League of Ireland in Europe 2017

[Real ale Madrid]

Fair point on the handball goal alright.

This isn't a dig at Cork btw - the point more is that Cork are so far ahead of the rest of the league at present (as are Dundalk, especially given that they're now coming back into form) that I think a narrow exit to a Cypriot team by one of the most dominant teams the LoI has ever seen (over 20 games at least!) doesn't really reflect well on the rest of the pack (Dundalk aside).

Anyways, sure second legs to come; a lot can happen yet. Maybe a 50% chance of one side getting through to one of those nice third round ties. Worth noting Minsk - maybe the best of the four teams there? - only beat Pat's 2-1 last season.

Probably agree but I think the standard in the lower to mid league is poor and we didn't need last night to tell us that. It's tough to access in relative terms because they are so far behind at the moment.

[pineapple stu]

I guess we had Derry 2-10 Midtylland to tell us.

Fortunately, UCD can beat Charlton 4-1 and are therefore absolutely brilliant, despite what being second in the division below where Drogheda are falling away from Sligo who lost 4-0 to Derry who lost 2-10 in Europe suggests otherwise. :)

[Ezeikial]

Going down easy and conning the referee is something I thought we had gotten to grips with, with all our experience against Dundalk.


The persecution complex seems to grow in some Cork supporters.

I am surprised that Cork's outstanding form this season had not dispelled the insecurities that have been so obvious over the last few seasons. Has the first defeat of the season triggered all the doubts again?

[sparky12345678]

the new 10 year ranking system thing will be of benefit to Shamrock Rovers and Dundalk next European season (presuming both qualify for Europe) in that a quick scan seems to indicate that they might be seeded next year in the first Qualifying round (the other team who would likely be seeded is poor aul St. Pats).

Cork's (and Derry's) on the other hand is actually so bad that they will be using the league's coeffecient rather than their own... they would need to qualify for the play off round to even start racking up some points. Which means they will have a tough time of it next year being unseeded etc.

The saddest thing is that this new system encouages consistency but despite the strides the league has kinda sorta made the big issue at the moment is consistency/security. It seems like the league finally gets a team or two together performing well only to have it raided by clubs across the water and other players move on to another club etc preventing cohesion... Both Dundalk and Cork have sadly seen this happen to their solid teams. So while just appearing in Europe each year gives a team a few points not maintaining consistency means 2-3 years out of Europe and one starts dropping down (St. Pats have 2-3 years of a decent seeding)

[mcgonigle]

The persecution complex seems to grow in some Cork supporters.

I am surprised that Cork's outstanding form this season had not dispelled the insecurities that have been so obvious over the last few seasons. Has the first defeat of the season triggered all the doubts again?

He also said that AEK forced Cork to go long which didn't suit them. Now Cork play some nice football but one of their key tactics is to play the ball over the top for Maguire as quick as possible.

[jinxy lilywhite]

I wonder if JCs mind was completely focused on the game. By the sound of things he appeared to talking dundalks chances against Rosenborg saying we should be beating a team like that at their press conference earlier this week

[Acornvilla]

Can't help but feel that both Dundalk and Cork left something behind them from my watching of the matches, I'd have Hope for Dundalk, seem to do just fine away from home in Europe and could certainly go through with some sort of score draw. Cork have an awful lot to do, them Spanish Cypriots looked like they might be a lot more trouble to contain on their own patch. Didn't know what to expect from Rovers, at least we know they can score over there :D in fact I think there's a good chance, all 3 can score away from home, but I'd take 1 team getting through at this stage.

[El-Pietro]

the new 10 year ranking system thing will be of benefit to Shamrock Rovers and Dundalk next European season (presuming both qualify for Europe) in that a quick scan seems to indicate that they might be seeded next year in the first Qualifying round (the other team who would likely be seeded is poor aul St. Pats).

Cork's (and Derry's) on the other hand is actually so bad that they will be using the league's coeffecient rather than their own... they would need to qualify for the play off round to even start racking up some points. Which means they will have a tough time of it next year being unseeded etc.

The saddest thing is that this new system encouages consistency but despite the strides the league has kinda sorta made the big issue at the moment is consistency/security. It seems like the league finally gets a team or two together performing well only to have it raided by clubs across the water and other players move on to another club etc preventing cohesion... Both Dundalk and Cork have sadly seen this happen to their solid teams. So while just appearing in Europe each year gives a team a few points not maintaining consistency means 2-3 years out of Europe and one starts dropping down (St. Pats have 2-3 years of a decent seeding)
The 10 year ranking is only for prize money. Seeding will be based on 5 years. We are above the league total. Our 5 year coefficient is 1.750 compared to the leagues value of 1.340 at present, if we progress past AEK then we'd be up to 2.250. Derry are at 1.250 so will be below the league value. Rovers at 1.500, winning the second round would live them up to 2 even. Dundalk at 5.500 will be seeded next year, winning against Rosenborg would bring them up to 6.
https://kassiesa.home.xs4all.nl/bert/uefa/data/method5/trank2018.html

[Nesta99]

Im sure i can google it but how is the money breakdown effected by the 10 year record - the more you are in or succed in Europe the more you get? even if say a seeded team is beaten or is it simply a complete restructuring of where teams enter making it harder to get to the proper money pot?

[El-Pietro]

Im sure i can google it but how is the money breakdown effected by the 10 year record - the more you are in or succed in Europe the more you get? even if say a seeded team is beaten or is it simply a complete restructuring of where teams enter making it harder to get to the proper money pot?

I think thats the idea but I haven't spent any time trying to work out how it will effect us. My assumption is it will only really matter from the group stages on. Make sure the likes of Man Utd and Liverpool get paid even if they miss out for a year or two. In the current format Leicester were making more prize money as the Champions than Arsenal even if they made the same progress. Reward big clubs for being big but not for actual progress.

[Nesta99]

Right! So if Dundalk had made the group stages they'd have been earning more as league champions than an Arsenal if they went out same stage with no wins. Dmn that referee and the Boyle penalty decision anyway!! But yeah that figures that the clubs with clout preserve their over inflated cut regardless of perfromance. But then they would be generating the majority of market interest I suppose. Whether it would be fairer to pay them a cut proportionate to specific club's marketability or whether this is sharing the wealth so to speak (excluding us minnows) would be interesting. If the revenue lost in Scotland with the lack of interest due to the loss of the Old Firm is a kind of example, thats what i am getting at - the rest of the SPL clubs would have earned on the back of market interest in just the matches between a couple of clubs.

[Poor Student]

Yes playing in the Aviva with 90% support for Celtic would be a sickener, Dundalk supporters would be completely passionately cheering for Dundalk and listening to Irish people cheer for a foreign team is sickening.

You wouldn't last long supporting UCD in the Premier Division.

[sbgawa]

Ah now south siders cheering for rovers over ucd isn't as bad 😀

[DannyInvincible]

Derry were still going from reports right to the end, I'd put it down to naivety and inexperience in Europe, not setting up correctly and not being tight enough rather than a lack of what I mentioned in the earlier post.

Fair enough. Set-piece defending was poor which led to the concession of sloppy goals early on in the first leg and it was an up-hill struggle from then on. Definitely could have managed a more respectable result with a more intelligent and tailored game-plan though. It was far too open.

[AlanOB]

An analysis piece, comparing the European efforts of Cork City and Dundalk; Cork sorely lack a McEleney: http://bit.ly/2v4j0Cj

[El-Pietro]

Right! So if Dundalk had made the group stages they'd have been earning more as league champions than an Arsenal if they went out same stage with no wins. Dmn that referee and the Boyle penalty decision anyway!! But yeah that figures that the clubs with clout preserve their over inflated cut regardless of perfromance. But then they would be generating the majority of market interest I suppose. Whether it would be fairer to pay them a cut proportionate to specific club's marketability or whether this is sharing the wealth so to speak (excluding us minnows) would be interesting. If the revenue lost in Scotland with the lack of interest due to the loss of the Old Firm is a kind of example, thats what i am getting at - the rest of the SPL clubs would have earned on the back of market interest in just the matches between a couple of clubs.
No. The prize money was based on the tv money contributed by each country. So English clubs were always gonna get more than Irish clubs.


An analysis piece, comparing the European efforts of Cork City and Dundalk; Cork sorely lack a McEleney: http://bit.ly/2v4j0Cj
People love this guy but hes never performed against us.

[pineapple stu]

Can anyone explain the Irish Times' match report headline on Cork v AEK for me?


Cork City right behind the eight ball after conceding away goal (https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/soccer/cork-city-right-behind-the-eight-ball-after-conceding-away-goal-1.3154195)

[outspoken]

Last night we got a throw in, and like dunleavy did against dundalk recently, it was thrown off one our guys back, not sure who it was. Play carried on against dundalk, but last night a throw was given the other way. Is it frowned upon by foreign refs?

It's a foul throw simple as. Should be a yellow card too by right. LOI refs haven't a clue

[micls]

That's interesting. What makes it a foul throw?

[Eminence Grise]

Can anyone explain the Irish Times' match report headline on Cork v AEK for me?

In a bit of a tight spot. A bit like being snookered.

[rooster]

The Throw-in Law 15
A throw-in is awarded to the opponents of the player who last touched the ball when the whole of the ball passes over the touchline, on the ground or in the air.A goal cannot be scored directly from a throw-in:• if the ball enters the opponents’ goal – a goal kick is awarded• if the ball enters the thrower’s goal – a corner kick is awarded 1. Procedure At the moment of delivering the ball, the thrower must:• face the field of play• have part of each foot on the touchline or on the ground outside the touch line• throw the ball with both hands from behind and over the head from the point where it left the field of play All opponents must stand at least 2 m (2 yds) from the point at which the throw-in is taken.The ball is in play when it enters the field of play. If the ball touches the ground before entering, the throw-in is retaken by the same team from the same position. If the throw-in is not taken correctly it is retaken by the opposing team.If a player, while correctly taking a throw-in, intentionally throws the ball at an opponent in order to play the ball again but neither in a careless nor a reckless manner nor using excessive force, the referee allows play to continue.The thrower must not touch the ball again until it has touched another player

[CraftyToePoke]

Can anyone explain the Irish Times' match report headline on Cork v AEK for me?

Nine ball pool reference possibly.

[micls]

The Throw-in Law 15
A throw-in is awarded to the opponents of the player who last touched the ball when the whole of the ball passes over the touchline, on the ground or in the air.A goal cannot be scored directly from a throw-in:• if the ball enters the opponents’ goal – a goal kick is awarded• if the ball enters the thrower’s goal – a corner kick is awarded 1. Procedure At the moment of delivering the ball, the thrower must:• face the field of play• have part of each foot on the touchline or on the ground outside the touch line• throw the ball with both hands from behind and over the head from the point where it left the field of play All opponents must stand at least 2 m (2 yds) from the point at which the throw-in is taken.The ball is in play when it enters the field of play. If the ball touches the ground before entering, the throw-in is retaken by the same team from the same position. If the throw-in is not taken correctly it is retaken by the opposing team.If a player, while correctly taking a throw-in, intentionally throws the ball at an opponent in order to play the ball again but neither in a careless nor a reckless manner nor using excessive force, the referee allows play to continue.The thrower must not touch the ball again until it has touched another player

I may be missing something but I don't see how this shows it as being a foul throw? It only mentions throwing the ball at an opponent, not your own player.

[sbgawa]

Might be covered under unsporting behaviour ......don't see much wrong myself tbh

[Calcio Jack]

I assumed when watching it that the ref awarded a 'foul throw' because the player throwing it didn't throw it correctly ... in other words I didn't think it was anything to do with him throwing it off his own player he simply executed the throw badly

[pineapple stu]

In a bit of a tight spot. A bit like being snookered.
Hm. Never heard the term before. Could they not have said "snookered"? Or used a normal term?

Cheers anyway.

On the foul throw argument, just throwing (boom boom!) this goal up here.

Knedl7GzyLw

[bennocelt]

Hm. Never heard the term before. Could they not have said "snookered"? Or used a normal term?

Cheers anyway.

On the foul throw argument, just throwing (boom boom!) this goal up here.

Knedl7GzyLw

Feck ya P Stu, just got there with the Saunder's goal before me..............

[Charlie Darwin]

Can anyone explain the Irish Times' match report headline on Cork v AEK for me?
I thought you were querying the 'conceding away goal.' Which of course is irrelevant as it finished 1-0.

[oriel]

Huge week ahead for all 3 clubs, all obviously need to score away, but all in contention. 1 goal might do it for Dundalk, but I can't see Rosenborg not scoring, Cork need 2 to go through or 1-0 and AET and pens, while Rovers must score 2 and hope to keep a clean sheet. Not easy for any of the teams, Rovers definitely have the hardest task but you just never know, anything can happen.

For Dundalk, the prize money is probably more important than the actual potential Celtic match as this will rise from current 570k or so to 1.2 M minimum. Just the 'small' matter of getting past Rosenborg first !

[Briuk]

Can the European highlights be checked somewhere?

[El-Pietro]

Friday morning I thought our chances of progressing were slim to none. Then the third round draw happened and I'm dreaming of the group stages. We're in for a tough night on Thursday if difficult conditions. The positive is we know exactly what we need to do to qualify, and even if AEK score it doesn't really affect that too much. We need to go to Cyprus and score twice - or score once and win on penalties. We can't go out there and give up on defence but we do need to be aggressive and try to win the game.
I would rather be in AEK's position, knowing that they can sit and wait for us to attack and try and beat us on the counter but we're in with a shout and thats something.

[Charlie Darwin]

Huge week ahead for all 3 clubs, all obviously need to score away, but all in contention. 1 goal might do it for Dundalk, but I can't see Rosenborg not scoring, Cork need 2 to go through or 1-0 and AET and pens, while Rovers must score 2 and hope to keep a clean sheet. Not easy for any of the teams, Rovers definitely have the hardest task but you just never know, anything can happen.

For Dundalk, the prize money is probably more important than the actual potential Celtic match as this will rise from current 570k or so to 1.2 M minimum. Just the 'small' matter of getting past Rosenborg first !
Not a chance we're keeping a clean sheet.

[sbgawa]

I agree no chance of a clean sheet we need to score at least 3.....it's the hope that kills you

[bennocelt]

4 years ago today:)

https://scontent-frx5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/10505536_10152118653066533_5639325692964628394_n.j pg?oh=7b5d76f52d2c287b54ec5062c1114e76&oe=59C7382E

[paul_oshea]

Nice confident speak coming from all teams, particularly so Dundalk, they have more reason to be confident granted. Last week watching Dundalk I put the phone down while I went to eat a bit of the dinner quickly, came back and saw it was 1-0. I became complacent, said they'd need another one to kill it off. 15 minutes or so later they/Rosenborg were level, after as previously mentioned some pretty poor defending. As the game grew to a conclusion I got angry with myself for my complacency. I think this game for Dundalk (lesser the LOI and its supporters) its actually more important than anything done last year. No one expected them to qualify for anything, they got to the last qualifying round of the CL, and after landing in the group stage, anything after that was a bonus. People were a bit more expectant this year, and going out in the first round doesn't prove anything really, but getting through to another round and a guaranteed 4 more matches proves a level of consistency. It proves that a well run club and a well coached LOI side, can compete in Europe to a decent level. It shows that because Dundalk are not the same team as last year, personnel etc has changed, but they are managed by the same man, the club is run by the same people. They should be an inspiration to any others (within LOI)if they can go toe to toe with a former strong man of Europe, who aren't from a particularly strong league in Europe. I think for those reasons and more tomorrows victory would be much greater than anything else achieved thus far - regardless of how the 4 games go after.

Here's hoping to a Dundalk score draw. Whatever happens after that is again bonus territory. Kenny's confident that they need to score, negating whatever happens at the back.

[oriel]

I`m really looking forward to this tomorrow night, and just one goal might do it, however it will need to be something really special to get through but it will be up there with Kenny's finest achievement if we do it. With Dundalk he has had some great euro away results, 1-1 in Holland and Poland, and some other brilliant performances, losing by 1 goal in Israel, Russia & Belarus, if he can make a final push to grind out a win, that will be incredible.

The odds are firmly stacked against us though, then again not every bet wins, see above !

[placid casual]

Can't see Rovers keeping a clean sheet, so unless we score all our chances I think we'll go out.
Have to honest and say I think rosenburg will have too much for Dundalk, albeit it they are a Kevel above the teams Rovers and cork are facing. Cork should be looking to go through, assuming their manager sends his team out to attack.

[El-Pietro]

Can't see Rovers keeping a clean sheet, so unless we score all our chances I think we'll go out.
Have to honest and say I think rosenburg will have too much for Dundalk, albeit it they are a Kevel above the teams Rovers and cork are facing. Cork should be looking to go through, assuming their manager sends his team out to attack.
What?! We've scored 50-odd goals in the league. We scored 6 goals in the first round. We've gone out to score in every game we've played. Last week was teh first time we were held scoreless in almost a year.
I think AEK are a lot better than people are giving them credit for. They completely stifled us last week. Still holding out hope though.

[ger121]

What?! We've scored 50-odd goals in the league. We scored 6 goals in the first round. We've gone out to score in every game we've played. Last week was teh first time we were held scoreless in almost a year.
I think AEK are a lot better than people are giving them credit for. They completely stifled us last week. Still holding out hope though.

Yeah AEK are ok and do play in a league with a higher standard but something about Cork's play last week reminded me of them in Europe 2 years ago. Wasn't the City we are used to watching last 2 seasons.

[El-Pietro]

Yeah AEK are ok and do play in a league with a higher standard but something about Cork's play last week reminded me of them in Europe 2 years ago. Wasn't the City we are used to watching last 2 seasons.
They gave us absolutely no time on the ball. Every time we got it we were pressed and harried. Hopefully we can deal with that on Thursday but I don't think we were deliberately holding anything back last week, or maybe we were and it was a tactical masterclass from JC and hes gonna send the team out to smash AEK in two days. I certainly hope so!
Or more likely the Cypriot league is a few levels above the LOI and we aren't used to playing teams of that quality.

[TonyD]

Don't fancy any of the sides to get through unfortunately. Would give Dundalk the best chance. Just don't see Cork or Rovers overturning home defeats.

[sbgawa]

There is no hope of us keeping a clean sheet but I expect us to score. Wouldn't rule it completely out as it could easily have been 4 each in Tallaght but we are a real long shot.
Dundalk have a decent chance against the odds , Cork less so obviously. Would be great to get 1 through at least

[Ezeikial]

Paddy Power says odds on qualification

1/5 Rosenborg
3/1 Dundalk

http://www.paddypower.com/football/football-matches/champions-league-qualifiers/Rosenborg-v-Dundalk-12572864.html

[Ezeikial]

1/9 AEK Larnaca
5/1 Cork City

1/66 Mlada Boleslav
11/1 Shamrock Rovers

[ger121]

Think we could get 1 of 3 through. Ever the optimist!

[paul_oshea]

Paddy Power says odds on qualification

1/5 Rosenborg
3/1 Dundalk

http://www.paddypower.com/football/football-matches/champions-league-qualifiers/Rosenborg-v-Dundalk-12572864.html

Im seeing 6/1

[El-Pietro]

Thats to win in 90 minutes. They can qualifying without winning.

[disgruntled]

Hopefully one of our teams will get through but it's a big ask.
Dundalk probably have the best chance with City next.
I can't see Rivers doing anything but you'd never know.
Good luck to all of them.

[Straightstory]

Dundalk have the best chance - and they have the best manager with the most European experience.
Don't fancy Cork much. They might get a draw.
Rovers would need a miracle.
Each of them up against it to a degree, but best of luck to all.

[micls]

Dundalk were the only ones that actually looked like the stronger team in the match ups. Obviously it's a different story away but I think they have enough in them.

I think we have the ability to beat Larnaca, but we'll struggle majorly in the heat and there's no pressure on them to attack which won't suit us.

Don't see Rovers having much hope.