Ireland's chances

[czar]

anyone fancy our chances of making the play-offs?

assuming we get a 1-0 (2-1) against cyprus, the swiss aren't exactly going to roll over at lansdowne

was practising my german n' all . . .

[markinmanc]

Well are the players up for it?

[STEVIEG]

The best thing that can happen any sporting team in this country is to be written off and i'm confident that the fact that we now have a very low expectation rate for this week will lead to two better performances and victories against two sides Ireland should be turning over for fun

Roll on Germany.........

[czar]

according to (the rarely quoted) steven reid: "the lads are really confident"

of what he doesn't say - getting their hands on some good feta cheese? that they'll have a new manager in a couple of months? scoring a hatful against cyprus??

but they're confident at least

[Comeretamebubbilah]

according to (the rarely quoted) steven reid: "the lads are really confident"

of what he doesn't say - getting their hands on some good feta cheese? that they'll have a new manager in a couple of months? scoring a hatful against cyprus??

but they're confident at least

of scoring in The Castle in Ayia Nappa I'd say...either there or the Carwash..

[steve sanders]

i think we will win both. we are a better team without roy in the side.

[Comeretamebubbilah]

i think we will win both. we are a better team without roy in the side.

ahahha

http://www.cotenetmedia.com/Images/Can-o-Worms.jpg

[Rebelred]

we wont beat the swiss

[mr blonde]

thay better fucking win on saturday or ill be heading in town drunk and angry if they loose

[Fat Tom]

I think Kerr will get the sack and Steven will come back and play for us.

Bump. I'll get me coat.


On another note Kerr is a shit international manager and a negative fuck wit.

I hope he gets the sack and we don't have to endure another campaign under this twat.

I hope we qualify though its a catch 22 situtation - errah fuck the European Championships

[The Full Ham]

I reckon we could end up drawing or getting beat in Cyprus. Thats how bad i think we are right now. Kerr has failed on the most important of managerial tests...we don't look like a cohesive team....yes we have good resources but has he blended them into a team? Methinks not. Tactics aside (which are awful anyway) I think he deserves to go just for that.

Roll on a draw and hence a new manager who can rebuild our team ....maybe in time for the next wrold cup.

[eric2k5]

Look we'll get to the playoffs. The next two matches are well within our reach.

Cyprus on Saturday - get the job done professionally and that'll be 3 points. Not too hard.

Hakan Yakin is supposedly injured so we should put the Swiss to the sword in Dublin.
The crowd will be pumped and the Swiss will back away from the aggression in the air.

The interesting one is who we get in the playoffs. If you look at the other group tables there are some damn tough teams vying for the playoffs. I wouldn't be confident going up against many of them.

England though. That would be interesting.

[Wampire]

thay better fucking win on saturday or ill be heading in town drunk and angry if they loose

Know exactly what you mean.

[mr blonde]

Know exactly what you mean.
never a good way to start the night if they win i'll be buzzin good mood good night a cert

[afeencalleddan]

3rd place for Ireland. If they couldn't beat Russia (don't kid yourselves, Russia are notoriously bad travellers) when 1 up in 2003 or Israel when 2 up in June why should we be confident about them beating Switzerland. Kerr isn't capable of instilling the right attitude in the players so there will be no miracles here boys no matter what "positive noises" are coming from the training camp.

Cyprus will be an unmerciful struggle unless there is an early goal. I'm not ruling out the end of the road occurring at 8pm on saturday evening. I'll be betting against Ireland in that game given the favourable odds.

[jimbob]

GROUP FOUR
Saturday: Cyprus v Republic of Ireland (6pm); Switzerland v France (7.45pm); Israel v Faroe Islands (6.10pm)
Wednesday: Republic of Ireland v Switzerland (7.45pm); France v Cyprus (7.45pm)

Switzerland and France have 16 points each; Israel have 15 points but only one game left; Ireland have 13 points. This is one of the tightest groups with four sides still in contention and we need Saturday's results before a simple summary can be produced. But for the record...

Israel can still just about win the group, if Ireland fail to win on Saturday and neither France nor Switzerland win either of their matches. It's a slim hope, but if Ireland slip up in Cyprus the play-offs are suddenly quite a reasonable shout.

If France beat Switzerland they will have won the group, having better head-to-head records against the Swiss and Irish even if they then lost at home to Cyprus.

If Switzerland beat France and draw with the Republic of Ireland they win the group.

But if Switzerland beat France on Saturday, France beat Cyprus and Ireland win both their matches, then three teams will finish level on 19 points and each would have taken five points - two draws, a win and a defeat - from the four matches against the other two teams in the tie. It could come down to the margin of victory or even the goals scored in these matches.

Ireland are in control of their fate, but realistically need two wins and it could come down to their margin of victory against the Swiss.

[KolaKubes]

I honestly can't see it but I hope I'm proved wrong. To be honest, I wouldn't even put it past us to fuck it all up on Saturday. Something wrong in that team, too many players tip-toeing through games as if they've better places to be. The loss of Damien Duff, who clearly is under instruction to take it easy on International duty if he goes at all, is killing us.

[exiledcorkman]

whoever said Ireland are a better side without Roy Keane in it obviously hasn't got a clue about football, even at 34 with dodgy knees, hips and metatarsals, he still drives that team on, without him, the frailties in our back four are obvious for all to see, against Italy in the friendly game a few months back, we got destroyed through the middle without Keane, against France, things were going pretty well untill Richard Dunne stood off and allowed Henry to bend one in the corner.. better without Keano, yea cos Kevin Zidane is a legend, get real!! as far as Brian Kerr goes, the blame for our current situation lies firmly at his feet, he's too negative, his tactics have backfired and he either makes the wrong substututions or none at all when something needs to be done in games.. his lack of experience at this level has shown through, 2-0 up at home against Israel, Robbie gets a knock, bring on stephen Elliot.. nope!!! bring on Graham Kavanagh, move zidane wide, and duffer up front, disaster..!! Kerr should go regardless of qualification, the squad is good enough to have this group sorted already after the draw early on in Paris.

[exiledcorkman]

having said all that, I think we will win on saturday and again on wednesday night, don't be surprised if the swiss turn over the french on saturday either. If that happens and its only by the odd goal, who knows we might still win the group... doubtful though, I think we'd all settle for the play-offs!!

[Captain Planet]

we're gonna lose to the swiss...if gary doherty or david connolly get anywhere near the pitch. i still dont know how that doherty can get paid money to be a clown

[Diego Murphy]

the "we're better without Roy Keane brigade" are talking shite anyway so there's no point even debating it. Back to the match, i think people r being too negative about he Cyprus game and they're overrating cyprus as a team. It shouldn't matter about who's missing from the team, as Richardson(city boss) said last night, we actually have players that cyprus could only dream about. The only reason we won't get a win against cyprus is if the attitude from the players is wrong. If, as i expect, we beat the cypriots then the Swiss game is a cup tie and anything could happen. A lot depends on the Swiss France game too because depending on what happens there Switzerland could come looking for a draw on wednesday