League of Ireland in Europe 2015

[holidaysong]

With the Polish league just left to announce a champion, unfortunately TNS just missed out on being seeded according to Bert's site (http://kassiesa.home.xs4all.nl/bert/uefa/seedcl2015.html). Bit of a shame as would have been the ideal draw.

[legendz]

Dundalk, Cork and Shamrock are the stand out performers in the league as we near European qualifiers.

[Charlie Darwin]

Dundalk, Cork and Shamrock are the stand out performers in the league as we near European qualifiers.
I think Sligo have been terrific as well.

[Dodge]

Dundalk, Cork and Shamrock are the stand out performers in the league as we near European qualifiers.

Bold call picking the top three in the league as the stand outs

[Nesta99]

Bold call picking the top three in the league as the stand outs

It is true even if stating the obvious. When was the last time that the 3 strongest clubs were qualified for Europe?

[Dunny]

I'm sure a lot of you that are on Twitter would have seen this image that was posted by an Italian fan of Dundalk and LOI.I don't know how accurate it is but its a damned good attempt.
Fair play and credit to Japoco Ghiradon.

================================

One for my Dundalk FC friends.
In Two weeks time there will be the draw for the 1st and 2nd Round of the Champions League Qualifiers, so that's all the 17 teams we can face in the draw! Probably there will be a geographical split, anyway as of today it's not confirmed yet. Below on the pic all the teams, my own rating plus some info about the place!
'Mon the Town!

2294

[oriel]

I read this, he is some man. Think its the same guy that planned to go to the away game in Split last year, and was also over for the away Bray game last year, 2nd last match of the season.

I think Videoton would be a decent draw for Dundalk. We might have a chance there.

[bennocelt]

I'm sure a lot of you that are on Twitter would have seen this image that was posted by an Italian fan of Dundalk and LOI.I don't know how accurate it is but its a damned good attempt.
Fair play and credit to Japoco Ghiradon.



ha ha thats exactly how I rank it too. Its hard to decide if its better to get a good trip over a decent draw )for the neutral). But looking at my bank balance at the moment, perhaps Andorra, Luxembourg and San Marino wud be good draws for the LOI this year, and me!:)

by the way, what is his twitter account?

[Dunny]

....by the way, what is his twitter account?

https://twitter.com/Ghirarz

[bennocelt]

https://twitter.com/Ghirarz


Thanks
Of course, I forgot FC Vaduz esp after the debate we had about them V LOI teams. Still unbeaten:p
And if Dundalk got into the next rd, they might even get Basel!

[legendz]

Bold call picking the top three in the league as the stand outsIt was a hard call alright! It'll be interesting to see how their form transfers into the European stage. Derry, Dundalk and Sligo all did well in Q1 last year. Hopefully Cork, Shamrock and Pat's will have similar success in Q1 this year. I would hope their form and a favourable enough draw will see at least 2 make Q3 at least.

It's really harsh on league champions from leagues like ours that if they lose out in Q2, there's no backdoor into the Europa League. Looking at most of the seeded teams there in the CL Q2, hard to see Dundalk getting through.

[El-Pietro]

I don't know how well we'll do. The list of potential opponents look quite daunting to me. Only a handful of teams I'd say are beatable.

[vinnie]

When you are not seeded it's very difficult, but not impossible, so keep hoping

[shep]

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

Can you remember from last seasons champs league draw at what stage the groupings were revealed?? It says the draw is at 12 CET

[PartySaint]

Can you remember from last seasons champs league draw at what stage the groupings were revealed?? It says the draw is at 12 CET

We found out the night before.

[Yossarian]

Yeh I remember seeing the groups on the Sunday night, late enough though.

[D24Saint]

Couple of dodgy teams in the draw tomorrow I wouldnt want the Norwegian side, Faroes or any team from the North.Hopefully a Baltic side or the Luxembourg side even Wales would do. Id like the balance of a winnable game with the bonus of a decent away trip.

[Nugget]

Which clubs have released tickets early? Is it just Cork?

[Yossarian]

Id like the balance of a winnable game with the bonus of a decent away trip.

That's the dream for all of us!

[nigel-harps1954]

Which clubs have released tickets early? Is it just Cork?

Also wouldn't mind knowing this. Might take a trip up to Dublin to one of the games there.

[D24Saint]

There would be little point in us pre selling tickets as if the cops decide to move us to the wind tunnel we can't do much about it.I don't see many teams that would create a buzz and sell out in the first round anyway.

[pineapple stu]

Ucd haven't anyway; don't know what ground we'll be playing in yet

[Dodge]

Ucd haven't anyway; don't know what ground we'll be playing in yet
It's either Richmond or Tallaght. Depends on the draw apparently

[pineapple stu]

No, we're aiming to host in the Bowl. Tallaght for a game like West Ham alright

[Pablo Escobar]

Dundalk's potential opponents:

Celtic FC (SCO)
FC BATE Borisov (BLR)
Malmö FF (SWE)
HJK Helsinki (FIN)
Molde FK (NOR)
FC Midtjylland (DEN)

[pineapple stu]

That's tough. HJK maybe the only realistic target there?

[GCdfc]

Dundalk's potential opponents:

Celtic FC (SCO)
FC BATE Borisov (BLR)
Malmö FF (SWE)
HJK Helsinki (FIN)
Molde FK (NOR)
FC Midtjylland (DEN)

Don't like it. Can we please redraw?

[White Horse]

That's tough. HJK maybe the only realistic target there?

I'd give us a chance against Molde FK or FC Midtjylland.

[D24Saint]

I think Dundalk would give Bate Borisov a game , Danish teams tend to be strong enough at this level in Europe.

[pineapple stu]

Hard to know on BATE - they've qualified for CL group stages don't forget. But I don't know if they've dropped away since then.

Edit - in fact, they were in the groups last year. Got about the worst record ever in the groups, bar a win against Porto. Still, lots of money there. That was their fourth CL group stage in five seasons. To be avoided I think.

[Yossarian]

I'll be happy if we avoid Celtic and Bate.

[Real ale Madrid]

Cork City's Pot:

AIK (Swe)
Go Ahead Eagles (Ned)
Inter Baki (Aze)
KR Reykjavik (Isl)
HB Torshavn (Fro)

[shep]

I'd take Molde,don't seem to be doing to well this year...however Celtic would be a great game and might get a few people to sit up and take notice if we performed well

[Real ale Madrid]

Pats' Group

AC Juvenes/Dogana (SMR)
MTK Budapest (HUN)
FC Lahti (FIN)
NSÍ Runavík (FRO)
Skonto FC (LVA)

[Real ale Madrid]

Shamrock Rovers' Pot

Nõmme Kalju FC (EST)
FC Dinamo Batumi (GEO)
FC Shirak (ARM)
FC Progrès Niederkorn (LUX)
FK Kruoja Pakruojis (LTU)

[Real ale Madrid]

UCD Can get:

Neftçi PFK (AZE)
NK Domžale (SVN)
Strømsgodset IF (NOR)
F91 Dudelange (LUX)
MŠK Žilina (SVK)

[D24Saint]

The San Marino team is the plum draw for us.

[nigel-harps1954]

There's a chance for all the teams in Europa there. Even UCD could get lucky with a draw in Luxembourg there.

I'd fear for Dundalks chances, but looking at their choices, in all honesty, Celtic is as good a chance as any of the rest of them for progression.

[pineapple stu]

Jesus. So much for regions!

Bring on Azerbaijan. :)

[White Horse]

There's a chance for all the teams in Europa there. Even UCD could get lucky with a draw in Luxembourg there.

I'd fear for Dundalks chances, but looking at their choices, in all honesty, Celtic is as good a chance as any of the rest of them for progression.

A tie against Celtic would be a circus.

There would be pressure to move the venue and a mad scramble for tickets. It would be a huge distraction.

[White Horse]

Jesus. So much for regions!

Bring on Azerbaijan. :)

Luxembourg is lovely this time of the year. Easy to get to and the standard is not that great.

[nigel-harps1954]

A tie against Celtic would be a circus.

There would be pressure to move the venue and a mad scramble for tickets. It would be a huge distraction.

Stand firm, play the game in Oriel. Feck every other gobsh!te looking for tickets to see Celtic play. Simple.

I alluded to it before in another thread, Celtic would of course be a circus, but at the end of the day, progression to the next round is priority and looking at the options, Celtic is as good as any of the rest to draw.

[seand]

wtf happened to regionalisation in Europa League?!

[seand]

Cliftonville played Celtic at Solitude a year or two ago. Hard to see how we could justify the risk of moving it. The newly released half-season season tickets might be big sellers if we draw Celtic!

[Real ale Madrid]

Delighted with our pot - if we can avoid AIK then we would have a fighting chance against the other 4.

[pineapple stu]

Luxembourg is lovely this time of the year. Easy to get to and the standard is not that great.
Yeah, but I've been there before.

They're obviously the only team we could beat.

[Kingdom]

The EL draws I think are excellent for the Irish sides, even UCD. Even taking into account the longer-distance draws, the LOI has a huge chance in this round.

Dundalk's pot is tough. Celtic and BATE need to be avoided like the plague. Really Molde or HJK are the draw to get.

[Louth4sam]

Absolute disaster of a draw for Dundalk. **** trip for fans and very very difficult to get through

[Briuk]

Shamrock should qualify no matter the draw, while St. Pats would only have an excuse against the hungarians.
For the other teams it's down to the draw but in my opinion Dundalk has it very difficult.

[Yossarian]

That is the worst we could have gotten. Gonna be some effort to get over there.