Ireland vs the As (1 Viewer)

[washingcattle]

Could he sing ?

 

[evil bandit]

I wasn't there myself but a quick glimpse on youtube brings up these gems

Some boozer in London

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From a different night in Gibney's

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I'd say Damien Dempsey is shitting it...

 

[Unicron]

Team for tomorrow.

Given
O'Shea
Kelly
Dunne
St. Ledger
TRAP'S MIDFIELD
Cox
Doyle

 

[xrockridgex]

Cox!!!!!

That is all. Good night.

 

[Richie]

Is it Kelly on the left and O'Shea on the right or the other way around?

As much of a revelation as Armenia have been in the 2nd half of this campaign, they're a very young side and had a reputation until recently for being poor on the road. I'm hoping for an early Ireland goal to knock some of the wind out of their sails. To be honest, if they weren't in Ireland's group I'd love to see them qualify, it's the same swashbuckling type of football as Turkey played at the last Euros and I'm sure they'd be a neutrals favourite (unlike our Greece-lite midfield-less wonder). Tomorrow is going to be unstoppable force meets immovable object type stuff, 11 goals scored in 3 games versus none conceded in 8 games.. Expecting exactly the same dour trench warfare as we'd had almost every home game, faintly hoping for Ireland to actually be in control for once.

 

[Cormcolash]

Lads, lads, think about it. If Doyle and Cox are starting up front, then it's possible, just possible, that we might get the LONG-COX COMBINATION SOMETIME IN THE SECOND HALF!!!!

Also, Paul McGrath should teach Robbie Keane how to sing.

Finally, this is still my favourite version of the Fields Of Athenry

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COME ON IRELAND!!!!

 

[coast to coast]

The key battle seems to be between our ability to keep clean sheets and our inability to play football. We haven't played well this season, so its hard to see that changing. We can still score from a set piece or a scramble, but other than that I fear for the way this team plays. I'm not suggesting that we tear up the structure that has got us this far, I'm just saying that someone with a bit of composure plays in the midfield in place of Keith Andrews, i.e. Keith Fahey.

Hope we get the point that gets us to the play-offs and from there on we get some luck and grow a spine. Otherwise, after this campaign, things need to change, big time.

Who's the flag in the avatar now Richie, seeing as you had to dump your Armenia one?

 

[Unicron]

Disregard what I said on the last page about the play offs, I was going by FIFA rankings and not UEFA coefficients.

Without knowing how many points in the ranking a team gets for a win (it varies depending on how many matches a side have been played in the time that's being covered) here's the best that I can work things out. My basic assumption is that no particular win tonight will be worth 1,000's of points but might be worth in the region of a few hundred. I'm working off of this preliminary UEFA coefficient ranking which I assume to be correct: http://www.world-results.net/uefa/ranking.html#2011

Ireland are currently in line to be the worst ranked top seeds in the play off draw. Denmark, Swedan, Croatia, Portugal, the 4 potential best runners up, we can't catch any of them, I don't think so anyway.

Serbia are ahead of in us the coefficients, if they win in Slovenia they will overhaul Estonia (who are behind us and have no match tonight). A draw will put Estonia through on head to head records.

We are ahead of Bosnia & H who are second in their group and play France tonight. If they win in Paris they'll take the group and France are miles ahead of us, that will put us in the unseeded pot.

The Czechs are only a few coefficient points behind us, if Scotland lose in Spain they only require a draw v Lithuania to go through, however in the event that we draw tonight and the Czech's win I assume that would be enough to get them a higher coefficient score. Even if the Scots win and we draw I doubt they can catch us. Matching the Czech's result should do us here.

Norway are a good bit behind us in the in the coefficients but perhaps a win against Cyprus (they must win) for them and a draw for us would get them above us if I've majorly underestimated the coefficient points swing. Assuming Norway win, if Portugual beat Denmark tonight Denmark are second on head to head. If Denmark beat Portugal than Norway and Portugal have identical head to heads and it would take a GIANT GD swing to get Norway ahead of Portugal. Portugal and Denmark draw, both go through.

I don't think Montengro beating the Swiss would have an impact on us.

So. to sum up. As best I can figure it out, in order for Ireland to be in the seeded pot for the draw we ...

1. At least need a draw tonight to finish second.
2. Need Serbia to get no more than a point in Slovenia, and Bosnia to get no more than a draw in Paris.

If #2 happens and we win then I am near certain we will be seeded. If #2 happens and we draw I suspect we'd still be in if we match the Czech's result (or if Scotland beat Spain) and if the Denmark, Portugal and Norway, Cyprus matches aren't freak high scoring affairs leading to Norway and Denmark winning with a giant GD swing in Norway's favour (though even if that happens I think we're good).

My head hurts now. I eagerly await someone to come along and point out an obvious error I've made which renders all of this work useless.

 

[Unicron]

Right, ducking out early to head up to town and the Aviva. Come on Ireland etc.

 

[Richie]

Who's the flag in the avatar now Richie, seeing as you had to dump your Armenia one?

It's these lads: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comoros, saw the flag in the African Cup of Nations qualifiers, it was either that or Burundi.

ps. Come on Ireland!

 

[тхеодоре кацзынски]

Poor Armenia.Seemed to me cox controlled it with his arm as it came down.Now to see can we make the extra man count...

 

[dudley]

thats just cruel

 

[тхеодоре кацзынски]

Poor poor Armenia.Self imploding now.Can still see them scoring but looks like it won't be enough.

 

[тхеодоре кацзынски]

We've become France.There's no glory here.

 

[тхеодоре кацзынски]

And that's most likely that.We might have seen a good game had their goalie not been dismissed.Although...come on Armenia!

 

[coast to coast]

So what now? Bosnia are sticking France into the second place gang. Cue the rematch we all craved. We're too shite to beat anyone in any way decent.

 

[coast to coast]

Portugal are in the second place pot now. Sweden straight through.

 

[actwithoutwords]

Looks like we're currently still in the top 4 seeds even with Bosnia winning, based on the current coefficients.

 

[actwithoutwords]

The other top seeds are going to be Portugal, Croatia and potentially France. Turkey and the Czechs are fairly close behind us in the coefficients. Holding on to that win today could well end up being pivotal. Well, pivotal to whether we inevitably get knocked out by a shite team or a good team in the playoffs.

 

[xrockridgex]

Cox brilliant.
Rest of team shite beyond belief.
Kelly bigger liability than McShane.
Doyle possibly finished under Trap.
Armenians shafted.
ROI in top four seeds.
Will probably get Estonia.
Mental. Mental.