League of Ireland in Europe 2019

[D24Saint]

Our game got switched to home first , away second.

[Asterix]

Groups for tomorrows draw

Dundalk:

FC København (DEN)

FC BATE Borisov (BLR) or GKS Piast Gliwice (POL)

FC Astana (KAZ) or CFR 1907 Cluj (ROU)

Ferencvárosi TC (HUN) or PFC Ludogorets 1945 (BUL)

FK Partizani (ALB) or Qarabağ FK (AZE)


Rovers:

FK Mladá Boleslav (CZE)

Fotbal Club FCSB (ROU) or FC Milsami Orhei (MDA)

FK Kauno Žalgiris (LTU) or Apollon Limassol FC (CYP)

RC Strasbourg (FRA)

AZ Alkmaar (NED)

FK Radnik Bijeljina (BIH) or FC Spartak Trnava (SVK)


Pats:

FC Dinamo Minsk (BLR) or FK Liepaja (LVA)

RCD Espanyol (ESP)

KF Laçi (ALB) or Hapoel Beer-Sheva FC (ISR)

Atromitos FC (GRE)

FC Arsenal Tula (RUS)


Cork:

NK Osijek (CRO)

FC Prishtina (KOS) or St Joseph's FC (GIB) or Rangers FC (SCO)

AS Roma (ITA)

Gzira United FC (MLT) or HNK Hajduk Split (CRO)

FC Luzern (SUI)

[pineapple stu]

Is that Dundalk pool the worst any LoI club has ever had?

[patrickccfc]

Incredible harsh on dundalk that.
Rangers would be great fun if we managed to get through. Roma would be amazing. Obviously not from a progression point of view.

[Ezeikial]

If Dundalk have any designs on reaching group stages again, that's the type of quality of side that has to be overcome. It shows up how difficult the task actually is.

[bennocelt]

Dundalk: its still better than the other group I think. FK Partizani (ALB) or Qarabağ FK (AZE) would be the tie to draw. If the second leg is at home then anything can happen in a game like that. Some of those other teams wouldn't be great travellers Id say. Probably will get BATE again though.

Rovers: If they somehow get past Brann, FK Radnik Bijeljina (BIH) or FC Spartak Trnava (SVK) the tie to get. Strasbourg wouldn't be too bad, its only up the road for me.

Pats: If they get past the Swedes, not a bad draw really, best they could have hoped for, some very beatable teams there......FC Dinamo Minsk (BLR) or FK Liepaja (LVA)would be my pick.

Cork City: Tough enough, but I have been saying all month that Cork would get Lucerne, to annoy my city mate who used to live here, would be perfect chance to meet up again!

(Edit: oh yeah Basel are in it today...........get PSV then its the europa for definite)

[nigel-harps1954]

Well that's the understatement of the year.

It's been a difficult adjustment for Cork this year, but their minds must be on giving themselves the best chance of progress in the competition by progressing past Progres into the second round. That'd be a real bit of progress for them after a tough few months.

[seand]

Is that Dundalk pool the worst any LoI club has ever had?

More biggish teams have been pushed into the second qualifying round, so there was no easy draw really. Maribor / APOEL / Red Star in the other side are arguably easier than anything in our half, but not much! Worst group since the 2016 CL Playoff draw anyway

[oriel]

I think people are losing sight of the progress route, CL r2 (if we get there) was probably always going to be twice as hard as the first round, but the pot looks worse than I even feared. I would expect Dundalk to get past Riga, exit on the next round, then have a better chance in EL R3, that’s one round before the play off.

That will obviously all change if we don't get past Riga, then its into EL R2 and BATE / Polish side are lurking.

[bennocelt]

More biggish teams have been pushed into the second qualifying round, so there was no easy draw really. Maribor / APOEL / Red Star in the other side are arguably easier than anything in our half, but not much! Worst group since the 2016 CL Playoff draw anyway


Dundalk V AEK Larnaca 0–4, yeah.

[Pablo Escobar]

Dundalk V AEK Larnaca 0–4, yeah.

There does seem to be general dismissal of Cypriot sides on here over the years. A very good Cork City side and a very good Dundalk side were brushed aside by AEK over the last 2 years. APOEL are a level up again.

[geysir]

Is that Dundalk pool the worst any LoI club has ever had?

To me it looks less daunting than Dundalk's 2016 2nd round pool of possible opponents, as it turned out they got through on away goals against the weakest team.
Celtic, Bate, Copenhagen, Rosenborg, RS Belgrade and FH

[bennocelt]

There does seem to be general dismissal of Cypriot sides on here over the years. A very good Cork City side and a very good Dundalk side were brushed aside by AEK over the last 2 years. APOEL are a level up again.


They sucker punched Basel last season, was at the game, well set up team, brilliant on the counter. Knocked Basel out anyway.


Dundalk (or riga) V FK Partizani (ALB) or Qarabağ FK (AZE). That's the best they could have got.

Feck. Basel got PSV, that's the europa early again, damn

[PartySaint]

If Dundalk get through they play Partizani or Qarabag

Dundalk down to play at home first.

That's rough.

[seand]

There does seem to be general dismissal of Cypriot sides on here over the years. A very good Cork City side and a very good Dundalk side were brushed aside by AEK over the last 2 years. APOEL are a level up again.

I don't think suggesting that APOEL might be slightly weaker than Astana counts as dismissing Cypriot sides.

Anyway Qarabag........ group stage football in each of the last five seasons doused in Azeri petrodollars- and that was probably the 'easiest' draw available.

[patrickccfc]

Bate or Plast if dundalk fail to beat riga

[seand]

Bate or Plast if dundalk fail to beat riga

Jeezus wept

[sparky12345678]

Wahey! European football! sadly none of the ties seem accessible from where I am in Austria. As always Dundalk and Irish sides generally should be aiming to be seeded in that first round and while there are no easy draws etc winning that seeded round will go a long way. As I understand it; if they beat Riga, then drop down (if they do lose), they will be seeded against the progressing CL losers:
which makes it a repeat of the first round really?
so being seeded and living up to that seeding allows for two arguably winnable ties. The third one is literally a playoff then into the group stages and obv hope for a miracle :D

[seand]

Wahey! European football! sadly none of the ties seem accessible from where I am in Austria. As always Dundalk and Irish sides generally should be aiming to be seeded in that first round and while there are no easy draws etc winning that seeded round will go a long way as I understand it if they beat Riga and then lose out when they drop down the will be seeded against the progressing CL losers which makes it a repeat of the first round really?
so being seeded and living up to that seeding allows for two arguably winnable ties. The third one is literally a playoff then into the group stages and obv hope for a miracle :D

Yes, Dundalk's most probable route looks like: beat Riga, lose to Qarabag, drop to ELQ3 where we'd play the winners of one of the ELQ2 ties between the CL first round losers, so possible something like Piast, Suduva, Linfield (who'll play HB from Faroes), Nomme Kalju ........

Win that and you're into the EL Playoff round with the CL third round losers, so possibly (going with seedings) Red Star, PAOK, Maribor, Ludogorets!

[seand]

Cork and Rangers then.......

[RathfarnhamHoop]

There's an incentive for Cork now

[El-Pietro]

I really didn't want Rangers. Jesus. Not likely we will play them but thats some tie.

[seand]

The Newco derby

[RathfarnhamHoop]

Rovers vs Kauno Zalgiris / Apollon Limassol
Not the worst draw we could've gotten

[Pablo Escobar]

I really didn't want Rangers. Jesus. Not likely we will play them but thats some tie.

It's very likely if we get through. It's the one I didn't want too. It would likely draw every cretin out of the woodwork. Turners Cross is not an easy area to police either.

[brendy_éire]

Pats and Rovers down to play at home on the same night so one of them will be moved.

Have the clubs/FAI/gardaí specifically requested that this be the case? Is the any particular reason they can't play on the same night?

[El-Pietro]

It's very likely if we get through. It's the one I didn't want too. It would likely draw every cretin out of the woodwork. Turners Cross is not an easy area to police either.
I think its unlikely because I don't expect us to get through.

[El-Pietro]

Have the clubs/FAI/gardaí specifically requested that this be the case? Is the any particular reason they can't play on the same night?
Generally a UEFA rule. Can't have more than one game on the same night within a specific distance. Pats had a game moved to a Tuesday a few years ago because of somethign similar affecting their opponents. I think it played a part in our game in Estonia getting moved out of Tallinn, and our legs against Larnaca being swapped.

[patrickccfc]

"Announce cork bombing" One of the lovely comments from the rangers forum. They seem very nice

[White Horse]

It's very likely if we get through. It's the one I didn't want too. It would likely draw every cretin out of the woodwork. Turners Cross is not an easy area to police either.

Play it at the Aviva and make a mint.

[Partizan]

IFK Norrkoping (SWE) for Pats.

Up Norrkoping. Hammer the Junkie Rats.

[Pablo Escobar]

Play it at the Aviva and make a mint.

....at the same time I wouldn't want us to move the game either........I think that means that I want us to lose in the 1st round :D

[EatYerGreens]

It's very likely if we get through. It's the one I didn't want too. It would likely draw every cretin out of the woodwork. Turners Cross is not an easy area to police either.

Yeah. The media will no doubt use phrases like "mouthwatering prospect" and "moneyspinning tie" for it, but the reality is likely to be different.

Turners Cross is a small ground. There could've been other opponents that would've resulted in as much gate money as this fixture would bring if it happens. Especially as there will have to be an unusually large area of segregation between the fans I'd imagine. Then there's the significantly enhanced security costs around the fixture to factor in. The only financial positives I can see is that Cork's travel costs would be low, and a British channel like Sky Sports would probably be keen on screening the game if it happened. But that would have to be balanced against all the other factors.

Not to mention the potential for hassle it would create within the city that day and night as well. Just not worth it IMO.

[EatYerGreens]

Have the clubs/FAI/gardaí specifically requested that this be the case? Is the any particular reason they can't play on the same night?

Isn't it UEFA themselves who insist (with the odd exception) that clubs shouldn't play in the same city at the same time ?

[ger121]

Am I the only one who thinks that possible 2nd round draw for Dundalk is a winnable tie. Qarabeg a decent side but Dundalk shouldn't fear them. When you see who else was in that Pot, that's a result.

[EatYerGreens]

Am I the only one who thinks that possible 2nd round draw for Dundalk is a winnable tie. Qarabeg a decent side but Dundalk shouldn't fear them. When you see who else was in that Pot, that's a result.

Qarabag have a very impressive pedigree though.

They've been in the group stages of European competitions for the last 5 consecutive seasons - 4 in the EL and once in the CL.

Even if you combined all Irish clubs performances in Europe, they still wouldn't come near that.

People shouldn't get carried away about Dundalk's chances against Qarabeg

[PartySaint]

After avoiding Dinamo Minsk in yesterday's draw we're rewarded with a trip there (most likely) if we manage to upset the Swedes.

It's either Minsk or FK Liepaja from Latvia

[EatYerGreens]

It's apparent from the teams who are in the European draws this year that - whilst Irish football has made some real advances in standard and quality in recent years/decades, a lot of the other 'lesser' leagues and their top teams have progressed to a much greater extent than we have.

[marinobohs]

Yeah. The media will no doubt use phrases like "mouthwatering prospect" and "moneyspinning tie" for it, but the reality is likely to be different.

Turners Cross is a small ground. There could've been other opponents that would've resulted in as much gate money as this fixture would bring if it happens. Especially as there will have to be an unusually large area of segregation between the fans I'd imagine. Then there's the significantly enhanced security costs around the fixture to factor in. The only financial positives I can see is that Cork's travel costs would be low, and a British channel like Sky Sports would probably be keen on screening the game if it happened. But that would have to be balanced against all the other factors.

Not to mention the potential for hassle it would create within the city that day and night as well. Just not worth it IMO.

While I don't think playing Rangers is as big an issue as it was a while back, it will still attract every looper about. Cetainly not an appealing draw for Cork (should it happen)

[PartySaint]

Up Norrkoping. Hammer the Junkie Rats.

This thread isn't for Waterford fans...

[bennocelt]

Am I the only one who thinks that possible 2nd round draw for Dundalk is a winnable tie. Qarabeg a decent side but Dundalk shouldn't fear them. When you see who else was in that Pot, that's a result.


No, I think so too. Will be tough for sure, definitely............but these are the type of ties that Dundalk have shown they can come through of recent.
On paper Bate were unbeatable................

[D24Saint]

Up Norrkoping. Hammer the Junkie Rats.

Closet you’ll get is a trip to ikea. I recommend their swedish meatballs.

[El-Pietro]

Closet you’ll get is a trip to ikea. I recommend their swedish meatballs.
Nice.

[Nesta99]

Closet you’ll get is a trip to ikea. I recommend their swedish meatballs.

Ah leave him alone! It's understandable that Waterford fans would be cranky yesterday and today.

[Martinho II]

It's very likely if we get through. It's the one I didn't want too. It would likely draw every cretin out of the woodwork. Turners Cross is not an easy area to police either.

whys that pablo with the policing?

[forza]

Up Norrkoping. Hammer the Junkie Rats.

What's your address so we can all send you a postcard? :)

[joey B]

The quickest of Twitter scans after typing in 'Cork City Rangers' , should tell you how much bother this tie isn't really worth!

[Pablo Escobar]

whys that pablo with the policing?

The area is very residential. There's no 1 obvious route to approach from the city. The ground is very tight and the fans are never that far apart with not a lot separating them. Control was lost before the Setanta Cup game against Glentoran. The vast majority of their fans were fine, but maybe 20 or so ran amok after starting in a pub. The authorities had no answer. This is a different ball game altogether.

[oriel]

I'd love to see Cork v Rangers, what a perfect setting in TC, ideal if they could limit away fans to reduced numbers but demand will be very high and they wuill prob have to offer 10% or so of capacty so that would be the whole St Annes end.

Just a pity its not Cork 2017 or even up to mid season 2018 in action, that would be a right good test for Rangers, although they would still not expect to beat them over two legs.

[geysir]

A lot of talk about Cork V Glasgow Rangers. It's not so long ago since Rangers were beaten by Progres Niederkorn in the EL, the Luxembourgian club that Cork (in all probability) will have to overcome in the 1st round.