Euro 2008/future

[colster]

The Czechs have certainly blown hot and cold so far, but Germany are playing attractive, attacking football and look good for at least a quarter final spot. Even Ballack, who previously did not give them much chance, has come out in support of Klinsmann and wants his contract extended

Germany struggled to beat a very ordinary Polish side, conceded 2 goals against Costa Rica and beat Ecuador who rested 5 players. From what I've seen we don't have too much to fear from them.

The Czechs were over run by a tough tackling and aggressive side. They haven't impressed me. I think if we play a high tempo, pressing game with a bit of aggression we will cause them problems. Having said that they will have a lot of retirements after this WC but if they still have to play Poborsky (who looks pedestrian) then the alternatives can't be too great.

I think if we get ourselves right then we can beat them.

[TheJamaicanP.M.]

I think if we get ourselves right then we can beat them.

Colster, you've hit the nail on the head. If we get ourselves right (and that means passion and the right attitude), then I think we can compete for one of the top places in this group. I don't think either Germany or the Czechs have players that are that much better than our own.

I'm a great believer that, in international football a team can be greater than the sum of its parts. In a similar way, a team is only as good as its weakest player. At the moment, I think we have about 7, maybe 8 players that are up to scratch: Given, Finnan, Dunne, O'Brien, S. Reid, Duff, Keane. I'm hoping Doyle can step up to the plate. After that, its looking like Staunton will be relying on Kilbane, Kavanagh, O'Shea, Carr, etc. Than again, we've often been weak in a couple of positions. As I've said, if we get the attitude right and play with the type of passion you expect from an Irish team, then we're in with a shout.

[OwlsFan]

Like the Swedes. A few excellent players and the rest so-called journey men. Pride, passion, belief and organisation (plus luck) and you'd be amazed how far you can go.

[colster]

Colster, you've hit the nail on the head. If we get ourselves right (and that means passion and the right attitude), then I think we can compete for one of the top places in this group. I don't think either Germany or the Czechs have players that are that much better than our own.

I'm a great believer that, in international football a team can be greater than the sum of its parts. In a similar way, a team is only as good as its weakest player. At the moment, I think we have about 7, maybe 8 players that are up to scratch: Given, Finnan, Dunne, O'Brien, S. Reid, Duff, Keane. I'm hoping Doyle can step up to the plate. After that, its looking like Staunton will be relying on Kilbane, Kavanagh, O'Shea, Carr, etc. Than again, we've often been weak in a couple of positions. As I've said, if we get the attitude right and play with the type of passion you expect from an Irish team, then we're in with a shout.

I agree. The 7 or 8 players you mentioned would all get into either of their squads and a lot into their 1st team so why are some many people being pessimistic.
The last manager concentrated too much on the opposition and as a result the team were tentative and played with a certain amount of fear.
I think if we get rid of that fear and play a pressing, attacking style then we will do well.

[mypost]

why are some many people being pessimistic.

It's the English OTT mentality. We can be World Champions after we win, and can't kick snow off a rope when we don't.

We've heard it all before, people said we had no chance when we got Belgium and Bulgaria in the qualifiers; and qualified, when we got Spain and Denmark in the qualifiers; and qualified, when we got Holland and Portugal in the qualifiers; and qualified, and when we got Croatia and Yugoslavia in the qualifiers; and came to within a few seconds of qualifying. We are World Champions at talking up the opposition , and writing our own chances off as a result.

We'll do alright in the coming campaign. Germany and the Czechs will have a WC hangover, we have Croker and a good fixture list up our sleeve, the players will be fired up, and out to prove the doubters wrong...again. There's no guarantee we'll make it of course, but we'll be in the mix again to go to Austria and Switzerland, and the qualifiers won't be decided until the last weekend of the group at the earliest.

[Reality Bites]

To the optimistic masses out there of whom it seems are the majority.. Do you really see us getting results away from home in this group?? Is it possible with current team?? What happens to midfield if Stephen (still unproven) Reid gets injured?? Kilbane and O'****e...

No we have got to take those rose-tinted glasses off..

[youngirish]

It's the English OTT mentality. We can be World Champions after we win, and can't kick snow off a rope when we don't.

I believe the English mentality is more if we win we are the best team in the world bar none. If we lose it was only a practice/friendly game/it was the ref/it was because of injuries.

We certainly don't have the English mentality. I tend to think we are a bit more objective than them (though sometimes maybe overly pessimistic).

[colster]

To the optimistic masses out there of whom it seems are the majority.. Do you really see us getting results away from home in this group?? Is it possible with current team?? What happens to midfield if Stephen (still unproven) Reid gets injured?? Kilbane and O'****e...

No we have got to take those rose-tinted glasses off..

You could equally say what happens if Rosicky or Ballack are injured??? The optimism is based on a full strength side in the big games.

[mistergreen]

Did anyone watch the game for 3rd Place last night? Ok - 3rd place - who cares. However Germany - both the team and fans - for obvious reasons - really cared. Apart from everything going well off the field, on the field Klinsmann has turned a team - who were given no chance before the tournament - into a well organised, attack minded side with lots of team spirit and with the country behind them. I really - at this point - fear for us in September. Germany have the wind behind them and will be looking for the perfect start to the campaign. Staunton's idea of playing a team with a World Cup hangover could not be further from the reality. I live in Germany and watched the German fans remain in the Stadium for ages for a big party last night - it was really amazing to see.
Ireland under Staunton will have had three matches under their belt by the time of the Germany game. It will be very tough - to get a result in Stuttgart in September!

[colster]

Did anyone watch the game for 3rd Place last night? Ok - 3rd place - who cares. However Germany - both the team and fans - for obvious reasons - really cared. Apart from everything going well off the field, on the field Klinsmann has turned a team - who were given no chance before the tournament - into a well organised, attack minded side with lots of team spirit and with the country behind them. I really - at this point - fear for us in September. Germany have the wind behind them and will be looking for the perfect start to the campaign. Staunton's idea of playing a team with a World Cup hangover could not be further from the reality. I live in Germany and watched the German fans remain in the Stadium for ages for a big party last night - it was really amazing to see.
Ireland under Staunton will have had three matches under their belt by the time of the Germany game. It will be very tough - to get a result in Stuttgart in September!

Reminds me a bit of how Croatia played their 3rd/4th playoff in 98. We played them soon after and won 2-0.

[youngirish]

Reminds me a bit of how Croatia played their 3rd/4th playoff in 98. We played them soon after and won 2-0.

Croatia were an ageing team on the slide. Germany are a youthful team on the up. We also played Croatia at home and they had a man sent off.

[colster]

Croatia were an ageing team on the slide. Germany are a youthful team on the up. We also played Croatia at home and they had a man sent off.

You may be right but teams after a long WC are vulnerable. The hype of the WC euphoria will have died down by the time we play Germany. Their players will be tired and may find it hard to dig as deep as they did in this WC.
In any case there is nothinng to fear from this German side. They are not that good and I think if we get our attitude right and play a high tempo aggressive pressing game we'll get a good result.

[pineapple stu]

We'll be grand. The last eight World Cups, the team to win the 3rd/4th place play-off has failed to qualify for the European Championships. A recored which stretches back to 1970 when...West Germany were third in the World Cup and went on to win Euro '72...

On a serious note though, I would imagine if we're going to qualify, it'll be the Czechs we'll be finishing ahead of, not the Germans. They're not the Germany of old, but they're still a very handy team.

[Closed Account 2]

One the one had the Germans did well to get 3rd place in the world cup. But on the other hand you could, taking a game by game analysis, say it was as follows:-

Costa Rica, good win for them, but Costa Rica are not strong, and they conceeded 2 week goals.

Poland, again a win, but only 1-0 and only in the last moments of the game. Poland are not a great team (theyre a well organised average team), and they looked like getting a draw up to when their man was given a red card.

Ecuador, a good win, but both teams were through and Ecuador were not playing their full team.

Sweden, a very good win. The Germans got off to a great start, but you wonder would/could it have been different had Larsson scored or the Swede got sent off early on.

Argentina, a narrow win in a cagey game of few chances, on penalties.

Italy, a fairly good performance against a defensive team, Germany didnt create that many clear cut chances, and the Italians (despite playing most of the match with a lot of men behind the ball) had several decent chances as well as the 2 goals (eg hitting the post).

Portugal, now this would be IMO the big worry. Germany played very well here, and beat a very decent Portuguese side. Although the Portuguese had some key players out or rested (Miguel, Carvalhjo, Figo) this was still a strong German performance esp. in midfield.

So overall I would say we have a chance against them, we just have to play clam football and try and win the midfield battle.

[pineapple stu]

Poland, again a win, but only 1-0 and only in the last moments of the game.

Germany were all over Poland for most of the match from the highlights I saw (admittedly on Fox...)

[shakermaker1982]

Germany are a good young side but they will respect us. We need to go out there with the right mentality from the start and go for a win. I'd settle for a draw of course but it's about time we went for the jugular when we travel. For too long we applaud draws as if they were wins and the bloody 1 pint a piece mentality cost us big style in trying to qualify for Germany 2006. Fingers crossed Doyle scores a few in August and goes into the game buzzing. I cannot wait for Stuttgart, I've gotta feeling this new team could shock a few people.

[RogerMilla]

germany were all over poland alright , boruc made a load of saves before neuville broke the deadlock , the key was the introduction of odonkor , will definitely put in him in my bundesliga fantasy team!

[RogerMilla]

let's see how we perform agains tthe dutch and if we can carry the positives into september. Have to say our game against the czechs at home is a key game. 0 from that and stuttgart would cast us adrift. A win there would erase any bad result against the germans. And don't even get me started about getting 4 or 6 points from the two games !!

[Stuttgart88]

Reminds me a bit of how Croatia played their 3rd/4th playoff in 98. We played them soon after and won 2-0.

In fact there's an even more recent and arguably more direct precedent. An omen perhaps?

In Euro 2000, Holland, the hosts lost very narrowly to Italy in the SF. They missed two penalties before losing a shoot-out. In the previous round they thumped Yugoslavia so they were obviously a classy side & they had the nation behind them despite having doubts about a rookie manager.

In the final Italy & France drew 1-1 in normal time.

After the tournament, Rijkaard, the gallant hosts' manager, resigned. Maybe Klinsmann will too.

Less than 3 months later an unfancied Irish team went into the lion's den & produced a brave, attacking performance that yielded two goals as good as we've ever scored, only to concede two late goals. Granted, the Dutch had lost key players to injury, but you can argue that we did too. Richard Dunne had only played US Cup for us before. We had nobody fit on the bench. You can also argue that we showed a losing mentality but it's unarguable that the Dutch scored from an error (Harte) and a cruel deflection off Carr.

Going into the game I feared the worst but, as always, in the back of my mind felt anything was possible. Some were predicting a 5-0 defeat at best.

In hindsight, the feelgood factor of Holland's 6-0 (?) thumping of Yugolsalvia in the QF was long forgotten just weeks later.

Maybe we can repeat the trick in Stuttgart?

[geysir]

After the tournament, Rijkaard, the gallant hosts' manager, resigned. Maybe Klinsmann will too.

Its confirmed, Jurgen will not make a new contract. It can only be a good thing for us. Considering how he was villified and now sanctified by the same sources, I think he has made a very smart move.
BTW how did Germany do in their qual. group after their wc02 exertions?
France struggled badly to qualify out of their Euro group after their WC'98 victory.