New thread as the last thread seems to be broken.
Yup, kicks off June 11th
This entire week has been a total shock .
Prior to last week , i would have looked at the playoffs going ..they are a nightmare and too hard.
But to be in them is such fun...and was on edge of seat for draw.
Like a mini cup to qualify for world cup ...and lovely that it is in March nothing else on..(end of 6 nations i guess)
Only downside for all.the teams in playoffs..genuinely is very late in the day for any of them to make world cup arrangements..for team and fans...
Sorry to ask a daft question..is world cup in June .. .
This is the auld conflation of premier league with the broader world of football… Potter's not a brilliant top top tier manager, but in the sphere of international management, he's absolutely grand. He's certainly not some obstacle to overcome or something. And importantly he's also talked about moving away from Thomasson's crazy tactics and just going for a solid hard working setup that just gives a platform for very very good attackers.
But again, they're by miles the toughest pot 4 opponent, and by then will probably have two top class strikers to call upon again, along with Elanga and Bergvall, who weren't fit for much of this campaign.
The point was, it's about the toughest set of circumstances an already (literally) besieged Ukraine could've gotten.
I hope that's Harry Potter you mean.
Graham Potter certainly won't be performing any miracles….
It's nice to have something to look forward to.
I enjoy the build up more than anything.
Imagine if we make the WC.
We've a very good chance of making Euro 28 also.
All the extra revenue could be invested back into the game.
I'm getting ahead of myself.
plenty of trains from Bratislava also
Macedonia had nothing to play for in that 7-1 battering which played its part. They knew whatever happened they would be in the playoffs.
As good a draw we could have hoped for .
Was praying for home part , so a 50 % chance there is a God.
After Parrott's goals , im reestablishing my relationships with the universe....
This week is gift that keeps giving...next 4 months will be fabulous...
I was very impressed by him in the Scotland game, thought he was one of their stand out players.
He has an excellent first touch and got a couple of shots that forced keeper into good saves.
I wouldn't call him an eejit based on how he played for Utd, they didnt help him. And Denmark bossed Scotland for 80min. If we meet, they'll be clear favourites
Sweden were rubbish under Thomasson, but have 4 months to sort themselves out under Potter. Even just having Gyokeres and Isak back fully fit will make them a huge challenge (considering they're a pot 4 team!)
So as a top seed, they've gotten the hardest pot 2 team, and the hardest pot 4 team, obviously can't play at home because of the invasion anyway, and now can't play in their home-away-from-home either. Tough break under the circumstances.
The big problem will be getting tickets, the Czech stadium only holds 20k so going to be a small away allowance
6th in fact
Sweden are not good at all.
But yeah, playing Poland after that is a tough one.
I was on the sites for flights as soon as the name came out they flew up. I was in for 200 return but kept getting rejected and going up and up. Mad prices now.
Booked Dublin to London Heathrow 9am Wednesday Morning and Heathrow to Prague 2pm (similar times return on Saturday). €210 all in, British Airways. Hotel in Prague 2 for €300 for 3 nights. Split with another. Same hotel is 700 now.
Have to feel for Ukraine - top seeds, and have to face Sweden and then most likely Poland. Obviously don't even really get the benefit of the home draw they have - and since they've been playing all their 'home' games in Poland, the ground that has become their home is actually actively away for the second fixture. I presume they'll arrange these games to be somewhere else, but it just means being even further from Ukraine for it. Probably set up camp in Germany I'd say.
I think our defence will bully that eejit Hojlund if we get through
TBF every airline does the same thing. Same as hotels. Try getting AL to London when we play England at Twickenham then check prices the week before and after.
Czechia only 4th shortest favourites, @19/20.
Someone on another forum booked flights to Prague yesterday. 50% chance we'd draw Czech or Slovakia.
We should worship at his feet.
Looked at those flights the other day, they were €120 return
Never change Michael… Never change…
Could of been a lot worse
We need to keep the heads though and 100% be thinking of Czech Republic and not the potential final in Dublin
Vienna. Up to ten trains a day.
They actually have very good footballers in midfield so should be better.
in fairness, every team dominated scotland. I watched all the qualifiers and its beyond me how they topped that group. fair play to them though,
Death
Taxes
Ireland vs Denmark
Genuinely sick of the sight of Denmark at this stage.
No biggie, to get to the World Cup we just have to have a run of 4 consecutive wins against teams ranked 5th (H), 37th (A), 41st (A) and 20th (A) while down around 60th ourselves
Halfway there
It was Czechs or Slovakia for me.
Pot 1 wanted avoid Italy or Denmark.
I just worry about semi final first. All I will say though is that if and its a big if we do get final least we are at home.
Slovakia and Czechs was the draw you would have wanted had you the choice. Wales are on the crest of a wave, would not have fancied them away and definitely not Poland either.
After that then it's crucial you got a home draw should you win the semi final. We got that.
Then you look at potential top seeds you could play.
Italy, Ukraine, Denmark and Turkey. I think you want to avoid Turkey and Italy.
I think all in all, its the absolute best possible draw on paper.
Best possible draw bar getting Ukraine…the carrot is there
