ROIs playoff for 2010 World Cup.. teams to avoid?

premierstone

briany wrote: »

Yeah, draw's next moday. Not sure what time though. Hopefully there'll be some form of live coverage on it if only to make sure the FIFA heads aren't cheating although if they really wanted to I'm sure they would find a way in any case.

Its at 1pm Irish time and it will be streamed live on www.fifa.com

BaZmO*

briany wrote: »

Yeah, draw's next moday. Not sure what time though. Hopefully there'll be some form of live coverage on it if only to make sure the FIFA heads aren't cheating although if they really wanted to I'm sure they would find a way in any case.

Hot Balls!

griffdaddy

killwill wrote: »

That is correct. the dates for games are 14th and 18th I believe. I read somewhere that there is a possibility of these games clashing with rugby internationals. If Croker was not available, where would the games be played?
Semple Stadium? Pairc Ui Caoimh?????

Thomand park maybe? how many can that hold now does anyone now?

briany

BaZmO* wrote: »

Hot Balls!

Lol ya. Well like the previous poster mentioned, it looks like it's going to be streamed at the very least so that's something. Why do I get this horrible feeling like we're gonna be magnetically pulled towards Russia in this draw?

gucci

The_B_Man wrote: »

Keane
doyle (if not subbed after 65mins)
hunt
lawrence
JOSH

---

mcgeady
rest of midfield
defenders
given
Kilbane

Fixed that for ya there.

WIZE

I would like to see Ireland Play against Russia of France

Ireland always **** up against weaker teams and show winnable ( If thats a word ) performances against the big teams


I rather Ireland go out in Style then a snorfest

Prufrock

gucci wrote: »

Fixed that for ya there.

Can Kilbane take a peno?

noodler

BVB wrote: »

I would like to see Ireland Paly against Russia of France

Ireland always **** up against weaker teams and show winnable ( If thats a word ) performances against the big teams


I rather Ireland go out in Style them a snorfest

Of course we still haven't beaten a good international team since 2001 so..

premierstone

noodler wrote: »

Of course we still haven't beaten a good international team since 2001 so..

We've also just gone through a qualifying group containing the World Champions as 4th seeds unbeaten so why the negative outlook, do you remember where Irish soccer was before the ole years and realise the limited mumbers and resources we have, we have actually over-achieved for many years now.

WIZE

By the looks of it Ireland have had good result against Big teams

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republic_of_Ireland_national_football_team_2000s_results

noodler

premierstone wrote: »

We've also just gone through a qualifying group containing the World Champions as 4th seeds unbeaten so why the negative outlook, do you remember where Irish soccer was before the ole years and realise the limited mumbers and resources we have, we have actually over-achieved for many years now.

We are not setup to score goals is the main reason.

But it has been a problem for years and years and has little to do with the current team/managerial setup. Unbeaten is one thing.

BVB wrote: »

By the looks of it Ireland have had good result against Big teams

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republic_of_Ireland_national_football_team_2000s_results

Are you looking at the same list? So in the whole of the 21st Century so far we have only beat Holland in a competitive game?

What was your point?

WIZE

noodler wrote: »

We are not setup to score goals is the main reason.

But it has been a problem for years and years and has little to do with the current team/managerial setup. Unbeaten is one thing.




Are you looking at the same list? So in the whole of the 21st Century so far we have only beat Holland in a competitive game?

What was your point?

Holland
Czech Republic
Russia
Denmark
Romania
Croatia
Portugal
Sweden
Columbia

All these teams on paper are much better then us and we beat them .

joe123

Just having a quick look there again at the tables. If Greece beat Luxembourg which they will and Switzerland loose to Israel then Greece will top the group and the swis will be second. They are ranked 15th in the world for some strange reason which is crazy. Id take the swiss over the greeks.

noodler

BVB wrote: »

Holland
Czech Republic
Russia
Denmark
Romania
Croatia
Portugal
Sweden
Columbia

All these teams on paper are much better then us and we beat them .

Friendlies.

premierstone

noodler wrote: »

We are not setup to score goals is the main reason.

12 goals in 9 games in the group is not bad tbh

noodler

premierstone wrote: »

12 goals in 9 games in the group is not bad tbh

I'd say thats very average actually tbh.

Prufrock

joe123 wrote: »

Id take the swiss over the greeks.

Worked well the last time....:eek:

WIZE

noodler wrote: »

Friendlies.

They still fielded better players then us .

Dancor

joe123 wrote: »

Id take the swiss over the greeks.

I think the Swiss are too bogey to judge. Id prefer Greece.

Catenaccio!

noodler wrote: »

Friendlies.

From Wiki:

Different matches have different importance to teams, and FIFA has tried to respect this by using a weighting system, where the most significant matches are in the World Cup finals,[13] and the lowest weighted are friendly matches. FIFA states that it wishes to recognise that friendlies are still important, since they make up half of the competitive matches counted in the rankings.[14] FIFA also stated, however, that it did not plan to make any adjustment for teams that qualify directly for major tournaments.

noodler

Catenaccio! wrote: »

From Wiki:

Friendlies are not really indicative of how a team will perform in a WC play-off match. I mean, my god.

I'd advise you to stop now before your credibility is even further damaged.

noodler

BVB wrote: »

They still fielded better players then us .

Motivation, team selection, motivation.

How many friendlies got us to major tournaments?

We haven't beaten the bigger teams when it matters over the last decade unfortunately.

Catenaccio!

Beat Holland in 2001

noodler

Catenaccio! wrote: »

Beat Holland in 2001

noodler wrote: »

Are you looking at the same list? So in the whole of the 21st Century so far we have only beat Holland in a competitive game?

noodler wrote: »

Of course we still haven't beaten a good international team since 2001 so..

Whoops, eh?

Pay more attention.

Catenaccio!

noodler wrote: »

We haven't beaten the bigger teams when it matters over the last decade unfortunately.

Whoops, eh?

Pay more attention.

noodler

Catenaccio! wrote: »

Beat Holland in 2001

Catenaccio! wrote: »

Whoops, eh?

Pay more attention.

Fail.

Catenaccio!

Ha, so pathetic trying to win an argument by saying 'Fail'.

Look, you said above my post that we hadn't beaten a big team in the last 10 years and I corrected you. Move on.

noodler

Catenaccio! wrote: »

Ha, so pathetic trying to win an argument by saying 'Fail'.

Look, you said above my post that we hadn't beaten a big team in the last 10 years and I corrected you. Move on.

Excuse me, but it is not my fault you haven't read the entire thread and then march in here trying to tell people we beat Holland in 2001 as if everyone didn't already know.

'We haven't beaten the bigger teams when it matters over the last decade unfortunately.'

This statement is 100% true despite one win in the last decade.

Holland away.
Israel home and away.
Swiss home and away (twice)
France home and away
Germany home and away
Czechs home and away
Russia home and away


The statement is true despite 1 win in 16.

So yes, fail.

Catenaccio!

On your period or something?

I have looked through the thread but tend to avoid your posts. Saw that you made a mistake and just corrected you, sorry kid.

antomorro-sei

Hope we get Greece in this play off. Really don't want the Russians or the Portugese.

Catenaccio!

Agreed. Russians would be the worst to get.

WIZE

We would have to deal with heavy snow their and they would have to deal with heavy rain here :pac:

pistolpetes11

I would not mind a go at the French , There like the England teams of the last 10 years , great players but just cant seem to gel at all on the pitch !

Samba

pistolpetes11 wrote: »

I would not mind a go at the French , There like the England teams of the last 10 years , great players but just cant seem to gel at all on the pitch !

All due to their manager who is a chum of the president of the French FA

The_Kew_Tour

Hell who cares, whoever we get bring them on.

If I crystal bsll and was told right now we were going qualify I would love it to be the french.

Always liked them they have had some great players and was lucky be there in October 2004 in 0-0 draw.

But I love shove it up Platini face be great. If there is any justice out there that man smile will be quickly put away.

Jam-Fly

We're going to be drawn against Portugal, I can feel it!


The more I think about it, I still stand by what I said before. France will not be the team we want to play. Maybe they haven't reached their potential in a long time, but they haven't many shocking results and they have a lot of big time players who can achieve a result when it means going to a World Cup (and for the likes of Henry etc. probably his last one).

Russia would also be one to avoid. The only way I can us winning against them is if we get quite lucky. Russia strengths are the same as our strengths, and unfortunately, Arshavin is miles better than Keane and I'd Hiddink higher than Trap.

Greece are obviously the weakest team out of the 4, and imo, weaker than us. Playing a team weaker than us to go to the World Cup. Knowing us, we'd blow it, but if we do draw Greece, hopefully Trapattoni will be able to manage the players not to mess it up!

As for Portugal! They're weak at home and I don't think Ronaldo and co. would fancy coming to Croke Park. I think if Portugal are to beat us, it will come down to Ronaldo. The Ronaldo factor will have to win it for them. And if Ronaldo is injured for the first game, then I think Ireland have a very, very, very good chance of going through. On paper, they're still miles better than us. But with Croker, Trapattoni and Given, I really think we could beat them.

adrian280582

adrian280582 wrote: »

Hell who cares, whoever we get bring them on.

If I crystal bsll and was told right now we were going qualify I would love it to be the french.

Always liked them they have had some great players and was lucky be there in October 2004 in 0-0 draw.

But I love shove it up Platini face be great. If there is any justice out there that man smile will be quickly put away.

I would also like this to happen !

BaZmO*

Jam-Fly wrote: »

As for Portugal! They're weak at home and I don't think Ronaldo and co. would fancy coming to Croke Park. I think if Portugal are to beat us, it will come down to Ronaldo. The Ronaldo factor will have to win it for them. And if Ronaldo is injured for the first game, then I think Ireland have a very, very, very good chance of going through. On paper, they're still miles better than us. But with Croker, Trapattoni and Given, I really think we could beat them.

Ha, the Ronaldo factor? The same Ronaldo that has them languishing in second place behind Denmark, while they still need to win their last game to come second.

Don't forget, we've already got our playoff place with a game to spare.

secman

Bring on France and lets stuff them, up yours Platini, We actually play way better against perceived "good" teams and often at our poorest against perceived "bad" sides. We tend to raise our game, so i sincerely hope we do not get Greece, for that reason. Tardelli has already sown a seed there for our players by opting for Greece as a preferred opposition, thus suggesting that they are the weakest of the seeded teams. Whereas the reality is we all finished 2nd !


Secman

Pro. F

Haven't seen this on here but yesterday RTE reported Tardelli as saying France we're the team they want to avoid. And i've just heard from a mate who was talking to a taxi driver who called into the hotel last night with his kids chasing autographs. They bumped into Trap apparently and when asked who does he fancy in the play-offs he said anybody but France. Third hand info i know but i choose to believe this taxi driver i've never met.

greendom

So what has Platini done to Irish soccer to generate all this hatred ?

Mr.Nice Guy

I'd hate to get France. Henry, Ribery, Anelka, Benzema. We'd come up short, even with Domenech in charge. Russia are perhaps the worst ones overall with Arshavin and co, that plastic pitch and the excellent Hiddink in charge. My preference would be Greece, followed by Portugal.

I have a horrible feeling we will end up with France though.

briany

Basically it's four teams, two of whom we don't want although those seem to change depending on who you ask but basically be anyone's estimation, it's pretty much a fifty-fifty, a flip of the coin pretty much.

wynters

briany wrote: »

Lol ya. Well like the previous poster mentioned, it looks like it's going to be streamed at the very least so that's something?

On the subject of conspiracy theories and Hot Balls!... Irish fans have acquitted themselves very well at the previous WC's we've qualified for, so if there is any truth in the hot balls rumour! FIFA should really want US to qualify to add a bit of colour to the tournment! Ireland are currently 10/3 to draw Greece.

Also, 'if' FIFA are as dodgy as a 6 bob note.... Are they really gonna take the chance on Portugal not qualifying and a tournament not having the current World player of the year and most marketable player in the world not playing at it...??? I wonder how much Ronaldo playing is worth to corporate sponsorship at the World Cup...

Gonna be a very interesting draw!

Two hot balls please!

Mikeyt086

Cristiano Ronaldo is a total genius imo, even after leaving United i respect him alot. But if we draw Portugal, man would i LOVE to be looking at this again...

finbarrk

Greece look the weakest of the 4 we could face anyway.

dsmythy

Seems then it's:

Pot 1

Russia
France
Greece
Portugal

Pot 2

Ukraine
Ireland
Bosnia
Slovenia

Unless the world rankings make a dramatic change in next couple of days.

Norway the unfortunate ones to finish 2nd and not get a playoff.

Russia v Ukraine would be spicy.

Ireland want Greece i'd say.

Not sure which teams the pot 1 teams would like to get/avoid. Thoughts?

briany

Here's my worry. By next month, Stephen Reid should be fit to play and Steve Finnan may be fit to play and MAYBE he might bring Andy Reid but it's highly unlikely.Why would he upset the squad he's been trying to build for the last year and a bit by bringing in new players? Would a week or two training before the playoff be enough for any new players coming into the squad to slot in to the system and setup?? Don't get me wrong, I'd love to see a presence in midfield/defense/anywhere really but is there time?

Mikeyt086

Doesnt have to change it that much, S.Reid in for either Andrews or Whelan should improve us without changing our system.

mike65

Ireland are gonna get killed - more than once, unless some sort of transformation takes place.