Ireland - World Cup Hopefuls?

Liam Lawlor

How do you rate Irelands chances in the World Cup? Will we reach Knock-out stages? Will we flop?

I feel that Argentina will take some beating as will Italy and Portugal. After that there are a number of teams who will pose a threat. I think we are amongst them

WhiteWashMan

i havent had a good look at the groups and the draws after that but i feel ireland should come out of the group in second place.
after that i dont know what the likely outcome is but no doubt we will end up against argentina brazil or france!
when we've beaten them we will probably loose to some understrength scandinavian side.
such is life.
seriously, depending on second round, i would say 2/3rd round ko.

dobdobdo

Can anyone say which team will definitely beat us over 90mins?

So we qualify for the second stage, maybe even top our group and then, who knows?

At 66/1 we are a great bet, because I honestly cannot say any country will definitely beat us. Portugal couln'nt (twice) Holland neither and had the Dutch qualified they would be third favourites.

nore

easy there, dob.
i'd have to say my level of confidence would be directly opposite yours. i think we'll go out in the first round, possibly without winning a match.
the achievment in the group was impressive - and most importantly it raises our seeding so that qualification for championships over the next 6 or more years becomes again probable rather than possible.
but let's be realistic about the achievment:
1. we played the important away matches at the perfect time. when the dutch and the portuguese were coming off the disappointments of euro 2000 and probably struggling to be motivated for early qualification games, when in all likelihood they fancied they could shake themselves up when things really mattered later in the campaign.
2. this good start became doubly important as it became apparent that there was a real divide in the group: three decent teams; three moderate teams. ultimately the top three teams won ALL of their matches, home and away, against the weaker teams.
who will beat us over 90 minutes? come on, man, any number of teams: FRANCE? ITALY? SPAIN? BRAZIL? ARGENTINA? JAPAN? ENGLAND? and, most importantly, GERMANY!
unless Roy Keane, Stephen Carr and Damien Duff - the only three world-class players we possess - are at peak form we are destined for the earliest of exits.

Niallmac

Well Nore

Ia m alot more optimistic then yourself. I think that we can come out top pf our group. Germany are weak and I would be more concerned about Cameroon then Germany. I agree there are plenty of teams in there that could beat us over 90 minutes, but I also reckon that England, Brazil and most definitely Japan would not relish the prospect of having to play us. Regarding your argument about the early away games I think that if both teams had the nightmare Euro 2000 that you say they had I would have thought they would feel they have something to prove and be even more motivated. We drew with those two teams on there own patch on merit. Finally correct me if I am wrong but did Portugal not get to the Semi's in Euro 2000.

nore

niallmac,
i meant that both holland and portugal had suffered disappointments at euro 2000 in that they had both been "so near yet so far" - both having reached the semi-finals.
i am quite sure that qualifying matches against ireland were a little anti-climactic in the immediate aftermath of this.
re. Germany: Germany are never poor! This is a country which has won the World Cup three times. Our opinion of them is coloured by constant exposure to images of England's 5-1 win in September. It was just one bizarre match where Germany messed up tactically. Remind yourself of their play-off results instead. Germany, I would say, will DEFINITELY beat us.
Ireland do not have enough quality through the team - especially in defence. This is different to when we used go to the World Cup with McCarthy and McGrath at the back.

Dustaz

Please dont believe the English hype and write germany off. They were resoundingly thrashed in one match, fair enough. However, to qualify for the finals they beat Ukraine home and away - no mean feat.
Nore, Japan? cop on

As for the original question, i dont see us progressing past the last 16 (although, i seem to remember hearing we were seperated from the really good teams in the draw)

Liam Lawlor

When talking about quality in the team at the moment, you can't forget about Shay Given. He is probably one of the best keepers in the world (this season). Ian Harte can do the biz when he wants to and Kevin Kilbane and Robbie Keane are definatly overdue a bit of good form.

I wouldn't be over confident about beating the Germans but a draw would be a good result. Cameroon are very over-rated. There living on their reputation from Italia 90.

nore

Originally posted by Dustaz
Nore, Japan? cop on

Well, looks like we won't play them but I certainly wouldn't have fancied it. On their home patch? They are a highly technical team. Though maybe Ireland would press home a physical advantage. But Japan are my fancy as an outside bet - maybe to go to the last 8.

Originally posted by Liam Lawlor
When talking about quality in the team at the moment, you can't forget about Shay Given ... Ian Harte can do the biz when he wants to

Ok, point accepted about Given - he is outstanding. But Harte? He has to be one of the worst defenders in the Premiership. He's slow and his technique is dodgy. He's only held his own at that level because of his dead-ball expertise. Watch out over the next few months as he disappears from the Leeds first-team.

Liam Lawlor

Bring back Terry Phelan then ehh!!!

WhiteWashMan

lets hope stevie carr is fit
best right back in the premier

now if we could only find an irish grandmother for some other world class platers

dobdobdo

Ok, I might be cosidered being a bit of a "dreamer" thinking we might go all the way to the final, but whats the point in turning up if we don't believe we can win it?

Originally From NORE - Germany, I would say, will DEFINITELY beat us.

Just like ITALY would DEFINITELY beat us in New York 1994?
My point being that although we might not have the best players in the world, nobody can say for DEFINITE that any team will beat us and insted of writing us off before a ball has been kicked, ... remember Denmark in Euro 96? (66/1 outsiders)

Alltogether .. "You'll never beat the Irish" :0)

Dustaz

Originally posted by Liam Lawlor
Cameroon are very over-rated. There living on their reputation from Italia 90.

Fouth world cup in a row. First team to qualify for this world cup. Olympic Champions. 2000 African Nations Cup Champions.
Yeh, your right, living on past glories.........

Xterminator

Originally posted by Liam Lawlor
... and Kevin Kilbane and Robbie Keane are definatly overdue a bit of good form.

.

Liam, i don agree with you about Kilbane.
He hasnt even won over his club fans, let alone set the world scene alight.

He is a direct enought player with a bit of pace, but not in the same class as many of his republic teammates.

(Roy) Keane and Given would be world class players in my opinion.
Next i would rate Carr and Duff, Ian Harte and Robbie Keane as potential stars. Especially Duff. (He was outstanding on Tuesday Nite)

If a couple of them shine too, we may have a good worls cup experience.

But i think our central defense will be exposed during the world cup. I predect second place in our group, possibly even topping our group, with a good result against the Germans.

But if we made the quater finals it would be suprising.

X

Liam Lawlor

Dustaz:

"First team to qualify for this world cup. Olympic Champions. 2000 African Nations Cup Champions. "




The African qualifiers were the first finished, countries put out second or even third rate teams in the Olympics, and the Nigerians are the only team to pose a threat in the African Nations Cup. Thats how I feel. Only June will tell!

Bottle_of_Smoke

Kevin Kilbane and Robbie Keane are definatly overdue a bit of good form.

Through getting an average of C-D grades mosta the time in school reports for the past few years by your logic I should be due at least 600 points in the leaving cert.

I don't think I'll even bother studying!

daveirl

This post has been deleted.

dobdobdo

Thanks daveirl & I hope a 66/1 outsider could come around every ... 10 years

gandalf

Ireland stand a good chance of getting past the 1st round imho as long as they do not bring Kennedy & Connolly.

Those 2 donkeys should be taken up the Dublin mountains and made disappear

Gandalf.

Niallmac

I did not base my assessment of Germany on the one result like you suggest. I base it on the early bath the side had in Euro 2000, the fact that they could not beat Finland definitely in one but I think both of the qualifying matches against them. They just about scraped a 1-0 victory against England who were at there lowest ebb at the time. Keegan was so p*ssed off he resigned after the match. And then there was the one result of course taken into consideration. We on the otherhand got the better of a good Holland team in qualifying and only came second to a better Portugal team on goal difference. I think we are more then capable of beating Germany. As regards our centre defence it is an issue but Steve Staunton has come on in leaps and bounds since he became a first team regular at Villa again so that has set my mind slightly at ease. By the way Liam I think you are wayout on your assessment of Cameroon. Alot of countries bring fairly strong squads to the Olympics, but they can only bring a limited number over twenty three years of age. I think that they are a good side and would go so far as to say I think it will be the second tournament in a row that they Mighty Germany go home after the first round.

dobdobdo

Ireland - World Cup Hopefuls?


I think this starting eleven would give any team a game, providing they are all fit and selected to go to Japan and Korea?

GK Given

RB Carr
LB Harte
CH Staunton
CH O'Brien (plays with Given every week)

RM McAteer
LM Kilbane (only one move, push ball past defender and run, but will give the team balance)
CM Roy Keane
CM Holland

CF Robbie Keane
CF Duff (world class and him and Robbie together will worry any defence)


So all in all Ireland - World Cup Hopefuls? I think so

jd

Originally posted by dobdobdo
Ireland - World Cup Hopefuls?


I think this starting eleven would give any team a game, providing they are all fit and selected to go to Japan and Korea?


LM Kilbane (only one move, push ball past defender and run, but

If Stephen McPhail recovers from injury etc etc I'd prefer to see him there (think hes left footed too..)
jd