New thread as the last thread seems to be broken.
We got to the QF of Italia 90 without a single win. We're into what's essentially a 4 team knock out tournament now. It doesn't have to be pretty or impressive. Two dire 0-0s and we scrape through on penalties will do. Hopefully HH sticks with the 5 at the back now and frustrate the life out of everyone. Can't give the Czechs a lead inside 3mins like against Hungary.
Never change Jayson.
Ken Early once said "he'd be a great man to storm an RUC barracks."
And Molumby sent off for West Brom 😬
Adrenaline still flowing for Manning and Azaz anyway. 3 goals between them in the first half for Southampton away to Charlton.
We have a decent chance in the play-offs, I'd be happy enough if we brought both matches to penalties as Kelleher's record in penalties is outstanding, just need make sure the rest of the lads practice their penalties!
That's true and there could definitely be adjustments but it's worth having a somewhat unfair system IMO in order to have a truly "world" cup
I think the Danes will bring us back down to earth.
We'll scrape past the Czechs on penalties. We'll have 4 days of World Cup dreams, then they'll be shattered.
Overgaard scored for Coventry today.
If we was Irish he'd have 20 or 30 caps but he hasn't played for Denmark.
That's the gulf in class.
If Ireland were to qualify from here they will have won 5 out of 5 games in a row and put 3 teams ranked well ahead of them out of the World Cup in knockout matches.
Just looking at it coldly statistically it is so wildly improbable to happen even now. If you'd have said 9 days a go there would be even the smallest possibility of it happening people would have said correctly you were mad.
Having said that they are just over half way to doing it.
New Zealand should definitely have to play a play off.
Their qualifying group is just Pacific islands.
I don't think Europe should necessarily have more places though but there should be some quality control.
I don't think the best 32 or 48 teams in the world should qualify otherwise it'd be just European and South American and a few African and Asian maybe.
Italy have no God given right to qualify but Gattuso was 100% correct tk call out the ridiculous qualification system.
It won't change because of the FIFA voting system but it's totally unfair on the biggest and best footballing continent.
But it wont mean anything unless we beat Argentina and / or Brazil in the group stages.
Beating Jordan/Curacao/Uzbekistan/Haiti probably guarantee's progression in that case.
The draw in December will only get us more excited if we've a handy group.
8 out 12 3rd place teams qualify for next round also.
I think. Open to correction.
I'm not sure on the format for getting out of the group stage of the WC but if we do make it we could have a decent chance as theres some right dross already qualified.
Our teacher wasn't allowed wheel the TV in for the playoffs or the TV wasn't working (went to a **** school with no facilities) so he sent us home early so people could watch it at home.
By the time the WC came around he was making sure that the TV was being wheeled into the class. We were in 5th class and they brought the 4th class in to watch the match with us.
I remember someone dropped their Ireland flag and Germany scored which got them some abuse and then everyone going absolutely ape **** when Keane scored.
But I was even thinking myself the other day I wonder what younger kids are making of the previous two games and all the fanfare with the playoffs.
I was too young for Italia 90 or USA 94 but when the posts start coming around saying X number of years ago such and such did this at the 2002 WC it brings back fond memories of the moments you got to enjoy watching Ireland at the WC.
A Euros is great but there's a different feel of magic when it comes to the WC. Maybe it's a nostalgia thing because of how long it's been but fingers crossed there's a new generation of kids who next summer get to experience the magical feeling of Ireland at a WC.
By the time im finished celebrating this win ill probably look like Rooney.
I could give two fcuks what a Englishman thinks of an Irish win tbh.
Hearing irish people parrot (no pun intended) the same nonsense though, makes me feel very sorry for them.
Wouldn't want to be in their company for anything outside of maybe a funeral and even thats a big maybe.
He looked like that for most of his peak too though to be fair
Rooney either looks half cut or hungover these days. I wouldn't worry too much about what he has to say.
I don't mind Rooney but that comment was a bit dumb from him. You'd think someone who's job is based on what's going on in football would have a bit of knowledge about the permutations from the weekend. He can think the celebrations are over the top if he likes, that's his opinion, but he should have already known what was on the line
Always found Rooney a better pundit and more honest than the rest of them. No issue with him. Legend.
Anyone who considers himself even a tiny bit Irish wouldn't begrudge us the Hungary win.
A lot of English love to laugh at how bad they think we are at football.
He's a lazy bum who's looking for attention.
Tom Brady got him ran from Birmingham because of his lack of work ethic as much ad his lack of knowledge. He's an idiot, who would probably be on the side of the road if he wasn't a naturally gifted player. He did well based on that talent, but he should not be taken seriously as an analyst, no more serious than an old geezer in the pub might be.
Rooney is a clown - was a great player , but his post playing career is a disaster. He is coming across as a bitter old pro lately - getting digs in at people being an out of shape Roy Keane act. He crumbles under a counter point.
He doesn't know the context of our wins - clown , he won nothing with England a so call golden generation.
To be fair, it was under Mick in 2001… by that stage Rooney was a 15 year old who hadn't even made his senior debut for Everton yet. He was a super highly rated kid, but you can't exactly blame them for not giving a senior call up to a lad who'd never played a minute of senior football.
Ah, the old celebration police are back on the streets again.
Rooney said the Irish wanted to put him in the under 21's. Typical.
Why do some stadia have balls placed around the pitch and not others ?
Feel like it should be a rule.
Hungary didn't manage the game well but actually created a fair bit.
Their time wasting was ridiculous also. Even the ball boys were doing it.
They'd be better off keeping the ball and going for another goal.
We weren't great either.
Count how many times Festy gave the ball away.
How many "long" throws he took that just went straight back to Hungary.
Parrott's amazing performance covered up a fair few sins last Sunday. Szoboszlai was allowed run the game for most of the game. Irish players were needlessly getting into trouble by playing stupid little passes midway in their own half and ending up conceding corners. Hungary's mistake was they thought they had broken Ireland with that second goal and ended up going into that mode of just trying to see out the game. They had the quality to hold up the ball in midfield, but didn't use it, invited Ireland on and Parrott took his chances.
It's always a problem Irish players have in just trying to control the ball. It's not a management thing. They just take two or three touches to take a flighted pass, say, where these continental players seem like their feet have magnets.
If Czechia have that bit of skill and decide to really press that advantage, it's going to give Ireland considerable problems. The whole team needs to show up.
I think a lot of people don't get the mad celebrations by the team. If we were 3-2 up in the 70th minute and played the game out the celebrations wouldn't have been anywhere near the way it was. A winning goal with the last kick of the game of such importance will always have a strong reaction. You can be sure the likes of Rooney would have behaved the same way.
