Neuer, Courtois, Buffon, Kroos…
Today’s Euro draw while not ideal is far from a disaster. Sweden are average, even with Zlatan. Belgium constantly flatter to deceive with great individuals but not a great team. Italy is the only team to fear, even at that it’s the most average Italian team in 40 years and a team who struggled against the likes of Malta & Bulgaria in qualifying.
In short, not easy, but much better than Euro 2012.
Having thought about the draw for a few hours now I’ve concluded that it’s not going to be easy for us but it’s not gonna be easy for them either. We’ll put em under pressure, that’s for sure
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Its tough enough for Eire. Would have felt that any of the third seeds were much of a muchness. Belgium are the world ranked number 1 team and Italy or Croatia needed to be avoided from the second seeded sides.
Its harsh to say Belgium flatter to deceive. This current crop broke a duck of 12 years and 5 qualifying campaigns without qualifying for a finals when they made it to the World Cup in 2014 where they were World Cup quarter finalists and they have just won their qualifying group. Belgium were beaten finalists in 1980 and World Cup semi finalists in 1986 and qualified for six consecutive World Cups, a record that has only been bettered by Spain. Belgium have a footballing pedigree which dwarfs that of Eire.
Eire stumbled into the final, finishing 3rd in their group, picked up 2 points from 12 against Poland & Scotland and are largely there because Scotland f*cked up in Georgia. Belgium will be far too strong for Eire.
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Picked up 4 points from 6 against the World Champions. Why did you decide to ignore that, Jeff?
Who are Eire?
+1.
No, that’s true they did. It was a very commendable result to beat the world champions in a competitive game, that can’t be denied. I don’t think Germany were anywhere near their best on the night, were complacent/wasteful and the 2 points from 12 against limited Scotland and Poland sides and the heavy work that was made of Georgia both home and away is a much more accurate representation of where Éire are at.
Surely their results against Germany are a greater barometer of nations with the pedigree of Belgium and Italy than results against Poland and Scotland.
Last summer Belgium struggled against Algeria and fell over the line against the States. Wales took four points off them in qualifying for France. They have some terrific players (of which Mertens is my favourite naturally) but too many times they play as individuals and not as a team. That’s their problem. Yes they had great teams in the 80s but that pedigree is irrelevant when it comes to facing Ireland next June.
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Don’t know how much you can read too much into results against Germany in the group. Not a lot, I suspect. It was classic World Cup hangover stuff from newly crowned World Cup winners, albeit in true German fashion they did enough to top the group. Poland comprehensively beat Germany in Warsaw and Scotland were unlucky enough to lose 2-1 in Dortmund and 3-2 at Hampden, when on the balance of play they probably deserved a point from both games.
Article 4 of Bunreacht na hÉireann - ‘the name of the state is Éire’.
Scotland took 0 points from two games against Germany, Ireland took 4.
Belgium, Italy and Germany are in the same pedigree of team as naturally Ireland’s results against Germany would be more pertinent as a comparison in this context.
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Read the article again. The name of the state is “Ireland”, or “Eire” in Irish.
If you want to speak in Irish, piss off to Connemara.
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You should read it again.
‘The name of the State is Éire, or, in the English language, Ireland’.
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And what language are we conversing in my dear Geoff?
Hint: it’s not Irish.
The first game against Sweden will most likely determine whether Éire advance. Éire have a bad record against Sweden. In competitive games they’ve lost 4 and drawn 2 of the previous 6 meetings. The last time they met at Lansdowne Road just over two years ago in a World Cup qualifier, Sweden won 2-1 and Ibrahimovic ran the show. Éire didn’t then and still don’t have a player in his league.
Its no longer correct to call the state ‘Ireland’ since the territorial claim to the Northern Ireland part of the United Kingdom in Article 2 and 3 of the 1937 Constitution were set aside by the Nineteenth Amendment in 1999.
The Republic of Ireland is an awful mouthful and is in itself misleading and confusing. Éire is the appropriate reference.
Us giving up the claim on the six counties in the GFA did not change the name of the country. It is still Ireland. Contrary to your belief.
The Republic of Ireland is merely it’s description, just as The Republic of South Africa is the description of South Africa. A description is not the same as a name.
That’s top quality merchandise.
WUM.
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