De Rossi returns for the hosts. This makes me confident Bulgaria can pull off a draw. They will play through him easily in the midfield, and he may end up getting frustrated at his lack of ability, and is liable to get himself sent off.
Anyone got any texts from NCC on what the build up is like in Torino?
Apparently there’s been an influx of southern Italian muldoons which NCC is none-to happy about.
terroni di merda
After TFK Astro’s administrative error last night I’m not feeling confident in working out points tallies and permutations etc.
So can someone run through the various scenarios of what we need from tonight and subsequent games to finish first or second.
[quote=“Rocko”]After TFK Astro’s administrative error last night I’m not feeling confident in working out points tallies and permutations etc.
So can someone run through the various scenarios of what we need from tonight and subsequent games to finish first or second.[/quote]
We need to win both games, Italy need to draw or loose to Bulgaria. Thats us top.
Bulgaria need to win all their games and we need to loose to Italy for us to go out.
I’m assuming Motenegro will be beaten at home.
[quote=“caoimhaoin”]We need to win both games, Italy need to draw or loose to Bulgaria. Thats us top.
Bulgaria need to win all their games and we need to loose to Italy for us to go out.
I’m assuming Motenegro will be beaten at home.[/quote]
I just pray that the pitch recovers on time after the jubilant Kerry fans get their day out on Sunday*
*week
its a bit optimistic to think we can overtake Italy in this group, an Italy win tonight could seal 2nd place for us and seal top place for them.
If top spot is up for grabs when they come her you can be sure they will beat us.
Right that’s my question answered so, a draw is the best result.
So would people prefer an Italy win or a Bulgaria win if the draw was ruled out?
[quote=“Sledgehammer”]I just pray that the pitch recovers on time after the jubilant Kerry fans get their day out on Sunday*
*week[/quote]
God help CP after the animals gets on it.
[quote=“Rocko”]Right that’s my question answered so, a draw is the best result.
So would people prefer an Italy win or a Bulgaria win if the draw was ruled out?[/quote]
I’d hope for a draw, not sure Bulgaria would get full points from remaining games anyway. Italy are no great shakes at the moment and are beatable in Dublin. I think beating Italy is a better chance than going through very dodgy play-offs.
I know we want a draw. Just wondering what your preferred second choice is.
I’d tend to favour a Bulgaria win too. Time we were brave enough to take on Italy, playoffs mean nothing if we don’t progress. There’s some limited teams that could be in there (6 counties would be a cracking game if we were both involved) but we should aim to qualify outright.
Bulgaria have Cyprus away and Georgia at home after tonight.
If they win tonight we are fucked.
[quote=“Rocko”]I know we want a draw. Just wondering what your preferred second choice is.
I’d tend to favour a Bulgaria win too. Time we were brave enough to take on Italy, playoffs mean nothing if we don’t progress. There’s some limited teams that could be in there (6 counties would be a cracking game if we were both involved) but we should aim to qualify outright.[/quote]
what makes you think we should be brave enough to take on Italy at home?
is it the stuttering wins over Cyprus and Georgia or the battling draw with Bulgaria where they played us off the park?
Draw is obviously the best result, surely. A draw means Bulgaria can’t catch the 26 if they take 3 points from the last 6 and, with Montenegro at home, this should be emminently possible and a play-off spot would be secured at a minimum. A draw also means first place is still in sight and can be secured with 6 points from the last 6. On the other hand, an Italy win would remove the possibility of topping the group, while a Bulgaria win could see the 26 missing out on the play-off altogether if Italy win in Dublin.
We’ve established that a draw is the best result. The question is what is the next best result from a 26 county perspective?
[quote=“HBV*”]what makes you think we should be brave enough to take on Italy at home?
is it the stuttering wins over Cyprus and Georgia or the battling draw with Bulgaria where they played us off the park?[/quote]
Because there’s not much point in going to a World Cup or going to the playoffs if the sole aim is to avoid playing historically strong teams. We don’t have a good record in playoffs, if someone presents us with a one off match in Dublin to progress, as opposed to two legs against Croatia for example, then we should be brave enough to take on Italy at home.
If Bulgaria win then we need to beat the Italians just to get 2nd place.
[quote=“Rocko”] The question is what is the next best result from a 26 county perspective?
[/quote]
Azzuri victory
Normally I would agree with that but it means a lot for us just to qualify for the World Cup and if that means not needing to beat Italy to do it then bring it on.
An Italy win would be the next best after a draw if you ask me. I am quite risk averse anyway so I would rather have something guaranteed (play off) than a chance of nothing (not qualify in a three way shoot out between us, Italians and Bulgarians). I also think there is a strong chance we could end up with nothing as I can’t see us taking the Italians at home. I don’t think we are good enough.
Exactly. “Our record is play offs is not great”, fair enough, but what is our record in big one-off winner-takes-all games?
[quote=“farmerinthecity”]Normally I would agree with that but it means a lot for us just to qualify for the World Cup and if that means not needing to beat Italy to do it then bring it on.
An Italy win would be the next best after a draw if you ask me. I am quite risk averse anyway so I would rather have something guaranteed (play off) than a chance of nothing (not qualify in a three way shoot out between us, Italians and Bulgarians). I also think there is a strong chance we could end up with nothing as I can’t see us taking the Italians at home. I don’t think we are good enough.[/quote]
That’s all well and good if the something guaranteed was actually a tangible or rewarding achievement. Lose in the play offs and we’ve done nothing really, we’d be as well finishing third.
There’s too much made of the playoffs in my opinion, as though that represents qualification. If we have a chance to go through then we should do everything we can to take that chance. I think it’s defeatist to accept some runner-up prize when that guarantees us absolutely nothing.