fantastic.
Forget about the performance or entertainment. It's only the result that matters.
think i heard frankfurt on 8th or 10th feb for fixtures meeting
my mate text me this:
Ireland have: France, Italy and Ukraine. I nearly cried. Once I found out the truth I'm a lot more optimistic.
Staunton satisfied with Euro draw
Steve Staunton faces his first campaign as Republic manager
New Republic of Ireland manager Steve Staunton said he was quite happy with the Euro 2008 draw despite being up against Germany and the Czech Republic.
"It could have been a lot worse. We always knew it would be tough," said Staunton whose side also face Wales, Slovakia, Cyprus and San Marino.
"Slovakia just missed out on qualifying for the World Cup, and Cyprus have caused us problems recently.
"But, for travelling and everything, it is not a bad draw."
The Republic, under Brian Kerr, beat Cyprus twice in the qualifying series for the World Cup but were relieved to get away with a 1-0 sucess in the away match last October.
"But for keeper Shay Given we could have come away with no points," added Staunton.
"It is a competitive group and I am excited about it.
"I do not see any one team running away with it. The Czech Republic, as number one seeds, will be favourites.
"Germany, like ourselves, have been in transition, but they still qualified for the World Cup."
This was Stans interview about the group, the last line got my attention a bit
I think we have to be happy in that the 3rd seed in our group are not better than us and have never qualified. So that means we are competing with the Czechs for 2nd place going on Owls Fans logic. We have about the same record of qualifying for major competitions as the Czechs do in recent times. Remember this is their first ever World Cup. As has been said the Czechs will not be the same team they were in 2004. That team reached its peak then and it struggled in their group to go to 2006 and wer not that convincing againsts a very poor Norwary side that Scotland beat away.
I think Jamaican PM is right if we play them early after the World Cup we might give ourselves a starting chance. Also remember Germany played Scotland recently and struggled and were lucky to get a draw in Hampden and were hanging on in Dortmund were they won 2-1. They will probably qualify in the end but I think there is a possibility that we can get points from them both home and away.
We have avoided
Group A
Tricky trips to lowers seeds such as the former russian nations which are contained in Group A.
Not one of the away trips will be tough logistically or have very very hostile atmospheres.
All of this is good in my view. Also Germany and Wales have big stadiums to take a huge Irish Support away from home.
In Trap we trust
If Venables had got the job I could have gone to all the matches......"Fantastic draw" - travel yes but getting a bit carried away from a football point of view. Germany have never, repeat never, failed to qualify for a major final and before someone says there's always a first time, does anyone really see them coming 3rd in that group ? If you do, see a psychiatrist.
So we are fighting with the Czechs/Slovaks and Wales for the 2nd spot. There isn't a huge amount of difference in ability between us and Wales. We have a slight edge and no more than that. Slovaks and Czechs will kick the same lumps out of each other as we and Wales will do. It's a stronger group than the one we just finished 4th in
Interesting, reasonable, tough but not fantastic.
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