LOI in Europe 2022

[TonyD]

Harsh yellow for Gaffney there. Doing a difficult job very well.

[TonyD]

Surely you mean Hoare ?

Hoare has always looked out of his depth in European matches. Even back to his Dundalk days.

[pineapple stu]

Hibs of Malta 2-0 up on the Estonian champions, in results that also don't exactly tie in to last year...

[Nah Nah Nah Nah]

Surely you mean Hoare ?

Don’t really expect Hoare to be up to much. Lopes is usually very good and composed. Not that at all tonight.

[D24Saint]

Do Rovers not have a kit that'd be less of a colour clash?

Shows how over the top our league is on the subject. The episode in Richmond last Friday was farcical.

[joey B]

Has to take Watts off,having a bad night….

[Philosophizer]

V poor there from Watts.

[TonyD]

Shows how over the top our league is on the subject. The episode in Richmond last Friday was farcical.

Off topic, but has anyone explained wtf that was about ?

[paul_oshea]

Smallest man on the field blocks the free just as commentators say he's known for his delivery. Rolleyes it's exactly this kind of stuff that frustrates me watching LOI sides they're no excuse for it. You've got nothing all night just get it into the box.

[D24Saint]

Off topic, but has anyone explained wtf that was about ?

The white sleeves on our home shirt according to Cowzer in The Sun.

[TonyD]

Rovers doing better this half so far.

(Cue third Ludogorets goal no doubt. :p)

[pineapple stu]

This ref is a joke. There's a red card coming for someone who barely deserved to get booked

Can't imagine it's helpful as a player

[kksaints]

Watts has been very poor. It's a pity for Rovers that all of their attacks seem to end with him on the ball. Gaffney and Towell have done well.

[ontheotherhand]

Yeah Watts really letting us down. Everything falling apart when it hits him.

[Nah Nah Nah Nah]

The white sleeves on our home shirt according to Cowzer in The Sun.

Surely this should be all decided before the night. As in the league tell Dundalk you can’t wear your white jersey when playing away to Pats. Or rather this is what you have to wear this night.

[passinginterest]

Much improved second half. Hopefully manage to not concede something silly now. There’s a chance to nick one and make it a real game in Tallaght.

[paul_oshea]

These lads have dropped off the pace massively. It'll be a travesty if rovers don't go and do something with it.

[TonyD]

The white sleeves on our home shirt according to Cowzer in The Sun.

Jesus wept :rolleyes:

Rovers much better this half. Maybe an element of Ludogorets thinking the job is done ? If Rovers could manage to nick one it could get interesting.

[D24Saint]

Surely this should be all decided before the night. As in the league tell Dundalk you can’t wear your white jersey when playing away to Pats. Or rather this is what you have to wear this night.

Dundalk previously wore a black and amber kit , I’m not sure if they still use it. That would have avoided a clash.

[joey B]

Why is the ball landing to Grace at the edge of the box from a corner ? He’s the biggest man on the team…

[pineapple stu]

Jesus wept :rolleyes:

Rovers much better this half. Maybe an element of Ludogorets thinking the job is done ? If Rovers could manage to nick one it could get interesting.
2-0 is the most dangerous lead in football don't forget!

Would be surprised if Ludogorets have relaxed, but certainly Rovers are well in this half.

Problem is Ludogorets' defence seems quite solid (haven't conceded a goal yet this season for example), so scoring twice (at least) looks quite a long shot at this stage.

[TonyD]

Must say, I’ve been converted on Gaffney. I thought he was just a big mullacker. Looks like a Mayo corner forward, but he’s very effective as a hold up player.

[pineapple stu]

Shkupi 1-0 up away to Dinamo Zagreb after 30 minutes.

Losers (probably) play Rovers in the Europa League.

Would be typical if Rovers got the easiest draw only for the crap team to actually win and leave them lumped with Dinamo instead!

[paul_oshea]

Very disappointing from rovers the balls in have been so poor. This is turning into another slovan where they'll cop ok when it's too late. Ludochris are way off the pace in the second half, rovers needed to do much better this half.

[ger121]

Their only shot in the game so far. You certainly need some luck in these games and to take your limited chances when you get them.

[CorribsideSteve]

Very disappointing from rovers the balls in have been so poor. This is turning into another slovan where they'll cop ok when it's too late. Ludochris are way off the pace in the second half, rovers needed to do much better this half.
Getting shots away is a major achilles heel that LOI sides in Europe have.

[D24Saint]

The second half was a much better by Rovers. No shame getting a 2-0 defeat in this.

[sbgawa]

FUUuuuuuuuuuucccccccckkkkkkk

That is a sickener..

[ger121]

Good night

[joey B]

Awful stuff to concede there…

[passinginterest]

That’s absolutely shocking. Lost the heads in bloody injury time after such a composed second half. Disaster.

[D24Saint]

Shot themselves in the foot right at the death. Tie over.

[pineapple stu]

No shame getting a 2-0 defeat in this.
You had to, didn't you!

[Nah Nah Nah Nah]

Killer that. Played well second half.

[CorribsideSteve]

What an utter nonsense of a concession there. Good god. I was just about to say they've done enough in the 2nd half to show they can get to the E.Con Group stages, but conceding goals like that are another LOI in Europe staple.

[TonyD]

Very disappointing from rovers the balls in have been so poor. This is turning into another slovan where they'll cop ok when it's too late. Ludochris are way off the pace in the second half, rovers needed to do much better this half.

Did you see the first half ? Much improved performance from Rovers in the seconD half.

And as I type, there’s the killer blow.

It reminds me of watching the Irish team in the 70’s. Play well to a degree ( second half anyway) but lose goals at crucial times.

[ontheotherhand]

My god Lee Grace. FFs.

[Asterix]

zagreb also losing

[brendy_éire]

Shot themselves in the foot right at the death. Tie over.

From their own free kick and all. Really poor.

That'll be hard to take after a decent second half.

[Philosophizer]

They played well in the 2nd but a sucker punch was always a possibility. They made a couple of poor errors at the back in the last few mins and were finally punished. Shame about the result. 2-0 was probably fair and would have kept the tie interesting for next week.

[ger121]

They’ll be hoping Zagreb do a number on the Macedonians.

[pineapple stu]

zagreb also losing
1-1 now.

[Calcio Jack]

They played well in the 2nd but a sucker punch was always a possibility. They made a couple of poor errors at the back in the last few mins and were finally punished. Shame about the result. 2-0 was probably fair and would have kept the tie interesting for next week.

Not a sucker punch , simply disgraceful defending…. Don’t think we’d beat them even if it stayed 2-0 but at least we’d of had some hope … now a dead rubber …. Two things we learned tonight (1) Mannus still best keeper in the league and (2) Sean Hoare is useless

[ontheotherhand]

The result I feared. Burke made a huge difference so it's a shame we couldn't have himself and Byrne fit and ready for this. Obviously the gulf in class probably meant the result was always going to be the same but when you see how often our play broke down via Watts it's hard not to wonder if we could have kept it closer with better players in the final third.

[pineapple stu]

Don’t think we’d beat them even if it stayed 2-0 but at least we’d of had some hope … now a dead rubber
Ironically 3-0 maybe gives ye a better chance at a result in Tallaght. But I think realistically it was always going to be about the EL tie against Shkupi. Ludogorets are a huge step up and showed that today. No particular shame in the performance overall I think. The last kick of the game is obviously a nasty way to concede.

[Nesta99]

Well there ye go, the calamity moment just as yer thinking there's some redemption after a tough 1st half and a decent 2nd and the tie still just about alive. 2nd half was Rovers getting up to speed and Ludogorets taking the foot off the gas/tiring. Burke and other subs made a difference. Agent Hoare losing his man (I thnk he was just outmuscled than switched off) and getting a head on the one deflected past his keeper will hurt though that last one in particular was a mess bar Mannus looking like he was digging things out of a hole. They were quite a cranky team, i'd say fairly easy to wind up. Some of these sides look insulted if someone has tried to give 'em a game. The longer ye stay in Europe the more ye adapt and tune in so today and next week become prep for the ECL play-off round and go again.

[SkStu]

Ironically 3-0 maybe gives ye a better chance at a result in Tallaght. But I think realistically it was always going to be about the EL tie against Shkupi. Ludogorets are a huge step up and showed that today. No particular shame in the performance overall I think. The last kick of the game is obviously a nasty way to concede.

just needlessly giving fodder to Paul O'Shea with that type of remark :D

There's not really a shame in the result, i agree. Ludogorets are quality, they've been a step above anything we have to offer making group stages of CL or EL for fun over the last 6-7 years. A positive result from the return leg, points for the coeff and Rovers can hold their heads up.

[Calcio Jack]

Well there ye go, the calamity moment just as yer thinking there's some redemption after a tough 1st half and a decent 2nd and the tie still just about alive. 2nd half was Rovers getting up to speed and Ludogorets taking the foot off the gas/tiring. Burke and other subs made a difference. Agent Hoare losing his man (I thnk he was just outmuscled than switched off) and getting a head on the one deflected past his keeper will hurt though that last one in particular was a mess bar Mannus looking like he was digging things out of a hole. They were quite a cranky team, i'd say fairly easy to wind up. Some of these sides look insulted if someone has tried to give 'em a game. The longer ye stay in Europe the more ye adapt and tune in so today and next week become prep for the ECL play-off round and go again.

Good points re staying in Europe and adapting…. But we also need to have both of the Glimmer twins fit and playing … the difference made by Burke for last half hour was astounding ( albeit he almost gave a goal with a sloppy pass) would be of been far more close if we had him and Byrne in from the start….. their fittness or not will decide as to whether we make the group stage of the Conference league

[placid casual]

Maybe I'm just used to Rovers dominating games in LOI, but that was absolute dog€hit from the Hoops.
The opposition had literally stopped playing in the 2nd half and were conserving their energy in the heat, and we play it around at the back like we're 4 0 up against UCD with a minute to go.
Amatuer rubbish
Only Gaffney and Mannus played like they can, the rest were distinctly sub par.
If Rovers play like that in the rest of the European games we'll get beaten by every side. I'd go home and kick my cat but I love him too much.

[Nesta99]

Off topic, but has anyone explained wtf that was about ?

We might find out in 20 years, but doubt it was as daft as this https://www.rte.ie/news/2022/0719/1310875-state-papers-campbell/