FAI...June 2024 Friendlies v Hungary and Portugal

[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?

[gallsman]

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

Was wondering how long that would take 

Fair play to Ireland. Guts and hard work rewarded.

[Jim_Murphy_74]

Delighted for Martin O'Neill who I first saw scoring 2 goals for Distillery in Lurgan in an Irish Cup tie in Lurgan when he was an 18 year old student at St Malachy's College Belfast.Little did I know he would go on to win a European Cup medal,play in the World Cup Finals,and lead Celtic to a European final and lead his country to a major finals.Outstanding career as both manager and player

His country?  Is this not at odds with your new-found Northern Irish identity?

/Jim.

[JPGJOHNNYG]

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

Well hopefully the 60 million man ( ) is currently sacking his dopey agent as he will have a long holiday next summer as Hodgson has about 5 other talented young lads ahead of him.
On a serious note I dont see anyone breaking through. O'Neil seems to have finally found a favoured team and tactics so expect little change. Plenty of long balls up to Murphy, Walters and Long which means Keane will likely stay benched. I still think he only needs McCarthy or Whelan not both. Would like Arter to get a proper try now that he is fit.

[Il Bomber Destro]

Fantastic results.

Really shames those rugby meats along with it to make it all the sweeter.

This was the equivalent of the rugby crowd beating Italy .  The soccerball mob qualified beating a poor Bosnia  team for a dumbed down tournament .

8 countries play rugby.

Ireland knocked out a team that was ranked 25 places above us tonight. Bosnia have many players involved in European club competitions. Dzeko, Pjanic and Begovic play in the Champions League. Lulic, Zukanovic and Kolasinac all play in the Europa League. Ireland don't have a single player in their entire squad playing European club football.

Being one of the best 24 teams in football in Europe is a far greater achievement than being top 2 in the world in rugby, it's the numbers game and once again Ireland have punched way above their weight in football.

What a load of balls that is!

You are having a laugh right???

How am I having a laugh. The Irish team consistently finishes between 5th and 8th in a minority sport that they are one of few countries who take the sport remotely comfortably.

The football team qualified as one of the best 24 teams in Europe - something that 3 of the past 6 champions failed to do. It's a great achievement by the lads particularly when you contrast it with the rugby failures.

[Jim_Murphy_74]

The fact there is a round of 16 means that one pox-lucky win could put you in the frame to get out of group.

Get a top seed team cold in the first round and you never know.

Uefa has 54 teams registered so nearly half made the finals!  God be with the days of '88 when 8 teams made the finals.

/Jim.

[deiseach]

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

Was wondering how long that would take 

On Twitter, about a thousand instances of it within two seconds of the final whistle.

[muppet]

Even though we only bate a country that voted against being a country and a province from somewhere that used to be a country, it is important to stick it to other Irish sports and teams. Begrudgery is our traditional response to failure, mediocrity and success. Anyone who begrudges our right to begrudge is just a f*cking bollix.

On that note, I have to say it gives me great joy to stick it to all those bandwagoners and shuttlecock sucking clowns, cheering girlie boxing, sailing, UFC whatever that is (Ulster Football I presume?) whenever ever it suits them. They know deep down they are not real fans, like those of us who watch League of Ireland (on telly, by accident, only if it comes on) at least once a couple of years. But we know that is infinitely more than the rest of yous who never watch it, even by accident.

And don't get me started on the rugby or the golf. None of those supporters are real fans like us who go to the pub to watch Chelpool, or Arsechester.

[deiseach]

In fairness, there were only 32 competitors in 1988. We'd have found it a bit more difficult to qualify if Yugoslavia had been able to enter six teams like they are now.

[JPGJOHNNYG]

The fact there is a round of 16 means that one pox-lucky win could put you in the frame to get out of group.

Get a top seed team cold in the first round and you never know.

Uefa has 54 teams registered so nearly half made the finals!  God be with the days of '88 when 8 teams made the finals.

/Jim.

In 1988 there were only 32 teams now there are 54 so expansion was inevitable. I really enjoyed the old Euros because every match was big. 16 is probably the right number but even in 2012 one of the groups was full of average/poor teams compared to the rest. 24 teams IS too many but hey if it means we qualify so be it. It probably makes up for the fact that the World cup is becoming increasingly more difficult to qualify for. The number of good teams in Europe increases but there are no extra places and there is even talk of a 40 team world cup and again it will be filled with rot from the rest of the world to make the game 'global' instead of just having the best teams.

[Jim_Murphy_74]

In fairness, there were only 32 competitors in 1988. We'd have found it a bit more difficult to qualify if Yugoslavia had been able to enter six teams like they are now.

And 25% qualified.  The ratio now is closer to 50%.

Proposed by Delaney.

/Jim.

[Jim_Murphy_74]

UFC whatever that is (Ulster Football I presume?) whenever ever it suits them.

How could you compare UFC and Ulster Football Championship?

One is a no-holds-barred mixture of boxing, wrestling and other martial arts while the other is a made up sport for satellite TV!

/Jim.

[JPGJOHNNYG]

In fairness, there were only 32 competitors in 1988. We'd have found it a bit more difficult to qualify if Yugoslavia had been able to enter six teams like they are now.

And 25% qualified.  The ratio now is closer to 50%.

Proposed by Delaney.

/Jim.

Delaney is a bean counter, we are in serious debt due to the stadium, he proposes a larger UEFA tournament, we then scrape in and will expect a 20 million windfall, job done.