[Lefter]

Now the match is at hand, I'm very vary, we're very susceptible to losing points against the worst teams away from home, Moldova, Malta from last qualifiers immediately comes to mind, now Armenia....these people live, breathe, eat to hate us...I'm not saying anything controversial, it's a fact. So think of all the poor results we've had over the recent years..Latvia? Switzerland? Malta etc. now add on to that this massive hostility(to put it mildly) we'll face, AND on top of that, our again well proven loss of momentum(as mentioned already) after any sort of success, I'm not even talking about 02 where we took back years of our progress afterwards, I'm talking of this up and down from matches we always suffer from...eg 4-1 Greece, than starting with Bosnia that horrendous run of results(how did we ever even qualify, looking back it was a small miracle)

Allright, to cut it short, this will be one of the hardest games we have played in many a year and one of the most important since it'll tell us if we're to repeat our mistakes of the past... for me this game is crucial, not only because of the opposition.

We start from a clean slate, I just hope the whole Turkish football establishment has that mentality...we didn't last time, I wonder if we learned anything.

 

[Lefter]

Which channel is showing it? I just hope it's one thats accessible to people outside Turkey with a satellite dish....that effing NTV, why do they never show NT matches on their euro channel.

Surely it's not on a pay per view station like dsmart etc.

 

[Lefter]

Good article Hakan, interesting.

Aurelio is important to this team, if he plays it'll be a major boost. How is Arda coming along? I rather Emre is out rather than those two, I lost faith with him for a while now, he's become one of those players that live on a reputation of unfulfilled potential. I hope moving to Fener will start a new phase for him.

I really hope we come away with 3 points. It'll be a hostile atmposhere

Let's just get this over with and everyone comes back safe and sound....with 3 points.

 

[Lefter]

I don't get this "easy win" optimism, when was the last time we had an easy win?
I expect us to struggle as per usual, any sort of win would be a good result. If Portugal managed to not to win here, so can we. And they'll be extra motivated against us...nvm this has all been mentioned before.

On paper, we should piss this, I hope we do. But we won't. Important thing is the 3 points.

Has the team been announced?

 

[Lefter]

Zan and Servet are the best we have, despite their shortcomings, and it's a settled defence with players who are used to each other by now, it'd be a mistake to tamper with it. We've some sort of settled back four, leave it and lets see where that takes us. Generally the team selection seems settled going by the predicted line ups for this match.

1 handicap for us has been the chopping and changing of the starting 11 over the last campaign, we seemed to have 2 players every game getting their 1st cap or 2nd and having half the team changed. I think that was a reason for our inconsistency.

Say what you want about the line up(er predicted), at least it's tried and tested to a degree and has experience.

 

[Lefter]

No surprise in starting 11.

Volkan; Gokhan, Servet, Gokhan, Hakan;
Arda, Aurelio, Emre, Tuncay; Mevlut, Semih

Arda-Kazim, Emre-Selcuk have been undecided.

I like this line up, I really do, no kazik for a start! but Mevlut has some questions to answer. What a midfield though...this is close to full strength side we've put out for a long while.

 

[Lefter]

Well, after all the hype, Armenia turned out to be a very poor team. In all honesty first time I've seen them and yes, they were the worst of the smaller nations we have played.
The pitch, good god, the ball never stopped bobbling. Anyway, atrocious conditions, difficult scenario...but 3 points, job done.

We played horrid 1st half, yet had 3 golden chances...I don't want to be too harsh but I can't see Mevlut starting on wednesday.

Better 2nd half, not by much, Emre is the weak link in this team, manager builds the shape of the team with him as the playmaker in mind, forget creating he lost balls which led to counters, better teams would've punished us. Credit where it's due, Kazim did very well when he came on, changed the dynamic of the game, he actually put heart and soul in there, maybe sitting on the bench did it?

Hamit, we really need him in the middle, -Emre +Hamit, -Mevlut +Nihat, would make it work....these fukkin injuries.

Now on to Belgium, will be a bigger test.

 

[Lefter]

To put things in perspective, Andorra holding England 0-0 HT.

2-0 away is good result, who ever you play....however you play. 3pts in bag.

 

[Lefter]

Belgium has been dominating possession but Estonia is cutting out a couple of chances.

Are you watching online? could you post a link please? Im trying to watch on tv ants but the stream is problematic...thanks

 

[Lefter]

Does Estonia look like scoring?

I'm looking forward to Spain v Bosnia game, let's hope Bosnians are on form and pull off a surprise. Should be worth watching this game.

 

[Lefter]

Some very interesting results/latest:
Austria 2-0 France HT
Romania 0-2 Lithuania late 2nd
Cyprus 1-1 Italy HT

It just shows qualifiers are a long hard slog, not a beauty contest.
And who is Fabio Luis Ramim the player that saw red for Azeris? don't tell me they got in the act too and nabbed a Brazilian

 

[Lefter]

What are the chances of Spain and Belgium both dropping points? I wouldn't put money on it
Estonia holding for a draw would make this an excellent days work for us.

 

[Lefter]

I fully agree with you, but than there is the complacency factor with us, last campaign we thought it was all wrapped up, we were sitting very very comfortable at the top(think after the Greece win) and we all know what happened than.
But yeah it would badly handicap them if we beat them wednesday if they only draw tonight...I'll take that obviously.

 

[Lefter]

S*** can Estonia win? Or am I asking for too much?

 

[Lefter]

3-1 Belgium...all moot.

 

[Lefter]

Nothing, I meant it's that every NT is doing it, and good to see Azeris in on the action

Spain missed penalty btw

 

[Lefter]

Bosnia wasted great chance!

Though on goal with keeper to beat, no one near, but decides pass across penalty area to team mate, cut out....really great chance.

 

[Lefter]

0-0 HT Spain looking dominant and patient, Bosnia all hands to the pump and just defend mentality. Kenan Hasegic saves pen, than Bosnia with a golden chance wasted to nick a goal.

You'd fully expect Spain to take this but...Fudbal is da fudbal...

Entertaining game, Iniesta had a great half.

 

[Lefter]

sop://broker.sopcast.com:3912/6455

For anyone wants to follow the game.

 

[Lefter]

...there is your answer prekazi.
Sorry I just saw him clenching fists after pen like he did well and assumed he saved, Bosnian language stream.