League of Ireland in Europe 2015

[pineapple stu]

Just realised as well we could play Everton. Easy draw - sure we nearly beat them last time out.

[Eminence Grise]

Anything's possible, Stu.

I mean, a lot of that Everton team must be pushing 60 by now!!!

[pineapple stu]

Just looking at this again so -

If the regions are done on the same basis as previously, I think there'll be 43 teams in the North region, and all bar five of those are now known. They'll have to fit in a 44th to even things up - not sure how that'll be done.

The two Danish teams and the English team I'll assume will be seeded up at the top; the fourth-place team in Luxembourg and the Estonian Cup winners I'll assume will be seeded near the bottom.

On that basis, and assuming everyone gets a licence these are the seeded teams -


Runners-up of 2014–15 Danish Superliga
Third-placed team of 2014–15 Danish Superliga
England fair play berth
Rosenborg (Nor) 11.875
Elfsborg (Swe) 11.545
AIK (Swe) 9.045
Go Ahead Eagles (Ned) 8.195
FH (Isl) 6.100
IFK Göteborg (Swe) 6.045
Strømsgodset (Nor) 5.875
KR (Isl) 5.600
Shamrock Rovers (Irl) 5.150
F91 Dudelange (Lux) 5.025
Linfield (NIR) 4.975
Differdange 03 (Lux) 4.775
Aberdeen (Sco) 4.580
St Pat's (Irl) 4.400
HB (Far) 3.950
Inverness CT (Sco) 3.580
Flora Tallinn (Est) 3.200
Skonto (Lat) 3.100
Víkingur Gøta (Far) 2.950

And these are the unseeded teams -

Odd (Nor) 2.875
Glentoran (NIR) 1.975
VPS (Fin) 1.890
Sillamäe Kalev (Est) 1.700
SJK (Fin) 1.640
Lahti (Fin) 1.640
Víkingur Reykjavík (Isl) 1.600
Jelgava (Lat) 1.600
NSÍ Runavík (Far) 1.450
Atlantas (Lit) 1.400
Glenavon (NIR) 1.225
Cork City (Irl) 1.150
UCD (Irl) 1.150
Kruoja Pakruojis (Lit) 1.150
Airbus UK (Wal) 1.075
Trakai (Lit) 0.900
Liepāja (Lat) 0.850
Bala Town (Wal) 0.825
Newtown (Wal) 0.575
Fourth-placed team of 2014–15 Luxembourg National Division
Winners of 2014–15 Estonian Cup

Odd Grenland presumably the team to avoid for Rovers and Pat's; maybe the Finnish teams too. Nothing too scary elsewhere.

Chances for progression there for Cork and (to a far lesser extent obviously) UCD - Luxembourg, Latvia, Estonia, the Faroes, even Iceland (cue conniption from geysir I'm sure)

West Ham/Everton would be fun if a hammering for us. Caley Thistle would be an interesting game, though I would imagine we'd still get well beat. Rosenborg would be a cool ground to play in, though Trondheim doesn't seem the easiest to get to.

Mad to see two Luxembourg sides seeded above the two Scottish sides (even though I know club coefficients are adding more now)

[pineapple stu]

In fact, a bit more digging -

Fourth place in Luxembourg is almost certain to be Progres Niederkorn, who have one of the worst records ever in Europe. They'll have the national coefficient, 1.025

The Estonian Cup final is between Nömme Kalju - who would actually be seeded - and Paide Linnameeskond, who have never been in Europe before, so would be unseeded. Nomme knocked out Fram last year and beat Lech Poznan 1-0 at home before losing 3-0 away. If Nömme qualify, Vikingur are unseeded.

Looks like the Danish teams - third and fourth in the league, not second and third, as second place FC Copenhagen qualified through the Cup - will be Brondby and Randers, who would be seeded, as would whatever English team qualifies. Not going to beat any of those obviously, but Brondby's ground looks nice.

[seand]

Bert's yer mate on this one.....

http://kassiesa.home.xs4all.nl/bert/uefa/

Starting to fall into place. Dundalk fans watching with bated breath to see if TNS might sneak into the seeds, it's touch and go.

[pineapple stu]

Same as the wiki site (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2015%E2%80%9316_UEFA_Europa_League#First_qualifyin g_round) really - though neither has the split into regions, and I'm assuming I'm right above (though I mayn't be - as the odd number of teams indicates)

Didn't bother with CL obviously, but some tough draws for Dundalk there.

[Dodge]

There's no steadfast regions anymore. They try to regionalise "somewhat" but they've no bother throwing others around to make up the numbers. In 2012 pats could have got Moldova, San Marino, Armenia as well as northern teams

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2012%E2%80%9313_UEFA_Europa_League_qualifying_phas e_and_play-off_round#Seeding

This site is the best FWIW

https://onedrive.live.com/view.aspx?resid=4FE4712A1E3EA4FA!175&ithint=file%2cxlsx&app=Excel&authkey=!AOXC9yi0-hN17Z8

They have TNS as a seed

[pineapple stu]

That's interesting. Looks kind of like Pat's got dumped into a "teams left over" pool.

For the record, I was going off this chart from wiki's article on the 2008/09 season. Seems to be roughly accurate - all the three Irish teams last year were grouped according to the chart, for example - but if nothing else, odd teams could well lead to a far-flung draw as you noted.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c0/UEFA-division.svg/650px-UEFA-division.svg.png

[PartySaint]

That's interesting. Looks kind of like Pat's got dumped into a "teams left over" pool.




We usually get put into the 'let's see how we can F*ck Pats up' group

[nigel-harps1954]

They don't really give teams much of a chance to organise travel do they? Draw on 22nd June with the first leg to be played 10 days later. A bit of a nightmare if someone like UCD end up in Azerbaijan.

[pineapple stu]

When are the sub-pools of 5/6 drawn? Is it only a couple of days before the draw, or even the morning of the draw?

Even if that's drawn a week before and you know there's a 1 in 5 chance of going to Azerbaijan, it'd be something. But yeah, quite short notice.

I think Genk were advertising supporter trips to their Intertoto Cup third round tie in Malaga at their home leg against Pat's - they lost the away leg and scraped through on away goals. But they had to really, as the game in Malaga was the week after the game in Richmond.

Edit - last season, the sub-pools were drawn the day before the main draw it seems.

[Charlie Darwin]

To be fair, UCD are probably in good enough financial shape they wouldn't have any trouble borrowing the cost of heading to Azrbaijan or wherever. Logistically, a nightmare though.

[pineapple stu]

In fairness, it's all paid for (I presume) by prize money, borrowed from the FAI while waiting on the cheques to arrive.

Can't see any club getting a loan to go to play a game in Azerbaijan! Cash or nothing.

That said, given what bank have loaned for in recent years...

[Charlie Darwin]

Ah, I didn't know if the FAI advanced all the money.

[Nesta99]

We usually get put into the 'let's see how we can F*ck Pats up' group

Pats mustn't have been in on it much as they tore up the form guide in Europe recent enough?

[Yossarian]

Edit - last season, the sub-pools were drawn the day before the main draw it seems.

I remember last year the pools were published the night before the draw. Not a whole lot of time really. At least for us this year we'll have the extra couple of weeks to plan an away trip.

[PartySaint]

Pats mustn't have been in on it much as they tore up the form guide in Europe recent enough?

Even last year we were put in an Eastern European pot rather than the pot with Celtic, TNS and Clifftonville

Losing to Zalgiris in 2013 (who went on to beat Lech Poznan before losing in the Play-off round to Salzburg) wasn't great but no shame drawing in Poland and then getting knocked out by a very good Legia team last year

[Dodge]

When are the sub-pools of 5/6 drawn? Is it only a couple of days before the draw, or even the morning of the draw?


Day before last year. Morning of the draw the previous 2 years

[Nesta99]

) wasn't great but no shame drawing in Poland and then getting knocked out by a very good Legia team last year

I think that type of experience could benefit Dundalk this season as you could see Pats grow in belief in Warsaw and should have won the first leg by 2. Fear factor leading to giving these sides too much respect. The same with Dundalk at home to Hadjuk where we were tentative and lost. When caution was thrown to the wind in Split we got back in to the tie and could have nicked it. With some belief and some luck in the draw ye never know. Some of the supposed tougher draws may not actually be as tough as we fear! Still TNS thanks very much!!

[Charlie Darwin]

Dundalk will do well in Europe provided they don't get a completely manky draw. I'd actually be quietly confident all the sides who qualified through the league will do reasonably well, which I don't think I've been able to say before.

[Nesta99]

Rubbish odds on a Cork away win!

[PartySaint]

I think that type of experience could benefit Dundalk this season as you could see Pats grow in belief in Warsaw and should have won the first leg by 2. Fear factor leading to giving these sides too much respect. The same with Dundalk at home to Hadjuk where we were tentative and lost. When caution was thrown to the wind in Split we got back in to the tie and could have nicked it. With some belief and some luck in the draw ye never know. Some of the supposed tougher draws may not actually be as tough as we fear! Still TNS thanks very much!!

Dundalk's quality of football is easy to be seen but as you know they are also a super fit side, could really help them if they're drawn against a very good technical side who will try dominate possesion

[sullanefc]

I've an awful feeling that City are going to disappoint in Europe this season. JC's tactics and lack of experience in Europe could find us wanting.

[outspoken]

I've an awful feeling that City are going to disappoint in Europe this season. JC's tactics and lack of experience in Europe could find us wanting.

Agree, might get a result at the x but away from home ye might get shown up, then again it's the same for all our clubs really. Although, Dundalk look like our best hope for success in many a year

[nigel-harps1954]

Reckon Cork are best set up to get a good European run this year. The negative tactics will frustrate the life out of continental sides and they've got the players and experience there to grind out a decent result of two. Missing Dunleavy from the back line is a massive loss for them in Europe though.

[Charlie Darwin]

We've sent plenty of teams to Europe with negative tactics and they haven't achieved much. Best teams in Europe tend to be the ones that play low-risk but well-drilled football with players who can hang onto possession for long periods, like Pats and Dundalk last year or Rovers under O'Neill.

[Jofspring]

From what I have seen so far Id have to say its going to be a bad season in Europe for the Irish teams. None of the teams have been extremely impressive and have shown weaknesses that I reckon European teams will take advantage of easily.

In saying that the experience Cork have could stand to them.

[paykanti]

Dundalk are a serious side. A good draw and they'll do wonders.

I might hop on an easyjet and go support UCD on their away if it's a tasty one. Night out in Tallin :cool:

[mcgonigle]

A serious amount of 'kisses of death' here!

[patrickccfc]

Agree, might get a result at the x but away from home ye might get shown up

Nothing like the horror show that was FC Haka away from home the last time out. I know it's stating the obvious, but it depends on the opponent we're drawn against, but hopefully we're in with a chance of progression

[oriel]

Dundalk are a serious side. A good draw and they'll do wonders.

:

We might be a strong and very fit side, but playing in the CL will be very different to the EL. No Lux sides this time out, the potential list of teams we can draw is looking very daunting.

Maybe if TNS squeeze in as the last seeded side we will have a good chance, also there is a Hungarian team called Videoton, may have a good go against them, apart from those all others appear to be top top sides.

We'll obviously know more about all sides chances when the draws are made, but you would think it would be up there with our greatest ever achievement if we could make it past round 2 (where we enter)

[Charlie Darwin]

A serious amount of 'kisses of death' here!
Why else do you think we're talking you up?

[paykanti]

Going off Dodge's link below:


There's no steadfast regions anymore. They try to regionalise "somewhat" but they've no bother throwing others around to make up the numbers. In 2012 pats could have got Moldova, San Marino, Armenia as well as northern teams

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2012%E2%80%9313_UEFA_Europa_League_qualifying_phas e_and_play-off_round#Seeding

This site is the best FWIW

https://onedrive.live.com/view.aspx?resid=4FE4712A1E3EA4FA!175&ithint=file%2cxlsx&app=Excel&authkey=!AOXC9yi0-hN17Z8

They have TNS as a seed

Obviously reputation and names wise, only the bottom two look beatable out of the seeded sides but the fact a lot of those sides will be in pre-season shape was a major factor in Pats making Legia look damn ordinary in their own backyard so not all hope is lost against some of the others.

TNS -> Maccabi Tel Aviv -> Celtic -> Into the Group stages

You heard it here first. I'll provide the screenshots too once I manage it on FM.

[Charlie Darwin]

Going off Dodge's link below:



Obviously reputation and names wise, only the bottom two look beatable out of the seeded sides but the fact a lot of those sides will be in pre-season shape was a major factor in Pats making Legia look damn ordinary in their own backyard so not all hope is lost against some of the others.

TNS -> Maccabi Tel Aviv -> Celtic -> Into the Group stages

You heard it here first. I'll provide the screenshots too once I manage it on FM.
I presume you're factoring in a team accidentally fielding an unregistered player or two in predicting Celtic getting to the final qualifying round?

[paykanti]

Woof.

[seand]

Do any of the coefficient fetishists know how two teams are seperate for seeding if they are dead level on coefficient? Looks likely that TNS and the Albanian champions will be ranked joint 17th in the CL2 draw

[Yossarian]

Do any of the coefficient fetishists know how two teams are seperate for seeding if they are dead level on coefficient? Looks likely that TNS and the Albanian champions will be ranked joint 17th in the CL2 draw

As far as I know, when they are level it goes on the most recent years. I had a look and the Albanian team have a better coefficient than TNS last season so they will rank ahead of them. Looking at the last few leagues left it looks like TNS will be unseeded.

[Dodge]

As far as I know, when they are level it goes on the most recent years. I had a look and the Albanian team have a better coefficient than TNS last season so they will rank ahead of them. Looking at the last few leagues left it looks like TNS will be unseeded.

That's correct. If two teams are level, they use the most recent year's score to differentiate them (and the year before that if still level).

You can see all rankings here.
http://www.uefa.com/memberassociations/uefarankings/club/

Albanians in 249, TNS in 250.

Sporting Fingal's last year on the list too...

[pineapple stu]

Go Ahead Eagles were relegated today - so there'll be two second flight teams in the First Round draw (licences permitting). Might be targettable for Cork if they lose a few players as a result.

Progres Niedercorn took the third Luxembourg spot; Hobro lost today, which means it's all but certain Brondby and Randers will be the two Danish sides joining FC Copenhagen.

All ignoring the possibility of a left-overs pool, of course.

Also, this turned up in someone's attic literally two weeks ago -

ZSC5LSQK89k
I rang the BBC a few years back to see if they had any footage of this in their archives, but no joy. So never thought I'd ever see this!

The famous effort that skimmed the bar late on which almost saw us through to the second round seems to have, shall we say, grown legs down through the years...

Everton's goal was on 10 minutes (you can see the time on the scoreboard behind our goal in the first half, counting down from 45), so you can see the huge early pressure we were under.

[seand]

Thanks. Big boo for Targu Mures who have fooked it up in Romania- they lost their second last game to let Steaua go ahead, now they need a miracle to win it. Steaua wil be seeded. The Polish champions will be seeded too unless it’s Jagiellona which looks very unlikely, so TNS will be squeezed out of the seeds, just about.
(One game to go in Bosnia… Fk Sarajevo need to win at home against midtable opposition to seal the deal. They'd be ranked behind TNS and the Albanians. If FK Sarajevo feck it up Zeljeznicar will win the league and will be seeded.)

[pineapple stu]

Thanks. Big boo for Targu Mures who have fooked it up in Romania- they lost their second last game
Looks like they put up a fight at least! (http://www.livescore.net/soccer/romania/liga-1/astra-giurgiu-vs-tirgu-mures/1-1781552/)

Four reds - two apiece - in the last three minutes of the game. Three were straight reds; there were another 11 yellows all told.

[seand]

Looks like they put up a fight at least! (http://www.livescore.net/soccer/romania/liga-1/astra-giurgiu-vs-tirgu-mures/1-1781552/)

Four reds - two apiece - in the last three minutes of the game. Three were straight reds; there were another 11 yellows all told.

Well it's never an easy game at Astra Giurgiu

[pineapple stu]

West Ham confirmed as the English team in the first round draw.

[seand]

West Ham would be a great draw. It'll be the first game for the new manager too, so could be a decent bit of TV money in it. Apart from that it's hard to pick a 'good' draw for UCD and Cork. Most of the lower ranked seeds are in the east, but you could always get lucky (like Dundalk) and pull a seed from Luxembourg or Faeroes.

[Nesta99]

Or Iceland - we cant miss out on razor's annual rant. No bother for Cork anyway as they are used to all the travel and keep it tight away and crowd numbers intimidating at home, its made for Cork to advance. UCD would be the luckiest club for years to pull West Ham out of the hat all things considered where it is all about the money in what will most likely be a one off tie for them this season...

[PartySaint]

Just looking at Berts seedings for the Europa League http://kassiesa.home.xs4all.nl/bert/uefa/seedel2015.html

There will be more seeded teams from the 'Northern Section' than unseeded teams which is probably good news for Pats and Rovers as it is less likely that either side will be moved to a different section but not great for UCD and Cork who now might be moved to even up the pots

Wales, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia all have 3 unseeded team so I'd imagine a few of those teams might be moved first.

[Dodge]

Wales, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia all have 3 unseeded team so I'd imagine a few of those teams might be moved first.

I think the opposite. As there may be big groups and they can't play a team from their own country, they're less likely to be moved as it's just easier. Cork and UCD have to be in different groups to Pats and Rovers so if there were only 3 Northern groups, one of them would be moved. Likely to be more than that though

[legendz]

There was one year Sligo started out in Q2 of the EL. UEFA have done a bit of restructuring to give the top 12 leagues 16 direct placed places in the EL group stage. If they make any more changes, they'll probably start taking a 3rd EL spot off lower ranked leagues. Stopping 3rd placed CL teams dropping in wouldn't be considered. We'll see a return of some form of Intertoto Cup in the near future to appease lower leagues. Even that got restructured in favour of the bigger nations. A never ending cycle of UEFA competitions.

[nigel-harps1954]

UCD granted Europa licence.


UEFA has informed the Football Association of Ireland that it has granted special permission to UCD to participate in the 2015-16 UEFA Europa League.The FAI had made a request to UEFA for the extraordinary application of the club licensing system in respect of UCD, in accordance with Article 15 and Annex IV of the UEFA Club Licensing and Financial Fair Play Regulations (Edition 2012). UEFA made its decision following the assessment of the documentary evidence which had been submitted in order to demonstrate compliance with the set criteria.
UCD, who play in the SSE Airtricity League First Division, had qualified for the Europa League after the Republic of Ireland was granted an extra place after finishing third in UEFA’s 2014-15 Fair Play table. UCD had finished third in the 2014 SSE Airtricity League Fair Play table but qualified as first place Dundalk and second place Cork City had already qualified for the Champions League and Europa League respectively.
As a result of UCD receiving their UEFA Licence the SSE Airtricity League has announced a number of fixture changes because of the participation in Europe. The First Division game between UCD and Shelbourne originally scheduled for Friday, July 3 has been rescheduled to Tuesday, June 9 at The UCD Bowl with a kick-off time of 7.45 pm while the UCD v Athlone Town fixture, originally scheduled for Friday, July 10, has been rescheduled to Sunday, July 12 at The UCD Bowl with a kick-off time of 7pm.

[patrickccfc]

Got my European ticket today. Any other clubs have them on sale yet? Hopefully all involved get a somewhat favorable draw