FAI...New Manager Hunt continues

[Dire Ear]

Those players are well capable of playing better football than what O'Neill has them playing.
None of them are superstars but they can all play football.
As Declan says above results is all that matters but this notion that he has turned a bunch of rubbish players into a team on the brink of World Cup qualification is nonsense.
Ireland should have won that group. It's O'Neills fault they didn't.

When have Ireland ever won a qualifying group? What's nonsense is this notion that the team can go out and play attractive football against the "minnows" and then change tact for the better teams. I'm sure with the limited time MON has the players for, the last thing on his mind is playing some champagne football against f**king Moldova just so a few critics back home can have some entertainment. Some people are just never pleased though.

Topped group in euro 88 qualifiers

Mind it well. 2 groups of 4, right? We could have won it with a bit of luck!

All 4 teams will pose a serious threat. I'd probably take the Italians tbh

Yeah I'd like Italy also.

Why would you want the best team, in a knock out situation?

[Declan]

I presume he means Jim Beglin?

I must admit I find him so annoying as co-commentator - makes me want to put my boot though the TV

[oakleaflad]

Those players are well capable of playing better football than what O'Neill has them playing.
None of them are superstars but they can all play football.
As Declan says above results is all that matters but this notion that he has turned a bunch of rubbish players into a team on the brink of World Cup qualification is nonsense.
Ireland should have won that group. It's O'Neills fault they didn't.

When have Ireland ever won a qualifying group? What's nonsense is this notion that the team can go out and play attractive football against the "minnows" and then change tact for the better teams. I'm sure with the limited time MON has the players for, the last thing on his mind is playing some champagne football against f**king Moldova just so a few critics back home can have some entertainment. Some people are just never pleased though.

Topped group in euro 88 qualifiers

Mind it well. 2 groups of 4, right? We could have won it with a bit of luck!

All 4 teams will pose a serious threat. I'd probably take the Italians tbh

Yeah I'd like Italy also.

Why would you want the best team, in a knock out situation?

Denmark are the obvious team you would want. Personally think the Croatians are the team I'd like to draw least, only side I'd genuinely think we'd have virtually no chance of qualifying against.

[AZOffaly]

I presume he means Jim Beglin?

I must admit I find him so annoying as co-commentator - makes me want to put my boot though the TV

I think Ronnie Whelan is even worse. Ronnie is so negative!

[Il Bomber Destro]

Messi never does it for Argentina except when he scores one of the all-time great hat-tricks in a do or die World Cup qualifier after they've gone a goal down. Well worth a look on YouTube.

In a game they desperately needed to win, at altitude in Ecuador where they had something like one win in about the last billion years. The man is a footballing God.

To be fair, it was against a depleted Ecuador team with nothing to play for.

Good hat trick but don't let it paper over the fact that Messi has flopped big time in an Argentina jersey and his influence on managerial decisions is not conducive to a healthy team spirit.

[laoislad]

This is an interesting piece about how Wales (and Romania)  apparently put careful consideration into what friendlies they play / don't play in order to optimise their world ranking

https://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2017/1009/910952-wales-republic-of-ireland-rankings-coleman/

They wont be able do that anymore with this European Nations League starting which will put an end to organised friendlies.

Is that going ahead? Heard it announced but wasn't sure if it was a done deal or not

Ireland will be in the same league as the North and Wales

Republic of Ireland in League B alongside Wales and Northern Ireland  as Nations League line-ups confirmed http://the42.ie/3640586

[JPGJOHNNYG]

This is an interesting piece about how Wales (and Romania)  apparently put careful consideration into what friendlies they play / don't play in order to optimise their world ranking

https://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2017/1009/910952-wales-republic-of-ireland-rankings-coleman/

They wont be able do that anymore with this European Nations League starting which will put an end to organised friendlies.

Is that going ahead? Heard it announced but wasn't sure if it was a done deal or not

Ireland will be in the same league as the North and Wales

Republic of Ireland in League B alongside Wales and Northern Ireland  as Nations League line-ups confirmed http://the42.ie/3640586

The thing is a mess one of the teams from group D ie a San Marino level team is GUARANTEED a spot at the Euros'd like WTF.

[JPGJOHNNYG]

Martin O Neills new directive should be to LOSE every one of these fucktard games in order to get relegated into group D so that we can then beat Gibralatar in a play off to get to Euro 2020 I shit you not this is the way forward

[Billys Boots]

Martin O Neills new directive should be to LOSE every one of these fucktard games in order to get relegated into group D so that we can then beat Gibralatar in a play off to get to Euro 2020 I shit you not this is the way forward

The way I understand it is that the top 4 ranked teams, going from Div-A to Div-D in order, that have not qualified for Euro2020 through their groups, will play off for the last qualifying spot. 

[TheOptimist]

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/uk/calling-james-mcclean-a-hero-leaves-some-bet365-customers-fuming-36214732.html

One for the WTF thread maybe???

[Rossie11]

Messi never does it for Argentina except when he scores one of the all-time great hat-tricks in a do or die World Cup qualifier after they've gone a goal down. Well worth a look on YouTube.

In a game they desperately needed to win, at altitude in Ecuador where they had something like one win in about the last billion years. The man is a footballing God.

To be fair, it was against a depleted Ecuador team with nothing to play for.

Good hat trick but don't let it paper over the fact that Messi has flopped big time in an Argentina jersey and his influence on managerial decisions is not conducive to a healthy team spirit.

Flopped??
Facts are that in this campaign Argentina without Messi (8games) have a won 7pts
He played in 10 and they won 21pts
He is streets ahead of any other player in that squad and is carrying them

His displays are papering over the fact that this is the worst set of Argentinian players in years
Its must be ten years since they last started a game with a good defender
Were it not for him they wouldn't be near qualifying let alone getting to the WC or Copa America finals in recent years

[JPGJOHNNYG]

Martin O Neills new directive should be to LOSE every one of these fucktard games in order to get relegated into group D so that we can then beat Gibralatar in a play off to get to Euro 2020 I shit you not this is the way forward

The way I understand it is that the top 4 ranked teams, going from Div-A to Div-D in order, that have not qualified for Euro2020 through their groups, will play off for the last qualifying spot.

For Euro 2020 there are 10 groups with the top 2 qualifying that leaves four places up for grabs, there are no host nations so no automatic places so that is 4 places for this new nations league thing so the way that article was worded would seem to imply one place for each league  talk about degrading qualification bad enough almost half the teams qualify without giving free passes to Andorra

[AZOffaly]

So if there's a separate Euro qualification competition, what happens if all the group winners qualify say? Do the highest in each group that didn't qualify via the qualification route, qualify via the league?

[Maroon Manc]

Martin O Neills new directive should be to LOSE every one of these fucktard games in order to get relegated into group D so that we can then beat Gibralatar in a play off to get to Euro 2020 I shit you not this is the way forward

The way I understand it is that the top 4 ranked teams, going from Div-A to Div-D in order, that have not qualified for Euro2020 through their groups, will play off for the last qualifying spot.

From the bbc 'By virtue of the format, lower-tier countries - the bottom 16 in the rankings - are now guaranteed one of the 24 qualifying slots for the European Championship finals'

Great chance for a nation to reach the Euro's that would normally have no chance.

[AZOffaly]

Martin O Neills new directive should be to LOSE every one of these fucktard games in order to get relegated into group D so that we can then beat Gibralatar in a play off to get to Euro 2020 I shit you not this is the way forward

The way I understand it is that the top 4 ranked teams, going from Div-A to Div-D in order, that have not qualified for Euro2020 through their groups, will play off for the last qualifying spot.

From the bbc 'By virtue of the format, lower-tier countries - the bottom 16 in the rankings - are now guaranteed one of the 24 qualifying slots for the European Championship finals'

Great chance for a nation to reach the Euro's that would normally have no chance.

Can I raise my expectations now?