International Hopes

gosplan

So today Ireland dropped 8 places in the FIFA rankings which will no doubt have an effect on seedings in the future. The rankings are now calcutated over the proceeding four years so all we've got to show is two failed qualification campagins. It's obvious that Ireland will need to qualify for something soon to put a stop to this slide so what are peoples hopes for the '08 qualifying like?

As far as I can see Germany will get a place. We are playing them first after a very successful world cup and it will also be the first match for their new manager. If it was another team I'd say we might pick up something as they may be a bit deflated after the WC but I doubt matters like that affect German performances. We'd be lucky to get one point in two games I'd say.

That basically leaves one place between us, Czech Republic, Wales and Slovakia.

Czech Republic seem to be a team in decline(Nedved's gone and hopefully he'll stay gone unlike those French last time), Poborsky isn't the player he was a few years ago, at 34 or so I'm not sure if he'll still be there. Rosicky is a danger as would be a fit Baros. Koller is obviously trouble but I'm not sure if he'll still be around either as he's also in his mid 30's.

Wales we should be better then, obviously Bellamy and to a lesser degreee Giggs, would be worrying but their defence is quite weak for international level.

Slovakia finished second in their last group, behind Portugal and ahead of Russia on goal difference. Behind them were Estonia, Latvia and other poorer teams so it wasn't that tough a group. Portugal beat them 2-0 twice, they dropped points to Liechtenstein and Latvia and had two draws against a poor Russian side.

So the Czechs are serious competition and you could expect Wales and Slovakia to play some part.

It could end up another very tight campaign but I'd still expect the Czechs(with Koller) to punish the smaller teams.

I'd say Ireland have a chance(long shot) but it's vital we get all the points vrs San Marino and Cyprus. We'd probably also need a double against Wales and then to take a lot of points off Slovakia and some from the Czechs.

Basically it all depends on whether the Czechs are actaully in decline, whether Koller stays on and how good Staunton is at motivating the team.

Ireland will need to score a lot of goals to qualify, if Keane plays like he did for the second half of last season you wouldn't doubt it but unfortuantly it may be out of our hands.

Ruu_Old

I don't pay much attention to the world rankings but like you said we have to put away the likes of the so called minnows and can't be making any silly mistakes. We must take the points from those sort of games.

Fanny Cradock

gosplan wrote:

Basically it all depends on.... how good Staunton is at motivating the team.

this is what i worry about. he's a dull gob****e. i also suspect him of being an idiot.

bring back charlton!

yom 1

Wonder what effect Klinsman leaving the German's will have? Hopefully it will work in our favour for the 1st game at least:o

BaZmO*

Fanny Cradock wrote:

this is what i worry about. he's a dull gob****e. i also suspect him of being an idiot.

bring back charlton!

He may be dull when giving interviews but when it comes to team talks I reckon he's got what it takes. His first match in charge would suggest that he has the players on his side and there seems to be a good team spirit.

Klinnsman stepping down might work in our favour, well I'm hoping it does, plus I'll be at the match so I'm really hoping for a result.

It's definitely possible for us to get out of our group, we'll just have to wait and see I suppose.

As for the seedings, I wouldn't worry about them too much.

Fanny Cradock

ok, admittedly it's too early to say. but if the Sweden match promised much, then, in like manner, the Chile match was a worrying sign. by my count that's a 1 - 1 draw so far.

Ruu_Old

Fanny Cradock wrote:

this is what i worry about. he's a dull gob****e. i also suspect him of being an idiot.

bring back charlton!

He may very well be but the team seem much more relaxed under his reign and they have expressed that too.

p.pete

Fanny Cradock wrote:

this is what i worry about. he's a dull gob****e. i also suspect him of being an idiot.

Kenny Dalgluish is dull - he had a good start to his managerial career. I'm only mentioning Kenny because someone else compared the two (external to boards, if there is such a thing?) when Stan first got the job.

I suspect Stan was the brains behind Paul Merson also as he didn't last much longer once Stan had left - I know that's not saying much coming from Walsall or wherever it was - I'm prepared to give him a chance.

PiE

Newsflash - we're the minnows.

gosplan

Just to let you all know, it's not that where FIFA ranks Ireland concerns me at all but that this has an impact on the difficulty of our qualifying groups.

In Euro 2004 qualifying we were first seed and had Russia and a had-never-done-anything-before Switzerland in our group.
We messed that up and dropped a bit so we got France in the WC qualifiers along with the Swiss again.
Now that we messed up that we've got Germany, the Czech Rep and Slovakia in our group.

The problem is now that we're 4th seeds a bad draw could mean something like Czech Rep and Germany. Before the world cup I would have given us a zero chance of qualifying but Czech looked weak so maybe we have hope.

Unless we really improve then Ireland will always be facing(on current seedings)

one team from: one from: and one from
Greece Germany Russia
Netherlands Croatia Denmark
Portugal Italy Norway
England Turkey Bulgaria
Czech Republic Poland Slovakia
France Spain Ukraine
Sweden Romania Serbia & M

Now you could have gotten lucky with the draw and been grouped with Greece, Poland and Bulgaria but that's still tough.

However bad luck means that you get Italy France and Ukraine, a qualifying campaign of trashings means then that you drop another place and the group gets tougher again.

This is Irelands big problem now, one that's overlooked when people mention the fallout of the Keane/McCarthy era. A few years ago we were in the top seeding and if you swap Ireland for Greece you can see how much easier a two qualifying spot group would get.

gosplan

opps, the preview didn't wuite match the post there but you get the idea

Pigman II

Wouldn't worry about Germany doing this and Czechs doing that. Belgium got to the semi-finals of Mexico 86 but we still beat them to Euro 88. Basically what has passed has passed and we're all starting off on zero points. If we deserve to make it we'lll make it and if not then our absense won't be any loss to Euro2008. It's 99% about what we bring to the table in these qualifiers and very little about luck.

Slash/ED

We can rule Germany out right away, no team has ever finished third in the world cup and qualified for the next european championship

Pigman II

Slash/ED wrote:

We can rule Germany out right away, no team has ever finished third in the world cup and qualified for the next european championship

Wish that were so but France did in 1960 as did WGermany in 1972. May have been others too.

Slash/ED

Pigman II wrote:

Wish that were so but France did in 1960 as did WGermany in 1972. May have been others too.

We're fecked so, I was lead to believe that was the case.

Pigman II

Slash/ED wrote:

We're fecked so, I was lead to believe that was the case.

Yep indeed. Without luck and supersition on our side we're no match for anyone.

evad_lhorg

lets face it. germany and the czechs are goin through. if the players reitre from the czech squad we might be in with a chance.. ie kohler,nedved,pborsky, but if not i can see it happenin. wales dont have a chance.

Chucky the tree

pborsky has already retired. I think nedved will aswell.

Kingp35

I wouldnt pay any attention to the FIFA World Rankings. God only knows how they work out the ranking points but the rankings certainly dont reflect who the best teams in the world are.

As for our qualifying campaign, I think we are in with as good a chance as any other team in the group. The Czechs are in decline and stand to lose their more experienced and better players. Germany looked good but then again they were the host nation of the world cup and having seen South Krea get to the semis in 2002 we can see just how much an advantage it is playing at home. Germany are no great side, their defence is poor and can be got at. I dont know an awful lot about Slovakia but what I do know about them doesnt fill em with fear playing them.

Bottom line is if we are good enough to be in Euro 2008 we are good enough to finish in the top 2 of this group.

Fanny Cradock

weren't the USA ranked 5th prior to the worlf cup?? nuff said about the worth of the rankings then.

Rikand

Fanny Cradock wrote:

weren't the USA ranked 5th prior to the worlf cup?? nuff said about the worth of the rankings then.

yes but they have just now changed the format on which the rankings were based and people are making fun of the new teams that are suddenly ranked well

BaZmO*

evad_lhorg wrote:

lets face it. germany and the czechs are goin through.

I'm sorry, but that is complete and utter BS. When the draw was made for the 2002 WC most people would have said that Holland and Portugal would be definitely going through. For the 2004 EC Greece were 100-1 outsiders at the start. This WC was going to be a walk in the park for Argentina and Brazil. See a pattern evolving? You can't say for definite who is gonna top their no more than you can say for definite who is going to win the whole competition.
As Pigman has said, "what has passed has passed and we're all starting off on zero points". But I disagree with his comments about not needing some luck. But if we are good enough we will go through.

colster

I can't understand the negativity about the Irish team. Germany and the Czechs are not that good. We're good enough to finish in the top 2 of this group.

PHB

I think it was the best group we could possibly get.

I don't rate the Germans hugely, people forget it was a WC in their own country, and teams always do well in that situation, see South Korea. They lost their coach, who many see as the main reason behind their success.

p.s. Is Ballack retiring from international football?

Czech's are a team in decline, losing all of their golden generation players.

I honastly think we can top this group, on one condition though, Duff leaves Chelsea or begins to play a hell of a lot more