LOI In Europe 2021

[Nesta99]

I still think Rovers are favourites to win on the night if not to win the tie after the 1st leg. In a lot of ways there was self inflicted damage done rather than being outclassed by a much better side. Lessons will have been learned so I really do think this tie is still well in the mix, also I dont think Tallinn can raise their game any more whereas Rovers have a much better performance in them. The old clichés fit well, an early goal, make them nervous and not know whether to stick or play on the front foot, Rovers cant afford to play with any fear. Hedging bets here - patience could be needed, from the crowd too, not going quiet or getting on the backs of players if the early goal doesnt happen, if one goes in at any time there will be a barnstorming finish and some atmosphere! Tallinn score and ye cant see Rovers having the point men to put in 3. Penos are not unlikely. One of these opinions has to be a hit allowing for some revisionist hindsight tomorrow night;)


They played with no fear the last day. No fear of picking up a man or holding the middle! These lads pressed them high and obviously saw they were poor under pressure on defence. How much their manager got to see of them and how they played on their weakness was impressive. Joey O'Brien should be much more composed for example given where he has played but the lack of pace throughout the backline gave flora oceans of space to expose. Bradley saying we did it against slovan and we know what to do no you didn't slovan scored a goal and won the tie. This requires a massive effort and some actual organisation. These lads will score and it's highly unlikely rovers will score 4, pens doesn't really look likely either


Undoubtedly it was disappointing that Bradley didnt learn from the 1st leg v Slovan, he didnt react v Tallinn, he played 3 at the back without 1 having the pace required, the main issue was in midfield imo, O'Brien should have had the experience to show more composure and again ye have to question how or why the manager didnt instill the belief to go on the front foot. He does now have something to work with on that basis in how they responded 2nd leg v Slovan and look for more of that. Yes Rovers went out of the CL but in the end it was a close run thing and its a tad unfair not to factor that in to things or just dismiss the result of that leg. Im not arguing the case for Rovers potentially going through in a supporting manner, but in that I think they are capable of going through and it being, imo, due to inexperience or the over cautious nature of the tactics/manager in a 1st leg that give a lot of work to do. They can certainly level the tie, they will be better defensively as it would be too hard to be better than last week, the away goal rule change makes penos quite possible, Mannus doesnt make too many errors as he did so parrying the ball back in to the mix rather than push it wide - all the errors added up to the 1st leg loss and if cut out there is enough not to call it done and dusted. If Tallinn do go after finishing the tie it will suit Rovers based on who they struggled to break down the defensive Albanians. Be interesting to see how close the respective opinions will be - It be entertaining either way, if Rovers get hammered I will be fine to concede that calling favourites was misjudged.

Embaressing stuff from the league champions, Mannus is past it and gaff prone, Rovers were never favorites and madness to say they were, never learn from previous games, always were going to be tentative etc etc. Some retrospective rehashing....

Well Paul called it much better than I. My own comments are almost the hockers were put on Rovers performance. Controlled the game but lacked the ability or cutting edge to make a game of it in the end. The old LoI self destruct moment was there too. Id expected more from Rovers in intensity but it was very like playing the Albanians - plenty of possession, wayward balls in to the box, little of the driving in to the box that created before - a lot of playing it in front of a well set defense without looking to do something different that might have scattered them occasionally. Disappointing for Rovers fans at the opportunity lost, maybe Bradley will have learned something from thee games but he hasnt looked like he can think on his feet. Rovers piece to kick on domestically was Mannus but are still lacking that clinical hatstand for Europe. Midfield can improve to be more creative attacking wise - Finn who could be that centre player that can slip a ball through is wasted as a WB imo in Europe. League is pretty much done so can go again but a lot of work to be done and this year it may actually be the 'Worst standard league season'! Domestically Rovers just need to go through the motions which hasn't helped in Europe - If it was nip and tuck battling a decent Dundalk side, Rovers would have been less laboured in Europe!!!

Ifs and buts but seeing Vitesse beating Anderlecht does make you think what could have been. If DFC showed that sort of consistency of performance we'd be hauling in to europan slots while possibly looking at group stage football and the owners made a mess of it...

Anyways for now Im siding with the more cynical nature of Paul and Stu.....until next summer;)

[ontheotherhand]

League Champions, ie league standard bearers is the criteria I used, but you tumbled into computer supply shops etc anyway.
So can you remember league champions putting in a more embarrassing performance in Europe since Erkanas?

My memory is brutal. I had Bohs down as champions when they got humiliated by Total Network Solutions in the Champions League qualifier the year after they won the league. My apologies if they'd gotten into the CL by some other route.

The impact of that TNS tie was also far greater wasn't it? You basically had to win in order to keep your team together? Rovers will be back next season.

Fancy you for the cup though. Unfortunately.

[sullanefc]

I can't get my head around fans of other clubs calling Shamrocks result "embarrassing". Really? Even UCD fans, whose only prospect of getting in to Europe is by winning a fair play raffle. Sounds bitter to me.

Why do fans of other clubs care so much? To see an enhancement of the perception of the league? When Shamrock qualified for the EL group stages we thought the league had turned a corner. When Dundalk did it for the first time, we thought the same.

But let's face it, the league has peaks and troughs but by and large, it ain't getting better. It will always be sh1t. Why are we worried if it is ranked 20th or 50th really? To impress the doubters and the barstoolers? So the champions of our sh1t league lost to a team from another sh1t league. Who cares.

I'm followimg the league for 20+ years and have settled in a place where I don't really care about the perception of the league or if fellow league teams get embarrassed. All I want is what is best for my own team. In fact, I'm happy Shamrock lost and didn't get a €3m advantage over my team. Because at the end if the day, all I care about is my team getting promoted and winning trophies.

If I was a Shamrock fan, all I would care about now is winning the league title. Disappointed not to make more money, but winning trophies must be the priority. And I would be ignoring the bitter sh1ts of other clubs calling a European result "embarrassing".

[ontheotherhand]

They aren't embarrassed. They are absolutely delighted, just as they should be. The faux embarrassment would actually be a small silver lining if it was genuine but the reality is it's just a stick to come waving on a message board. If they were in contention in the league they would probably wave it less but it's all they have at the moment. I was absolutely over the moon when Bohs, Sligo and Dundalk crashed out but I didn't bother coming on here to post about it.

That said I think there's a few on here who are more "league followers" than "club supporters" and then there's a few who just come in to take a pop around the European games because any bad result justifies their opinion that it's ****e even if they don't actually watch it.

[Dalymountrower]

My memory is brutal. I had Bohs down as champions when they got humiliated by Total Network Solutions in the Champions League qualifier the year after they won the league. My apologies if they'd gotten into the CL by some other route.

The impact of that TNS tie was also far greater wasn't it? You basically had to win in order to keep your team together? Rovers will be back next season.

Fancy you for the cup though. Unfortunately.

Over 10 years ago , so not the question I originally put(conveniently!)
Yep that TNS result is the all time worst CL result.
Re FAI cup, winner on Sunday have to be favourites.

[ontheotherhand]

Over 10 years ago , so not the question I originally put(conveniently!)
Yep that TNS result is the all time worst CL result.
Re FAI cup, winner on Sunday have to be favourites.

Fair play. I missed the ten year qualifier. Well played.

[sullanefc]

The faux embarrassment would actually be a small silver lining if it was genuine but the reality is it's just a stick to come waving on a message board.

True.



That said I think there's a few on here who are more "league followers" than "club supporters" and then there's a few who just come in to take a pop around the European games because any bad result justifies their opinion that it's ****e even if they don't actually watch it.
This is true and it's weird behaviour IMO.

[pineapple stu]

I can't get my head around fans of other clubs calling Shamrocks result "embarrassing". Really? Even UCD fans, whose only prospect of getting in to Europe is by winning a fair play raffle. Sounds bitter to me.
Ah, sullane is back with a follow-up to his memorable logical tour-de-force post "I don't agree" - this time, "Bitter sh!ts" "Sound bitter to me", because of the club I support. Bravo!

It is an embarrassing defeat. Rovers were quite literally falling over themselves to gift goals to the champions of the 53rd-ranked league, who had never in 30 European ties before this season won two legs of the same tie. (Levadia Tallinn, the other main Estonian side, have achieved the feat once in 35 European ties, against Sammarinese opposition. Nomme Kalju did it once in 19 ties, against Faroese opposition, and so on)

It's also quite funny, and I'm quite happy to have a laugh at Rovers too (though sparing a thought for Scales, O'Neill, Finn and Watts of course)

Does it matter though? It does. You can look at trickle-down fees like transfer fees (transfer fee income in the LoI has gone through the floor in the past decade, which is a bad thing) or solidarity funding, but the main area is that a domestic league is supposed to provide players for the national team, and a bad league (like ours) translates to a bad national team (like ours). That impacts on my enjoyment as an Ireland fan, and also leads to less income for the FAI to put back into the game.

I know when your focus is on how to get out of the bottom half of the First Division or how to finally beat Cabinteely, this sort of joined-up thinking is bit advanced. But they're real factors nonetheless.

[CorribsideSteve]

Ah, sullane is back with a follow-up to his memorable logical tour-de-force post "I don't agree" - this time, "Bitter sh!ts" "Sound bitter to me", because of the club I support. Bravo!

It is an embarrassing defeat. Rovers were quite literally falling over themselves to gift goals to the champions of the 53rd-ranked league, who had never in 30 European ties before this season won two legs of the same tie. (Levadia Tallinn, the other main Estonian side, have achieved the feat once in 35 European ties, against Sammarinese opposition. Nomme Kalju did it once in 19 ties, against Faroese opposition, and so on)

It's also quite funny, and I'm quite happy to have a laugh at Rovers too (though sparing a thought for Scales, O'Neill, Finn and Watts of course)

Does it matter though? It does. You can look at trickle-down fees like transfer fees (transfer fee income in the LoI has gone through the floor in the past decade, which is a bad thing) or solidarity funding, but the main area is that a domestic league is supposed to provide players for the national team, and a bad league (like ours) translates to a bad national team (like ours). That impacts on my enjoyment as an Ireland fan, and also leads to less income for the FAI to put back into the game.

I know when your focus is on how to get out of the bottom half of the First Division or how to finally beat Cabinteely, this sort of joined-up thinking is bit advanced. But they're real factors nonetheless.

Exactly this.

[sullanefc]

Does it matter though? It does. You can look at trickle-down fees like transfer fees (transfer fee income in the LoI has gone through the floor in the past decade, which is a bad thing) or solidarity funding, but the main area is that a domestic league is supposed to provide players for the national team, and a bad league (like ours) translates to a bad national team (like ours). That impacts on my enjoyment as an Ireland fan, and also leads to less income for the FAI to put back into the game.

How long are you following the league? How long are you waiting/will you be waiting for the league to go from "bad league" to a "good league"?

I've bad news for ya stu. It ain't happening anytime soon. I'd be shocked if it happened in our lifetime. You should just enjoy the league for what it is. Bear the losses of your team and enjoy the wins.





I know when your focus is on how to get out of the bottom half of the First Division or how to finally beat Cabinteely, this sort of joined-up thinking is bit advanced. But they're real factors nonetheless.

A fan of one sh1t team in the 1st division slagging a slightly more sh1t team in the 1st division. Lol. Whatever makes you happy stu.

I'll console myself in the knowledge that at some point in the near future, City will be back challenging for trophies in the Premier division whereas UCD will always be sh1t.

I'll let the fans of the small clubs worry about the overall standing of the league/transfer fees/the national team and the big clubs can focus on winning trophies.

[pineapple stu]

I do enjoy the league for what it is. But unlike you, I see the bigger picture too - I'd like to see Ireland reach a World Cup again at some stage for example, preferably before FIFA make it a 96-team tournament - which is why I want the league to improve and our teams to do well in Europe, and why I don't share your short-term "**** on everyone except us" mentality.

Suggesting that only fans of small clubs should worry about the bigger picture only serves to show you haven't a clue what you're talking about in the context of that bigger picture.

[sullanefc]

which is why I want the league to improve and our teams to do well in Europe, and why I don't share your short-term "**** on everyone except us" mentality.



Na. You are bigging up Shamrock pre game and calling them embarrassing when they lose. You are setting them up for a slating which is your own bitter way of putting them down. Your own club will never have their success so I suppose this is your way of ribbing them. Pathetic.

[sullanefc]

And don't come back to me with the whole 30th place losing to 50th place nonsense. We love sport because it is more nuanced than that. Flora could have a group that is better than their league ranking of 50th. Maybe they just had a game plan that was suited to playing Shamrock. Dundalk are 2nd bottom and are probably the best team in the LOI suited to European football.

If you could predict outcomes based on league rankings, football club budgets etc, then sport would be boring, predictable and the bookies would be broke.

[Philosophizer]

I don't see what's wrong with taking an interest in the league standing and hoping we can improve. I don't think anyone on here realistically thinks we'll be in the top 20 or 25 any time soon, but what's wrong with trying improve?
I do still enjoy the league for what it is, but it's interesting to compare ourselves to other leagues. We rarely qualify for group stages so it's only natural that we take interest in the qualifier games and the league standing.

[sullanefc]

I don't see what's wrong with taking an interest in the league standing and hoping we can improve. I don't think anyone on here realistically thinks we'll be in the top 20 or 25 any time soon, but what's wrong with trying improve?
I do still enjoy the league for what it is, but it's interesting to compare ourselves to other leagues. We rarely qualify for group stages so it's only natural that we take interest in the qualifier games and the league standing.

That's all fine if that's what you are in to, but slating a team and labelling them as having an embarrassing result purely based on rankings is stupid IMO. And what's worse is when it comes from crap clubs that will never match the clubs they are slating.

Come back maybe when your own club achieves something.

[Dalymountrower]

[QUOTE=sullanefc;2085860]Na. You are bigging up Shamrock pre game and calling them embarrassing when they lose. /QUOTE]
Always thought Stu had a soft spot for Rovers.
You seem to have gone off the high diving board here Sullane, not many on here actually want to see LOI clubs, even our bitter rivals, let themselves down on live TV v European opponents they should be beating out the door..It reflects poorly on the league and gives ammunition option to the many many individuals hostile to the league.
Was it an embarrassing result and performance over both legs? Of course it was,and whatever about the deflection and whataboutery ( that I would also be indulging in if the shoe was on the other foot), most Rovers fans , I think, accept that.

For the record ,I was hoping for a Rovers 2-0 full time and 2-1 extra time, for co efficient points, a bit of a positive for the league while at the same time depriving Rovers of 3 million Euro and knackering them out for tomorrow's cup game
Petty and small minded? I resemble that remark.

[sullanefc]

.It reflects poorly on the league and gives ammunition option to the many many individuals hostile to the league.
.
This is exactly my point. Who gives a sh1t about those hostile to the league. Leave them have their english premier league. They probably consider anything outside Spain, england and Germany a crap league. It doesn't matter to them whether we are 50th best league or 20th. They will still call us crap.

Like I said, life is too short. Enjoy our crap league for what it is and ignore the naysayers.

[Nesta99]

For the record, the first line in my own last post was tongue in cheek and laughing at how I almost entirely got it wrong on how I thought things could pan out. Calling out results as embarrassing is par for the course, its football and rivalries exist and hence so does slagging opposition fans/clubs. To be completely serious in calling results embarrassing is amusing - stones in glasshouses and all that. That said we should care about league results in Europe as it is the barometer, like it or not, by which the league is measured. Better rankings and credibility usually leads to improved investment, greater interest, larger crowds etc so yeah I care how other teams do, not to the point where my own club will get cut lose and struggle to keep up financially, there is a balance unless it is Dundalk tearing it up with lots of prizemoney! For as daft as it can seem I like the eccentricity of the way many LoI fans put club allegiances aside during European campaigns. Its a piece of solidarity among fans for a niche league that so many think ye are a complete weirdo for following. Dundalk's 2016 EL campaign showed how wider interest can be generated beyond LoI stalwart fans. And that's before we do how the international team needs LoI players competing regularly in Europe for their development and how shortsighted the FAI were in neglecting the league leading to a decline in RoI standards.

[John83]

Sullanefc is right: we shouldn't be embarrassed that Shams lost to a **** team, costing themselves the equivalent of a couple of decades of LoI prize-money in the process. Revel in the schadenfreude!

[pineapple stu]

Na. You are bigging up Shamrock pre game and calling them embarrassing when they lose.
I didn't big anyone up. I suggested Rovers should draw away and win at home, which is entirely in keeping with the status of both leagues, including the basketcase Dundalk side knocking out the Estonian league leaders only a couple of weeks earlier.


And don't come back to me with the whole 30th place losing to 50th place nonsense.
30th place losing to 50th place? What are you on about? I said we should be targetting 30th place, but we're a long way away from there yet. 30th place leagues should be beating 50th place leagues. Yes, football has more capacity for upsets than most sports, but still, you absolutely can use rankings to suggest who's the better team. I mean, that's the entire point of a league table.

You've an awful lot of anger about you, and very little of a valid point. Instead, you're happier to dismiss people because of the clubs they support, which is brainless stuff to be quite honest.

[placid casual]

Two, 2(!!) UCD fans on a thread about European football... You couldn't make it up.
The equivalent of someone dishing out sex advice cos they once blew their beans with a brasser in the Dam..

[Dalymountrower]

Two, 2(!!) UCD fans on a thread about European football... You couldn't make it up.
The equivalent of someone dishing out sex advice cos they once blew their beans with a brasser in the Dam..
The catholic church still dictates the sex education "curriculum" in primary schools with no alleged direct experience in the area other than activities that have or should have had ended in court.
UCD have as good a pedigree in Europe as the majority of clubs Everton,Dudelange, under 19 successes, every right to have an opinion.

[Philosophizer]

My interest in the league coefficient has nothing to do with proving something to barstoolers or foreign footy fans. Sure most of them have never even heard of the uefa league coefficient table, let alone looked at it.
People just like to see how we measure up against the others. It's natural.

[sullanefc]

which is entirely in keeping with the status of both leagues, including the basketcase Dundalk side knocking out the Estonian league leaders only a couple of weeks earlier.
A > B and B > C therefore A > C is a mathematical truth, but it means jacksh1t in football. This is the type of childish logic that I predicted would come back from you.



30th place leagues should be beating 50th place leagues. Yes, football has more capacity for upsets than most sports, but still, you absolutely can use rankings to suggest who's the better team. I mean, that's the entire point of a league table.

League tables and coefficient tables indicate average performance. They do not indicate potential performance at a given moment in time. Injuries, suspensions, new signings, new managers, player form are just some of the factors that can change for a team from week to week.

I don't know where Ireland and Estonia are ranked. I was using the numbers 30 and 50 as examples. But saying a 30th place team losing to a 50th place team is an embarrassment is again, childish logic. Like I said in the last paragraph, there are many factors that can improve/disimprove a team.

Lower league teams beat higher league teams all the time. Last night I saw a crap team, 7th in the 1st division, outplay (for large parts) a team 2nd in the Premier. Took them all the way to pens. Should Pats be embarrassed? Of course not. It's football.


Two, 2(!!) UCD fans on a thread about European football... You couldn't make it up.
The equivalent of someone dishing out sex advice cos they once blew their beans with a brasser in the Dam..
Lol. So true.

[Dalymountrower]

Lower league teams beat higher league teams all the time. Last night I saw a crap team, 7th in the 1st division, outplay (for large parts) a team 2nd in the Premier. Took them all the way to pens. Should Pats be embarrassed? Of course not. It's football.


Lol. So true.

If Pat's had been beaten 5-2, by Cork Alberts Mk IV, yes it would be an embarrassment.

[Nesta99]

Your lack of any sense of expectation from a higher ranked side must be dulled by the CCFC experience sullane. If club positions were reversed in the game last night Cork lost you wouldnt be at all embarrassed, Cork fans would just accept the result because its football?

[pineapple stu]

A > B and B > C therefore A > C is a mathematical truth, but it means jacksh1t in football. This is the type of childish logic that I predicted would come back from you.
What the absolute **** are you talking about?

Pre-match, people on an internet forum were giving their views on a match. Imagine that!

Those views were that Rovers were favourites based on a number of factors - not least that a crap Dundalk team had beaten the Estonian league leaders a couple of weeks earlier. A Bohs fan has noted that any bookies he saw - not necessarily in Ireland - had Rovers down as favourites. (You've ignored that point actually. You've ignored a lot of points here).

No-one described their views as mathematical proof. You're just going off on hyperbolic rants now, countering arguments that no-one has ever made.

During and after the game, the general consensus was that the performance was embarrassing, again based on a number of observable factors such as Alan Mannus jumping over the ball, Joey O'Brien falling down instead of defending, and the centre-mid pairing not really bothering to do anything inside their own half.

And now you - who never offered any opinion before the game, and in fact have offered no real logical views afterwards either - have come along and started slamming people for daring to discuss a game, all while dismissing their views based on the club they support?

Would you ever get a grip.

[sullanefc]

You sound very angry stu? You need to chill dude.

I've no issue with people picking out favourites in advance based on your "factors". My issue is with the word "embarrassing". You'd think the result was a slam dunk with that kind of talk.

No LOI European tie is a slam dunk. You are deluded if you think so.

You are now offering the nuance of "the manner of the goals" in your phrasing of "embarrassing". A nuance you didn't offer in your original post. Revisionism.

Look, you've been called on your nonsense and are getting angry so I'll leave it there as I'm sure people are bored of this back and forth.

Get out and enjoy the sun stu. It'll do you the world of good.

[sbgawa]

The pearl clutching is funny at this point. Rovers underperformed. It happens.
They lost to a team who had lost on penos to a Cypriot team who then only lost on penos to antwerp so they can't be that bad. Embarrassing?? Not as embarrassing as oriel Park or dalymount on TV. Players wages not being paid , clubs going bust or chairman issuing press releases bringing North Korea into it. Those things are embarrassing, a team losing a game of football is disappointing (unless u are not a fan) in which case its great.
Roll on next season, hopefully we can embarrass ourselves in the group stages.
Dan Mcdonnell put up a great stat showing 0 Zero teams who entered the conference league in round 1 made the groups.
Winning the league is everything now

[Philosophizer]

You sound very angry stu? You need to chill dude

Says the lad who was giving out stink earlier 😁

[sullanefc]

Says the lad who was giving out stink earlier 😁
Not at all. The tone in my typing does not always reflect my actual intended tone. I promise to try and improve in this area. 👍

[Philosophizer]

Not at all. The tone in my typing does not always reflect my actual intended tone. I promise to try and improve in this area. 👍
Ha ha come on outta that Sullane. You are some article! 😁

[Nesta99]

Tbf the same sort of stuff was directed at Dundalk after Larnaca and Celje, from the usual quarters and when we did progress the achievement was downplayed as it was on penos/away goals against lower ranked leagues - i saw it as par for the course between football fans, wind ups,. I dont get how emotive this has become as such comments are kinda common on football fora. Isnt it a compliment to Rovers that people called them favourites, and if the side that were deemed favourites lose its hardly a surprise that 'embarrassing' comments follow a poor result. Was the recent RoI result v Luxembourg seen by fans and media as embarrassing or just football? The sporting media certainly made it clear what the general thinking was.

As for Oriel and Dalymount Parks et al, they are a tip of the iceberg if that sort of embaressment! League prizemoney, no TV revenue, the FAI, lack of appeal system, Galway DVDs, grown men behaving like schooligans, the sale of Milltown, boom and bust, won it in talla, golf balls, flares, some chants, asterix etc etc.

Calling someone angry is a tad ironic sullane when it was yourself that took exception to posts in the first place, calling people pathetic and the like. There's no shortage of being super sensitive in this thread the last few days one way or another!

[paul_oshea]

What's wrong with passing ? It's about keeping possession and waiting patiently for an opening/opportunity. What's the alternative - long balls up the pitch and the lottery of who gets to them first ?

Absolutely nothing. When your defending a lead or killing time passing it about the back 3/4 is a very sensible approach or say when you are looking for a goal passing it around patiently trying to break the line or some intuitive, incisive passing, that's a great time, but when a player like joey obrien gets it under pressure and puts his keeper under more pressure thats not the time. There's this sense in Irish football that there is some evolution(perhaps revolution) going on in how we play the game, possession passing football brought through by domestic based coaches. The national team over the last year and what rovers produced over 2 those 2 legs was anything far removed from attractive, front foot positive football. Ironically those calling for a balance of play have seen kenny adapt over the last few games and its reaped rewards. Bradley looked completely out of his depth the last day, the young estonian was a coach who knew how to think on his feet and react, a good tactician, be interesting to see how they do in the group stages if they dont get anyone too strong, whatever the coaching level its steps ahead of what is being produced domestically in Ireland at the top(if those were the countries two top coaches going head to head).

[legendz]

Rovers lost 2 rounds and won 1. It's fair to have high expectations of the league's champions, depending on the opponent.
I have sympathy for them as well. These qualifying rounds obviously are knockout football and are fraught with danger. The bigger leagues are intent on automatic qualification narrowing down the available positions. Not much of a problem in the Conference League yet but UEFA being UEFA, the likes of Tottenham Hotspur will automatically qualify for the group stage in a few years. If the Conference League truly is for the lower ranked nations, the higher leagues should have no participants at all.

[paul_oshea]

but isnt that what footballs all about, the carrot, the incentive, the romanticism?

[sullanefc]

Calling someone angry is a tad ironic sullane when it was yourself that took exception to posts in the first place, calling people pathetic and the like.
So using the word "pathetic" implies that I am angry? I'll use a smiley the next time I use the word to convey how I am feeling when using the word.



Tbf the same sort of stuff was directed at Dundalk after Larnaca and Celje, from the usual quarters and when we did progress the achievement was downplayed as it was on penos/away goals against lower ranked leagues - i saw it as par for the course between football fans, wind ups,.

It may be par for the course but I find it childish and pathetic.

Edit: Oh wait... "Pathetic 😆😆😉😘".

[sbgawa]

Rovers lost 2 rounds and won 1. It's fair to have high expectations of the league's champions, depending on the opponent.
I have sympathy for them as well. These qualifying rounds obviously are knockout football and are fraught with danger. The bigger leagues are intent on automatic qualification narrowing down the available positions. Not much of a problem in the Conference League yet but UEFA being UEFA, the likes of Tottenham Hotspur will automatically qualify for the group stage in a few years. If the Conference League truly is for the lower ranked nations, the higher leagues should have no participants at all.
Nah can't agree with that.
If you manage to get to group stages you want some glamour ties.

[Nesta99]

So using the word "pathetic" implies that I am angry? I'll use a smiley the next time I use the word to convey how I am feeling when using the word.



It may be par for the course but I find it childish and pathetic.

Edit: Oh wait... "Pathetic ".

That would make the vast majority of football fans childish and pathetic - whether thats good or bad is a different story. Dont take the word pathetic in isolation though, if angry isnt the exact word, you're bothered enough to still be making your point 3 pages on or whatever. Maybe you should heed some of your own advice to lighten up and chill. Battling Bohs and UCD fans on comments made about Shamrock Rovers as a Cork City fan why?

[sullanefc]

That would make the vast majority of football fans childish and pathetic - whether thats good or bad is a different story. Dont take the word pathetic in isolation though, if angry isnt the exact word, you're bothered enough to still be making your point 3 pages on or whatever. Maybe you should heed some of your own advice to lighten up and chill. Battling Bohs and UCD fans on comments made about Shamrock Rovers as a Cork City fan why?
And you were bothered enough to stick your oar in. Why?

I'll give you a clue. It's a "discussion" forum.

Have some smilies in case you think I'm angry... 😆😆😅😅😀😀

[Nesta99]

You havent really been doing a whole lot of discussing though have you, Its no skin off my nose whether you are angry or not, many Cork fans are permanently angry so it would be normal enough and no need for the smilies, though obviously not you sullane. Grumpy is more fitting!

[CorribsideSteve]

The attitude I see on here of "Oh well, we're jack sh"t useless and always will be, so let's just accept it. Forever, and ever, amen", is very disapointing. Let's revel in the bottom feeding cos nearly everyone will beat us anyway, and no 5-2 defeat is embarrassing, ever. :rolleyes: But Galway United havent been in Europe for 30 years, so I'm invalidated, point-wise.

[sullanefc]

Its no skin off my nose
Yet you felt the need to engage with me and call me grumpy. Sure... 😄😄😄

Good one Nesta kid!!!

[Nesta99]

I'm easily amused!

Engaging and thinking you are grumpy doesnt mean I actually care, if you need me to care then I will care though. I am interested in how someone who is a LoI supporter is content with mediocrity and at face value at least, doesnt seemsto care about the standard of the league or its improvement. Youve lost a few smilies there sullen.

[oriel]

Damage was done by Rovers in the away leg, you simply cannot concede 4 away and expect to qualify, it was too big an ask after that.

The disappointment is, Flora are well behind Levadia whom a (very) poor Dundalk side beat away and got past, plus this really was was as good a chance as you can get to get to the group stages. Granted last year Dundalk played a Faroes team in Aviva to make it, and all one legs before (but still 3 away games and one was Sheriff), the point is the expectation really was that Rovers were expected to win, they were beaten fair and square.

Final point, not sure Flora were that much better than Riga FC who Dundalk played in 2019 and who I think were actually better than us, but we squeezed by on pens, fine margins, but Rovers had strengthened massively in 2020 Towell is one example, they should have had enough to get past Flora.

[placid casual]

The concept of games in hand is really lost on dundalk fans it seems.
Same as in 2019 when you were 11 points behind Rovers with 3 games in hand, and saw it as some miracle in overcoming Rovers thst year, in this particular context Flora are 12 points behind Levadia with 3 games in hand.
Flora won the league last year and are the best team in Estonia, in the exact way Rovers are the best team in Ireland.

[ToberonaTornado]

The concept of games in hand is really lost on dundalk fans it seems.
Same as in 2019 when you were 11 points behind Rovers with 3 games in hand, and saw it as some miracle in overcoming Rovers thst year, in this particular context Flora are 12 points behind Levadia with 3 games in hand.
Flora won the league last year and are the best team in Estonia, in the exact way Rovers are the best team in Ireland.

:Dabort - abort - DUNDALK FANS - we've been made!

Peter Collins on RTÉ on Thursday night straight out of the blocks mentioned it funny enough.So it's just Dundalk fans thinking that ehh??

Your weird about Dundalk fans,very foxing weird!!

[pineapple stu]

You havent really been doing a whole lot of discussing though have you,
This is it. First off wading in calling people "Bitter sh!ts" (but he's not angry, mind). Then arguing against a series of comments that nobody has actually made, the latest of which include -


I've no issue with people picking out favourites in advance based on your "factors". My issue is with the word "embarrassing". You'd think the result was a slam dunk with that kind of talk.

No LOI European tie is a slam dunk. You are deluded if you think so.

You are now offering the nuance of "the manner of the goals" in your phrasing of "embarrassing". A nuance you didn't offer in your original post. Revisionism.
But nobody ever called the tie a slam dunk. And the manner of the goals has been called out as a factor in the "embarrassing" definition since, well, since they were scored.

The defeat was embarrassing. Why it's such a problem for you to have that called out on a discussion board, I have no idea. Partly because, as Nesta says, you haven't been able to make any points in your defence; you just go around abusing others for engaging in discussion.

[pineapple stu]

The attitude I see on here of "Oh well, we're jack sh"t useless and always will be, so let's just accept it. Forever, and ever, amen", is very disapointing. Let's revel in the bottom feeding cos nearly everyone will beat us anyway, and no 5-2 defeat is embarrassing, ever. :rolleyes: But Galway United havent been in Europe for 30 years, so I'm invalidated, point-wise.
Oh, and all of this too.

[Nesta99]

The concept of games in hand is really lost on dundalk fans it seems.
Same as in 2019 when you were 11 points behind Rovers with 3 games in hand, and saw it as some miracle in overcoming Rovers thst year, in this particular context Flora are 12 points behind Levadia with 3 games in hand.
Flora won the league last year and are the best team in Estonia, in the exact way Rovers are the best team in Ireland.

Id take points in hand every time, banking on games in hand is a risky business.