World Cup draw

[Maroon 7]

How did scotland show that, the lost to them twice.

To be fair to the jocks they were a bit unlucky against Italy. At Hampden Italy got an injury time winner from a free-kick that was never a free-kick and only five minutes before that McFadden missed an open goal that would have put them ahead (granted Italy had a good goal disallowed early on).

Over in Italy I think it took two fantastic Pirlo free-kicks to win the game. Apart from that Italy didn't create much.

Obviously won't be easy but it is possible to get some points from the two Italy games.

[NeilMcD]

It was toni who scored in Italy. You re thinking of the qualifiers for the World Cup in Germany where Rob Douglas ****ed up and got beaten by frees by Pirlo.

[cobra]

How did scotland show that, the lost to them twice.

well, if mcfadden had his wits about him that night the scots would have had 2 handy goals

[Maroon 7]

It was toni who scored in Italy. You re thinking of the qualifiers for the World Cup in Germany where Rob Douglas ****ed up and got beaten by frees by Pirlo.

Bugger. You're right. Two headers wasn't it?

[Donegalcelt]

Not a bad draw, all those teams are well beatable with the right man in place (bar Italy who should top the group). We have a fantastic chance to qualify for South Africa I'm delighted. Glad we didn't get Group 9 I think only 1 comes out of that would that be right?

No, the second placed team in group will have their points put up against the other eight second placed teams. The best eight play-off against each other over two legs for four places. The second-placed team with the worst points total is eliminated before this. For the head-to-heads, results against the pot six teams do not count.

[Donegalcelt]

Sorry keenaboy - results against bottom team don't count, not bottom seeds as is discussed earlier here

[NeilMcD]

well, if mcfadden had his wits about him that night the scots would have had 2 handy goals

or if the ref had of given a perfectly good goal to italy and had spotted that Ferguson was offside. Italy are tough home and away and to me all it shows is that even when you think nyou have a good chance of beating them they come up trumps. Quality side and they are not World Champions for nothing, I think its the worst 1seeds we could have got as they always qualify.

[Donegalcelt]

One point that i think will be very important when the fixtures are decided will be our first couple of games. I hate the notion that we always have to play the hardest team in our grou away first....this has only ever worked once for us.

Dunno, I know it worked in Amsterdam in 2000 but we got decent draws in France, Portugal, Switerland ('04) in the opening three games of qualifiers. Russia and Germany (although it was only a poxy deflection that beat us and we were muck) didn't work too well admittedly.

There are obvious cons with opening away especially with a new manager but we'll have to do it by the looks of things.

I think it'd be a disaster to play Montenegro first. They're an unknown quantity (to themselves even too), probably incredibly nationalistic and will really be up for it early on. Better off to let someone else club them early and deflate a bit of their confidence. Cyprus away first might be the best of them for our point of view. We'd have to be up for that one.

[TheBoss]

have you just woken up from a 5 year snooze?

Hows life back in 2001?

The players are good enough to do that, In our campaign just gone, we beat San Marino, Wales and Slovakia at home quite comfortably. We should have beaten Germany and the Czechs and the Cyprus was an odd one really, I think the players gave up at that stage.

[Bondvillain]

Have been in bulgaria a good few times this last 2 years and for some reason them and the cypriots are very pally..i would not be relying on cyprus to do us a favour when playing bulgaria

I would not be relying on ANY team to "do us a favour", nor would I reckon that , in qualifying, any country (particularly one on such a high about scalping, and potentially increasing their pot position as Cyprus) is 'pally' enough with another nation to lose or draw an internationally televised fixture just to pee off Ireland and look after their mates...

In fairness, we have to get out of this "clique" mindset, or we'll never realise that it isn't international conspiracies that are hindering us, we are leaking goals, gifting draws, losing games, and fundamentally not qualifying for tournaments because at the moment, we simply aren't good enough.

Heres to the beginning of the new dawn where Ireland "aren't good enough" is but a distant memory.

[cobra]

i think we are good enough to give italy a run in the group but it all depends on whose in charge and can he get the players attitude right..
bulgaria hold no fears at all if we get all our main players out

[kingdom hoop]

Pretty tough draw I think, Montenegro and Georgia were probably the worst ones to get from those pots given we seem to perennially struggle against the 'weaker' teams. We should be looking forward to renewing rivalries with Cyprus. Surely things can't go as badly again? Satisfied with Bulgaria, good team, but 4 points should be eminently realistic. Italy don't hold all that much fear for me, hopefully they'll lose in final of the Euros and be a very tired team, sick of the sight of each other. Given the 'lions den' away games we face it highlights how critical a highly organised coach will be. For eg, I couldn't see Venables bringing us much joy away from home. I'm more sure than ever that Hodgson is the man.

I think we should aim to have two of Georgia/Cyprus/Italy at home to begin with, get the defence sorted and build confidence for what are all going to be VERY tricky away fixtures.

I think more than anything we need to be solid at the back for this campaign. Bulgaria are excellent in attack with the two Petrovs, Berbatov, and Bojinov is a tremendous prospect, was really looking forward to seeing him with City - he did his cruciate in his first game though I think. But saying that, they're pretty suspect at the back.

Hope springs eternal. The elixir of a new campaign has revived my flagging patriotism. Come on Ireland!!

[Metrostars]

Last time we were in a qualifying group with Bulgaria, we did alright. Thats abot the amount of hope I have right now...

[eekers]

it looks like we're gonna have to play all our september matches away because of croke park unavailablity.

so i think we shouldstart off cyprus away and montenegro away first.
we know cyprus and it should be no problem motivating our players for that game. montenegro i think we should try to catch as early as possible before they're organised and used to playing international football.


in september 09 we should aim for italy away (their season starts way later than the premiership and most of thier players should be in preseason by the time that game comes along)

i'd love our last game to be at home to bulgaria (home crowd, main rivals, a win to qualify maybe, and just like 1987 which started it all!!)

[SuperDave]

it looks like we're gonna have to play all our september matches away because of croke park unavailablity.

so i think we shouldstart off cyprus away and montenegro away first.
we know cyprus and it should be no problem motivating our players for that game. montenegro i think we should try to catch as early as possible before they're organised and used to playing international football.


in september 09 we should aim for italy away (their season starts way later than the premiership and most of thier players should be in preseason by the time that game comes along)

i'd love our last game to be at home to bulgaria (home crowd, main rivals, a win to qualify maybe, and just like 1987 which started it all!!)

don't forget lansdowne is supposed to be ready by then

[Colbert Report]

Wow really? Landsdowne is supposed to re-open in September 2008? I had no idea, that was really fast.

[ifk101]

Lansdowne is due to open early 2010.

The FAI need a new deal with the GAA if they want to use Croke Park in 2009.

[Rebel11]

Hard draw not too happy with it.
Bulgaria are a good side only lost 1 game in the Euro qualifing with Holland and Romania in the same group.

[gwhite]

I think one of the good things about the group is that everyone is capable of taking points of each other. Italy and Bulgaria will definitely drop points on their travels, if we can beat the teams seeded below us home and away (a tough ask but definitely not beyond us) and get results against Bulgaria, we'll get 2nd place.
I think Hodgson is the man to do this.

[Kingdom]

I'm looking at the draws in a number of ways.

1. Qualifying prospects. Not so bad but not so great either.
I would have taken the North's group or Scotland's much quicker. I think the best way of looking at the group would be to discount Italy altogether, and focus on getting the 2nd spot. whats we will need is home and away wins against Cyprus, Montenegro and Georgia.
Don't worry about Montenegro, sure its not as easy as getting Luxembourg, but hey we're never exactly comfortable with being expected to hammer teams. Just look at Kazakhstan when they entered the european section, they were expected to be quite tough, when really they've been no better than Moldova, Georgia and only marginally better than Azerbaijan.
As for Cyprus I'm glad we've drawn them for football reasons and I don't think we could have a better start to the new campaign than to have them in Croker. Our players seem to be cottonning on to the idea that we won't tolerate dross performances anymore, and what better way to prove they're up for the task than the Cypriots at home in our first game. The players owe us and themselves two good games against these shower, at least they have the opportunity at rectifying past mistakes.
So for me it will come down to how we do home and away against the Vulgar Bulgars () and anything we pick off Italy will be a bonus. What will stand to us is that any points gained against Montenegro will be discounted if we are in contention for a playoff place and there are some tougher groups than ours, so IF!! we were to come 2nd I'd be confident we wouldn't be the worst runner up.

Now from the journeying aspect...... ARGGGGGHHHH! Cyprus again ffs! The prostitutes must have moved from Poznan to Larnaca or something cause they seem to be our new best friends.
Georgia I haven't a clue about, although I'd love to go there but I'd be reluctant to go on a package.
Montenegro; this is the game I'll be definitely going to. Had heard a while back that its a lovely place and quite modern for a relatively new country so will be making the trek there.
Italy. Not too happy. Easiest trip to do but I've heard bad reports from friends who've been there for matches before.

The one striking thing about the draw is the lack of ryanair friendly destinations!