Czech Vs Ireland

shane86

Well, now that Slovakia is over and has descended into a sea of anti Celtic, pro EL, anti EL god knows what else.....

Main negative for us (apart from giving up the two points) is that Stephen Ireland is out due to a family death.

Positive: At least this may force him into playing Hunt after his bizarre omission on Saturday. Two positives from the Czech side- they only beat SM 3-0. While its better than we managed away, its not exactly the Germany away result is it. Jan Koller is suspended I think.

If we can beat them we need to rely on a 3 victories for us and a Czech loss in Germany to be safe. 3 pts for us will equal the points footing, and we are probably more likely to take 7 points or more from the remaining games than the Czechs are. A draw will see a 3 point gap remaining, it would require a deffo loss against the Germans to see us have any hope.


edit- whats all this?

http://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2007/0909/ireland.html

"But Staunton still has cause for optimism, not least because three points would lift Ireland into second place, ahead of their key group rivals on the new UEFA head-to-head rule."

Has the goal difference and away form rules been done away with in favour of simply which points tied team gained the most away from home in their clash with each other?

PauloMN

I reckon we'll throw everything at them - including the kitchen sink - and come away with a draw if we're lucky.

Czechs now know that they are in the driving seat for 2nd place. They'll view us at home as a match they can take 3 points from and it'll be tougher than Slovakia no doubt. If we defend like we did for large parts of the Slovakia game, they'll punish us harder than Slovakia did.

Hope Given is up for it as we'll need him to impress as ever. I eagerly await Stans team sheet...

Mitch Connor

It is a must win game if we are to have any hope of qualifying, but i don't see us doing it. On paper we have the talent to do it, but we simply don't play to the level we should.

_blank_

Ireland will lose.

PauloMN

DesF wrote:

Ireland will lose.

Optimistic as ever eh?

Mind you, I don't think that there's any doubts that you have won your little wager.

jobonar

Tauren wrote:

It is a must win game if we are to have any hope of qualifying, but i don't see us doing it. On paper we have the talent to do it, but we simply don't play to the level we should.

I completly agree. A win again Slovakia would have made this game alot easier but were struggling badly now and anything less than a win wont be good enuf

Gangsta

We'll lose:(

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jobonar wrote:

a win wont be good enuf

Fixed.

jobonar

DesF wrote:

Fixed.

i'm not quite as pesimistic as you yet Des but i'm not far of it after that shambles on Saturday

Praetorian

http://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/features/tonyodonoghue5.html

Tony's never been so right before :eek:

Hopefully Stevo will be shown the door after the likely outcome on Wednesday. In other news, I'm making myself available for the ROI managers job. My no nonsense armchair style management would no doubt yield better results than Mr Staunton. I'm thinking of putting my girl friends name down too just to double my chances. :rolleyes:

Kojak

After the farce that was Slovakia (i.e. going ahead and then letting them back into the game twice) I cannot see us getting anything from the match with the Czechs.

They will also realise that if they beat us, then they are practically guaranteed second spot in the group. So they will be going all out for the win. Also, with Stan failing to acknowledge glaring changes that needed to be made on Saturday (i.e. Hunt and Reid).

On the basis of this, IMO the Czechs will win by 3 goals to 1.

TwoShedsJackson

If Ireland do their honest, workmanlike best, we might get a draw. We're not going to win anyway.

_blank_

Kojak wrote:

IMO the Czechs will win by 3 goals to 1.

Ireland won't score.

The Slovaks were naive at the back to let the first goal go in, after that Ireland created nothing, and only a thunderbolt from Doyle made it two.

That type of goal that comes along once in a while, not twice in three days.

dubmick

shane86 wrote:

Has the goal difference and away form rules been done away with in favour of simply which points tied team gained the most away from home in their clash with each other?

Yes and it's been like that for the last few qualifying tournaments I think.

StickyMcGinty

shane86 wrote:

edit- whats all this?

http://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2007/0909/ireland.html

"But Staunton still has cause for optimism, not least because three points would lift Ireland into second place, ahead of their key group rivals on the new UEFA head-to-head rule."

Has the goal difference and away form rules been done away with in favour of simply which points tied team gained the most away from home in their clash with each other?

on the off chance that it might actually matter, does anyone know if it is head to head or goal difference?

_blank_

Head to head.

_blank_

And by the way lads, if by some miracle Ireland do actually win on Wednesday, and a conspiracy of the Gods of Football happens, and all remaining results go Ireland's way, if that team goes to the Euros next summer, under this manager, they will be made the laughing stock of European football.

Mr Alan

head to head

Mr Alan

jesus Des, you are the most pesimistic person on here!

were you always this way or has the Staunton/FAI debacle just left you a broken man?

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millersangel wrote:

were you always this way or has the Staunton/FAI debacle just left you a broken man?

Started with Charlton's latter days, on to Big Mick and the unmentionable in East Asia, then finally the FAI appointed a St Pat's man to manage the national team

Mr Alan

the unmentionable in East Asia

ha ha ha

just out of curiousity, why ya not like big mick!?

_blank_

Forgive me, but there's no way I'm jumping into that can of worms, thanks very much

Mr Alan

DesF wrote:

Forgive me, but there's no way I'm jumping into that can of worms, thanks very much

PM me then. i am genuinely just curious as to your take on the thing

_blank_

Fair enough, I'm going for some lunch now, I'll PM you in the afternoon.

Kanney

Steven Ireland out, so Andy Reid in I hope and if he does play I am going to put him as a contender for man of the match and for him to get assist to a Robbie Keane goal.
I'm not even joking.

gosplan

PauloMN wrote:

Optimistic as ever eh?

Mind you, I don't think that there's any doubts that you have won your little wager.

nonsense, I only need a draw for it to be null and void and a win will get it for me

Regardless, a win will be difficult. Koller is out as is Baros(maybe) but the Czechs have quality throughout. The good thing is that I can see us scoring but it's pretty easy to see us conceeding as well. Knowing that we need a win, the Czechs can just play a calm game and wait for us to f*ck it up, which we probably will.

In reality though I stand by what I said last week about these 3 points being the important ones over the Slovakia match. Win draw would have still left us 1 point behind the Czechs and hoping that we beat their final three results. Draw-win means we're level on points and in front on this new head to head thing(good as goal difference was worrying).

Staunton has to...HAS TO...start with midfield of Carsely, Reid, McGeedy and Hunt with Kilbane at LB. And none of this 'pile on random defensive players and lose your shape' crap.

Sh*t though, can't we just get lucky for once? Just one goddamn game to go our way against the odds.

_blank_

gosplan wrote:

nonsense, I only need a draw for it to be null and void and a win will get it for me

gosplan

DesF wrote:

Ah Des, I wish I had your realism.

To quote today's times,

"It's not the despair I can't handle, it's the hope"

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gosplan wrote:

Ah Des, I wish I had your realism.

Yeah, you'd be twenty euro richer!!

shane86

DesF wrote:

And by the way lads, if by some miracle Ireland do actually win on Wednesday, and a conspiracy of the Gods of Football happens, and all remaining results go Ireland's way, if that team goes to the Euros next summer, under this manager, they will be made the laughing stock of European football.

I should think/hope he would have some type of advisor to save face. Is Robson still around, I havent heard a mention of his role in ages

BaZmO*

I really can't see us getting more than a draw on Wednesday, and I'm generally the eternal optimist when it comes to Ireland.

The Rooster

gosplan wrote:

Regardless, a win will be difficult. Koller is out as is Baros(maybe) but the Czechs have quality throughout.

I don't believe the Czechs do have quality throughout.
A couple of very good players and a lot of average ones. Bit like ourselves.

My team:
Given
McShane - Dunne - O'Shea - Kilbane
Gibson - Carsley - AReid - Hunt
Doyle - Keane

For me, its got to the stage where O'Shea has to be either centre back or not in the team. I do think he'd have a good partnership with Dunne, they compliment each other better, and they did very well v the Danes, albeit that was only a friendly. McShane played all last year at full back for WBA, and IMO it wont' be long before he's in that position for Sunderland too.

The rest of the team picks itself, apart from the right side of midfield. Need someone more solid than McGeady, and with Ireland gone, I'm not sure who I'd put there. I'm assuming Gibson must be looking superb in training this week to have been first sub, so on that basis I'd throw him in, ask him to work hard, be solid, get stuck in, and pass it to green shirts!

RedorDead

Preffered Team???


GK - Given

RB - O Shea
CB - Dunne
CB - McShane
LB - Kilbane

RM - A Reid
CM - Carsley
CM - Douglas
LM - Hunt

CF - Keane
CF - Doyle

Im between this team and including McGeady instead of Douglas and swapping him and Reid. Either way i dont think either team is good enough to win. Ireland is a loss. Has Darryl Murphy played right mid for sunderland????

Agree/Disagree???

BaZmO*

gosplan wrote:

Sh*t though, can't we just get lucky for once?

San Marino -v- Ireland 94th minute?

shane86

BaZmO* wrote:

I really can't see us getting more than a draw on Wednesday, and I'm generally the eternal optimist when it comes to Ireland.

Same as. The only positives I can draw on are Koller out and the fact they "only" beat SM 3-0, with one of those goals in the last minute. Therefore, in 90 mins they could only knock in two against one of the worlds poorest. Could mean an awful goaless draw for us. And if I recall my maths correctly if we gain only a point qualification will depend on the most bizarre run of results in Czech footballs history.

If we held on to that lead for just another 2 mins Id be heading to Prague on such a buzz. Right now, sure, might have a good holiday but it half feels Im flying out to a funeral.

_blank_

shane86 wrote:

Therefore, in 90 mins they could only knock in two against one of the worlds poorest.

Eh?

A game is 90mins plus stoppage.

All goals count the same.

Jesus, I've heard of optimisitc, but this is ridiculous.

shane86

Yes but a team of the perceived calibre (and therefore for this match, perceived supeiority) of the Czechs should really be putting more in. Even most Irish would agree that for ourselves anything below 4 or 5 in SM is a below par performance given the German result. SM would still have been near as much of a scandal if we had actually won 1-0 or 2-0, theyd have still been booed off.

BaZmO*

shane86 wrote:

Therefore, in 90 mins they could only knock in two against one of the worlds poorest.

Therefore, we technically won on Saturday?

You still drunk Shane?

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BaZmO* wrote:

Therefore, we technically won on Saturday?

You still drunk Shane?

I knew it, that 91st minute equaliser was all a nightmare.

Nice one Shane. WOOHOO.

STAN IN!

ntlbell

I know DesF is very optimistic about Wed, is there anyone else that can see anything bar a home win?

I'm still coming to terms with Saturday but I have this last glimmer of hope that if the lads play with a bit of heart and stan doesn't make a compelete boll0x of his starting 11 we could actually win this game.

I'm asking for a lot, 1-11 to play out of their skins for 90 minutes, which they haven't done for a long time the fans have lost it with stan but I don't think stan has lost the dressing room but on the other hand they're not playing like he still has it surley they must be starting to question him after some shocking tactical desicions on sat.

:mad::mad::mad:

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ntlbell wrote:

stan doesn't make a compelete boll0x of his starting 11

Here is the problem.

Necronomicon

gosplan wrote:

"It's not the despair I can't handle, it's the hope"

Ha, what a great way of summing up what it's been like to support Ireland over the last few years

FatherTed

I really hope we get the win on Wednesday and I think it is possible. Koller being out is a big loss for them. Not great that we're missing Finnan and now Ireland.

Either we win or we lose big, that's what I hope. A draw or a fighting 1-2 loss is no good to us at all. Better to lose 4 or 5 nil and have Stan given his marching orders. I still think we will win 2-1 or something like that. Then beat Germany 1-0 and everybody will be booking their tickets for next summer. But after that we'll draw against Cyprus to put us out before finally losing to Wales.

shane86

ntlbell wrote:

I'm still coming to terms with Saturday but I have this last glimmer of hope that if the lads play with a bit of heart and stan doesn't make a compelete boll0x of his starting 11

I thought the same final burst of energy might come against Switzerland.

I have to admit re something I said in an earlier (post SM match perhaps) thread about whether Stan should keep his job. I basically answered that we are in too deep, lets ride it out. After Saturday, I concede that was complete bollix. Shouldve been out after San Marino (Ill let Cyprus slide, as said I dont know of anyone who could have come up with a better plan . The US tour and Denmark eased the pressure despite a woeful performance against a poor Wales team. The sub descisions on Saturday, no more. What puzzles me though is surely his assistants, the other lads in the dugout, why the **** didnt they give the input that everyone watching at home and in the stands was thinking? The abscence of Stephen Ireland complicates it but, nevertheless after a seemingly mediocre performance against SM (the fact Koller felt the need to commit an ultimately bookable foul is a sign of his frustration at points, it cant have went too well) the Czechs clearly are not the team that they were. If common sense decisions are made, it could just be possible to snag it.

Mikeyt086

shane86 wrote:

What puzzles me though is surely his assistants, the other lads in the dugout, why the **** didnt they give the input that everyone watching at home and in the stands was thinking?

Because he's "The Geaffor"...

Raytown Rocks

Andy reid is in the starting line up to replce Stephen Ireland.
Why the hell didnt he bring him on on Saturday.

marcphisto

Hopefully Hunt will start also, but I won't hold my breath.

damienom

Team named, one change - Reid in for Ireland.

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damienom wrote:

Team named, one change - Reid in for Ireland.

Right. I'm Karel Brückner.

All I have to do is tell my right winger to attack Kelly, and my left winger that O'Shea will be drifting to the CH position all game. The midfield won't offer back up to the defenders.

I'm confident of the win. Even more confident now that I know for sure that my opposition's most in-form player is still on the bench.

WTF Stan?

BaZmO*

The scary thing about him not starting Hunt is that before Saturday you could defend Stan by saying that he prefers to use him as an impact sub, but now? Hmmmm

The Rooster

Rightly or wrongly, I think the reason he hasnt picked Hunt is because a midfield containing McGeady-Reid-Hunt would be too weak physically. "Drop McGeady then" I hear you shout. But presumably there's nobody else he feels can fill the right side slot.