League of Ireland in Europe 2016

**legendz** · 21/10/2016, 9:47 AM

Great effort against a difficult opponent like Bohemians, Shelbourne and Derry who have gone before them in the old UEFA Cup first round.

**disgruntled** · 21/10/2016, 10:37 AM

Great display from Dundalk. If that Massey header went in it could have been really interesting.
Sorry they didn't get something from the game.

**ciaraa** · 21/10/2016, 10:50 AM

Originally Posted by Philosophizer

I could throttle poor Sava for that ****-show of a clearance. And to think, he should be the freshest of them players by a mile.

bad clearance but he shouldn't have even been given the ball in the 1st place. they were away up the wing before some lad decided to come inside and play it across the pitch. even after he sliced it there was enough of a chance for the backs to clear it.

**seand** · 21/10/2016, 11:01 AM

Yes Sava miskicked but it wasn't the only error in the defending of that goal, just an obvious one. Thought Sava did well overall again.

Dundalk were great I thought- they went toe-to-toe with one of the biggest, richest clubs in the world. It's no exaggeration to say we're redefining what is possible for an Irish team. It is possible to compete if you are as fit as the opposition and if you play intelligently.

**Nesta99** · 21/10/2016, 11:11 AM

Originally Posted by legendz

Great effort against a difficult opponent like Bohemians, Shelbourne and Derry who have gone before them in the old UEFA Cup first round.

I am sure you mean well in what you say but this isnt Dundalk's first foray in Europe and we have a pretty decent history of results dating back to the old Fairs Cup days, CWC, EC. It isnt the first time Dundalk have broken ground for the League of Ireland in Europe also. This probably sounds defensive and it isnt intended it is purely to note past results of significance. A lasting legacy from this European campaign when opportunity in the past was lost in terms of ground improvements will be the all important thing when the dust settles on this.

**Straightstory** · 21/10/2016, 11:21 AM

Originally Posted by TheBoss

It will be a travesty against football if the likes of Chris Shields and Daryl Horgan are not selected for the national team, another great display from both of them. Speaking of the national team, they way that this Dundalk side go about their style of play just makes the national team look an embarrassment in honesty.

Completely agree.
If Dundalk tie up the league on Sunday (or at Pats on Tuesday) they then afford to rest players for the Galway game next Friday. A well deserved break of nine or eleven days before they head off for Russia. What a team they are. A joy to watch.

**Ezeikial** · 21/10/2016, 12:14 PM

My heart still aches with the disappointment of not getting a result last night, but is also bursting with pride that these titans are representing my home town club.

This team have altered expectations in a very profound way. It was started by Stephen Kenny and inculcated into a team of remarkable people, but it is contagious in a very positive way - club officials, supporters and the wider community have all been elevated to aspire to more.

Maybe it is not an overstatement to suggest that it may also force a raising of the bar in the wider LoI community

**sbgawa** · 21/10/2016, 12:45 PM

Originally Posted by Ezeikial

My heart still aches with the disappointment of not getting a result last night, but is also bursting with pride that these titans are representing my home town club.

This team have altered expectations in a very profound way. It was started by Stephen Kenny and inculcated into a team of remarkable people, but it is contagious in a very positive way - club officials, supporters and the wider community have all been elevated to aspire to more.

Maybe it is not an overstatement to suggest that it may also force a raising of the bar in the wider LoI community

I hope you are right if its another 5 years before we get a team into the group stages of a European competition it will be very disappointing.

**gufcfan** · 21/10/2016, 12:47 PM

Originally Posted by Ezeikial

Maybe it is not an overstatement to suggest that it may also force a raising of the bar in the wider LoI community

Things like strength and conditioning are not being taken seriously in the LOI. There's players around the league getting away with murder.

Dundalk have plenty of players that have jobs, so that can't be the excuse any more.

I'd like to think that Dundalk will make clubs look at themselves, but I'm sceptical.

**White Horse** · 21/10/2016, 12:53 PM

Originally Posted by sbgawa

I hope you are right if its another 5 years before we get a team into the group stages of a European competition it will be very disappointing.

Unless standards are raised in the league, it will be an intermittent thing.

There is no comparison between Dundalk at the moment and prior to the European campaign. When they played FH in July, they were way off the pace of European football. Last night they went toe to toe with Zenit and looked very much at home.

Good LOI teams like Dundalk now, and Rovers in 2011, need better competition in their own league in order to improve performances in Europe. In that way they will be competitive in the qualifying stages.

**pateen** · 21/10/2016, 1:46 PM

Originally Posted by TheBoss

It will be a travesty against football if the likes of Chris Shields and Daryl Horgan are not selected for the national team, another great display from both of them. Speaking of the national team, they way that this Dundalk side go about their style of play just makes the national team look an embarrassment in honesty.

Didnt think DH played all that great .... but what a game.
Shame Dundalk got nothing out of it

**legendz** · 21/10/2016, 2:36 PM

Originally Posted by White Horse

Good LOI teams like Dundalk now, and Rovers in 2011, need better competition in their own league in order to improve performances in Europe. In that way they will be competitive in the qualifying stages.

Cork are good for league. They've put up a decent challenge and are keeping the champions honest.

Dundalk's approach has been a breath of fresh air. Fenlon while in charge of Shels used to lament crowds only coming for their European games. While understandable, it lacked a grounded connect with those coming to those games. Dundalk management and players have represented the league greatly on and off the field.

**Charlie Darwin** · 21/10/2016, 5:50 PM

Hard luck Dundalk. I thought the goal came at an awful time - if they hadn't got that I think they'd have crumpled like BATE.

**oriel** · 21/10/2016, 7:12 PM

I thought Chris Shields was absolutely outstanding last night taking the role of the injured O'Donnell. The fact that he was up against Witsel just showed the enormity of his task, and he did very little wrong. You can usually tell with Shields from the first 5 or 10 mins how his game will go, last night it was almost flawless. His passing and driving runs were high quality.

What an improvement on a player that was going nowhere in 2012 with Dundalk.

Strange feeling coming out of the game, being a little disappointed but overall I think Zenit did enough to win the match. Dundalk will probably need to beat AZ in Tallaght and get a result in Tel Aviv to qualify.

A very tall order but not impossible.

**JayC90** · 24/10/2016, 2:51 AM

Quick update on the co-efficients and seedings for next season's Champions League, now that we know Dundalk (5.815) will definitely be representing Ireland. As I said in a previous post, Dundalk need 22 teams with a lower co-efficient than themselves to qualify for next year's CL to be seeded. The Finnish League concluded favourably for Dundalk yesterday with IFK Mariehamn (2.030) winning the league ahead of HJK Helsinki (10.530), which increases the number of confirmed teams in next season's CL with co-efficients below Dundalk to 17. If Dundalk get another draw and increase their own co-efficient that will go up to 20 (requiring 2 more leagues to be won by a team with a lower co-efficient that Dundalk), and another win will bring it up to 21 (requiring just 1 more league etc.). The Swedish League concludes on 6 November and Dundalk will be hoping for an IFK Norrkoeping (4.945) win there. Still a long way to go in the traditional winter season leagues but the Slovakian, Moldovan and Hungarian leagues look relatively promising with low co-efficient teams all leading at this stage. I'd imagine that at least one of them, or indeed another league, will finish favourably for Dundalk so it looks like 1 more win the Europa League group stage will almost certainly secure seeding in next year's CL, barring some extreme misfortune.

**sparky12345678** · 24/10/2016, 12:34 PM

also check out the Austrian league, still very early days yet but Sturm Graz is leading/playing well, Sturm Graz is who we want to win it. 6.2 is higher than Dundalk atm but even a draw would be enough...

**El-Pietro** · 24/10/2016, 12:38 PM

I dunno, I don't really want any of these tough teams dropping down in the Europa League!

**pineapple stu** · 24/10/2016, 12:39 PM

And I want Sturm Graz to win because they're winning the underage league as well.

**JayC90** · 24/10/2016, 1:33 PM

Originally Posted by sparky12345678

also check out the Austrian league, still very early days yet but Sturm Graz is leading/playing well, Sturm Graz is who we want to win it. 6.2 is higher than Dundalk atm but even a draw would be enough...

And in Poland, the current top 7 teams all have a coefficient of 4.750 or less.