++ [ originally posted by Matto ] ++
Which is why I still haven't gone to the bookmakers ... they're just too unpredictible imo.
We'll see I guess.
BTW - Russia? What the hell happened to the Irish side that eliminated us?!
With no Roy Keane, no Niall Quinn and no Steve Staunton or Jason McAteer, and on a high after a decent WC performance, we slumped to an abysmal away defeat against Russia, and then a disasterous home defeat to Switzerland.
McCarthy was fired, Harte was dropped, and Brian Kerr's had to pick up the pieces. After a good run of wins against the Albanians and Georgians, a poor home draw against the Russians, and a woeful away defeat against the Swiss saw us finish out of the running.
The bad start, particularly the loss to the Swiss in Lansdown Road, cost us. If we'd settled for a draw with the Swiss there, instaed of looking for the winner (ultimately conceeding the loser) that would have saved McCarthy's job, we would have gone into the Swiss away game last weekend on top of the group. Instead, we needed a win, and just lost it.

Oh well, there's a bunch of youngsters on the verge of breaking through, so I guess we should just look to Germany 2006.