LOI in Europe 2023

[Kingswood Rover]

Bizarre talking point here on RTE that Rovers are struggling in Europe cause they're not getting competitive football week in, week out. You'd think they were miles clear in the league this season.
Thats horse manure as we have been pants in the league all season. We will do well to win the league but we look a tired team with some of the players this season having real mares. I think Bradser will leave at the of the season one way or another and then a new chapter will begin hopefully with an emphasis on the type of game that B played last night. Would the Icelandic National team beat Ireland absolutely.

[EatYerGreens]

This is mostly accurate, fair play. Rovers dominating like the SPL is a bit ott though. Their resources here are better than the chasing pack no doubt but not to the same extent as the old firm.

Do Rovers really have better resources than Derry? They have a better academy, but not access to more money. And money will fix Derrry's academy at some point.

The difficulty for Rovers re doing an Old Firm on the LOI is that they could end up being the less succcessful half of that two-some :D

[pateen]

Pats game is free on their app this evening if anyone wants to save a tenner!

1679084210101813249

Does this mean you can only watch it on a phone (or tablet but I don't have one) or is it available on their website as well?

[joey B]

I’d presume it’s on the phone/tablet only,not 100% tbh but can’t see it being on the website when they’re selling it on LOITV…

[pineapple stu]

HJK v Larne kicking off in 15 minutes in the Champions League

Interesting to see how Larne get on - they knocked out Bala and Aarhus two years ago, but then lost to a Gibraltar side last season. If they can get past HJK then they've a great chance of being the first NI side to make the groups - would require just one more win from three tries (I think?)

Linfield were seconds away from it last season of course, losing on penalties to the same Latvian side HJK beat on penalties in the Champions League.

[joey B]

Larne 1 down after 2 minutes,oh dear!

[pineapple stu]

TNS pull one back away to Hacken of Sweden; 2-1 now approaching halftime

But Pat's after kicking off in Luxembourg. Dudelange had been playing their 43-year-old in nets the end of last season (same guy who played v Bohs and UCD), but I think he's finally retired and they have someone proper there

Edit - TNS concede again; 3-1

[nigel-harps1954]

I can only presume it's not Pat's running the stream in Luxembourg? Camera work is dreadful.

[ger121]

Larne 1 down after 2 minutes,oh dear!

Finished 1-0. Not a bad result. No easy games. Shame they can’t play their home games at their stadium.

[joey B]

Yeah very decent result for Larne against a team in season,have a chance anyway....

[nigel-harps1954]

Oh dear, Pat's.

[DCWA]

If stays the same and any howlers from Derry or Dundalk tomorrow night then the league in line to make a right show of itself after a draw in which we probably had all 4 clubs fancied to progress.

[ger121]

How are they playing?

[nigel-harps1954]

Relatively even enough half, but Dudelange forced a couple of saves from Lyness, where Pat's haven't really cut open the Dudelange defence and have been a little wasteful at times. They're not a great side, so second half Pat's should be able to have a go at them.

Stream is dreadful though, so it's not the easiest to follow either.

[kksaints]

We've been awful so far, need a much better performance 2nd half.

[EatYerGreens]

Finished 1-0. Not a bad result. No easy games. Shame they can’t play their home games at their stadium.

Especially as Solitude is barely much better than Inver Park.

Larne charging only £12 for adult tickets for it too, which is great value.

[Philosophizer]

If stays the same and any howlers from Derry or Dundalk tomorrow night then the league in line to make a right show of itself after a draw in which we probably had all 4 clubs fancied to progress.
In hindsight it’s probably fanciful to expect all 4 (or even most) clubs to progress. Our league is quite poor this year.

[DCSIL]

Proper Money club Pats are, hiring a Croke Park Conference suite to put a stream on...

[EatYerGreens]

Proper Money club Pats are, hiring a Croke Park Conference suite to put a stream on...

Presumably through one of their numerous Barter Accounts

[nigel-harps1954]

Pat's really making a balls of this.

[EatYerGreens]

Pat's really making a balls of this.

Yeah. Switching it off now.

[Philosophizer]

Crikey! And there I was thinking Pats are best places to progress in Europe…

[CSAD]

St Pats get one at the death. Huge, gives them a fighting chance next week. I certainly give them a better shot of turning things around than Shamrock Rovers.

[nigel-harps1954]

Another awful result for a LOI club. They should have enough to beat them in Inchicore but that was a very poor, lethargic and wasteful performance from Pats.

[joey B]

Could be a big goal for Pats…

[ger121]

No corners and first shot on target. Not vintage Pat’s in Europe and yet they are still in it.

[Dermobohs]

Makes you long for the days little old bohs we’re handing out beatings to the likes of these in a big mostly empty aviva?

[ger121]

Makes you long for the days little old bohs were handing out beatings to the likes of these in a big mostly empty aviva?

Hammering Icelandic and Luxembourg sides is not for everyone.

[2 Year Contract]

Hammering Icelandic and Luxembourg sides is not for everyone.
Either is qualifying for Europe

[2 Year Contract]

As bad as I’ve seen pats play away from home in 7 European trips abroad but I’ll take still being in the game with a home second leg to come

[Nesta99]

Was always called as the toughest game potentially for Irish sides so far and that late goal is really game on. Would expect St Pats to be better at home, full house, compact stadium with a proper home atmosphere, and to progress. At least you can see St Pats getting at Dudelange moreso than Rovers getting at the Icelanders just on 1st leg performances. Derry may not get it that easy away in the Faroes either but youd have to expect that the home leg will get them over the line. Will Dundalk save the blushes of the league in Europe again....of course....

[Nesta99]

Proper Money club Pats are, hiring a Croke Park Conference suite to put a stream on...

Really? Im all for cross code co-operation but thats an odd one. The Aviva not have an area to be utilised with ye know FAI Nua getting some small financial benefit or even just some kudos by having our national stadium available to our clubs??

Sure Rovers should just rock up to Thomas Davis to host streaming of their away leg.....

[Nesta99]

Either is qualifying for Europe

Meow!

[ger121]

Either is qualifying for Europe

Agreed but my original point still stands.

[ger121]

Swift the Luxembourg champions drew 1-1 away to Slovan. All be it against 10 men for the 2nd half. Maybe their league is on the up again after a couple of poor years. The league has some amount of foreign players.

Paide of Estonia drew away to B36 so it won’t be easy for Derry tomorrow.

[joey B]

Really? Im all for cross code co-operation but thats an odd one. The Aviva not have an area to be utilised with ye know FAI Nua getting some small financial benefit or even just some kudos by having our national stadium available to our clubs??

Sure Rovers should just rock up to Thomas Davis to host streaming of their away leg.....

It’ was the Croke Park Hotel not the stadium,must have been handy for them just….

[kksaints]

We were dreadful for most of the match and could easily have been 3 or 4 down. The late goal was great but it shouldn't cover up a terrible performance. Need a massive turnaround next week, not sure it's likely tbh.

[ger121]

We were dreadful for most of the match and could easily have been 3 or 4 down. The late goal was great but it shouldn't cover up a terrible performance. Need a massive turnaround next week, not sure it's likely tbh.

Having not seen the game, why was it a terrible performance? I saw it mentioned elsewhere that the centre half paring had never played together before and the two goals came through that channel. From the stats it looks like you created nothing. Very unlike Pat’s.

[Bohtastic]

Having not seen the game, why was it a terrible performance? I saw it mentioned elsewhere that the centre half paring had never played together before and the two goals came through that channel. From the stats it looks like you created nothing. Very unlike Pat’s.

Had half an eye on it. Pat's were poxed to only concede 2.

[Nesta99]

It’ was the Croke Park Hotel not the stadium,must have been handy for them just….

That makes a bit more sense all right. Didnt realise the turmoil at Dudelange, budget slashed (albeit could still be a significant amount), managers 1st ever competative game as a head coach, loss of players/trimmed squad, added to it being their preseason too, well it doesnt improve how the result can be viewed for st pats. Does need to be put right at home or it could well be upgraded to a poor result rather than the possible banana skin.

[kksaints]

Having not seen the game, why was it a terrible performance? I saw it mentioned elsewhere that the centre half paring had never played together before and the two goals came through that channel. From the stats it looks like you created nothing. Very unlike Pat’s.

Created nothing, they had at least 3 or 4 more good shots that Lyness had to save. Some of our passing and dribbling was woeful. Norman the new centre back didn't look very good, Brockbank was awful at right back. Forrester had his worst game in a long time. Mulraney did nothing except give the ball away. The younger lads Murphy, McCormack and even Curtis were struggling. This was a horrible performance. Also they looked physically stronger which is a worry if we're meant to be a full-time team.

[Knocklyonhoop]

Hammering Icelandic and Luxembourg sides is not for everyone.

let’s just forget 2012 so…..

Have to say, thought it’d be tough but we would shade it……. For no other reason than they are Icelandic! But Breidablik were a lot better than I thought, technically way ahead of LoI and really can’t see us turning it around. On that performance they’d comfortably beat any team from our league imo.

We might have a bigger budget, but Iceland do fund grassroots properly helping them develop better players and most yrs ties between our leagues are relatively close (bar 2012!) they Certainly have a better national team.

poor result for Pats but should be ok at home you’d think

[EatYerGreens]

Two games out of 4 in Europe this week, and the league is currently sitting on a coefficient score of 0.00 for 2023-24.

All eyes on Dundalk and Derry now to put that right tonight. There surely has to be at least SOME form of posiitve result from their 2 fixtures. Right ?

[pineapple stu]

poor result for Pats but should be ok at home you’d think
You'd like to think so, but no corners and no shots on target until the 93rd minute is a real worry - and Pat's the form team in the league too. Sounds like a much bigger improvement needed than just your standard away/home form.

Derry/Dundalk have to get something in the Faroes/Gibraltar tonight don't they? Yet they'd have been the two you'd have been less confident about anyway. Another 0-0 home draw for the Faroese league last night, albeit against Estonian opposition.

[Kiki Balboa]

Another embrassing display by a LOI team last night. Surely it cant get any worse?

[ger121]

You'd like to think so, but no corners and no shots on target until the 93rd minute is a real worry - and Pat's the form team in the league too. Sounds like a much bigger improvement needed than just your standard away/home form.

Derry/Dundalk have to get something in the Faroes/Gibraltar tonight don't they? Yet they'd have been the two you'd have been less confident about anyway. Another 0-0 home draw for the Faroese league last night, albeit against Estonian opposition.

Watched Daly’s interview last night and I do think there is some merit in what he was saying about not being able to do their research on Dudelange. New Manager and new squad, who are in preseason. They really did not know what they were facing. However, Dudelange did not have this issue and could do a full analysis on Pat’s, which gave them an edge in that area going into the game. I’m not saying that is the only reason they lost and put in a very bad performance but it would have to be a factor. As he also said, they’ve had a good look at them now and will know what to expect in the 2nd leg.

[Buller]

Another embrassing display by a LOI team last night. Surely it cant get any worse?

Disappointing results but a bit of perspective: Losing by one goal away to a team with European pedigree, and to a team with 10 Icelandic internationals is hardly embarrassing.

If Dundalk don't beat the Bruce & Dennis' Magpies pub team, that'll be embarrassing.

[pineapple stu]

Watched Daly’s interview last night and I do think there is some merit in what he was saying about not being able to do their research on Dudelange. New Manager and new squad, who are in preseason. They really did not know what they were facing. However, Dudelange did not have this issue and could do a full analysis on Pat’s, which gave them an edge in that area going into the game. I’m not saying that is the only reason they lost and put in a very bad performance but it would have to be a factor. As he also said, they’ve had a good look at them now and will know what to expect in the 2nd leg.

I think there's swings and roundabouts there - it's not helpful for Pat's not being able to do scouting because Dudelange's team has changed, etc, but it's also not helpful to Dudelange being in pre-season with new players and a new manager with new ideas that haven't gelled yet. Probably balances out. Pat's will have a better idea of what they're facing in the return leg, but Dudelange will be less match-rusty too.

[pineapple stu]

Losing by one goal away to a team with European pedigree, and to a team with 10 Icelandic internationals is hardly embarrassing.

If Dundalk don't beat the Bruces Magpies pub team, that'll be embarrassing.
Ah they're bad results - let's not paper over that.

Breidablik have part-timers in their squad. Most of their internationals have just a token cap or three. I don't know do they do domestic-based squads on occasion for example. Rovers have made millions in recent years from group stage qualification and transfer fees.

Dudelange are in pre-season and even 10-man UCD could beat them. Bohs beat them 4-0 last year. They lost their money man (to Swift Hesperange, the new champions) a couple of years ago so their group stage qualification isn't really relevant any more.

Both sides can play ball, but if the LoI is looking to progress in Europe, our top sides have to be beating teams from much smaller countries. And certainly not getting outplayed by them, as seems to have happened in both cases.

[Buller]

Ah they're bad results - let's not paper over that.

Breidablik have part-timers in their squad. Most of their internationals have just a token cap or three. I don't know do they do domestic-based squads on occasion for example. Rovers have made millions in recent years from group stage qualification and transfer fees.

Dudelange are in pre-season and even 10-man UCD could beat them. Bohs beat them 4-0 last year. They lost their money man (to Swift Hesperange, the new champions) a couple of years ago so their group stage qualification isn't really relevant any more.

Both sides can play ball, but if the LoI is looking to progress in Europe, our top sides have to be beating teams from much smaller countries. And certainly not getting outplayed by them, as seems to have happened in both cases.

Some of the passes they were playing around, even their defenders, the strength and speed of their players, the comfort on the ball and passing it out, I thought was all a level above anything we've faced in LOI this year. Their number 8 and 13 were in particular v impressive on the night.

I also looked up and at least one player played 70 minutes against Portugal.