FAI...June 2024 Friendlies v Hungary and Portugal

[JoG2]

This thread has turned very Irish. Life's too short to be so miserable bashman. Unreal turnaround to get promotion with a very limited team. Plenty of guts and effort, congrats to the squad and management. Wish I was able to go but you canny spend the same pound twice! It will be some craic 

[imtommygunn]

Fantastic achievement to qualify. The team is playing much better now than it was at the start of the campaign. McCarthy is starting to show his form for Ireland and even Glen Whelan had a good game last night!  Walters has been our best player in qualifying. He wasn't as effective last night but the bosnians were quite physical which meant he didn't get away with as much as he usually does.

Bosnia a very indisciplined team. They also took of their best player which helped us. They should have had one maybe two sent off although James McClean commited more fouls than the rest of our team combined.

Clarke and Keogh did well. Dzeko a bit too physical at times for them but they marked him well. Bar 20-30 minutes in second half we were much better and deserved the win.

That was a strong group to come out of. Even in a 16 team tournament Scotland and us would very much threaten to qualify so it's not like we're there due to a diluted tournament. You look at other groups and the top 4 are better than anyone in some of them.

The rugby team did great and the soccer team now have. They're not comparable. Enjoy this for what it is. There is starting to become great spirit in that team - as individuals there have been a lot better playing for Ireland at times but who cares and that almost makes it better.

[Bord na Mona man]

Yer man in the crowd with the 1990 shell suit was a classic moment. There would deffo be demand for retro Irish tracksuits of this vintage.
Time to don the pencil tashes and stone washed jeans and party like it's the Walkinstown Roundabout in 1990!

[Orior]

Jeez, ashman. It's a giant party and we have an invite. Hopefully we won't puke on everyone's shoes and pass out on a couch covered in our own piss like we did last time.

Well that's fine, as long as we get to fondle a few French chicks beforehand.

[Dinny Breen]

Irish Begrudgery, god forbid we enjoy success without running something or someone down. 

Anyway well done Ireland, will make the summer somewhat more enjoyable. Enjoyed seeing what it meant to players, O'Neill and Keane seem to have instilled a real sense of pride into these players, they were never going to surrender easily last night.

[seafoid]

Irish Begrudgery, god forbid we enjoy success without running something or someone down. 

Anyway well done Ireland, will make the summer somewhat more enjoyable. Enjoyed seeing what it meant to players, O'Neill and Keane seem to have instilled a real sense of pride into these players, they were never going to surrender easily last night.

Keano mentioned holding onto the ball more in he RTE interview last night. Hopefully they can work on that. He's learning from O'Neill and he'll pass that on to the players.
Qualifying is better than playing friendlies  . I wouldn't mind getting England in the draw. They have a very poor record at the big tournaments.

[JPGJOHNNYG]

This campaign has had some great moments. Last minute goals against Georgia , Germany and Poland showing a spirit in the team that was lost in the latter Trappatoni years and who can forget Shane Longs goal against the world champs. He has often fluffed his lines for Ireland but he made no mistake that time a goal that will be re-watched as often as McAteers against Holland or Houghtons against Italy. There have been some downs llike Celtic Park, the second half against Scotland at home and the rather inept 75 mins in Poland when we needed just a goal to qualify but  overall we can be very happy. We have finally beaten some quality opposition after nearly 15 years which willl give us confidence which has been so lacking of late. Quailification in the end is  almost miraclulous considering were we where after the Scotland draw so credit to the players and management for never giving up. Highlight for me though has to be the Robbie Brady goal in the fog and the few seconds of confusion in the pub as to what had happened even the commentators didnt know, hilarious stuff.

[Denn Forever]

Death Knell for Robbie Keane? 

[imtommygunn]

At a guess he will go to the tournament and that will be that. I think he will see some action in the friendlies.

More chance of him scoring than Murphy I suspect... (who should be admired for his workrate might I add)

[ballinaman]

From going to kips of cities like Tbilisi and Glasgow, I'll take any of the Southern France venues of Nice,Marseille, Toulouse and Bordeaux!

[Boycey]

Well done. We have had far better teams that didn't qualify for major tournaments and we have benefitted from the increase of teams next year.

A win or a couple of draws next Summer will be ok for me. Cannot see us getting out of a group. Papers will have us worldbeaters by then no doubt.

This team is a very likeable bunch.

Ourselves, Wales and NI fans will no doubt be vying for most boisterous (ahem) and best fans in France .

If my understanding of it is right 16 teams will emerge from the group stages from the 24 starters meaning the top 2 come out of each group plus the 4 best third place teams. If we got a decent group we'd not be without a shout of going through??

[JPGJOHNNYG]

Well done. We have had far better teams that didn't qualify for major tournaments and we have benefitted from the increase of teams next year.

A win or a couple of draws next Summer will be ok for me. Cannot see us getting out of a group. Papers will have us worldbeaters by then no doubt.

This team is a very likeable bunch.

Ourselves, Wales and NI fans will no doubt be vying for most boisterous (ahem) and best fans in France .

If my understanding of it is right 16 teams will emerge from the group stages from the 24 starters meaning the top 2 come out of each group plus the 4 best third place teams. If we got a decent group we'd not be without a shout of going through??

Correct a decent draw and a win against a Hungary or Slovakia would be enough to get you through. (Bosnia are better than both those teams)

[mick999]

I see that in terms of the Draw, we are definitely in Pot 4 with the North :

The seeding pots for the UEFA EURO 2016 finals draw in Paris on 12 December will be published on UEFA.com on Wednesday morning. With two berths left to fill, two of the confirmed qualifiers still do not know where they will end up.


On Tuesday evening, Denmark face Sweden and Slovenia host Ukraine for the last finals places. As we explain, there are four possible ways the pots could end up.

Key points
• Ukraine will be in Pot 2 if they win, otherwise the Czech Republic will be promoted from Pot 3.

• Slovenia will be in Pot 4 if they win, allowing Turkey to move up to Pot 3, taking the place freed by the Czech Republic.

• Sweden or Denmark will be in Pot 3.

• Hosts France are not allocated a pot as they will automatically take position one in Group A.

If Sweden and Ukraine win:

• Pot 1: Spain, Germany, England, Portugal, Belgium

• Pot 2: Italy, Russia, Switzerland, Austria, Croatia, Ukraine

• Pot 3: Czech Republic, Sweden, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Hungary

• Pot 4: Turkey, Republic of Ireland, Iceland, Wales, Albania, Northern Ireland

If Sweden and Slovenia win:

• Pot 1: Spain, Germany, England, Portugal, Belgium

• Pot 2: Italy, Russia, Switzerland, Austria, Croatia, Czech Republic

• Pot 3: Sweden, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Hungary, Turkey

• Pot 4: Republic of Ireland, Slovenia, Iceland, Wales, Albania, Northern Ireland

If Denmark and Ukraine win:

• Pot 1: Spain, Germany, England, Portugal, Belgium

• Pot 2: Italy, Russia, Switzerland, Austria, Croatia, Ukraine

• Pot 3: Czech Republic, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Hungary, Denmark

• Pot 4: Turkey, Republic of Ireland, Iceland, Wales, Albania, Northern Ireland

If Denmark and Slovenia win:

• Pot 1: Spain, Germany, England, Portugal, Belgium

• Pot 2: Italy, Russia, Switzerland, Austria, Croatia, Czech Republic

• Pot 3: Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Hungary, Denmark, Turkey

• Pot 4: Republic of Ireland, Slovenia, Iceland, Wales, Albania, Northern Ireland

The pots are based on the UEFA national team coefficient rankings, which were confirmed after the end of the qualifying group stage in October. Pot 1 only has five teams as France are not involved in the draw. The other three pots have six teams each, with one side from each pot in all six groups.

Last month the five teams in Pot 1 and five of the sides in Pot 2 were known along with four of the sides in Pot 4. Since then, Poland, Romania and Slovakia have been confirmed in Pot 3 along with play-off winners Hungary, while the Republic of Ireland, who qualified on Monday, are sure to be in Pot 4.

[illdecide]

Well done Ireland...I was very sceptical and nervous about the play off games and it was prob more crying it out TBH, delighted we've qualified and can't wait for France next year. If only i could convince Jim Stynes to bring the bikes over to France next summer .

I know we're still a bit away from the tournament but what are the chances of some young footballer breaking into the team before summer, Is there any young lads threatening to break thru or is the squad realistically as it is? I haven't paid much attention to the youth set up or any young Irish men with top English clubs...

[general_lee]

There's a young fella at Aston Villa seems to be a handy enough player, wonder would he be worth a look at?