Predictions for Play-offs

C

ccbkd

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I can see it a Nail biting 0-0 in Croker
Followed by a please God 1-1 in Paris...but thats my heart in reality I can see the French sneaking a goal in Croker 1-1 and a heart breaking late winner in Paris 0-1... Thierry Henry always Scores against Given.
 
You read my mind. My prediction exactly, right down to the fact that they will score late in Paris to clinch it.
 
Mr Chocks is a bit of an eternal optimist. In Dublin 1 - 1 and in Paris 2 - 2. He is quite grounded normally but tends to get a trifle excited even at the mention of Ireland progressing. Gentle soul!
 
I was fairly optimistic when I heard the draw first but not anymore. I think the turning point came when I heard on a champions league week Wednesday that France had 43 players playing in the CL on Tues&Wed whereas Ireland had 1 (John O'Shea).

Ireland 1 - France 1
France 2 - Ireland 0
 
Teatime said:
I was fairly optimistic when I heard the draw first but not anymore. I think the turning point came when I heard on a champions league week Wednesday that France had 43 players playing in the CL on Tues&Wed whereas Ireland had 1 (John O'Shea)
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But how many are capricorns born under a full moon on a tuesday.
 
We will score first but be beaten 1-2 in Croker

In France we will heroically draw 1-1 with us pushing all the way in the final 10 mins to try get extra time.

Don't suppose there was much chance of a Green Army in SA with the recession. Can't see the Credit Union giving Jockser 10 grand for a kitchen next June
 
O/11 correct. Not a good return.

I predicted 0-1 in the home leg.... just didn't tell anyone.

We were very unlucky not to score at least one tonight.

It will make for a very interesting game in Paris.
 
callybags said:
O/11 correct. Not a good return.

I predicted 0-1 in the home leg.... just didn't tell anyone.

We were very unlucky not to score at least one tonight.

It will make for a very interesting game in Paris.
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Disagree. For me the tie is over. Don't think we will score in Paris, and can see France getting a couple.

Last night the 1st half was good, but we were spent by the end of it, allowing an average French side to control the game in the second. Andrews and Whelan covered a lot of ground in the 1st half, and with the extra man in midfield, and those 2 hammered, it was inevitable that Ireland would struggle. They needed an extra body to help them out in there.

The forward line was poor imho. Keane did nowt, other than run around mad, claim for throw-ins and do a lot of pointing. Doyle looked out of sorts but ran himself into the ground. Leon Best is not a footballer end of story. Truly awful at this level.

As much as the two Reids and Ireland are world beaters, they would make a big difference to that midfield if they were fit.

Don't think we have the players, tactics or ability to win the 2nd leg, unfortunately. Perhaps the Euro2012, eh.
 
Just are not good enough.The players haven`t got the pace, stamina and athleticism to compete at this level.We desperately need a few strong athletic players to make trapps system work.Is Kavanagh of tyrone available?
 
Hopefully caution will be thrown to the wind on wednesday, the negative tactics are stiffling the side, Have seen Leon Best play a coiple of times, he is not a world beater granted, but a good player with an eye for goal, if he starts Wednesday my prediction is he will play a blinder.
 

Caution to the wind? You must be joking.

The way tactics dominate football these days I would say Traps tactics will be to play it tight and try to keep France from scoring in the first hour.

Then, and only then, will be maybe open up a little in the hope of scoring the away goal.

If he opens up from the start and they concede an early goal, its over, and thats the logic that EVERY manager in the world would employ.

Do you know any team/country/manager anywhere who would start Wed nights game going gung-ho ?

I can't think of one.
 
A fella you may have heard of called Brian Clough insisted that attack was the best form of defence.
I dont expect an Ossie Ardiles type five man front line, But Italian managers do employ the tactic of scoring early and defending a lead, its the fundementals of Italian soccer there is even a term for it "Catenachio" Door bolt.
Taking the game to the opposition is not insane...at the end of the day we need two goals you do not need to be an international coach to appreciate the enormoty of the task.
I have seen hundreds of first class football games over the years and followed Cloughs best team around Europe with one particular game where Forest trailed to Anderlecht and went for the jugular in the return only to be denied by a bribed referee for a place in the final.
But hey what did Brian Clough know ?
 
 
We only need one goal, the same as before our home match. We are definitely still in with a shout and as was shown on Saturday we definitely have a chance of getting a goal.
I thought the players worked well and deserve credit for the performance. Somebody said France are an average side, but that really doesn't add up when you look at the players at their disposal.
Our best performance was against Italy in Italy and 1-0 down so fingers crossed. (I know they only had 10 men).
 

That may have been me.

I stand by that comment as well. Its no good looking at individuals in a team, its all about the team and the tactics of that team. Of course you look at them on paper and think they are great, but there has been loads of great teams 'on paper' but that doesn't account for form of players or bad managers. Take Thierry Henry as the prime example. Now you see his name on the team sheet and think "aw naw, Henry's playing", but he was finished about 2 seasons ago, and is now a pale imitation of the one who scored for fun at Arsenal. He has been carrying major injuries for a couple of seasons, and I watch a lot of La Liga and see this all the time.

And watching Real Madrid and Barca a lot, the likes of Benzema, Lass Diarra and Abidal should not be filling any team with fear. Personally I think they are over-rated.

I have been watching football from the late 70s, and I can safely say that this is the worst French team since then. Some will of course argue but I'm sticking with it. Of course you have to play that off against the fact that this Ireland team is far from the best we have had over the last couple of decades.
 
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