If it's Monday - it must be European Draws Day...

[pineapple stu]

Yeah, Kaunas and Atlantas (and Zalgiris were denied a licence)

Presumably pulling out of a league in a huff doesn't mean you can't take up the European spot you earned? Kaunas are playing in the third division for some reason.

[Ezeikial]

It's only Barca AFC though - they're rubbish.

No their not. Don't you know that they ve got ..........................
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[pól-dcfc]

Basically from listening to the media and locals here they reckon their gonna steam roll all over bohs. Their not giving them a prayer and the papers this morning are very dismissive and have been going on about the poor record of irish clubs in europe. Irish minnows is being used a far bit!! Bohs máy catch this lot on the hop.

Yeah, that could play in Bohs favour. Remember the spoofing the Gothenburg players were doing about getting to Ireland for their summer holidays? I think that their attitude to the match greatly helped us, and this could happen with Bohs this year. I doubt it though, particularly if Bohs are forced to sell a couple of players in the window. Jayo, Killian or Murphy leaving and a few injuries could leave them chest deep in ****e.

[dcfcsteve]

Yeah, Kaunas and Atlantas (and Zalgiris were denied a licence)

I heard Atlantas were in deep water......

I'll get my wet-suit...

[pineapple stu]

Yeah, that could play in Bohs favour. Remember the spoofing the Gothenburg players were doing about getting to Ireland for their summer holidays? I think that their attitude to the match greatly helped us, and this could happen with Bohs this year. I doubt it though, particularly if Bohs are forced to sell a couple of players in the window. Jayo, Killian or Murphy leaving and a few injuries could leave them chest deep in ****e.

Worth remembering that Bohs lost to FK Riga last year. Fenlon's record in Europe is iffy (as you know yourself) if you exclude the La Coruna season; Shels' defeats to Hibernians (albeit in about his first games as manager) and Ljubljana were particularly poor. I think people are over-rating Bohs' chances in this one, to be honest.

[holidaysong]

The way I see it is:

Bohs going out to Salzburg.
Sligo beating the Albanians but going out to Rapid Vienna.
St. Pat's and Derry advancing to the EL QR3.

Sligo and Derry have tough games but I still think they'll make it through one round. St. Pat's couldn't have hoped for an easier tie and if they don't advance to QR3 it'll be a disaster.

[OneRedArmy]

Worth remembering that Bohs lost to FK Riga last year. Fenlon's record in Europe is iffy (as you know yourself) if you exclude the La Coruna season; Shels' defeats to Hibernians (albeit in about his first games as manager) and Ljubljana were particularly poor. I think people are over-rating Bohs' chances in this one, to be honest.

Unfortunately we can't blame Fenlon for Pyunik. He was long gone at that stage (by long I mean more than a handful of games). The Scottish alco was at the helm by then.

[TheBoss]

I,m actually in salzburg at the moment. My girlfriend is from the city and we,re back visiting her parents so it was fairly funny for me when the draw was made. Basically from listening to the media and locals here they reckon their gonna steam roll all over bohs. Their not giving them a prayer and the papers this morning are very dismissive and have been going on about the poor record of irish clubs in europe. Irish minnows is being used a far bit!! Bohs máy catch this lot on the hop.

I,ve been coming to austria for years with my better half so i,ve been to loads of matches here. I know a lot about austrian football. Rapid and graz have been in the champions league and Austria Vienna, salzburg and rapid have all been in european finals. The standard is very good and the austrian league would be the league we,d all love the LOI to be. stadiums are of excellent quality and the crowds are quite big. Since the redbull franchise took over salzburg have had gates of nearly 20,000 for all league games thats nearly double what they used top get.

the old SV salzburg are back in the 4th tier having been prommoted 3 times in the last 3 years. Their fans will defo be up for bohs i,d imagine. Footballwise the redbul shower isolated the citys real football fans so expect a real prawn sandwich brigade when you visit them. I went to see salzburg a few times last season and was never really that impressed with them considering the money they,ve spent. Saw them get a hiding off Rapid so i,d give bohs a decent chance.

I am not so sure about the quality, Salzburg and Rapid always seemed to be winning easily despite conceding a lot of goals, 50 goals conceded in 36 games says a lot about the Salzburg defence, thats why I can see Bohs definitely scoring and Salzburg will find it hard to score v Bohs.

[Dodge]

For the record, I wouldn't be confiedent about Pats advancing at all. We're awful this year and we'll be playinga team thats doing OK in its own league, or we'll be playing in Malta in July.

If quigley's out (as is likely) we've no strikers...

[A N Mouse]

The expectations might be getting set a little too high this year. Think the the best we can hope for is one, maybe two teams, progressing one round, and hopefully get results that maintain the current position in the country ranking.

Smaller squads affecting all our teams.

St Pat's form all over the shop.
Bohs suffering a few blips recently.
Derry getting results, but not putting in performances.
Sligo unable to fill bench and struggling.

[holidaysong]

IF Bohs do manage to beat Salzburg, even if they lost in their CL QR3 tie, they would then go into EL QR4. That would be two more home gates guaranteed not to mention the prize money. Victory over Salzburg could really make or break the club.

[pineapple stu]

For the record, I wouldn't be confiedent about Pats advancing at all.

You should beat a Maltese team, I'd say. Don't think you'll face them though, and agree an Iceland team could easily knock youz out. Ditto the Albanians against Sligo. Derry should be able to beat Skonto, who aren't the side they were a few years back, but it could be a bit of a whitewash for the league this year.

Unfortunately we can't blame Fenlon for Pyunik. He was long gone at that stage (by long I mean more than a handful of games). The Scottish alco was at the helm by then.

Fair enough; plus one for Fenlon so.

[Dodge]

The expectations might be getting set a little too high this year. Think the the best we can hope for is one, maybe two teams, progressing one round, and hopefully get results that maintain the current position in the country ranking.

Under the new rules, inidividual leg results don't affect ranking points. Point are given based on the round you exit at, regardless of whether you won the first leg or were beaten 5-0 home or away.

And yeaeh, I remember the last Irish team to lose 5-0 at home and away

[pete]

I think the Latvian teams are a bit stronger than people may think.

While they are one of the easier sides to get drawn against given the alternatives I agree that Latvians & to less extent Lithuanians are under rated in similar way to the LOI.

I would expect all LOIs to at the very least to get a result at home.

[holidaysong]

Under the new rules, inidividual leg results don't affect ranking points. Point are given based on the round you exit at, regardless of whether you won the first leg or were beaten 5-0 home or away.

That's only for the club co-efficient Dodge. The national co-efficient is still calculated using the old method of results in individual matches..

[1895ringsend]

I am not so sure about the quality, Salzburg and Rapid always seemed to be winning easily despite conceding a lot of goals, 50 goals conceded in 36 games says a lot about the Salzburg defence, thats why I can see Bohs definitely scoring and Salzburg will find it hard to score v Bohs.

believe me the quality in austria is better and they d,ont always win easily. For long periods of last season Rapid, austria, graz and salzburg were very tight. Plus all the teams are all full time in austria. they play againats a better quality of player than bohs do.

the league is far from the best in europe but most teams have internationals playing for them and almost all salzburgs players are seasoned internationls. Do agree though their defence is suspect but as i saw them get a hiding last season myself but i think the forward jancko is well over 6 foot and scored well over 30 goals last season. he,s a real handful.

[1895ringsend]

Yeah, that could play in Bohs favour. Remember the spoofing the Gothenburg players were doing about getting to Ireland for their summer holidays? I think that their attitude to the match greatly helped us, and this could happen with Bohs this year. I doubt it though, particularly if Bohs are forced to sell a couple of players in the window. Jayo, Killian or Murphy leaving and a few injuries could leave them chest deep in ****e.

You,d never know!!! Their certaintly talking a good game over here since the draw was made. Good point about bohs keeping their players though as that could be crucial. On the otherhand Salzburg have money to burn and signed some player from Utrect in Holland over the weekend.

[Cymro]

Quick view on the Welsh draws:

Rhyl have Partizan. Ouch. Likely to be two defeats there. Hopefully they get a good crowd for the home leg though.

Llanelli got Motherwell, which is a decent chance for exposure (may be shown on TV?) and they might sneak a result in one leg, although over the two legs you'd have to back Motherwell.

TNS got an Icelandic side called Fram, who I know absolutely nothing about and appear to be the worst of the Icelanders. Should be a reasonable chance of progressing there, although TNS have a terrible record in Europe even compared to other Welsh teams.

Bangor got a reasonable draw for the second qualifying round, against Honka, but are likely going to be too $hit to take advantage.

Good luck to the Irish/Northern Irish sides too - some tricky ones there such as Skonto and Red Bull Salzburg, buit at least some of your teams should get through.

[Hibs4Ever]

Salzburg have money to burn and signed some player from Utrect in Holland over the weekend.

They've also recently signed Dusan Svento from Slavia Prague. EXCELLENT footballer

[Martinho II]

Quick view on the Welsh draws:

Rhyl have Partizan. Ouch. Likely to be two defeats there. Hopefully they get a good crowd for the home leg though.

Llanelli got Motherwell, which is a decent chance for exposure (may be shown on TV?) and they might sneak a result in one leg, although over the two legs you'd have to back Motherwell.

TNS got an Icelandic side called Fram, who I know absolutely nothing about and appear to be the worst of the Icelanders. Should be a reasonable chance of progressing there, although TNS have a terrible record in Europe even compared to other Welsh teams.

Bangor got a reasonable draw for the second qualifying round, against Honka, but are likely going to be too $hit to take advantage.

Good luck to the Irish/Northern Irish sides too - some tricky ones there such as Skonto and Red Bull Salzburg, buit at least some of your teams should get through.

I remember from memory shamrock rovers hammering fram in 1982 was that the uefa cup that was in ?