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SPORT: Luck of the euro draw for Ireland?
The draw for the Euro 2012 qualifying campaign took place on 7th February and has left Northern Ireland facing a mammoth battle for qualification. The north face current World Cup champions Italy, Serbia and Slovenia, Estonia and the Faroe Islands. Nigel Worthington commented, “I would rather play the bigger nations because from a player’s point of view to get up for those games is not so much of a problem.”
His optimism, however, is questionable considering Northern Ireland’s recent run of bad form.
BY JULIE MCCULLAGH
They have failed to score in their last three matches, their latest result being a disappointing 1-0 home defeat to Group C opponents Serbia in November 2009. At club level, Northern Ireland players have been in fine form this season. Jonny Evans has become a regular fixture in the Manchester United back four. While Niall McGinn is on the verge at Celtic, Aaron Hughes and Chris Baird are Fulham regulars. Steven Davis is having the best season of his career with Rangers, and was recently named player of the SPL Player of the Month for January. David Healy’s recent loan move to Ipswich means that he too could soon be back playing first team football. Hopefully Healy can regain the form he displayed in his record-breaking 2008 European Qualifying campaign in time for September
The Republic of Ireland were given a kinder draw than that of Worthington’s men. Their group consists of Russia, Slovakia, FYR Macedonia, Armenia and Andorra; Slovakia being the only team that have qualified for this year’s World Cup. Trapattoni’s men will be looking for a more successful campaign than the World Cup qualifiers following the cruel way in which they were knocked out in the play-offs by France. Slovakia showed their strength in that campaign by finishing ahead of group favourites Poland and the Czech Republic, and will no doubt again prove to be difficult to overcome. Top seeded Russia’s Coach Guus Hiddink, who led them to the semi-finals of the Euros in 2008, announced that he will step down when his contract expires in June. This will give the other teams in Group B a psychological lift going into the qualifiers in September. Captain Robbie Keane’s recent loan to Celtic should see him secure first-team football once again following an indifferent start to the season with Tottenham. If the Republic replicates the form they showed during the World Cup qualifiers they surely stand a great chance of progressing from the group stages.
The football associations in each group have until 9th March to decide the order of the fixtures.
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“SPORT: Luck of the euro draw for Ireland?”
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yet again NI have received another unlucky table compared to our southern neighbours. however,there’s no doubt in NI’s ability against the bigger teams so maybe thats a good omen. C’mon norn iron!