Starts with two tricky away ties.
Republic of Ireland World Cup Group Eight qualifying fixtures:
Sep 6 v Georgia (a)
Sep 10 v Montenegro (a)
Oct 15 v Cyprus (h)
Feb 11 v Georgia (h)
Mar 28 v v Bulgaria (h)
Apr 1 v Italy (a)
Jun 6 v Bulgaria (a)
Sep 5 v Cyprus (a)
Oct 10 v Italy (h)
Oct 14 v Montenegro (h)
I predict we are out of it by the time of the away Italian match.
The aim should be to have a manager in place for the away Italian game in April 2009. I don’t see the logic in beginning with 2 relatively tough away games. I would have tried to get a home game (or two) in first to get a win to boost morale given that things are at such a low ebb. Though maybe we’re unable to play home games in September due to Croke Park being used for GAA?
Yeah Croke PArk was unavailable Bandage. We had no option but to start with 2 away games. I was hoping we would have Italy away first up.
Hopefully the Italians will be through by the time they come to Dublin…obviously I hope Ireland are through by the time the Italians come to Croker but I have my doubts.
[quote=“briantinnion”]Starts with two tricky away ties.
Republic of Ireland World Cup Group Eight qualifying fixtures:
Sep 6 v Georgia (a)
Sep 10 v Montenegro (a)
Oct 15 v Cyprus (h)
Feb 11 v Georgia (h)
Mar 28 v v Bulgaria (h)
Apr 1 v Italy (a)
Jun 6 v Bulgaria (a)
Sep 5 v Cyprus (a)
Oct 10 v Italy (h)
Oct 14 v Montenegro (h)
I predict we are out of it by the time of the away Italian match.[/quote]
Im looking at that thinking we should be on 15 (minimum 13) by the time we go to Italy
I think 8 or 9 points is a more realistic tally to expect after 5 games and ahead of the trip to Italy.
We’ll be doing well to pick up 2 points from the initial away double header then should get a couple of home wins and maybe a point at home to Bulgaria.
Should have 15 points going to Italy. We shall romp the group. Even Sheasey will get in on the act like a United Christmas party outing.
I see the away leg to italy is on april fools day. how apt.
We will struggle in his group the same way we struggled in the last one.
whats annoying about it is we shouldnt be struggling but we are.
maybe someone can inject some pure adrenalin into the narcoleptic duff,take the captaincy off whacker keane and put in a back 4 and fucking stick to it!
still it should make for compulsive viewing as always
I tend to watch Ireland games more for a Dunphy rant than the football itself. This fixture list has great potential for fireworks. Imagine we were to end up with a failed manager from the lower reaches of English football, which is more than a probability, and we go and get a thumping in Georgia first up. Dunphy would be raging. Georgia comfortably beat Scotland at home in the last qualifying group and Scotland are a better side than us so I think we’ll be doing well to come third in this group.
I can see the headlines after the Italian game already
APRIL FOOLS
Misery for Howe as his troops are routed in Rome.
Caretaker manager Don Howe was last night scathing in his criticism of his junior players, after they suffered a seven goal defeat in the Eternal City last night. Mr Howe bravely assumed the manager’s role after failing to find a suitable replacement for Steve Staunton but a fourth defeat must surely cast fresh doubts on his suitability for the position.
There is still a full six months remaining in this qualifying group but already the campaign looks as fruitless as a fast food diet. The point in Montenegro, hailed by Howe as “his best result in management in 20 years,” now looks a distant memory given the four losses on the bounce since then. The loss of Aiden McGeady to the controversial Sunday Independent “Ireland for the Irish” campaign looks short-sighted given his recent form for Barcelona.
But there was more to this defeat than the loss of McGeady alone. Gary Doherty is not an international class midfielder and the left flank partnership of Clive Clarke and Alan O’Brien is full of effort, but short on class. In truth Ireland were lucky to escape with the 6 goal reversal last night, Shay Given proving once again that there’s life in him yet with another heroic display. Given’s form has been the one consistency during this qualifying campaign and the drop to the Championship with Newcastle doesn’t seem to have affected his abilities at all.
Assistant Manager Don Givens rushed to the defence of the experienced Howe, laying the blame squarely on the shoulders of the younger members of the squad who endured the most miserable night yet of this dreadful campaign. “Don is a footballing person” explained his namesake to the waiting media, “and the personal abuse he has suffered since he took this job on an interim basis is shocking. He’s giving it his best shot and he’s giving some of the older guys a chance and he gets no credit for that. There’s young fellas playing out there who’d rather be playing Sonystation (sic) - it would nearly make me want to hang up the boots myself.” Givens of course is one of the older guard recalled to the squad by Howe in an effort to “rekindle the Irish passion” and five caps and no goals later the wisdom of investing so wholeheartedly in the aged is appearing questionable.
And yet there are still signs of progress that might encourage even the most pessimistic of fans. Ray Houghton looks like he’s 25 again, thanks in no small part to the innovative training regime implemented. The impish young Glaswegian was involved in most of Ireland’s good work last night, and despite all the precedents set by other athletes, Houghton looks to have gained a few yards of pace, way past the physical athletic peak of his peers.
Indeed for all the criticism emanating from the more downbeat in the pressbox, some footballing experts believe Howe is on the brink of emulating a Charlton-esque golden era in Irish football. Legendary sportswriter Cathal Dervan has spoken of his admiration for the new coaching setup and the fitness regime implemented by celebrated fitness coach Erick de Bruin. “Erick is doing sterling work. Sterling stuff altogether,” opined the great wordsmith from his position seated on the coach’s lap in the post match press conference. “One of our greatest ever sportsmen. What a way to treat him with a chorus of boos!”
Top drawer there Rocko.
Good but not quite top drawer Bandage.
Rock mentioned in his first paragraph a 7 goal defeat but by paragraph 3 it had become a 6 goal reversal…a shoddy error by anyone’s standards !!!