World Cup Qualification Group D Thread

There's 4 teams in that could top the group. I wouldn't be getting carried away that we'll walk it or anything like it.
If Bale stays fit he has the talent to turn game son his own.
Serbia have been hindered by outside factors, mostly their fans behaviour meaning they've lost home advantage by playing behind closed doors or points.
Austria are a strong side too.
The thing that would worry me is Austria/Wales are a similar standard to Poland right now. I'd expect Serbia to get up to that level too.
There's no doubt we are in the melting pot but people comparing this to the group Northern Ireland got are well of the mark. Wales Austria and Serbia are on the up. All the teams NI got were declining.

Edited by Bitored - 25 Nov 2015 at 6:32pm

I feel Serbia and Austria are in and around the same standard as Bosnia. Particularly Serbia who i personally feel are weaker then Bosnia..

Serbia will be a different animal next year lads in their own place, new campaign as well.

I hope they don't catch us cold. It'll be a tough game and none of the other teams will have it easy there imo.

Will be very like the group for 2006 world cup

Claret Murph wrote: One point i would like to make about playing Austria , i think it's 53 years since we last beat them , now i could be wrong but sure i read that somewhere .

The auld boy's first Ireland game he went to in the early 60s was at home to Austria in Dalymount. I think they lost 3-2 (without googling it). They lost it anyway I think.

I'm open to correction on this

Edited by irishmufc - 25 Nov 2015 at 8:40pm

Austria are streets ahead of us to win 9 and draw 1 in a group with Russia and Sweden is some achievement. Especially going to Russia and Sweden and winning.We will never  do as good in any group ever. We will be in the mix for 2nd id say!

Austria are something of a bogey team for us all right, a bit like Wales, they have one world class player who can (& did in the last group) make the difference in winning & losing a match. Dont think there is anyone to fear in there either though, it could well be a similar effort to this one, in that there are multiple dropped points in games with & between Serbia, Austria, Wales & ourselves. Saying all that, would be disappointed not to get to final game V Wales with at least 2nd place to play for. 

Claret Murph wrote: One point i would like to make about playing Austria , i think it's 53 years since we last beat them , now i could be wrong but sure i read that somewhere .

irelandfan wrote: Austria   I'd Expect us to take 2 points out of 6 If we're lucky,they dismantled us in the last campaign and made a decent well organised Swedish side look average in this current campaign.  Wales  4 points out of 6 at the least it's hard to know how this group of players will look after the Euros if Wales don't perform well at the summer like their expecting we could see a very different side to what's being shown now. Bale and Ramsay seem passionate and willing to play for and perform for Wales, something Giggs and to a lesser extent Bellamy, we don't play them till March 2017 so a lot will depend on how the trips to Belgrade and Vienna go. Serbia.  4 points out of 6 Belgrade will be a tough place to go, as mentioned we haven't had a big away win still under MON can't see it happening next September,but here's an unfortunate positive situation in their past two groups the Serbians have been docked points could easily happen again given their history and their fans.  Georgia I'll go for 6 out of 6 but not certain, the unfortunate time about playing these is the fixture dates away in September 2017 around the same time they put the Scots out of the group, mark my words these will takes points of either ourselfs, Austria or Serbia,Wales a very tough place to go.  Moldova  6 out of 6 straight forward.