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The reaction to the Republic of Ireland being drawn in Group D for the Euro 2016 qualifiers against Germany, Poland, Scotland, Georgia and Gibraltar was one of pessimism.

Due to the Michel Platini’s success in having the competition expanded to 24 teams, and Ireland having appointed a new coaching ticket in Martin O’Neill and Roy Keane, this was the first tournament in years that Ireland would have been genuinely expecting to qualify for.

However, when the draw came out, the general feeling in the Ireland camp was ‘it could have been easier’. While this may be true, if the Republic of Ireland can’t get out of this group then they don’t deserve to be at France 2016.

In any other year, the group would have certainly been a tough one. Ireland had been comprehensively beaten by Germany both times they faced each other in the qualifiers for the 2014 World Cup, and the Germans would be almost certain to top any group they were drawn in.

Scotland are over 30 places above the RoI in the FIFA world rankings and have been recently experiencing something of a resurgence under Gordon Strachan. And while Ireland may have beaten Poland 2-0 in their recent friendly at the Aviva Stadium, the Poles boast players with Champions League pedigree in Borussia Dortmund pair Robert Lewandowski and Jakub Blaszczykowski.

However, the expansion of Euro 2016 means that the top two teams from every group will automatically qualify for the tournament, with the third placed teams going into a play-off. In addition to this, the best-placed third placed team i.e. the one that finishes with the most points across all the groups, will also receive automatic qualification.

Making the rather modest assumption that Germany will top the group, this means that Ireland essentially have to finish in the top two places of a mini five-team group that includes Poland, Scotland, Georgia and Gibraltar. Of these five teams, only one are above the Republic of Ireland in the FIFA world rankings, and that’s Scotland; who last qualified for a major international tournament in 1998.

For Gibraltar, this is their first time being included in the qualification process, after only recently achieving recognition as an international team. And although they drew their first full match against Slovakia, their recent 4-1 defeat to the Faroe Islands would suggest that they will be the whipping boys of the group.

Georgia will undoubtedly provide a sterner challenge for Ireland, with some highlighting the away trip to Tbilisi as being a potential banana skin in the group. However, the Georgians remain outside the top 100 in FIFA’s ranking and around half of their squad still ply their trade in the underdeveloped Georgian Premier League.

The real competition in the group comes in the form Poland and Scotland, who are both more than capable of taking points off Ireland.  While the Celtic rivalry with the Scots provides an extra element of unpredictability, and the amount of Poles now living in Ireland means that the home tie with Poland will be anything but.

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To put all this into context, UEFA is made up of 53 national teams, of which, 24 will go to the European Championship in 2016. That means that almost half of teams involved in qualification will make an appearance at the tournament. But of these 53 teams, many, such as San Marino and Andorra, have such small pools of talent to draw from that they are not realistically in contention for qualification at all. This means that Ireland effectively don’t even have to be in the best 50% of teams in order to make it to France 2016.

Taken in this light, the bar is set pretty low, even by the Republic of Ireland’s standards. While many have bemoaned Group D as a tough draw, in truth, if Ireland can’t qualify from the group then they don’t deserve to be at the European Championships in 2016.

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The Nottingham Forest back five was subject to much change over the summer. Despite not being at the forefront of the headlines, the only area of the side that can claim to have gelled the most, is the defence.

In the three games before the last international break, Forest had conceded seven goals. Heading into this one, only a single goal has been let in over the past three matches, and it should be noted that this goal was scored by Derby, minutes after The Reds had been reduced to ten men.

When Luke Chambers departed for Ipswich Town in the summer, Nottingham could be felt erupting with delight, amidst the takeover saga. Chambers had to be replaced, along with Joel Lynch, who left for Huddersfield Town.

Greg Halford, Daniel Ayala, Danny Collins, Dan Harding and Sam Hutchinson were all brought in. No headline makers.

Like with players from every other position, they had to gel, but they had an added problem. This problem was goalkeeper Lee Camp.

In previous years, Lee Camp has been a fans favourite. Making himself available for Northern Ireland and airing his unhappiness at certain figures at Forest who refused him the opportunity of talking to Swansea City. These two factors saw his confidence take a dramatic slump, meaning the arrogance and distinctive, chest-out walk were nowhere to be seen.

On his day, Lee Camp is the best goalkeeper in the division. But for his day to come again, he needed a capable back four in front of him, which he now has.

In the last three games, the old Lee Camp has returned. His brilliant distribution, his admirable command of the area, and the unrivalled presence he once had, is now back. Those who were worried early in the season after a few dodgy moments, needn’t worried.

Camp needs confidence in others, before he can be confident within himself. Now, with a formidable looking defence in front of him, he can start believing he’s invincible again, which can only be a positive.

The back four themselves, haven’t totally convinced some.

In the last two matches, Forest have faced an expensive Blackburn side, and a Peterborough side who despite their difficult start to the season, are still known to be high-scoring, and took quick 2-0 leads against Barnsley and Hull in recent games.

For the second time this season, Forest made Jordan Rhodes look like a a striker worth £8, and on the whole, looked comfortable against a Blackburn team who had previously scored in every league game.

Peterborough rarely threatened Forest, but when they did, it was calmly dealt with by the defence.

Left-back Dan Harding has received his fair share of critics, quite unfairly. Andy Reid is often prone to drifting in from the left side, leaving yards of space on the opposition right wing unoccupied. When Forest have lost possession, Harding has found himself faced with two players springing on him with pace, as Reid struggles to track back.

Daniel Ayala, another individual who has his critics. The more games he’s playing, the better he is becoming, and the progression of his partnership with Danny Collins is evident.

As Blackburn and Peterborough plugged away at the Forest defence in spells, the organisation was clear to see. For the first time in a long time, Forest looked as if they weren’t going to concede. An extra willingness from the eleven on the field to block every shot, to challenge for every ball.

An enthusiasm to defend, something that was lost for large parts of last season. The feeling that whatever Blackburn or Peterborough were going to throw, Forest had the tools equipped to handle the storm.

All of this without Sam Hutchinson, the man Jose Mourinho once predicted would be the next John Terry.

The telling sign that Forest are much improved in defence?

As the full time whistle blew at London Road, and every player walked towards the 3,300 travelling supporters to show their appreciation.

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One man trailed behind. Lee Camp, with his famous, passionate celebration. This time, there was meaning behind it. The look on his face, was one of a man who is up for the battle for promotion.

Andy Reid grabbed the headlines, but Lee Camp and his defence will go into the break equally as delighted, as they’ve made Nottingham Forest a difficult team to beat.

A trait that is always needed, if you’re going to be up there.

@will_forest to get in touch via Twitter.

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Newcastle could still be in the hunt for prolific striker Bas Dost, according to Dutch newspaper AD.

What’s the story?

Dutch striker Bas Dost has averaged a goal a game since he moved to Sporting CP in 2016, but it has been reported that the 6ft 5 colossus is open to leaving the Portuguese club this summer, putting Newcastle on high alert.

The 29-year-old striker has scored 194 career goals but could be keen on a new start elsewhere after being injured in an attack by a group of Sporting supporters.

Dutch newspaper AD report that Sevilla are also interested in the €40m striker, but if Newcastle can match their offer, they would have a good chance of signing him.

A quality signing for Newcastle

Bas Dost’s scoring ability is no secret and it’s surprising that more clubs aren’t vying for his signature this summer.

The striker would offer Newcastle an aerial threat and give them a different option going forward.

He has scored in Holland, Germany and Portugal so you can be sure that he would adapt to the Premier League.

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The only question is whether Newcastle would be prepared to pay the necessary fee for the player, but if they get anything close to the return that Sporting CP got with him, it would be a very wise investment for the club.

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As reported by The Daily Mail, Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers has opened up on the prospect of permanently signing striker Odsonne Edouard when his loan deal at the club expires.

What’s the story?

The paper report that the Hoops have option to buy the Paris Saint-Germain loanee for £7m, which would be a club record signing should they choose to pursue his permanent signature.

While Brendan Rodgers is impressed with his progress in Celtic colours so far this season, the treble-winning manager is in ‘no rush’ to make a decision on his future, which will only come at the end of the current campaign.

As quoted by The Daily Mail, Rodgers said:

I will just assess it at the end of the season. I have been really impressed by him and he is getting better and better each week. The boy has big talent and is a real worker as well. He works very hard for the team and he’s the type of performer I like. He has grown each week he has been with us. It’s just a case of assessing it. There’s no rush. It’s for both sides as well — he might love it with us, he might not. I know he is really enjoying it but there is no rush to commit on either side now.

While Edouard may have impressed, is he worth breaking the club’s all-time transfer record that has stood for over a decade?

Value for money?

Edouard has had to remain patient for first team opportunities at Celtic, making just two starts for the club before December, when he was further trusted to lead the line for the Hoops, starting on another four occasions.

Thus far he’s scored four goals, an effort against Hamilton Accies on his debut and a superb hat-trick at home to Motherwell.

As a back-up striker to Moussa Dembele and Leigh Griffiths he’s been a great option but beyond that it’s a struggle to see the value in spending a fee as rich as £7m on the player.

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He could go on to have a stellar second half of the season, especially if Dembele leaves this January, but it would take a lot to justify spending that kind of money.

Newcastle manager Alan Pardew has made Borussia Monchengladbach striker Luuk De Jong his top target ahead of the January transfer window, according to reports from The Metro.

The Magpies chief is believed to be desperate to provide loan ace Loic Remy with adequate support for the latter half of the season, after witnessing Papiss Cisse’s dramatic dip in form, and is ready to delve into the market next month.

Pardew has been linked with a number of players, but it is thought that he has now settled on unsettled Monchengladbach star De Jong to boost his options.

The 23-year-old has been linked with a move away from the Bundesliga club for some time, and recently confirmed that he is ready to discuss a potential exit with his club ahead of the New Year.

“I am planning on putting my advisers and my father together with people at Gladbach and we’ll see what happens after that,” he said.

“We need to sort things out.

“A transfer? Things can happen very quickly.”

Rumours suggest that the German side will be open to selling their front-man for around £6m, a figure that Newcastle are thought to be willing to offer after not investing in a permanent transfer for a notable player over the summer.

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are hoping to bring Valencia’s Jonas to the Premier League in the January transfer window, according to TalkSport.

The 28-year-old attacking midfielder has been Valencia’s stand-out player in La Liga so far this season, despite Los Che only winning two from their opening seven league games.

Andre Villas-Boas is believed to be in the market for an attacking midfielder to replace the departed Luka Modric and the Tottenham manager’s close relationship with Valencia sporting director Braulio Vazquez could help him secure the Brazilian star’s signature.

Jonas has three goals and two assists already this season and netted 19 times in all competitions last year. The midfielder currently has six caps and two goals for Brazil and he recently scored both goals in Valencia’s 2-0 victory over Lille in the Champions League.

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The midfield ace, who arrived at the Mestalla in a €1.2 million move from Campeonato Brasileiro side Gremio in January 2011, is reported to be happy at Valencia but may be tempted to a move away if the club’s league position doesn’t improve before January.

It will be the second time Villas-Boas has approached Valencia over the possible signing of one of their top players, with striker Roberto Soldado claiming he turned down an offer to join the North London club in the summer transfer window.

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Meanwhile, Spurs have been boosted by reports that defender Benoit Assou-Ekotto is set to return to training this week after it emerged his knee injury, which has left him sidelined for six weeks, does not require surgery.

Rumours are intensifying over the possibility of a swap deal for Anthony Martial and Toby Alderweireld, so which player would Tottenham rather have?

Tottenham fans are absolutely desperate for their club to keep hold of Toby Alderweireld this summer.

When Kyle Walker left the club to join Manchester City last summer, it was clear as day that the full back had only one thing on his mind – winning trophies.

The fuss over Alderweireld seems slightly different though, as the player clearly loves life in North London, and is just waiting on the club to pay him what he so definitely worth.

If Spurs are indeed to lose the Belgian, fans are adamant they cannot lose him to a Premier League rival, but would a swap deal for Anthony Martial soften the blow?

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Martial has been heavily linked with both Tottenham and Chelsea since it emerged he wants to leave Old Trafford, and the latest rumours suggest a swap deal could be on the cards.

Martial has only started 18 Premier League games this season, but has still grabbed nine goals and five assists, and the thought of him linking up with the likes of Dele Alli, Christian Eriksen, Heung-min Son and Harry Kane is absolutely electrifying.

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The Tottenham faithful are right to be angered by the possible departure of a world class defender in Alderweireld, but if they land Martial as part of the deal they are getting a genuine superstar in the making.

So, Tottenham fans, would you let Alderweireld go to Manchester United if it meant getting Martial in return? Which player would you rather have? Let us know by voting in the poll below…

During the summer transfer window, it would have been difficult escape the rumours surrounding Liverpool star Philippe Coutinho.

The Brazilian was at the centre of a saga involving his club and Spanish giants Barcelona.

In most cases, the player usually gets his way, but on this occasion, the Reds stood firm and held off the Catalan club’s advances.

Now that the winter window has rolled around, the speculation has intensified once again.

A recent report by Goal.com claims that Barcelona are on the verge of submitting an offer worth around €150m (£133m).

It is believed that Liverpool have tried to convince Coutinho to stay put, but the playmaker is said to have his heart set on a switch to the Camp Nou.

The speculation has got plenty of people talking, and Manchester United legend Gary Neville has now had his say on the matter.

The pundit cannot fathom why Liverpool would allow one of their best players to leave this month after fighting so hard to keep hold of his signature before the start of the season.

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Neville told Sky Sports:

“To have turned down a bid in the summer and then lose him now would be madness. You’re always likely to lose a player when Barcelona or Real Madrid come calling. There’s an inevitability of him leaving but they need to say ‘give us time’. To lose him now could have a terrible impact on their season. Liverpool are too big a football club to let one player mess them around.”

A lot seems to have been made of Christian Eriksen’s ankle injury last week and the  apparently disastrous ramifications for Tottenham’s future ambitions. While clearly an injury is never a positive in itself, I don’t see the consequences of the Dane’s absence being nearly as harmful as many have already tried to make out.

The Danish midfielder is expected to be out for more than a month following scans this week that revealed the extent of his injury, with Spurs publishing the following statement today regarding the problem:

“Following an MRI scan on Monday it has been determined that Christian Eriksen suffered a sprain of the lateral ankle ligaments playing for Denmark against Norway on Friday.” 

“The scan showed no sign of ruptured ligaments which will result in a shorter period of recovery for the attacking midfielder.”

This is clearly excellent news considering the early indications that Eriksen had actually torn or ruptured his ankle ligaments, but even so, four weeks plus out was never going to be all together good.

So what is this blessing I speak of?

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Eriksen has been central to a misfiring and imbalanced Spurs midfield, a team that frustratingly contains so much quality, but as yet has failed to live up to these standards. Much like he did at Ajax, Eriksen has been his usual mercurial self, interchanging between periods of total brilliance to that of anonymity. At such a young age this shouldn’t concern fans that much, but his absence definitely opens the door to trying something a little different.

For the majority of the season AVB has favoured playing Sigurdsson out left and Eriksen through the middle in the Premier League. Sigurdsson has been a stand out performer so far, but in my opinion he is totally wasted out wide. More like an out and out number 10, the position he often plays for Iceland, maybe it is time to finally bring him inside.

Spurs have been narrow with both Townsend and Sigurdsson intent on cutting in, a source of the congestion in the middle of the park and one of the reasons they have struggled to feed Soldado. If Sigurdsson is moved centrally this opens the door for playing Lamela or Lennon out wide on a consistent basis, with Sigurdsson still offering creativity and final third incision from the centre of the park.

Most that want to assess Spurs with a degree of perspective will be well aware of the fact they are and will be for the near future in a developmental stage. Rather than persist with a stubborn approach, it is time for AVB to experiment and find out what his best set-up is. With Eriksen out injured he has a number of faces with almost equal right to be in the team, and for AVB this offers all manner of options.

My point is that Eriksen’s injury has ended a sense of status quo over the last few weeks, and will force the Portuguese tactician to think again. My proposal is just one of a number of systems that he could choose to employ, and for me this is all crucial to developing his so-called project. There have already been calls to play Holtby deep with Sigurdsson more advanced, again another way of thinking that has its merits and is worth trying.

Spurs’ predictability has been there downfall, sucked into playing a certain way by a status quo that is getting the results without playing perhaps the football that is desired. Rather than face the potential backlash from dropping a star like Eriksen, AVB has been forced into a potential new way of thinking for the next few weeks.

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Spurs have always been best attacking with pace from wide positions, and hopefully Eriksen’s absence will necessitate a return to two out and out wingers for the game against City. A side vulnerable to the counter-attack, the likes of Townsend and Lamela could well make the difference for Spurs as they seek to revive their Champions League qualification challenge.

With Eriksen out, is now the perfect opportunity for AVB to go for a tactical re-think at Tottenham?

Join the debate below

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Roy Hodgson’s time as England manager so far has seen him relying on familiar, somewhat older faces such as Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard and John Terry, but he hasn’t been adverse to giving some younger players a try.

Arsenal’s Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain was surprisingly taken to Euro 2012 and handed his first start against France in the team’s opener and has since gone on to make himself a regular in the side at just 19 years of age, while Liverpool’s Raheem Sterling was called up as a late replacement for the injured Daniel Sturridge before the Ukraine game.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at the top 10 prospects who could force their way into the England squad over the course of the next two years as we continue our qualifying campaign for the World Cup in Brazil in 2014.

Click on Nick Powell to unveil the 10

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