Ирландия против России (2 Viewers)

[Unicron]

Yeah, it will be based on coefficients again, and we would again be on the wrong side of the draw (should we get that far). Slovakia and Macedonia winning the next round of games would be a dream scenario. But more likely the aforementioned scenario of us needing a win and a draw for second.
The seeding of teams in the play-offs really is total bullshit. There's no sporting justification for it. Teams have already had the benefit of seeding at the beginning of the competition. Play-offs should either be a free draw or based on the teams' actual record in the group stage. You don't have Real or Barca seeded in the second round of the Champions League if they come second in their group, just because they were ranked higher before the tournament started.

No chance that we could overhaul the Turks? They're only a couple of spots above us.

 

[washingcattle]

they might have gotten a spanking against Germany if the group was tight but the Germans have already qualified so they probably won't put out much of a side.

I had a dream we got Turkey in the playoffs so I hope we don't overhaul them. They're notoriously shite travellers, they lost away to Azerbaijan, so We could definitely sneak one past them at Landsdowne, then play bunker ball during in Istanbul.

 

[Unicron]

they might have gotten a spanking against Germany if the group was tight but the Germans have already qualified so they probably won't put out much of a side.

I had a dream we got Turkey in the playoffs so I hope we don't overhaul them. They're notoriously shite travellers, they lost away to Azerbaijan, so We could definitely sneak one past them at Landsdowne, then play bunker ball during in Istanbul.

To be honest if were to end up in the second pot and things stay the same I'm not that bothered about who we get looking at how things stand (though getting Greece might put us in contention for playing the most boring 2 legged tie in history, which might be a larf, in the same way that eil Hamburger is one too) it's not like the World Cup pots when fucking France and Portugal were in there.

 

[xrockridgex]

For the craic here is a quick summary of who is in the shake up for second place in each group. Numbers in brackets are the current world rankings of each team.

Group A: Two horse race between Belgium (37) on 12 points and Turkey (24) on 14 points with the Germans (3) already qualified. They both have to play Germany, Turkey at Home, Belgium away, and should pick up three points from games against Kazakhistan and Azerbijan. Difficult to call it against Turkey here as their head to head is also better than the wafflers.

Group B: Is going to be us, barring a plausible fuck up.

Group C: Difficult to call this one, with Italy (7) qualified already it is three way between Serbia (29), Estonia (86) and Slovenia (23) for 2nd. Slovenia are probably screwed given they can only get a maximum of 14 points, even though a home win against the Serbs would give them that and a superior head to head. Gonna stick my neck out here and call it for Estonia who are on 13, will probably be on 16 after a victory against Norn Iron and have a better head to head against Serbia, who with 14 points need to take three points from an away game against Slovenia and a home game against Italy. Having said that Slovenia are atrocious at home, having literally lost to everyone except the Faroe Islands there.

Group D: Probably safe enough as calling this a two way between Romania (54) and Bosnia Herzegovina (39), as Romania have a game in hand over Belarus who they play at home, and the French have a one point lead over BiH with two home games against Albania and BiH remaining. Beyond that I am not certain as BiH will take three points from their game against Luxembourg and then play France away, who humped them in Sarajevo last year. Either way they are both ranked below us so happy days.

Group E: Holland (1) already through. Two way between Sweden (18) and Hungary (45) with the Swedes likely to triumph due to a superior head to head and a game in hand, even though it is against the Dutch at home.

Group F: This will be either one of Greece (14) or Croatia (10) who are vying to top the group. Greks are likely to finish second with Croatia first given their one point lead, the fact a scoring draw with the Greeks will give them a superior head to head and being home to Latvia in their other remaining game with Greece away to Georgia.

Group G: Almost certain to be Montenegro (19) I reckon as their game with England has draw written all over it, which would mean all they would need to secure 2nd from the Swiss (30) would be a draw away to them.

Group H: Will be either Portugal (8) or Denmark (21), with Norway (12) also in the mix. Gonna plump for Denmark to finish second given their superior head to head over Norway and the fact they have still to face Portugal, who should be sufficiently motivated to win, although they have a piss poor record when the chips are down.

Group I: This will almost certainly be the Czech Republic (42) with Scotland (55) needing a result away to Spain and for Lithuania to do them a favour against the Czechs.

 

[actwithoutwords]

Regarding getting into the first pot, aren't we the 6th ranked out of the 8 current likely play-off teams? There's definitely likely to be less of a difference between the pots this time round though yeah.

 

[Hector Grey]

well, we've hexed it now, lads. cue a nil nil in andorra. by which i mean barcelona.

 

[ann post]

Does expecting to get knocked out in the playoffs count as optimism?

mostly in the sense that the thread hasnt turned into 'who are you supporting when they get knocked out' yet.

 

[xrockridgex]

well, we've hexed it now, lads. cue a nil nil in andorra. by which i mean barcelona.

That would be sweet relief in one sense as it would mean we are unquestionably not good enough to qualify for major tournaments and we could all get on with our lives.

 

[Jerry Twig]

Just back from the mighty Moscow. Well, wasn't that a fun-filled ride?!

 

[тхеодоре кацзынски]

How you get on?Im hoping to get to kazan in November so any words of advice will be gratefully received.

 

[Jerry Twig]

Fine, no problems at all and a great time was had. Moscow is a hell of a place. Security was intense but the Russian fans we met were all very sound.
Kazan in November will be a tad chillier though I'd imagine! My advice would be obvious - talk to Shamrock Rovers about the arrangements.

 

[washingcattle]

Given and Dunne must be absolutely wrecked now. First Russia and then yesterday they pretty much played against us on their own.

 

[Hector Grey]

That would be sweet relief in one sense as it would mean we are unquestionably not good enough to qualify for major tournaments and we could all get on with our lives.

i could live with that, were it not for the fact everytime a tournament pops along, there's worse shit than us at it stinking up the place. that's what really fucking hurt about the french at last years world cup. they hadn't even the decency to be any use. we could have been that shit! and, it's not as if we're strangers to sending players home either.

 

[Cormcolash]

Those are pretty much exactly my thoughts every time I think of the fact that the French got into the last World Cup - "Even we probably wouldn't have been as shit as that!"

 

[xrockridgex]

Well for a trip down memory lane to a time when we were certainly good enough to qualify, if only because there was way less opponents, take a listen to the Football and Music podcast. All the usual musical suspects (Joxer goes to Stuttgart etc) and some audio clips as well. Decent site too.

http://www.footballandmusic.co.uk/podcast-dreaming-of-ireland/

 

[Jerry Twig]

Well for a trip down memory lane to a time when we were certainly good enough to qualify

What, when only the top team from each group went through and we depended on Scotland beating Bulgaria away, ourselves having lost to them away? When we had a last ditch victory over Luxembourg in Dublin if I remember right? We never fluked our way into a tournament like we did in 88. Good enough on paper, maybe.

 

[xrockridgex]

What, when only the top team from each group went through and we depended on Scotland beating Bulgaria away, ourselves having lost to them away? When we had a last ditch victory over Luxembourg in Dublin if I remember right? We never fluked our way into a tournament like we did in 88. Good enough on paper, maybe.

Well looking at our 1990 and 1994 groups, where finishing 2nd was auto qualification, it was way easier then and we definitely had a better team by comparison to standards with Europe.

I'm reading Why England Lose (also known as Soccernomics or something like that) by Simon Kuper. Some of his stuff is speculative and lazy but he makes a compelling enough point about how fringe countries (Turkey, Greece to pick two examples) have imported knowledge from the core countries (Holland and Germany respectively) and gone on to improve vastly compared to the home nations.

BTW if anyone wants to read it please let me know. Would love to swap it for a copy of Inverting the pyramid.

 

[Cormcolash]

Why England lost - BECAUSE EVERYONE FUCKING HATES THEM, YEAHHHH! haha

 

[Unicron]

Well looking at our 1990 and 1994 groups, where finishing 2nd was auto qualification, it was way easier then and we definitely had a better team by comparison to standards with Europe. I'm reading Why England Lose (also known as Soccernomics or something like that) by Simon Kuper. Some of his stuff is speculative and lazy but he makes a compelling enough point about how fringe countries (Turkey, Greece to pick two examples) have imported knowledge from the core countries (Holland and Germany respectively) and gone on to improve vastly compared to the home nations. BTW if anyone wants to read it please let me know. Would love to swap it for a copy of Inverting the pyramid.

PM me dude, I've got a copy somewhere and the Wilson book is a good read.

 

[Hector Grey]

belgium were also in that 88 qualifying group, and they were good. and so were Bulgaria, and Scotland. that was a fairly tough group, all the teams were around the same level. we beat Bulgaria at home, and losing to them was the only game we lost. we won that group on merit. that luxemburg game was a cracker, i was there. end to end. i remember watching the game in Belgium, and expecting us to lose, because that's what we did, and the belgies had just come third in the world cup. but we played well and brady scored alast minute equaliser. that changed the way we think, and when we beat Scotland in Scotland, we really believed we could make it. so, bulgaria blew it in the end, but sure, we've done that for other teams time and time again.

all in all i wouldn't say we fluked it.