LOI in Europe 2023

[pineapple stu]

Dudelange - who beat Pat's - losing 2-0 to Gzira in Malta. Even that's depressing

[pineapple stu]

Dundalk 3-1 down now.

**** sake. KA out to emulate local rivals Thor v Bohs

[Nesta99]

Dundalk really do like to cough up a goal just before HT in Europe, been doing it for years!

[pineapple stu]

Basel 3-1 down at home to Tobol of Kazakhstan, and down to nine men. Winners play Derry or KuPS. Another huge upset there it seems

[sbgawa]

Can we please close this thread down.......will we get 3k in Tallaght next week...4 nil is depressing , literally zero point in even playing

[ger121]

Can we please close this thread down.......will we get 3k in Tallaght next week...4 nil is depressing , literally zero point in even playing

I’d give the academy players a run out next week. Game is meaningless.

[ger121]

Derry 1 down after conceding a penalty. Shut it down lads.

[Bunny Kelly]

Is winning a leg worth some cash?

[geysir]

KA's secret weapon being sprung from on the bench, new signing Jóan Edmundsson a Faroese internat, tall front man with a bit of flair though.

[2 Year Contract]

Jaysis Kavanagh had a good 7 or 8 yards on the other lad and he just blew him away,4 nil ,tie done and dusted…..

Kavanagh lost his legs years ago. Good player on the ball but physicality and pace wise he should never be on the same pitch as a team the level of Ferencvaros. Yes I’m aware he’s only playing because of injuries to the first choice fullbacks but my point is he’s probably not good enough anymore to even be a backup for a team with the resources of rovers, particularly when you consider both Clarke and Farrugia are incredibly injury prone as it is

[D24Saint]

Dudelange - who beat Pat's - losing 2-0 to Gzira in Malta. Even that's depressing

Very concerning I’d agree. We gave it a go in the home leg but overall never looked like winning the tie against Dudelange.

[pineapple stu]

Is winning a leg worth some cash?

Nope.

[D24Saint]

Derry 1-0 down at half time.

[Nesta99]

KA's secret weapon being sprung from on the bench, new signing Jóan Edmundsson a Faroese internat, tall front man with a bit of flair though.

Sounds just like Soni Nattestad!

Looks like they have a Bjorn Borg clone also!

[D24Saint]

Can we finally have a proper discussion on the level the league is at without taunting about each other’s results. I think we have enough evidence this year in Europe to suggest that compared to previous seasons the standards have slipped.

[ger121]

3 games against Icelandic opposition and 3 defeats.

If the FAI want to get that Government investment in Irish football, they should just show them the highlights (there won’t be many)of Irish clubs in Europe this summer.

[geysir]

It was a better 2nd half from Dundalk, at least they kept KA scoreless.

[Kingswood Rover]

Being coming all year folks, this era is now over, we need talented youth and be brave enough to give them time.

[CSAD]

Let’s all remember this Ferencvaros side Rovers got spanked by lost 3-0 at home to KI last round…utterly gutless as expected!

[joey B]

Pogon Szczecin spanking Linfield 4-1 in Belfast…

[pineapple stu]

Patching equalises for Derry.

Some bit of positivity, though they're the only side at home this evening so the tie's not looking great

[ontheotherhand]

Same result as last year. And people think we've gone backwards!

Grim stuff. Whiskey inducing grim.

[CSAD]

Same result as last year. And people think we've gone backwards!

Grim stuff. Whiskey inducing grim.

Not grim when it was expected.

At least now Rovers have a better chance of achieving a moral victory next week depending on how little a crap Ferecvaors give about the fixture.

[pineapple stu]

Derry take the lead! All is well with the LoI again :p

[ger121]

Good turnaround by Derry

[pineapple stu]

The real nordies staging a comeback too - Crues equalise against Rosenberg and Linfield had a goal ruled out I think which would have brought it back to 3-4

[geysir]

Derry giving it welly.

[ger121]

Derry really going for it

[ger121]

Probably could and should have won that 3-1

[2 Year Contract]

Good stuff Derry, hope they go on and finish the job next week. (Absolutely nothing to do with the fact that they’d then be playing a European second leg against potentially a side from Kazakhstan just a couple of days before they play Pats in the cup, honest ;))

[geysir]

Seeing as how Derry had Kups by the goolies I think they will rue not scoring the 3rd goal.

[Nesta99]

Being coming all year folks, this era is now over, we need talented youth and be brave enough to give them time.

Are you trying to give Placid Casual a sporting and emotional meltdown?!

[CSAD]

No but you see if you criticise Rovers in Europe you are just a troll...

The usual suspects will put their heads in the sand and pretend all is right in the world and will continue to back Bradley but sadly for them they are only fooling themselves.

[pineapple stu]

Still holding onto 32nd after all that, with Derry's winner lifting us back above Finland.

But apart from Finland, and Liechtenstein (Vaduz were knocked out with one draw) you have to go down to Estonia in 46th to find a league scoring less than our 1.000

With Rovers effectively out, we won't be making the groups this year, so plenty of scope for the leagues below is to catch up and pass us out.

Is it next year the FAI had aimed for us to be 30th? Looks like 35th will be a good outcome, and the problems of this year to sort too

[Philosophizer]

Can we finally have a proper discussion on the level the league is at without taunting about each other’s results. I think we have enough evidence this year in Europe to suggest that compared to previous seasons the standards have slipped.
Well I think everyone knows standards have slipped - no denying that.
Rovers are nowhere near the team they were over the past 2-3 years.
And the league’s best talent is being drained every year.

[pineapple stu]

And the league’s best talent is being drained every year.
That happens in other leagues too in fairness.

[Philosophizer]

That happens in other leagues too in fairness.
It’s definitely become more pronounced here in the past few years though.

[total hoofball]

Can we finally have a proper discussion on the level the league is at without taunting about each other’s results. I think we have enough evidence this year in Europe to suggest that compared to previous seasons the standards have slipped.
The league was crap last year aswell, more positive European results in 2022 masked lack of progression on the field you could see for 36 rounds of games

I've read commentary online from some who seemed to bizarrely associate the post-pandemic boom in LOI attendances with an on field standard on the up. All we are seeing is the fruits of this boom ending up in increased wage bills for shrinking pools of Irish players and an increased pool of many questionable quality UK and foreign players that is even tricking down to an absolutely awful First Division

[ToberonaTornado]

It’s definitely become more pronounced here in the past few years though.

100%
Brit leagues are just buying up players from loi as a punt to nothing. Will be hard to stop and that is really hurting us in Europe.

Btw - have to mention, AGAIN,what a beautiful thread.
Hopefully Dundalk can turn around that horrendous result from Iceland from last night,tie still alive for them (you'd hope) best wishes to all

[holidaysong]

Basel lost 3-1 at home in their game to a club from Kazakhstan. More good news for Derry if both ties stay the same, as on paper it's more realistic to be a winnable pairing.

[pineapple stu]

It’s definitely become more pronounced here in the past few years though.

Really just last year I think?

It probably has contributed to poor results this year alright. But overall the million quid the LoI got last year was a positive. We need to become a selling league to progress. Because ultimately that's what other leagues our size are. Which is why I think it needs to be pointed out that we're not unique in losing players. Ferencvaros had only three starters from the game last season for example; Rovers had five

[HarveyHD]

Really just last year I think?

It probably has contributed to poor results this year alright. But overall the million quid the LoI got last year was a positive. We need to become a selling league to progress. Because ultimately that's what other leagues our size are. Which is why I think it needs to be pointed out that we're not unique in losing players. Ferencvaros had only three starters from the game last season for example; Rovers had five

To be a selling league we need to show a level of play. Because the big clubs don't want to pay attention to bad play. Even if one player shows a high level in one game, it does not mean that his price will be high. In general, I support the development of football. And we need to start with a solid foundation. We need to create a large number of youth training bases.

[pineapple stu]

That's all fair, but the reality is the LoI earned a million quid from player transfers last year. It sounds like a drain but actually it's a step in the right direction, towards being a selling league.

We need those players now to justify their transfer fees, which hasn't always been the case in the past. If they justify the outlay, it'll be easier to demand higher fees in the future.

And yeah, we need to produce new players and I agree with your comments on solid foundation.

[CorribsideSteve]

Well that was a horrendous evening. Dundalk were pitifully poor, and they'l be hard pressed to get anything from this tie, because KA can just as easily and freely score at Oriel. How many aimless, toothless crosses did they have last night? 50? 80, even? Shams beaten out the gate with minimal fuss, and with no apparent difference between Rosenborg beating Bohs or Brondby beating Shels by similar margins back in the 2000s. We're heading back that way in terms of our European output, because the only thing thats changed between LOI performances in Europe since the 2000s and now, is that everyone else (even the Icelanders) has gotten a light year better while we have not. Pats were comfortably disposed by a Luxembourg outfit, though the scoreline might have been close, it flattered them completely. They should have lost by way more than they did.Overall, results in Europe have been worryingly woeful, Derry's win aside.

[ger121]

I’d be less worried about losing to Dudelange. They tend to spend a lot of money on players from all over and their form varies widely from season to season. Would almost remind you of LOI sides in the noughties. Real boom or bust model.

The big worry would be how we have performed against Icelandic sides. Assuming Dundalk do not turnaround the tie against KA, that will be 3 lost from the last 4 since 2021.

The league there is still more part-time in nature than the PD, smaller population with very average size crowds, not a lot of money in clubs and a selling league. Yet on and off the pitch they seem to be evolving at a quicker pace than we are in the LOI.

That for me is the real concern. We should be easily able to match a league like Iceland based on a number of factors but alas we are not. Concerning times…

[pineapple stu]

I'd qualify the Dudelange result by noting their owner/sponsor left the club in 2019 to move to Swift Hesperange instead - who in a not-at-all coincidence were promoted in 2019/20, reached Europe in 2021/22, and won the league for the first time that same year.

Link here (https://today.rtl.lu/sport/local/a/2060936.html#:~:text=Luxembourgish%2DItalian%20bus inessman%20Flavio%20Becca,Luxembourgish%20football %20in%20the%20process.) -


This story arguably dates back until 2019, when Hesperange were still playing second-division football. Enter one of the commune’s most famous inhabitants, who just happened to have some spare money to invest.

Luxembourgish-Italian businessman Flavio Becca grew up in the town of Hesperange as a football fan and started investing in the newly-merged F91 Dudelange in the 1990s, reaching roaring success over time and building a historic powerhouse of Luxembourgish football in the process.

The heights of his achievements at F91 were consecutive group-stage participation for the first time in the country’s history in 2018/19 and 2019/20. Despite the steady progress towards a sustainable model, he stopped financing them afterwards.

Instead, in 2019, he went and gained ownership of the team of his youth, Swift Hesperange, alongside sponsoring Belgian club RE Virton through his energy drink company Leopard. It wasn’t long before success started to come.
That's not to take away from the valid concerns over the Icelandic result, but the Dudelange result (and being outplayed in both legs despite them being in pre-season and Pat's being arguably the LoI's form side) is of equal concern in my view.

[geysir]

The big concern for the Iceland league is that the standards are dropping, once upon a time a 2nd div club here could hand out a 5-1 drubbing to a midtable LOI club, nowadays a premier league club is just about able to manage a 3-1 result against similar.
We have our entitlements! We should be performing better than this.

[CorribsideSteve]

The big concern for the Iceland league is that the standards are dropping, once upon a time a 2nd div club here could hand out a 5-1 drubbing to a midtable LOI club, nowadays a premier league club is just about able to manage a 3-1 result against similar.
We have our entitlements! We should be performing better than this.
Good trolling there. But in reality Icelandic clubs should feel fairly confident going forward of beating LOI clubs regularly.

[brendy_éire]

Seeing as how Derry had Kups by the goolies I think they will rue not scoring the 3rd goal.

Wonder about that myself.

I think KuPS are a better side than us, but not by much. They certainly seemed unable to deal with our physicality, and we'll need to us that again next week.
Their keeper pulled off some great saves, and maybe a couple he didn't know much about.
So, yes, kind of annoyed to only win by one, but when you're a goal down with 20 odd minutes to go, you'll take it.

Going over next week myself for what may be out smallest European away crowd for years. The club had a charter with some fan seats on it, but weren't able to get it to leave Derry on time. They've now had to switch to a smaller one, team only.
Given the awkwardness of getting to Kuopio, I'd say we'll be doing well to have 30.
By comparison, KuPS took 20 odd to Derry.

[oriel]

It was a better 2nd half from Dundalk, at least they kept KA scoreless.

Maybe but the usual b/s from SOD 'we controlled the second half' that's no damn good if you can't score !!!!!

Overall a dreadful display, the only hope is they are so average there is still a little hope, but 1-2 was def doable, not sure 1-3 is, I think we will win, but just can't see winning by 3 goals next Thursday, then again need to perform so much better to even win the game !

First goal will be crucial and the timing of it too, we get it, its game on, they score first, we are out out.