Estonia, on paper, look the weakest but we usually perform better against stronger opposition! Even if we do succeed at this stage, can't see us doing much in the finals. Goals are the problem; sound familiar?! The FAI would like Turkey, best payday.
Don't believe they'd want Turkey at all. Better pay day in actually getting to the finals and Estonia would be our best bet. The last time we beat stronger opposition in a qualifying game was in 2002 when we beat Holland 1-0. Technically we beat France 1-0 in the 2nd leg of the last playoffs (90 mins) but that game is looked on as a 1-1 draw. Our record against our top 2 seeded rivals in all group games SINCE 2002 finals is Played 20, Won 0, drew 13, lost 7. Our record against the weaker teams in all group games since 2002 finals is Played 30, won 21, drew 8, lost 1. (away to Cyprus 2-5). So even though our performances against weaker teams can be dire and the results not resounding victories we generally manage to beat these teams. Estonia is the best team for us to be playing. The Faroe Islands beat them 2-0 in one game and were beating them 1-0 in the other game with 90 mins on the clock but amazingly let in 2 injury time goals. N Ireland should have beaten them in the last game also. They've also had good results beating Serbia and Slovenia both away from home. Plus our record in the playoffs is pretty bad against stronger opposition. France (yes we should have won that), Holland, Turkey, Belgium all knocked us out. Iran were the only team we've beaten in a playoff
Come on chin up,my celtic brethren. You've played them Lats twice beat them twice.I'm sure you'll get the hat-trick and then sod's law you'll be drawn in England's group on the 24th anniversary of this paticular horror show : (Enjoy.) [video=youtube;KZSOqQtUAxs]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZSOqQtUAxs[/video] Kin Hell that defeat still rankles and the whole English display over the three matches..[doh]...Van Basten eviscerated & then crucified Tony Adams. Got every confidence you'll make it this time and then as in the last 4 tournaments you've played in you'll put in a fighting,'sum-greater-than-the-parts' performance,the exact opposite of England. Oh and BTW feck Dunphy & Giles.. with current paucity of skilled personnel there's no way Ireland can play pleasing on the eye,passing tika-taka Barca-style footie...ugly's the only way to go.
Thanks for the kind words Loopsy; sorry that it brings back such painful memories for you! We on the other hand hardly ever remember that game; well apart from the numerous songs, plays, repeats and the fact that it's a national holiday........
Ireland the best possible draw for Estonia Published: Thursday 13 October 2011, 15.46CET Estonia boss Tarmo Rüütli conceded the Republic of Ireland had been his preferred draw for the UEFA EURO 2012 play-offs with Giovanni Trapattoni well aware of his side's tricky task. http://www.uefa.com/uefaeuro2012/news/newsid=1696105.html
I went to see Ed Byrne last night at the Fairfield Halls in Croydon. Very funny man and apparently from Swords, so at least something good has come from there!
No mate. Some of his observations about pregnant women and children were spot on from my experience. He is on a long tour, well worth seeing. His accent did throw me from time to time though.
Byrne’s Babes plan trip to London Tuesday, 08 November 2011 04:55 Byrne’s Babes plan QPR trip Mick Byrne QPR REMEMBER Darran O’Sullivan’s wonder goal against Limerick? Wondering where he acquired that piece of sublime skill? I’m going to put you out of your misery. It was at Loftus Road. Yes, you heard it here first. The Kerry speedster was on trial with QPR in his younger days. Had he continued to pursue his soccer dream he would have followed in the footsteps of several Irish stars that plied their trade at Loftus Road. The likes of the great Don Gibbons, Terry Mancini, John Byrne, Gary Waddock, Paul McGee and more recently Martin Rowlands and Paddy Kenny have all done Ireland proud at QPR. Being back in the Premier League has been some rollercoaster ride. I was preparing myself for the worst after our 6-0 humiliation against Fulham. It was looking bleak at that stage but we managed to bounce back against Chelsea. Aren’t surprises always best when you least expect them? Nobody was giving us a chance when Villas-Boas’ army visited, but we managed to scramble to a 1-0 win over their nine men. In fairness, they played better with nine men than they did with 11 and I thought we had them on the ropes even before they lost their discipline. It was a bittersweet day for me as my home club Castlebar Mitchels lost the county final to Ballintubber so that took some of the gloss off it. I’m sure it had the same effect on plenty of QPR supporters in these parts as we have quite a few fans in Castlebar. My aim is to send Byrne’s Babes to Loftus Road in the New Year. I’m in the process of setting up a Supporters’ Club and it would be great if 20 of us could make the trip over for a Premier League game. We’d knock some craic out of it. I said at the start of the season that if we could bank 11 points from our opening 11 games I’d be happy. We’ve managed to get a dozen so I’m quietly confident we can avoid the drop. There are some positive signs and the new players we bought at the beginning of the year are starting to bed in well. I saw a comment in the paper over the weekend about Abel Taarabt. It read ‘he’s a bit of a fruitcake but he’s got amazing ability and Harry Redknapp must be regretting letting him go’. I’d have to agree with that statement as Taarabt has brought a breath of fresh air to the team and when he is on song, he seems to make us tick. Jay Bothroyd has started to bang in the goals and Shaun Wright-Phillips and Joey Barton have been our most consistent performers. They are pure class and it’s players like them that will keep our heads above water provided they stay fit. Neil Warnock is a colourful character and the way we are playing now seems to reflect his personality. Whether it works or not, we are tying to play attractive, attacking football. It’s a treat for the fans and our games are never dull. No matter what the opposition or the competition. I know Warnock is keen to sign a striker in the January transfer window and it will be interesting to see who he goes for. But I feel it’s at the back where most of our problems lie as Ferdinand and Gabbidon are not the most reliable centre halves in the world and are prone to mistakes. If we can manage to bag another six points between now and Christmas, I’ll be happy going into the New Year. I’m a realist. We’re not going to win the Premier League but consolidating our status in the top flight would be a major achievement and I feel we are in a great position to do so now. Come on your Rrrrrs. Share this page iReader http://www.mayonews.ie/index.php?op...es-plan-trip-to-london&catid=14&Itemid=100008
Evening all. Have to say i never felt so good after a defeat, thought we were simply brilliant the whole game and looked as if we actually belong in the league. Unfortunately our national broadcaster rte were rubbish on saturday night, they laughingly have a programme "Premier Soccer Saturday" or something like that which is basically a man u, liverpool, sunderland, villa love in. The show lasts 90 mins and what did they show of the r's? 5 lousy mins at the end followed by "expert" analysis from Ray Haughton & Kenny Cunningham both of whom solely concerntrated on city's goals, nothing else, it was almost as if we didn't exist. Eventually almost as an after thought Haughton says" qpr played their part as well" Played their part???? we made that game, took it to city, gave them the biggest fright they have had this season and the only mention we got was "played their part". Makes MOTD look good in comparison. Rant over Up the r's
I agree Tramore, its pitiful the way the "experts" slobber all over the Big Clubs yet give the smaller ones nothing but a patronising pat on the back if they're lucky. However, I don't think PSS is any worse than MOTD or any of the other ones in that regard. Its just the way it is unfortunately.
