ROI draw France....

[olly27]

in the play offs...stinking draw for them, the worst possible draw.

[gomessi]

Good luck. Tough draw but they are beatable.

[Gino Ginelli]

That's such a tough game. Still, they held their own against Italy, so hopefully they can repeat the 2001 heroics!

[mjbmedia]

France are crap and beatable.
Seeding in the play offs is a FIFA disgrace, I hope the World Cup has nothing but trouble involved with it and FIFA come out smelling of rotten eggs.
Also hope Portugal, France, Russia go out in the playoffs

[Gino Ginelli]

Yeah, the seeding thing is bullshit. FIFA have dropped their guts at the prospect of having their cash cow Ronaldo sunbathing in LA instead of playing in SA next summer, and come up with this crap to make sure.

And look who Portugal get, ferking Bosnia. I hope Portugal and France get kicked to fvck and both fail to make it.

[highlander]

obviously ROI would have wanted Greece but i think France would have been their second choice if they could pick. they are playing terribly and have gone through a period of real disarray in the 18months or so and a re far from out of the woods yet. gotta fancy Ireland at home and i can see them doing a job away as well

[deadleyledley]

domench is under the cosh in france and will need to get through this to keep his job. i think that gio will be able to mastermind his way past the frenchies and will get through. hopefully france get a few injuries before the games.

home leg will be crucial for ireland as it will encourage them if they beat them iin the first leg. the second leg will be tough but hopefully they learn any lessons from the first leg and put them to good use.
1st leg: 2-1 ireland
2nd leg: 2-2

[Rojoknapp]

I disagree that we would have wanted Greece - they are the height of efficiency and I couldn't have seen us scoring against them. We do better as the underdogs, so a big country with a big reputation but a struggling team is great. If I could have picked I would have gone for either France or Portugal. I think the Russians would have just kept their cool and I mentioned Greece, but with France or Portugal, all the pressure is on them. If either of them lost to Ireland their country would turn on them instantly.

FIFA are massive tw*ts though. Everyone's already been seeded, they already had the advantage. Why the hell should they be seeded again, just because they f*cked up their first head start?

[choda]

I'm not worried about who we play, we need to sort our own team out first. I want us to get there but only in the hope that Trap decides to play football and pick a footballer like Reid instead of second rate hackers like Whelan.

You can call me Pedro this summer unless something drastic changes with Trap or a player stands up and demands the ball in the centre of the pitch.

[Antilokhos]

Can we all agree to root for Bosnia at least?

[Gino Ginelli]

Can we all agree to root for Bosnia at least?

Absolutely! No argument there :thumbup1:

[Lilywhite Lad]

Personally, i think its good that ROI have got France, because if they want to get far in the finals, then they need to get used to playing opposition like this and overcoming them. If they can beat France, after their great results against Italy, then that instills a lot more confidence and belief into the side and the fans if say, they overcame Greece and then get a group including Spain or some other big side for example. At least the side will have had experience of beating a top side when it comes to playing the likes of these big teams in the summer.

[olly27]

I still think its a stinking draw for the Republic. Its two legs and thus like a Champions leaue semi final or something. Frank Ribbery running at Kevin Kilbane...:afraid:

Look at the experience the French have in their squad in Evra, Abidal, Anelka, Henry, Benzema, Ribbery to name a few. I wonder if the young French kid from Toulouse we were linked with, Sissoko wasn't it?,will feature?

Greece maybe resolute, organised and highly efficient - but I think they would of been a better draw all things considered. Russia would of been bad as well, but Portugal would of been my second choice for the Republic - they are beatable. The French will have too much experience and far too much quality all over the park for the Republic to handle. They may have been way below par of late but when these big occassions arise the cream normally rises to the top. Big time players with huge amounts of experience in highly pressurised situations. Who out of the ROI squad, for expample, has even been at the latter stages of Champions league for example? Oshea on the bench for United probably. I really want the Republic to do it but just wish they had avoided France.

I dont think underdogs or anything like that should really matter in this scenario - its a chance to play in the World Cup, shouldn't need to feel like underdogs to be really motivated. Greece would still of been my choice followed by Portugal. France and Russia were the sides to avoid IMO.

[MiloMinderbinder]

I'd give ROI minimal chance of getting through. The lack of goals should put paid to the dream and you can always see France dishing out a spanking to ROI at home.

Without wanting to annoy my Irish friends, who would the World Cup miss more (as a football side, the crac doesn't count)?!

[choda]

I'd give ROI minimal chance of getting through. The lack of goals should put paid to the dream and you can always see France dishing out a spanking to ROI at home.

Without wanting to annoy my Irish friends, who would the World Cup miss more (as a football side, the crac doesn't count)?!

It's better for football that France win. We are a shitty, dour team that is leaving out footballers and under instructions not to play.

[Rojoknapp]

Ribéry on Kilbane is one thing, but if we'd got Portugal it would be even worse - Ronaldo :afraid:

I wanted to avoid Portugal above all, because of the way that Ronaldo decimates lesser opposition. I believe that all of the teams in the draw are beatable, Greece the least so. France are exactly the sort of team that can lose these sorts of games - they're a lot like Spurs were a few years ago - always there for the taking by some shit teams like Leicester or Grimsby :glare:

Obviously they're not that bad, but we've got a half decent team now. Provided we don't lose at Croke Park, and it's not a score draw, I think we could make it. 2 nil-nils and a shootout victory would be fine by me :001_smile:

I know it's unlikely (thank you FIFA you pricks) that we will be in South Africa after this draw, but there's still hope - certainly a lot more hope than there would have been if we'd been offered a play-off against France at the start of the campaign. That's the other thing to remember - if we had indeed been offered a play-off place against France before qualifying began, we'd have bitten your hand off.

[olly27]

Ribéry on Kilbane is one thing, but if we'd got Portugal it would be even worse - Ronaldo :afraid:

I wanted to avoid Portugal above all, because of the way that Ronaldo decimates lesser opposition. I believe that all of the teams in the draw are beatable, Greece the least so. France are exactly the sort of team that can lose these sorts of games - they're a lot like Spurs were a few years ago - always there for the taking by some shit teams like Leicester or Grimsby :glare:

Obviously they're not that bad, but we've got a half decent team now. Provided we don't lose at Croke Park, and it's not a score draw, I think we could make it. 2 nil-nils and a shootout victory would be fine by me :001_smile:

I know it's unlikely (thank you FIFA you pricks) that we will be in South Africa after this draw, but there's still hope - certainly a lot more hope than there would have been if we'd been offered a play-off against France at the start of the campaign. That's the other thing to remember - if we had indeed been offered a play-off place against France before qualifying began, we'd have bitten your hand off.

Rojo for me France have a lot more quality all over the park compared to Portugal. Dont get me wrong there still a good side obviously but the French have mounds of experience and have huge quality throughout their squad.

[Rojoknapp]

Rojo for me France have a lot more quality all over the park compared to Portugal. Dont get me wrong there still a good side obviously but the French have mounds of experience and have huge quality throughout their squad.

I would agree - overall France have a better set of players than Portugal, but to be honest, whoever we got would have been a really tough opponent, so we just have to look at the negative aspects of France and hope that the pressure gets to them and that their frailties come to the fore :001_smile:

[olly27]

I would agree - overall France have a better set of players than Portugal, but to be honest, whoever we got would have been a really tough opponent, so we just have to look at the negative aspects of France and hope that the pressure gets to them and that their frailties come to the fore :001_smile:

Yep I suppose thats the best way to look at it...:santaclaus:

[irishspur]

Can we all agree to root for Bosnia at least?

I think they have a great chance of turning over the portuguese, misimovic dzeko and pjanjic are superb. How about defensively? Any recognisable players there?

[MiloMinderbinder]

I think they have a great chance of turning over the portuguese, misimovic dzeko and pjanjic are superb. How about defensively? Any recognisable players there?

No need, if they lose they'll just run to the EU who will find against the nasty horrible Western Powers. :stupid:

[olly27]

Some good news, looks like Ribbery will miss the clash...:santaclaus: :

http://www.football365.com/story/0,17033,8652_5644074,00.html

[Gino Ginelli]

Some good news, looks like Ribbery will miss the clash...:santaclaus: :

http://www.football365.com/story/0,17033,8652_5644074,00.html

*adopts MM's spelling nazi cloak*

What's with the double 'b' in Ribery?

*shrugs MM's spelling nazi cloak off in self disgust*

[Antilokhos]

*adopts MM's spelling nazi cloak*

What's with the double 'b' in Ribery?

*shrugs MM's spelling nazi cloak off in self disgust*

He's French, hence a frog, so Ribbitry shortens to Ribbery?

[irishspur]

Rahimic looked excellent against united yesterday, bosnia are a decent side.

[berbzy 'G']

You Ireland fans are lucky Franck Ribery is out with a long term injury. Benzema never seems to play as good as he does club level for France. It's not going to be easy, But I think the paddys could do it

[olly27]

*adopts MM's spelling nazi cloak*

What's with the double 'b' in Ribery?

*shrugs MM's spelling nazi cloak off in self disgust*

Clearly a typo - what does it look like!

[Gino Ginelli]

He's French, hence a frog, so Ribbitry shortens to Ribbery?

:rofl::rofl::rofl:

[Gino Ginelli]

Clearly a typo - what does it look like!

In all your posts? :tongue:

[olly27]

In all your posts? :tongue:

What are you on about?

[Gino Ginelli]

What are you on about?

Never mind... :santaclaus: