Slovakia - Czechs live on TV

[endabob1]

We are fooked. Slovakia getting hammerred by their neighbours the Czechs was the worst possible result for us. I was hoping they would be up for it considering it's basically a derby match and that they would play out of their skins and take more points of the Czechs than us.

I believe the Welsh will be more up for beating us than any of the others so things don't look good at this early stage.

I tend to agree with this, I had hoped because of the history these games would be very tight but the Czechs winning 3-0 away is not a good sign. Having said that Wales made them look very average at the weekend so maybe all is not lost.....those positive thinking clases are starting to kick in I think

[Stuttgart88]

Last night's result was a disaster for us alright but I can't see the timing of the fixtures being responsible.

Regardless of the timing of our fixtures, the Czechs have already got 3 points from games against each of Slovakia and Wales. They're likely now to get 6 in total from Slovakia. I'd be amazed if we can match that.

Beating the Czechs is imperative and we'll also need a first good away win in 20 years to have a chance.

[youngirish]

Last night's result was a disaster for us alright but I can't see the timing of the fixtures being responsible.

Regardless of the timing of our fixtures, the Czechs have already got 3 points from games against each of Slovakia and Wales. They're likely now to get 6 in total from Slovakia. I'd be amazed if we can match that.

Beating the Czechs is imperative and we'll also need a first good away win in 20 years to have a chance.

I think yesterday proved that if we want to qualify we'll have to stop the Czech's from doing so. Bar a miracle Slovakia are almost already gone IMO. How often can you qualify from these things if you get hammerred 3-0 at home by one of your rivals? Wales aren't good enough to be in the shake up at the end IMO though they might cause a few upsets (probably against us). To qualify we need a few things to go our way:

1. Beat the Czechs at home and at least get a draw away.
2. If unable to do 2 above hope the Germans beat the Czechs at home and away and we grab a point off them at home.
2. Hope Wales take some points off the Czechs at home and we beat Wales at home and at least get a draw away.

I believe unfortunately that the Welsh and now the Slovaks will take more points off us than the Czechs so we have to hope the Germans take more off them than us even if we beat them in Dublin and draw away.

[Block G Raptor]

I dont think the Czech result was a disaster for us. It shows that the slovakians wont be a force in this group as many of us feared. I think the result means that its a three horse race for two spots with germany the czech's and ourselves. I dont think wales will pose too much of a problem for us at home and would expect at least a draw in cardiff. I think it'll al boil down to our results against the Czechs for who will qualify

[Stuttgart88]

The Czechs have aleady got 3 points from Wales & Slovakia and we've got zero from one game in Germany. On balance therefore I think they've got far more scope to exceed our points gained from those 3 teams. We can't even think about not beating the Czechs now.

[elroy]

All that matters is that we get 12 points from the next 4 games, cyprus and san marino (2) should be a definite and we have to win at home to Czechs-no excuses!!!
If we manage that, we'll have 12 points at the end of this year and things will be looking good.

[NeilMcD]

I totally agree there Elroy. In our own deluded world it is a 3 horse race between us and Germany and Czechs but in reality it could be a done deal between the Czechs and Germany and its a 3 horse raise for 3rd between ourselves and Wales and the Slovaks. Lets home the former is the what happens.

[eirebhoy]

We need to win by a good score in Cyprus and beat the Czechs to keep in touch with the group.

Germany should win the group. The only way overall goal difference will come is if we get the same amount of points as the Czechs aswell as the exact same score in both matches with them (eg. 1-0, 0-1). There's very little chance of overall goal difference making any difference.

For all the ****ing and moaning that the FAI apparantly do at these group meetings to decide when they play each other, they got it badly wrong this time imo. Lets face it, we could be out of the championships by October the way things stand. If we lose to the czechs at home we will effectively be 9 points behind them.

No matter how the fixtures were arranged, if we lost to the Czechs at home we were not going to qualify anyway.

[NeilMcD]

I think the fixtures are grand to be honest. I suppose we could have had San Marino on Wednesday or Cyprus at home on Wednesday to get a bit of a moral boost after the German game.

Actually why did we not play Cyprus on Wed instead of November and we could have played a friendly in November.

[DotTV]

I don't think last nights result was a disaster.
Germany 6, Czechs 6, and Slovaks 3 but we have a game in hand against Cyprus.If we win there we are level with Slovaks and if we beat Czechs then we are level with them.
Our toughest games are a year down the line but by then some of our young players may have improved.
Did anyone hear if Alan O'Briens supposed loan deal with Wolves has gone through?

[Dodge]

Seem to remember most people being happy we got Germany first, hoping for a world cup hangover. The thing I remember most about the lead up to the fixtures was Staunton saying he didn't want to go to Cyprus in June as "Irish people don't like the heat" Not sure but think he was hoping for no June games at all. When you take that stance, you're severely limiting your options. Not that I think it matters mind...

[geysir]

There was a sense that Germany weren't firing on all cylinders in Saturday's game but neither were we. A better team than us would have troubled them more.
The worse case scenario didn't happen, most people who were there saw an improved team playing a tough away fixture and took enough positives along with the dissapointments.
I had thought that the Czechs were better than Slovakia anyway, but a 0-3 win puts the pressure of not only beating them at home but beating Slovakia away just to stay level with the Czechs. By accounts Slovakia didn't play badly.This is asking us to achieve something which better Irish teams have not managed to do before - beat a higher seeded team away and then beat a top seeded team at home (which we haven't done in 5 years).
So Koller hasn't retired.

[NeilMcD]

Slovakia were terrible last night in my view. Their defending was shocking.

[geysir]

The accounts didn't mention that, just a bright start and a flurry of shots later on. So they were outplayed?

[Dodge]

Thoroughly. Czechs better in every area

[NeilMcD]

Well I saw the match and the Czechs could have won by a lot more than 3. Slovakia were so poor it was unreal, for a derby match. If we were that poor say against England at home these boards would be full of Staunton out.

[DmanDmythDledge]

I know it makes some sort of a difference but at the end of the day eveyone plays the same matches, if you don't do your job you're out, bar your rivals doing bad too. We've got to say we need to do x to qualify and not worry too much about what other teams are doing. If we end up being so engrosed in other games how can we be expected to win our own games?

[backstothewall]

If they are that bad, and they still hammered Cyprus, there can be no excuses. We need to win comfortably

[German_Tim]

I dont think the Czech result was a disaster for us.

In my opinion it was the worst case for Ireland cause a draw or even a Slovakia win would have been better for you.

The Czechs surprised me a lot in Bratislava...and it's clear now that you have to defeat them at home! I'll press my thumbs for you!