So who is going to Qualify from Ireland's Group

[finnpark]

Germany and ..........

Looking at the stats and remaining fixtures:

Ireland will pick up 8 points maximum from the remaining games (4 points minimum). Cyprus is the only fairly sure victory. All the rest are very tricky matches.

Slovakia will pick up 14 points maximum (9 points minum)

Czechs should pick up 11 points

Germany
Czech 25points
Slovakia 23 points
Ireland 21 points

Its going to be quite tight for second if Slovakia have a good run. I cannot see Ireland making the top 2. Slovakia have to play San Marino twice meaning they have a +6points guaranteed where Ireland dont. They also have Wales and Ireland at home which are key matches for them to win. Ireland's only easy match is Cyprus at home. I think 2nd place will be decided with Slovakia matche against the Czechs.

[Cymro]

The Czechs are not looking too great at the moment and I honestly think you or the Slovaks could pip them.

We may have little to no chance of qualifying, but expect us to have some influence on how the group turns out. Can't see the whole campaign passing us by without at least one significant result, though we have been poor lately.

The key matches for you are clearly the away games against the Czechs and Slovaks. Win those and you can probably afford to drop points against us and Cyprus.

I'd have to say it's too close to call at the moment. Such a weird group, Cyprus are capable of beating anyone outside of the Germans and the other four besides San Marino will no doubt take points off each other.

Once I see the Czechs play in June I'll know a bit more about who I think will qualify.

[eirebhoy]

Slovakia (a) -
Optimistic prediction: draw
Pessimistic prediction: defeat

Czechs (a) -
Optimistic prediction: draw
Pessimistic prediction: defeat

Germany (h) -
Optimistic prediction: win
Pessimistic prediction: draw

Cyprus (h) -
Optimistic prediction: win
Pessimistic prediction: win

Wales (a) -
Optimistic prediction: win
Pessimistic prediction: defeat

Those are my realistic predictions. I can't see us winning in Czechoslovakia going on previous away form.
We really should beat Cyprus at home.
I fancy our chances against Germany. Put it this way, their hardest match left is in Croke Park. They'll qualify. Our players will be really up for it and usually put it up to the top teams.
Wales will be very tough, anything can happen.

I can't see the Czechs getting anything in Germany. I fancy Wales to get at least a draw from them. They should beat San Marino and Slovakia though. If my optimistic predictions come through it'll go down to the Czechs final match against Cyprus. We'll have played all our matches and they'll know what they have to do.

One thing's for certain, with McShane, Dunne and Carsley in the team we're very difficult to beat.

[Nailer77]

Slovakia (a) -


I can't see the Czechs getting anything in Germany. I fancy Wales to get at least a draw from them. They should beat San Marino and Slovakia though. If my optimistic predictions come through it'll go down to the Czechs final match against Cyprus. We'll have played all our matches and they'll know what they have to do.

Is that right? All the final round of games have to be played at the same time surely? I know Rugby's different but I can't remember it happening in football.

[jbyrne]

it’s a pity we don’t play the chechs in a few weeks time as i honestly believe they are struggling at the moment. come sept they could be a different proposition. it’s a strange group and anything could happen. just have to take one game at a time and hope for the best

[finnpark]

My predictions for Ireland are:

Slovakia (a) Loss

Czechs (a) Loss

Germany (h) Loss

Cyprus (h) Win

Wales (a) Draw

4 points from those matches. Ireland need 11 or 12 points from those matches to have any chance. That means 4 wins really Cyprus at home and 3 away wins. Almost impossible for Ireland to qualify.

[pineapple stu]

Is that right? All the final round of games have to be played at the same time surely? I know Rugby's different but I can't remember it happening in football.

We've no game on the final day.

[Nailer77]

Is that right? All the final round of games have to be played at the same time surely? I know Rugby's different but I can't remember it happening in football.

And how the f**k did we end up playing two of our hardest away games in succession? Slovakia and Czech away in the a matter of days.

[DmanDmythDledge]

Is that right? All the final round of games have to be played at the same time surely? I know Rugby's different but I can't remember it happening in football.

That can't be done because of the uneven number of teams in the group.

[eirebhoy]

Is that right? All the final round of games have to be played at the same time surely? I know Rugby's different but I can't remember it happening in football.

Yeah our last match is in Wales on 17th November. The other 6 teams in the group play on the following Wednesday.

/edit ...as others have already said.

[Nailer77]

Yeah our last match is in Wales on 17th November. The other 6 teams in the group play on the following Wednesday.

/edit ...as others have already said.

Thats bad organisation then, we should have fought tooth and nail to play in the last round of games, f*cking stupid actually. Unless we'd already settled on the '4 year plan' by that stage!

[DmanDmythDledge]

Thats bad organisation then, we should have fought tooth and nail to play in the last round of games, f*cking stupid actually. Unless we'd already settled on the '4 year plan' by that stage!

As fourth seeds we would have had less influence on the fixtures as Germany, Czech Republic or Slovakia.

[DeNiro]

Predictions are grand, but very few would have predicated 6 points from our last two games. This is going to be one of the strangest groups you will find. One thing that seems to have worked in our favour in this group is having too games together. We've always done well in the 2nd games, usually because we were terrible in the first. Let's hope we can get something in Slovakia and then see how we go in Czech Rep. I get the feeling we might be in with a shout. Cymro makes an interesting point in that Wales might have a say in what happens yet, but they will have to beat either Slovakia or Czech Rep, no point beating Germany as they will qualify. Let's hope they have qualified by the time they come to Croker!

[jmurphyc]

i don't see us qualifying. whilst there was an improvement in the performances last week, we weren't so much better than the slovaks that i think we'd be able to beat them away. the two games in september will prove to be our undoing. not sure whether we'll even beat wales in cardiff.

[jbyrne]

not sure whether we'll even beat wales in cardiff.

if we had to to qualify i think we would. maybe being optimistic but i think we may be finally getting somewhre with this bunch of players

[eirebhoy]

i don't see us qualifying. whilst there was an improvement in the performances last week, we weren't so much better than the slovaks that i think we'd be able to beat them away.

When do we ever beat teams convincingly though?

[DeNiro]

1 Germany 5 4 1 0 21 3 18 13
2 Czech Republic 6 4 1 1 15 4 11 13
3 Rep of Ireland 7 4 1 2 12 8 4 13
4 Slovakia 6 3 0 3 15 11 4 9
5 Wales 5 2 0 3 8 9 -1 6
6 Cyprus 6 1 1 4 9 16 -7 4
7 San Marino 5 0 0 5 1 30 -29 0


If we factor in that everyone has played and beaten San Marino the table would be as such:
Played Points
1 Germany 6 16
2 Czech Republic 7 16
3 Rep of Ireland 7 13
4 Slovakia 7 12
5 Cyprus 8 10
6 Wales 6 9

Let's not forget that Germany and Czech Rep have to play each other again (the day we play Cyprus), which is in Germany. They have to play us and Wales as well. Anyone fancy giving a possible points total for Czech Rep from those 3 games?

[Superhoops]

And how the f**k did we end up playing two of our hardest away games in succession? Slovakia and Czech away in the a matter of days.

I think we were always going to have two away games in September as the international dates in that month were between the senior All Ireland finals.

[shakermaker1982]

Predictions are grand, but very few would have predicated 6 points from our last two games. This is going to be one of the strangest groups you will find. One thing that seems to have worked in our favour in this group is having too games together. We've always done well in the 2nd games, usually because we were terrible in the first. Let's hope we can get something in Slovakia and then see how we go in Czech Rep. I get the feeling we might be in with a shout. Cymro makes an interesting point in that Wales might have a say in what happens yet, but they will have to beat either Slovakia or Czech Rep, no point beating Germany as they will qualify. Let's hope they have qualified by the time they come to Croker!

I predicted two wins for us (please see the Prediction thread displaying my Mystic Meg abilities!!!).

I can honestly see us getting a minimum of two points in our next 2 away games at the very least. If I had my optimistic hat on I could see us beating Slovakia and drawing with the Czech Rep. I've actually had a go at predicting our group when busy at work.......think we end up on same points as Czech Rep but lose out on goal difference. Wales do play a key role in the outcome of this group. They could surprise us all (fingers crossed) by beating or at least drawing with the Czech's at home, especially if their injury jinx clears up by the end of August. Germany should also beat the Czech Rep at home so points will be dropped along the way. Let's hope we give ourselves a chance by staying undefeated.

[DeNiro]

I predicted two wins for us (please see the Prediction thread displaying my Mystic Meg abilities!!!).

I can honestly see us getting a minimum of two points in our next 2 away games at the very least. If I had my optimistic hat on I could see us beating Slovakia and drawing with the Czech Rep. I've actually had a go at predicting our group when busy at work.......think we end up on same points as Czech Rep but lose out on goal difference. Wales do play a key role in the outcome of this group. They could surprise us all (fingers crossed) by beating or at least drawing with the Czech's at home, especially if their injury jinx clears up by the end of August. Germany should also beat the Czech Rep at home so points will be dropped along the way. Let's hope we give ourselves a chance by staying undefeated.

Yeh, I'm of the same opinion. I don't think we're out of it. If we drew with the Czechs, then they would have to beat Germany and / or Wales. I reckon Wales will pull off at least one result in the group, hopefully it's not against us. I wonder are we set up for a Euro 88 style qualification again, where we're not playing on the last day but hoping someone can do us a favour. Does anyone know is this the first time we haven't played on the last day of the group since Euro 88 qualifiers?