Euro 2016 - let's go (1 Viewer)

3 draws would be enough to get one of the best 3rd place spots you would imagine, unless we were very unlucky..

The structure of the draw actually biases things a bit against our group - the 2nd and potentially best 3rd place finishers in Group E will always end up playing the winners of another group in the second round, and our group winner will play a 2nd place team (whereas with the other groups you can come 2nd and end up playing another 2nd-place finisher, or win the group and play a 3rd place team).. maybe that's thinking too far ahead.
 
3 draws would be enough to get one of the best 3rd place spots you would imagine, unless we were very unlucky..

The structure of the draw actually biases things a bit against our group - the 2nd and potentially best 3rd place finishers in Group E will always end up playing the winners of another group in the second round, and our group winner will play a 2nd place team (whereas with the other groups you can come 2nd and end up playing another 2nd-place finisher, or win the group and play a 3rd place team).. maybe that's thinking too far ahead.

Jaysis man. Well the upside is that by being in Group E we'll know what we need in the last game if it comes to it.

It's a tough group but we're a better team than 2012 and this is an easier group than that so could have been worse. Belgium and Sweden are high and low table premier league-style teams so that's good for us, and Italy is Italy (forget form, they almost always click into gear at tournaments). Like everyone is saying, including MON, it all comes down to the first game and we need to go out to win it. But unlike Croatia in 2012, we are capable of beating the Swedes if we can keep a lid on Zlatan.
 

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Alan Judge joins Rob Elliot in the out for 6 months or more category with a double leg break.. I know he was an outside shot for the Euros but awful for him in any case, might also scupper his chances of a Premier League move in the summer. Horrible injuries to fringe players are making O'Neill's job of picking the squad a bit simpler.. we need the likes of Long, Coleman and Hoolahan wrapped in cotton wool for the next 8 weeks.
 
So here's the Ireland Euros squad:

Keepers: Given / Randolph / Westwood
Defenders: Christie / Coleman / Keogh / Duffy / O'Shea / Clark / Ward / Brady
Midfield: McGeady / Meyler / Hendrick / Quinn / McCarthy / Whelan / Hoolahan / McClean
Forwards: Walters / Murphy / Long / Keane

Westwood being in there is a positive surprise.. Feel a bit sorry for Forde given the decent shifts he put in early in the campaign to get us there but with the way their club careers have been going it's clearly the right call. McGeady's been in decline for a couple of years now but O'Neill clearly thinks he can get something useful out of him, will have to trust him on that. Murphy served a purpose as a sort of battering ram / route one outlet in the qualifiers but it's hard to believe we're bringing a guy with zero goals in 21 appearances to a tournament, particularly when his Ipswich form has totally dried up.. I'd rather Doyle was brought back in if we need somebody of that type. Besides that I don't have much to argue with the selections (I'm assuming Shay Given is there as a mentor / experienced head only, if he's starting then it's another story).. Robbie will probably only get 15 minutes here and there but what other strikers do we have making a case for that spot? The game earlier was a bit of a shitshow (not exactly morale boosting to reverse the North's result against the same opposition by 4 goals) but probably better to have your weaknesses exposed before the tournament instead of a cakewalk.. Hopefully they iron out the ball-watching and absentee full-backs ahead of Ibra and co.
 
I agree with nearly all of that.

I would have preferred to have Forde over Given, not only as he put in the early shifts in Georgia and saved us in Germany but because Given is selfish for coming back at all, not to mention hiding his injuries four years ago. I'm surprised Roy ever sanctioned it. Glad Westwood is in though, that would have been lunacy.
I'd also prefer McGoldrick over Murphy as he's clearly a better player, plus he's good utility back-up for Hoolahan. Right now we really have no cover for him.Damn shame about Arter's injury but MON is still talking about the possibility of him coming in, meaning he may well recover and someone else (McCarthy, Keane) may not. Mind you, I'd say McGoldrick or even Doyle would come in for Keane.

Otherwise no real surprises. Delighted to see Duffy in there, and I hope he even starts against Sweden (may well do) as he's an absolute shithouse that can batter Zlatan. If he plays well he could hold the position down for the rest of it.

I wasn't too bothered about the Cork match. Only Hendrick and maybe Keogh and Ward from that line up will get a look in to start.

Hopefully v Sweden:

Randolph
Coleman O'Shea Duffy Brady
Whelan
McCarthy Hendrick
Hoolahan
Walters Long

Way better side than four years ago anyway.
 
Got Spain in the office draw

spainwoo.gif
 
An Engxit in the football and a Brexit from Europe. Can we really do the double? | Marina Hyde

I cannot speak for the other home nations, but for those of us experienced in the traditional England tournament “journey”, the sense of a gathering toxic shitstorm that attends the referendum will feel familiar. Back in February, a malarial reworking of Three Lions by a Ukip supporter was a source of unbridled mirth. It’s now the classiest thing I can remember from either campaign.
 
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