LOI in Europe 2023

[pateen]

Thought he was injured, no?

[joey B]

Scored for the under 19s last weekend but doesnt seem to be getting a look in around first team....dont know why

I think I see rumours either he or his dad were acting up about something and it didn’t go down well,it was on Twitter I seen so might be nonsense…..

[EalingGreen]

Are you optimistic about going through Ealing ?Cautiously optimistic but in truth, I'm not close enough these days for my opinion to be worth anything much.


Pats v Glens could be “interesting”.Could be a cracker - decent crowds, a bit of money and low travel expenses etc. Two good games would be good for the two leagues as well.

[Stuttgart88]

I think I see rumours either he or his dad were acting up about something and it didn’t go down well,it was on Twitter I seen so might be nonsense…..

I was expecting him to be a regular in the seniors this year but I think I read that he got the hump not being allowed to train with Spurs or not to stay longer on trial with Spurs (or something along those lines).

[cláirseach]

Cautiously optimistic but in truth, I'm not close enough these days for my opinion to be worth anything much.

Could be a cracker - decent crowds, a bit of money and low travel expenses etc. Two good games would be good for the two leagues as well.

UEFA's capacity for both grounds would be quite small unfortunately

[ontheotherhand]

I was expecting him to be a regular in the seniors this year but I think I read that he got the hump not being allowed to train with Spurs or not to stay longer on trial with Spurs (or something along those lines).

Yeah that's what I've heard. Only a kid but acting like one.

I did see more positive news on Clarke. Bradley says he's a few more weeks away when originally they were talking about months. Not enough to help us in Europe but having him back for the league will be massive.

[TonyD]

UEFA's capacity for both grounds would be quite small unfortunately

2,500 for Richmond. Not sure if we’d have to move to Tallaght if we make the next round. That would obviously bring capacity well up.

[geysir]

Does anyone know where to watch it if you're abroad? The stream on LOI TV seems to be Ireland and UK only. Icelandic TV?


Here's a link to an english language (http://cdn.livetv684.me/webplayer2.php?t=ifr&c=2176286&lang=en&eid=142527277&lid=2176286&ci=901&si=1) (well at least 50% of it) stream


Have adverts blocked and fiddle about to get volume.

[joey B]

Rovers lucky not to be 2 down, 2 good chances missed....

[SPXcyan]

Game over that, horrendous defending!

[Calcio Jack]

We’ll that was a waste of a tenner one down and being ripped apart could be a very long night

[joey B]

And they are behind, Lopes awful there...

[joey B]

Rovers are getting ripped apart, no idea what they're at...

[D24Saint]

Rovers very poor at the back so far.

[Philosophizer]

Well that’s the tie over in all likelihood. What a brutal showing from Rovers this year in the champions route.

[geysir]

The loudest cheer so far from the visiting Rovers fans was for a misplaced Breidablik pass.

[CSAD]

The loudest cheer so far from the visiting Rovers fans was for a misplaced Breidablik pass.

Did people actually think Rovers were ever going to respond...

The lack of adaptability on show in Europe, look a complete pub side against even below average sides.

[CSAD]

Rovers are honestly so bad its borderline laughable, how can any Rovers fan watch this and still support Bradley as a manager. This happens year in year out and still the same mistakes are being made.

[Calcio Jack]

Well that’s the tie over in all likelihood. What a brutal showing from Rovers this year in the champions route.

A brutal showing in Europe is infinitely better than not being in Europe?

[CSAD]

A brutal showing in Europe is infinitely better than not being in Europe?

Wow, is that really how low the bar is now set for Rovers:rolleyes:

[ger121]

A brutal showing in Europe is infinitely better than not being in Europe?

Depends on the results in Europe. The bad ones get remembered, long after the memories fade of the years you didn’t qualify.

[ger121]

For now, group stage qualification still appears to be an occasional one off success. Back to back qualification is still some way off for even our “best sides”.

Rovers should try and get to the 3rd qualification round of the ECL and take the cash. If they will the league they can have a bash again next year. They most certainly need to strengthen the squad to have any hope.

[texidub]

Icelandics look way better on the ball. Quicker and more skilful. Rovers had some half chances. Not a great performance by any means, clumsy at times, but not as bad as last week.

[joey B]

Pohls follows up a great save with a howler,has to be dealing with that....

[Straightstory]

Shameful, embarrassing, and disgraceful performance.

[CSAD]

Cant attack, cant defend and continue to play a system that doesnt suit the players Rovers have, trying to play a counter attack system with players as slow as **** and a XI with an average age of over 30 just sums up this club perfectly. Ties like this show up Bradley as a manager and this is what Rovers can expect for the foreseeable future in Europe as long as they stick by him. And no this is NOT trolling, its time many fans wake up and smell the coffee, this is not a good team Rovers are playing and Rovers have been made look a complete pub team by them.

[D24Saint]

Shocking by the VAR team that the ref was required to have a look. It was peno all day long.

[Philosophizer]

continue to play a system that doesnt suit the players Rovers have, trying to play a counter attack system with players as slow as **** and a XI with an average age of over 30 just sums up this club perfectly.
But Rovers don’t play on the counter. Rovers for years now have been a team that plays a possession game, with patient passing, almost a Dutch style. In fact it’s been my main criticism of them especially away from home in Europe that they don’t play a more mixed game.

Great effort by Burke from long range there!

[Calcio Jack]

Cant attack, cant defend and continue to play a system that doesnt suit the players Rovers have, trying to play a counter attack system with players as slow as **** and a XI with an average age of over 30 just sums up this club perfectly. Ties like this show up Bradley as a manager and this is what Rovers can expect for the foreseeable future in Europe as long as they stick by him. And no this is NOT trolling, its time many fans wake up and smell the coffee, this is not a good team Rovers are playing and Rovers have been made look a complete pub team by them.

Spare me the faux concern …. Sure we need new players but also going for 4 in a row and have an academy set up and facilities the envy of the league, literally millions generated from transfers and Europe , so a few bad days in Europe when viewed in that context is not an issue.

[CSAD]

Spare me the faux concern …. Sure we need new players but also going for 4 in a row and have an academy set up and facilities the envy of the league, literally millions generated from transfers and Europe , so a few bad days in Europe when viewed in that context is not an issue.

4 in a row because you buy all the most experienced players in the league weather they fit the system or not, it will win you a league but games like tonight is where it gets exposed when you are incapable of adapting. A great academy system yet you are playing a squad where most of the players are old enough to be some of the academy players father…if that isn’t a massive red flag then what is? Lol “afew” this is a common occurrence, obviously even a broken clock is right twice a day but the only times it’s successful is when Rovers get to play a side in qualifying that is bad enough to lose (Hibernians/Shkupi).

[sbgawa]

No point in feeding the troll.

[nigel-harps1954]

Rovers are far too reliant on older players. CSAD is spot on. They should be putting Finn, Towell, Hoare and co out to pasture and bringing through some of these famous academy players, or otherwise going out and actually strengthening their squad.

There's three or four players in that starting team that are nowhere near good enough.

[CSAD]

Rovers are far too reliant on older players. CSAD is spot on. They should be putting Finn, Towell, Hoare and co out to pasture and bringing through some of these famous academy players, or otherwise going out and actually strengthening their squad.

There's three or four players in that starting team that are nowhere near good enough.

Hallelujah finally someone hits the nail on the head! And the fact I didn’t say means some on here might actually take notice!

[Burnsie]

as a neutral, I love nothing more than to see LOI clubs doing well in Europe, but over the course of two legs, this has been an absolute doing, and a massive reality check for the league. Breidablik have been excellent and you'd expect they'll put it right up to Kobenhavn

[pateen]

Just not good enough. We should as a league been doing better than this. Role on Thursdays matches

[dong]

That's a disgraceful result for Shams and the league. When we were beaten by the Icelandic team a couple of years ago they were very poor and this crowd looked no betterr. We were slated in the media and by opposition fans at the time and probably rightly so. We had nowhere near the budget or calibre of player but seems those players are indeed not up to it and there has to be consideration for a change of manager.

[pineapple stu]

Rovers are far too reliant on older players. CSAD is spot on. They should be putting Finn, Towell, Hoare and co out to pasture and bringing through some of these famous academy players, or otherwise going out and actually strengthening their squad.

There's three or four players in that starting team that are nowhere near good enough.
I think most non-Rovers LoI fans can see this to be fair

[joey B]

Rovers recruitment looks to have been poor aswell,Kenny,Burt,Power and probably Poom havent added anything,Clarke is injury prone aswell,not what an ageing squad needed to compete here.........

[CorribsideSteve]

Well that's was as bad an LOI performance in Europe as I've seen in 20 years. And that includes Rovers waffling their way to defeat in Estonia in recent memory. Whoever wins the League this year will be one of the easy draw ties that all the other low ranked countries look forward to when the draw get made. Toothless, spiritless, hapless, hopeless from Bradley tonight. Is there any logic to taking Burke off? Or playing lump-it-long 4-5-1 to the lone, isolated front man? (Or whatever that tactic was tonight). A proven recipe for success away from home in the blistering heat of ...Iceland. If UEFA member's league's were hotels, the LOI would be Fawlty Towers ad SRFC would be Manuel.

[Philosophizer]

Well that's was as bad an LOI performance in Europe as I've seen in 20 years.
Ah come on lads, I’m as critical as anyone but this wasn’t even close to our worst performance in 20 years.
Rovers were poor no doubt, but the fact is we’re just a poor league this year. Everyone is taking points off everyone and there is very little consistency and momentum with anyone.

[CorribsideSteve]

I guess I should have prhased it more that its the same type of mediocrity in tactics and general play that LOI sides used to go out of Europe to in c.2005; slow, one-dimensional, conceding soft goals, cant buy a goal to save their lives, predictable. Little has changed from LOI sides. Or the League has regressed massively. I know Rovers an continue on in Europe, but where they'l find any sort of performance from is beyond me.

[Calcio Jack]

4 in a row because you buy all the most experienced players in the league weather they fit the system or not, it will win you a league but games like tonight is where it gets exposed when you are incapable of adapting. A great academy system yet you are playing a squad where most of the players are old enough to be some of the academy players father…if that isn’t a massive red flag then what is? Lol “afew” this is a common occurrence, obviously even a broken clock is right twice a day but the only times it’s successful is when Rovers get to play a side in qualifying that is bad enough to lose (Hibernians/Shkupi).

I’ve already said a number of times that this team needs a rebuild and the infusion of 3/4 top class players be they from within or brought/ bought …. But again taking things in the round ( rather than the boom or bust Ollie Byrne type of approach) .

Bradley has brought the club to a different level ( and yes shock horror that allows us the luxury of buying in the best players - guess what that’s what successful clubs the world over do ) .
So you and others can criticise our recent performances in Europe etc. but the bottom line is Bradley in a few years has brought us from mid table mediocrity to being where we are today and it’s a sustainable model.

I bet there isn’t a single fan of any other club that would refuse to take that if offered it right now even if it meant losing a few games in Europe.

[Nesta99]

I’ve already said a number of times that this team needs a rebuild and the infusion of 3/4 top class players be they from within or brought/ bought …. But again taking things in the round ( rather than the boom or bust Ollie Byrne type of approach) .

Bradley has brought the club to a different level ( and yes shock horror that allows us the luxury of buying in the best players - guess what that’s what successful clubs the world over do ) .
So you and others can criticise our recent performances in Europe etc. but the bottom line is Bradley in a few years has brought us from mid table mediocrity to being where we are today and it’s a sustainable model.

I bet there isn’t a single fan of any other club that would refuse to take that if offered it right now even if it meant losing a few games in Europe.

Eh yeah, every fan of every club would take that. Doesnt take away from the mediocrity Rovers have shown in Europe. We want tp progress as a league and its a tad Irish League of past years to claim that domestic success is ALL that matters. Bread and butter is great, but we need our league champions to raise all boats!

[CSAD]

I’ve already said a number of times that this team needs a rebuild and the infusion of 3/4 top class players be they from within or brought/ bought …. But again taking things in the round ( rather than the boom or bust Ollie Byrne type of approach) .

Bradley has brought the club to a different level ( and yes shock horror that allows us the luxury of buying in the best players - guess what that’s what successful clubs the world over do ) .
So you and others can criticise our recent performances in Europe etc. but the bottom line is Bradley in a few years has brought us from mid table mediocrity to being where we are today and it’s a sustainable model.

I bet there isn’t a single fan of any other club that would refuse to take that if offered it right now even if it meant losing a few games in Europe.

Well its all talk, instead of saying Rovers need to rebuild they actually NEED to rebuild. Bradley is a complete spoofer, all talk and no action as this tie showed and the "investment" in the off season showed. And just so Rovers fans know, this will only go down hill from here as these old players get even older and the lack of investment is even more exposed, the best thing Rovers can do is bring in a more ambitious manager who actually know's what he's doing while things are still somewhat salvageable.

Rovers with the resources they have should be achieving what they are achieving in the league, the fact is they were a complete basket case manager wise before Bradley took over so it doesnt really say a whole lot. The model Rovers have is totally unsustainable, its just doing the same thing Rovers did 2 years ago that is starting to crumble now that the players are getting older and not being replaced, its only a matter of time before Rovers start tumbling down the league.

Nah I'd say ask any fan what they would take they would take the Dundalk model from 2016, what I saw last time would almost turn you off football just how utterly appalling Rovers are its like watching a LOI side from 2005 as someone else on here said, I honestly still cant believe some 'fans' can watch that shambles last night (which is NOT a once off after watching previous seasons of Rovers) and not call the manager into question. Its complete minnowism to try and justify that performance based on where Rovers were, its Rovers fans just accepting the bare minimum of expectations.

[pineapple stu]

the bottom line is Bradley in a few years has brought us from mid table mediocrity
You what?

Rovers finished in the European spots the three years before Bradley took over. He then took ye further away from the title in his first two years before Dundalk and Cork imploded.

Results in Europe are going backwards - from beating Brann, taking AIK and Apollon Limassol to extra time, and winning home and away against Icelandic opposition, to losing abjectly to Flora Tallinn, being outclassed away from home against Razgrad, Ferencvaros, Gent and Molde, and now losing home and away against Icelandic opposition.

That defeat could have cost Rovers millions - get drawn against the pre-qualifying winner, a part-time team, in the first round of the CL is a dream draw. A win and ye have three shots at the group stage. Instead ye've three matches against tougher opposition to win

[CorribsideSteve]

Eh yeah, every fan of every club would take that. Doesnt take away from the mediocrity Rovers have shown in Europe. We want tp progress as a league and its a tad Irish League of past years to claim that domestic success is ALL that matters. Bread and butter is great, but we need our league champions to raise all boats! Exactly. Reaching for the consolation of 'Well were still the best team in Ireland" is low-hanging fruit when they go and represent us (as LOI champions), as one of the worst teams in all of Europe.

[Stuttgart88]

Apart from some enthusiastic spells that were probably more about energy than precision that was another flat, one dimensional performance from Rovers. I got the impression Breidablik were set up to get a head-on run at our back 3, a situation where we’re repeatedly vulnerable at home and in Europe. That seems to be a pretty effective tactic against Rovers. Off the top of my head Derry, Shels, Drogheda, Bohs, Pats*, Dundalk and Cork all scored important goals against us in this manner this season alone. Sligo had chances this way but didn’t take them. Draw your own conclusions.

*Pats lost 3-2 in the game I’m thinking of, the only one of the games I listed that haven’t cost Rovers points. I can’t remember their goals in the 2-2 in Tallaght

Pohls had an outstanding game, but maybe was slow to read the flight of the ball for the second goal. In contrast, their keeper was solid and commanding but wasn’t actually tested.

A lot of the responses to McDonnel’s tweet here seem pretty fair to me.

https://twitter.com/McDonnellDan/status/1681411328244629508?s=20

I don’t have an Indo subscription. Could anyone post McDonnel’s main match report please?

[pineapple stu]

This is becoming like an analogy for Ireland …. A stable government managing a booming economy where before them we were under the yoke of the IMF being slated for obvious issues ( housing & health) but overall doing well ….. being slagged off ( literally) from the sidelines by a motley crew of moaners who historically have achieved relatively little and when they had the chance to buy myself a sustainable club they blew it….. I’ll take FG ooops I mean SB any day of the week
That's a post that sounds profound but actually when you think about it, it says nothing at all to contradict what the critics have been saying.

[Stuttgart88]

and bringing through some of these famous academy playersin fairness a few of these academy players get snapped up by big clubs (or Millwall!) before they have a chance to get in the Rovers team.

[joey B]

I don’t have an Indo subscription. Could anyone post McDonnel’s main match report please?

Irish Independent
International Soccer
Shamrock Rovers exit Champions League qualifying after disappointing defeat to Breidablik in Iceland
Breidablik 2 Shamrock Rovers 1 (Breidablik win 3-1 on aggregate)


Shamrock Rovers have exited the Champions League in meek fashion at the very first hurdle after losing 2-1 to Icelandic champions Breidablik in Kopavogur in the first qualifying round (3-1 on aggregate).
Stephen Bradley’s side now drop into the Europa Conference League second qualifying round.

The home team sat off more in the opening stages of the game but ten minutes in they begin to push on and get on top of the Hoops.

The Icelandic champions then created a trio of chances in a four-minute period, scoring from the third one. The home side doubled their advantage in the tie as Breidablik moved the ball quickly from front to back. Jason Svathorsson took the ball on from halfway, getting by Roberto Lopes before slotting it home past Pohls.

The Hoops had the ball in the net in the 20th minute after Gaffney raced clear on goal. However the offside flag went quickly up with VAR then confirming that the decision from the assistant referee was correct.

Pohls pulled off a brilliant save with his foot to stop Svanthorsson scoring his second as Rovers rode their luck but from the resulting corner Breidablik reworked the ball with Höskuldur Gunnlaugsson heading home to effectively end the tie for the Hoops.

They got a lifeline in the 64th minute with a handball in the box that required a VAR check on the sideline monitor from the Swedish referee. Graham Burke slotted home the spot kick for his eight goal in Europe – and Rovers’ first goal in their last four matches.

Burke audaciously almost grabbed another moments later, shooting from 45 yards with goalkeeper Anton Einarsson doing well to push out the ball out before he back-peddled over the goal-line.

Rovers will have to wait until Wednesday evening to find out who their opponents are in the Europa Conference League qualifiers. They will face the defeated team from the KI Klaksvik and Ferencvaros tie, with those teams having played out a scoreless draw last week in the first leg in the Faroe Islands.

Breidablik: Einarsson; Gunnlaugsson (C), Margeirsson, Muminovi?, Yeoman (Adalsteinsson 88); Sigurdarson (Ingvarsson 81), Sigurjónsson, Einarsson; Svanthórsson (Hlynsson 81), Steindórsson (Orrason 88), Eyjólfsson.

Shamrock Rovers: Pohls; Hoare, Lopes, Cleary; Finn (C) (Grace 86), O'Neill, Poom (Watts 70), Towell (Greene 70), Kavanagh; Burke (Kenny 78), Gaffney. Referee: Adam Ladeback (Sweden).