the official ireland euro 2012 qualifying campaign

[Coin]

Technically good but not mentally good

At least we went out of the World Cup with a decent performance these guys bottled it big time as they nearly always do throughout football history for a nation of their abilities they are massive underachievers

Most decent teams will beat them and since Ireland play as a team we have a good chance

Russia are fast and technically excellent. For qualifying, this is generally more important than having the mental strength for big games. They'll most likely batter the weaker teams and even if we take something like 4 points off them, we could still be too far behind.

They'll probably do a much better job of winning against the weaker teams by a couple of clear goals. Our battling type of football is built for 1-0's, which is a narrow margin of error. We're in more danger of picking up draws.

 

[STEVIEG]

Fair points, though a Russian team who were very lauded didn't totally destroy any of the crap teams in the last group for the World Cup and anytime they met someone half decent they either lost or went out despite being seeded highest (to Slovenia)

Hopefully Trap will instill confidence in us as we have nothing to fear if we perform at our best

we'll see though i suppose a lot depends on our attitude

we should have thought better of ourselves last time v the similarly over-rated France and the declining Italians

 

[de mange]

Russia are over hyped bottlers anything less than a group win and i'll be very dissapointed

cool the jets there stevie my man!

we have a good group and a great draw IMO, but russia will be expected to top that group with slovakia will feel they have a damn good chance at 2nd

we have the manager and a team that will be set up to be very hard to beat, but we cannot expect to top that group

i would be delighted with 2nd place, we have a very limited pool of players and the midfield is seriously lacking in terms of supplying the type of ball forwards thrive on

cant wait for it all to get going though, and the first competitive atmosphere in a while.. got my seat in lansdowne last week and its a great one with good atmosphere alongside too... bring it on

cmmooooonnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn ireland, we can do this

 

[STEVIEG]

russia will be expected to top that group with slovakia will feel they have a damn good chance at 2nd
)

I broadly agree with you overall but i still feel

Hopefully Trap will have our players expecting us to win the group

there is a reason we haven't done better in recent years and one of them is we don't believe in ourselves enough

we should have won the group last time out (and won the play-off when we didn't)



Expectations from elsewhere shouldn't matter shit we saw what happened in the WC (and beforehand to Russia who bottled it bad)

we could just as easy fuck it all up mind you

 

[a honest mistake]

would love to see them do it....

But can't see them winning the group, trap plays very defensive almost the italian way, but unfortunately ireland has neither the skill or the pace required for that game.

For them to have any chance to qualify I'd like to see them beat the weaker teams by big margins, that may give them the confidence that Is needed.

 

[de mange]

I broadly agree with you overall but i still feel

Hopefully Trap will have our players expecting us to win the group

there is a reason we haven't done better in recent years and one of them is we don't believe in ourselves enough

we should have won the group last time out and won the play-off



Expectations from elsewhere shouldn't matter shit we saw what happened in the WC (and beforehand to Russia who bottled it bad)

we could just as easy fuck it all up mind you

yeah - i think trap get that driven home though - we took france on from the off and came within a handball of penos, having had the lions share of chances.. he will get the tactics spot

i am quietly confident we will make it - if we dont it could be a long time before we stand a realistic chance again. keane, duff, given, dunne, o shea will all be at the end of their careers next time round and they are the engine of our side

 

[exileonpatrickstreet]

... we should have won the group last time out ...

how do you figure that? we're set up not to get beaten, rather than win matches. we could only have won that group by being a different team. we got exactly what we deserved, i think.

the france games, especially the dublin leg, showed how easily a technically superior team can overcome a spirited team

 

[a honest mistake]

how do you figure that? we're set up not to get beaten, rather than win matches. we could only have won that group by being a different team. we got exactly what we deserved, i think.

the france games, especially the dublin leg, showed how easily a technically superior team can overcome a spirited team

I agree, the france tie last time is a perfect example of first leg try not to get beat. We were the home side against a team who were there for the taking.

personally I think trapp is overrated as ireland manager. Don't think he is bringing anything special or tactical.

 

[STEVIEG]

how do you figure that? we're set up not to get beaten, rather than win matches. we could only have won that group by being a different team. we got exactly what we deserved, i think.

the france games, especially the dublin leg, showed how easily a technically superior team can overcome a spirited team

We gave Italy and France far too much respect (in a way we are agreeing with each other)

Unlike the similarly average nations who rolled them over in the World Cup

These technically superior teams didn't look so good drawing with the New Zealands of the world and getting beaten by South Africa and Slovakia

 

[exileonpatrickstreet]

... These technically superior teams didn't look so good drawing with the New Zealands of the world and getting beaten by South Africa and Slovakia

fair enough, although i'd rank slovakia as far more technically able than us