SK790 wrote:Not to say EURO 2012 isn't getting a little funky. Armenia might qualify over a really disappointing Ireland side(sorry wiz, had to be said), just to highlight.
Or not, as the case may be.
In truth, Ireland aren't disappointing. They're lucky, and they're excelling my expectations following their kicking at the hands of advocaat's russia (there's a sick symmetry in that, given that we did for him as dutch manager when we beat holland with 10 men and dumped them out of qualifying for 2002 world cup). All our senior decent players are old, going on older (dunne, given, duff and keane - o'shea is the only real exception there), and the rest are either mediocre at best, or young and inexperienced. As a consequence, trap is relying on dogged organisation, and it ain't pretty.
it's the dreg-ends of Brian Kerr's good work as Ireland youth manager, a sorry final stand for the team of 2002, who really should have qualified under kerr when he managed the senior team in 2004 and 2006. Hell, keane bothers to shoot properly in the away leg against france, and that fucking handball wouldn't have meant a damn thing, and they could have had their send off in teh second round of 2010 (I reckon we could have qualified out of the group stages).
We're seeded in the draw, so that's something. If we avoid turkey or montenegro, I think we stand a chance. We make euro 2012, and we will not go further than the group stages unless all our more senior players have the tournament of their lives. I'm not holding my breath. At least it will improve our UEFA/FIFA coefficients.
I try not to think about it too much. If the FAI got their shit together, we could have a competitive national team for most competitions, a la Croatia. But they're too busy making cash and patting themselves on the back. Once this lot is finished up, we'll be lucky if we're can cobble together a decent squad over the next four years or so. It's a pitiful end, in truth.
Bear in mind I haven't really kept up on Irish football since november 2009.
