2018 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA)

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What rough beast slouches to ward's Bethlehem to be born

Feeling quite keanelike towards the singing Irish fans tbpfh

Was just saying

Bloody Nora, the radio guy just mentioned Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tale 'Der er forskel' to express the difference in quality between these two teams. This isn't supposed to be educational ffs

I don't know if that's fair. Individual fuckups from three goals.

Excommunicate whichever defender was responsible for the third Eriksen goal BTW.

Three individual fuckups too many tho tbf xp

Eriksen has scored eleven times in eleven qualifiers.

Ward again matt

Clearly had nothing to lose after the blackcap was donned in the first half over the cunt, the cunt

Three humdingers though, would have been genuinely gutted to see Eriksen miss the World Cup.

Agreed it's an ok consolation tbh

God mcgeady just ..... a total waste of a jersey

Now embarrassing

So brave McClean what a hero

Fuck....we need to score five now, right?

Big ask.

No arguing with that

only saw the first 6 minutes, went very well!

anyone got the final score?

bad week for michael martin o'neill and martin michael o'neill

a three foot box, a foot for every world cup

June, 2016

Some day I will go to Aarhus
To see his peat-brown head,
The mild pods of his eye-lids,
His pointed skin cap.

In the flat country near by
Where they dug him out,
His last gruel of winter seeds
Caked in his stomach,

Glenn Whelan,
Naked except for
The cap, noose and girdle,
I will stand a long time.
Bridegroom to the goddess,

ah you have to laugh

yup

I've very much enjoyed the seamus heaney itt

watching this. well done for the gay thing btw

why's kbp not posting at least

he's probably gone to the bloody game hasn't he

p fucking deflated about last night. it could be another 20 years before ireland make a world cup. or it could be five years, or it could be 35.

tho that's not mathematically possible you get the idea

calzino's probably never had a chance to watch a world cup playoff with a huddersfield player on another level to everyone else on the pitch

ireland will be fine, they're expanding the world cup aren't they? they'll be there, if not next time then the one after. in qatar. the world cup in qatar, featuring ireland

ah dang i forgot about the expansion

when does this stupid international friendly tournament start

isn't it like the top 8 countries in the world keep playing each other then after a year half the teams get relegated haha

i'm in favour of the expansion, the entire thing has been contracting for years from a european pov. in the 90s, second got us in. in 2002, we played iran in a playoff. for 2018 and 2014 we come second and end up playing seeded european teams.

i get it's a global tournament but fuck it like, the euros showed that letting the barbarians in was actually quite exciting, and that most of the teams are shit and likely to lose to a well-organised bunch of championship game lads.

thumb down
8 team world cup

including tahiti obvs

every country in the world should be involved, it should go on for four years then begin again

They're going to make it 48 countries or something? Kinda feel the same like LG. Holland will struggle hard the next ten years.

sounds just like my idea for expanding eurovision
thumb up

xp That's my ideal. And just a Wimbledon like draw. No seeds.

Playing random shit teams (us included) in a drawn out league format to qualify - attritional soul killing shit

Playing these same teams as part of a month-long tournament in one country- life's rich pageant

NB I 100% mean this

Ireland’s problem is lack of raw talent, Netherlands’ seems potentially easier to fix in the short term with better management? idk

Which is obviously easier said than done...

australia leading through truly hapless attempt to defend a free kick

Lack of raw talent versus who else?

We've a team of professional topflight or near enough footballers.

Our problems are kinda like but not totally like England's- these guys have no fucking idea of tactical adaptability and little respect for the basics of playing as a responsive unit.

Northern Ireland got a lot closer to qualifying with far less raw talent, far less even than Scotland tbh.

Which is why Scotland are trying to poach Michael O'Neill.

Our FA is shambolic. Better management should be able to fix it, but we've not had good management for five, six years now.

there's no skill in the irish team. like barely anyone can beat a man. cyrus christie was like christieano ronaldo relative the the rest of the side. no striker. no passers.

they might all be playing at a pro level but it's v clear what we're missing as a team. also the defence isn't actually any good when it's not part of a 10-man behind the ball effort.

Everyone blames the FA

Players, Mgmt, FA in that order until the former two sets literally resign in protest at whatever outrage has them underperforming

XP votm LG, the type of player we produce is alarmingly identikit. Apart from Wes <3

What Irish player learns any new skills/concepts after say 16? At that stage he's fully formed, needs 'experience and to toughen up a bit"

I mean I imagine that there's an opportunity to improve here like, I can't believe that idk Italians or Spaniards have this attitude in their pro careers