fifa WC draw

Jesus Wept

doobee doobee doo.

We have the beating of Italy, bring back Ray Houghton

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QRRt8Pwv3cY

dbnavan

opr wrote: »

lol @ people who think we got an easy group and should finish second.

Opr

Can I quote you again when we get second, no matter what we were always gonna get 1 though team, I didnt fancy anyone in pot 1. We can beat all the others, and depending who we get as manager, we have a team of players capable of at least taking a point from Italy,

I am happy could have been worse.

Mikeyt086

Considering Cyprus and Georgia are the "easy" teams im pesimistic. I really dont think we can go away and win those. We should lose twice to Italy barring our once off great show at Croker comes against them and Bulgaria away too, i just dont see us picking up enough points.

Anyone up for Montenegro away? Bring your hard-hats.

darkman2

We can take 3 points from Italy at home but not away. Though most likely good result would be a draw at home. We wont get anything in Italy thats for sure!

And thats assuming we have a decent manager.

Time Magazine

A lot of doom-sayers here.

Italy will walk the group
Cyprus showed us in Croker they're crap
Montenegro are one of the worst teams in the world
Georgia lost 5-1 to Denmark two years ago (granted, we lost by a similar score to Cyprus a year ago...) but they're no world beaters

Which leaves Bulgaria, who are a decent team but who we'll give a good run for their money. Could be a lot worse.

Praetorian

It could've been worse I suppose. Second place looks like a realistic prospect but we need to perform really well.

smackbunnybaby

The-Rigger wrote: »

doobee doobee doo.

We have the beating of Italy, bring back Ray Houghton

we haven't lost to italy for nearly 18 years

Villain

Whats the story with play off etc, how many 2nd placed teams go through automatically?

dbnavan

If we dont qualify will the next manager be a failure, or will we all remember that so many of us wrote off his chances before he was interviewed!

homerjay2005

its a tough group, playing in cyprus would bring back alot of bad memories, there the one team i wanted to avoid.

trips to bulgaria and cyprus i think are calling.

leninbenjamin

copacetic wrote: »

pretty much every country in the lower seeds was the same though, no matter who we got you would have said the same.

Austria, Luxembourg, San Marino, Andorra?

Villain

smackbunnybaby wrote: »

we haven't lost to italy for nearly 18 years

Emm Italia 90? Schillaci (sp?)

Unearthly

smackbunnybaby wrote: »

we haven't lost to italy for nearly 18 years

we have played about once since then?

copacetic

opr wrote: »

lol @ people who think we got an easy group and should finish second.

Opr

lol at opr who thinks we could have hoped for better. if anything we got the second easiest draw of all the 3rd seeds, i'd prefer our group to every one except group 2.

Which one would you have preferred on wise one?

leninbenjamin

irish1 wrote: »

Whats the story with play off etc, how many 2nd placed teams go through automatically?

none. top 8 runners up play a playoff for a spot.

Erin Go Brath

Hoping we would get Greece instead of Italy. Still the other teams are no great shakes. 2nd place is a realistic aspiration, and a possible play-off to make the finals. All in all, not a bad draw.

Unearthly

We always seem to get Cyprus in recent years

leninbenjamin

Unearthly wrote: »

We always seem to get Cyprus in recent years

is that the fourth campaign on the trot or the third?

Villain

leninbenjamin wrote: »

none. top 8 runners up play a playoff for a spot.

Ohh lovely is it just one game two legs for the play off?

copacetic

leninbenjamin wrote: »

Austria, Luxembourg, San Marino, Andorra?

mmm, get out your atlas. montengro is only 20 minutes more flight time than austria or italy for that matter.

Vokes

So, ehhh, Montenegro - anyone seen them play or know who their best players are ? Are they a techincal side ala Croatia are a bunch of bruisers ala Greece?

I only know of Roma's Vucinic and that's it

cgf

13 places @ finals for Europe.

9 x Group winners.

8 best 2nd places go into 4 home & away play-off matches with winners progressing.

So while our group ain't the worst and get may get 2nd, the play-offs will do for us.

dbnavan

irish1 wrote: »

Ohh lovely is it just one game two legs for the play off?

two legs

_blank_

WTF?

South Africa were just drawn out.

Why do they have to qualify?

radiospan

Montenegro are probably one of the tougher of the bottom seeded teams. San Marino or Andorra would have been a walk over for us, but this could be tougher.

They've only ever played six games: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_official_matches_of_the_Montenegro_national_football_team including wins against Hungary and Estonia.

I think at least one of their players played for Serbia and Montengro in the 2006 World Cup.

Bounty Hunter

i think Irish fans are divided into 2 groups at the moment and this thread shows it.

group a) those who have watched Ireland play rubbish over the past few years and simply think we are rubbish and have no chance

and

group b) those who have seen Ireland play rubbish over the past few years but believe the players at our disposal are capable of far better and probably getting a playoff spot in this group

ninebeanrows

I reckon, it will be;

Italy
Montenegro
Ireland
Bulgaria

Anyway many months to ponder over it!

Mint Sauce

just lost the link, got it back

irish1 wrote: »

Emm Italia 90? Schillaci (sp?)

although by the time we play them in the qualifiers, will be atleast 18 yrs since itaila 90

dbnavan

DesF wrote: »

WTF?

South Africa were just drawn out.

Why do they have to qualify?

You beat me to it

ninebeanrows

plazzTT wrote: »

Montenegro are probably one of the tougher of the bottom seeded teams. San Marino or Andorra would have been a walk over for us, but this could be tougher.

They've only ever played six games: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_official_matches_of_the_Montenegro_national_football_team including wins against Hungary and Estonia.

I think at least one of their players played for Serbia and Montengro in the 2006 World Cup.

Yes Montenegro are the hardest bottom seeds.

dbnavan

Bounty Hunter wrote: »

i think Irish fans are divided into 2 groups at the moment and this thread shows it.

group a) those who have watched Ireland play rubbish over the past few years and simply think we are rubbish and have no chance

and

group b) those who have seen Ireland play rubbish over the past few years but believe the players at our disposal are capable of far better and probably getting a playoff spot in this group

I am group B!

Mint Sauce

DesF wrote: »

WTF?

South Africa were just drawn out.

Why do they have to qualify?

qualify as hosts, but these matches also count towards african nations qualifiers

Bounty Hunter

didnt think SA had to but the winners of the last WC have to at our expense so why not, though it will be weird if SA are not represented at the World cup they host

Erin Go Brath

cgf wrote: »

13 places @ finals for Europe.

9 x Group winners.

8 best 2nd places go into 4 home & away play-off matches with winners progressing.

So while our group ain't the worst and get may get 2nd, the play-offs will do for us.

The play-offs would be a big step in the right direction, considering we were 10 points away from finishing 2nd in the euro qualifier.

radiospan

Yeah the first round of WC qualifiers in Africa are also the qualifiers for African Nations Cup, that's why SA are in there.

Vokes

Weathercheck wrote: »

I reckon, it will be;

Italy
Montenegro
Ireland
Bulgaria

Anyway many months to ponder over it!

Why do you think Montenegro can fiinsh ahead of Bulgaria?

_blank_

qualify as hosts, but these matches also count towards african nations qualifiers

Ah, thanks.

dbnavan

Oh look its pavorotti, he is back and he is a skinny black guy!

estebancambias

Vucinic off Roma is from Montenegro....They are not good...neither are Georgia..Bulgaria are the same standard..Italy are great but we could beat them.

We can finish top.

Time Magazine

Weathercheck wrote: »

I reckon, it will be;

Italy
Montenegro
Ireland
Bulgaria

What are you basing that on, they've only ever played six matches? You know they've a population about the size of Cork, right?

Mint Sauce

Bounty Hunter wrote: »

didnt think SA had to but the winners of the last WC have to at our expense so why not, though it will be weird if SA are not represented at the World cup they host

see my post above yours, SA qualify as hosts, but matches go towards african nations as well

Unearthly

Am I right in saying there will be atleast 1 runner up that won't make the playoffs and will be out?

estebancambias

Two teams will drop out, but it won't be us.

Bounty Hunter

dbnavan wrote: »

I am group B!

so am I, on paper were as good as Scotland so with a good manager we should be able to challenge in this group... i know footballs not played on paper

Erin Go Brath

estebancambias wrote: »

Vucinic off Roma is from Montenegro....They are not good...neither are Georgia..Bulgaria are the same standard..Italy are great but we could beat them.

We can finish top.

ROFL at such delusional talk. What an earth makes you think we can finish ahead of Italy. Have you seen Ireland playing in the last few years?

Daysha

Looks lets put things in perspective. Heres what the groups would look like if we were in the other groups

Group 1:
Portugal, Sweden, Ireland, Hungary, Albania, Malta
LMAO Horrible group. We wouldnt have a hope

Group 2:
Greece, Israel, Ireland, Moldova, Latvia, Luxembourg
The only other group easier than ours.

Group 3:
Czech Republic, Poland, Ireland, Slovakia, Slovenia, San Marino
Tough. Any of those first 5 could do well

Group 4:
Germany, Russia, Ireland, Wales, Azerbaijan, Liechtenstein
Very tough. Azerbaijan away, Wales improving and we didnt do well at all against Russia in 04 qual. or Germany in 08 qual.

Group 5:, Spain, Turkey, Ireland, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Armenia, Estonia
Ouch. One of the toughest possible groups

Group 6:
Croatia, England, Ireland, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Andorra
Under Bilic Croatia are a v.good team and England are by far the best 2nd seeds.

Group 7:
France, Romania, Ireland, Lithuania, Austria, Faroe Islands
Meh. Lithania and Austria would probably be tougher than Georgia and Cyprus.

Group 9:
Holland, Scotland, Ireland, FYR Macedonia, Iceland
Not too bad.

Now all in all our group isn't bad. We could have got England, Sweden or Turkey but got Bulgaria. We have a real chance

Bounty Hunter

estebancambias wrote: »

Vucinic off Roma is from Montenegro....They are not good...neither are Georgia..Bulgaria are the same standard..Italy are great but we could beat them.

We can finish top.

a very optimistic irish fan, i think your in the wrong place mate. boards.ie doesent take kindly to your type these days;)

DSB

Getting Bulgaria was definitely our saving grace. We might not beat them but I think we'd be favourites to.

estebancambias

Bulgaria will be tough away from home...but we can beat them.
Cyprus--stop the myth....It was a fluke they are very beatable if we have a half decent manager
Montengro-I bet we beat them 4 -0 in both games.

dbnavan

Anyone watching it on RTE.ie there is some german bloke waiting to be interveiwed and he is going mad, doesnt realise its being broadcast!

**EDIT I think RTE are using fifa link