Euro 2008 - Is there any hope?

[youngirish]

its head to head results that count - not goal difference - if teams finish on equal points. worked out on a home and away basis (like european club knock-out games). on that score we need to have a score draw at least against the czechs to have a realistic chance of finishing second - presuming germany steam roll everyone (except us of course ).

If we are going to be realistic we need the Welsh and the Cypriots to both take points of the Czechs I believe. If neither do manage to do so it's likely we'll have to beat the Czechs away and also win 3 of the other four games. This is not going to happen so it's up to the Welsh and the Cypriots.

[Block G Raptor]

I quite Fancy it now. the young lads coming through will have six months more experience and a few friendlies under there belts when the away games come around. The friendlies wil be more important this summer than the usual meaningless tripe we normally have. Stan made only one selection error last night (Finnan and O'shea in reversed roles) which is a huge improvement. His substitutions were bang on. so maybe just maybe he's learning from his howlers of the past. and maybe all the OTT media criticism is serving a purpose in a reverse psychology kind of way ie the players know what stan is really like not the 30 second press conference stan that we see so maybe they are ready to stand up and be counted for the gaffer
who knows maybe its a flash in the pan but maybe we have started to move in the right direction

[RogerMilla]

the cyprans ( a la apres match ) wont do anything in the czech republic i reckon , wales home game with czech is vital for us. hope the welsh get somethign there

[youngirish]

the cyprans ( a la apres match ) wont do anything in the czech republic i reckon , wales home game with czech is vital for us. hope the welsh get somethign there

The Cypriots have to play the Czechs in Nicosia. They nearly got a draw with them in the Czech Republic. 1-0 though Cech made a great save in injury time to hang onto the win.

[Jerry The Saint]

its head to head results that count - not goal difference - if teams finish on equal points.

So...you're saying we're DEFINITELY going to qualify

A 1-1 or 0-0 draw in Czechistan (good result under normal circumstances) is unlikely to be enough then without getting some extra help.

Team P W D L F/A Pts
1 Germany 5 4 1 0 21 / 3 13
2 Czech Republic 6 4 1 1 15 / 4 13
3 Rep of Ire 7 4 1 2 12 / 8 13
4 Slovakia 6 3 0 3 15 / 11 9
5 Wales 5 2 0 3 8 / 9 6
6 Cyprus 6 1 1 4 9 / 16 4
7 San Marino 5 0 0 5 1 / 30 0

Win three games and draw with Czech Rep. and Germany leaves us on 24 points.

Czech run-in

02.06.2007 v Wales (A)
08.09.2007 v San Marino (A)
12.09.2007 v Republic of Ireland (H)
17.10.2007 v Germany (A)
17.11.2007 v Slovakia (H)

Allowing for a draw against us and defeat to Germany, you could see them winning the rest so that brings them to 23 with a final game -

21.11.2007 v Cyprus (A)

- where they may only need a point depending on the score in the game against Ireland...?

[galwayhoop]

If we are going to be realistic we need the Welsh and the Cypriots to both take points of the Czechs I believe. If neither do manage to do so it's likely we'll have to beat the Czechs away and also win 3 of the other four games. This is not going to happen so it's up to the Welsh and the Cypriots.

yeah quite possibly but i was just explaining that the goal difference won't come into it, as its results against each other.

the point is really that even if we go and beat the slovaks away and only draw 0-0 with the czechs it means we have to finish with more points than them. we need to at least draw 1-1 or beat them. regardless of other results.

and yes you are right we probably need 6 points from those 2 games. also need to beat wales and cyprus and a draw with the germans should qualify us. not probable i know but, as the man says, while its still possible!

[galwayhoop]

ironic as it is but the 1-1 draw that saved stan may end up to be the one that knocks us out if we draw 0-0 to the czechs!!

[Nailer77]

There's always hope but its a big ask in fairness and as good as last night was we need to push on from it and not revert like we did after the Czechs. I think there's still some potentially strange results in this group so you never know. Still we've got the harder away games to come and going on our away form so far you've got to be realistic.

But...we've now got 6 months to build on this and introduce some alternative players to the squad in the friendlies ahead, we need to look at another CB, LB, CM and RW but it needs to be done right around a core of players that are established so its not just a mish mash of newbies with no direction. If we don't qualify but show some progression by November then I think Stan will have warranted another two years.

[Condex]

My predictions!!

Wales v czech * 1-1
san marino v czech * 0-10
czech v Ireland * 1-1
germany v czech * 3-1
czech v slovakia * 2-1
cyprus v czech * 0-3


SLOVAKIA v ireland * 1-2
CZECH REPUBLIC v ireland * 1-1
ireland v GERMANY * 1-1
ireland v CYPRUS * 4-0
WALES v irleand * 0-2

Germany to win group
Czech 23
Ireland 23

Then it would be us to go through as we did better against
Germany, a bit optomistic but what the hell!!!

[Block G Raptor]

The only optimistic bit there is Wales to hold czech the rest is possible if not probable

[OwlsFan]

We don't do away wins against half decent sides (Scotland 1987 being the last one) so in a nutshell, no chance unless the history books are rewritten by Stan

[Block G Raptor]

The only away win against a decent side in condex prediction is slovakia away and I'd have to say afteer last night I'd fancy that if we get at them and dont sit back

[Condex]

The only optimistic bit there is Wales to hold czech the rest is possible if not probable

If Toshack thinks there still in it, you never know...
http://football.guardian.co.uk/News_...045167,00.html

[eirebhoy]

If we don't beat Germany I'll be very suprised if we qualify. I'd fancy us to beat Germany than to win any of the remaining away games.

[galwayhoop]

If we don't beat Germany I'll be very suprised if we qualify. I'd fancy us to beat Germany than to win any of the remaining away games.

surely wales should be a probability and we have at least a chance against slovakia.

the way wales's support is at the moment cardiff would be almost like a home game or at least a neutral game if we have anything to play for.

[Nailer77]

surely wales should be a probability and we have at least a chance against slovakia.

the way wales's support is at the moment cardiff would be almost like a home game or at least a neutral game if we have anything to play for.

Definitely a chance in those games if we build on this. Thats the trick though, not falling back into what we've seen before. The really crucial game becomes Czech away, snatch a score draw there and there's real hope. Its still wishful thinking at this point though.

[KopKiller]

A chance that's all. We had two easy home games against dreadful to poor opposition. The real challenge will come now with three tough away games (Slovakia, Czech Rep and Wales) and our toughest home game (Germany). Judging by last nights performance Cyprus will be no pushovers in Dublin either and we have to beat them.

To have any hope I reckon we have to get 11 points plus from those games though we might need as many as 13.

Billsthoughts goal difference counts for nothing. It's head to head.

Im with you youngirish. We have had all our easier games at home already and the remainder of the campaign looks really tough on paper. I dont expect us to get any more than one point in the slovakia/czech double header and I think Germany will expose our lack of midfield strength and beat us.

I cant be confident about picking up many more points ... not even in Cardiff

3rd is the best we can get, which will help our seeding for future tournaments butof course we are Irish, so im sure we will have a go.

[kingdom hoop]

according to the brains at paddy power we are 9/2 to qualify, so there is a chance. less optimistically, we are 1/8 not to qualify. neither represent any where near good value, would anyone back either? by the way i won a nice few bob last night on the 1-0

[eirebhoy]

surely wales should be a probability and we have at least a chance against slovakia.

the way wales's support is at the moment cardiff would be almost like a home game or at least a neutral game if we have anything to play for.

It's a good point about the support. I was thinking more about the fact that they'll have Gabbidon, Delaney, Koumas and Earnshaw back. If Giggs, Bellamy, Davies, Bale are on form they've a decent team. I just dread our away matches.

[galwayhoop]

according to the brains at paddy power we are 9/2 to qualify, so there is a chance. less optimistically, we are 1/8 not to qualify. neither represent any where near good value, would anyone back either? by the way i won a nice few bob last night on the 1-0

just prior to our game against holland in lansdowne in 2001 we were 5/1 to qualify for the world cup