LoI in Europe 2024

[Philosophizer]

Outstanding by Pats so far.
Nice to see a continental team screw up at the back and a LOI team be clinical.

[ger121]

2-0 Pats - Kenny lives!

He knows how to do Europe.

[ger121]

Just a side note on Pat’s tie. Winner of this looks like they could be off to Azerbaijan. Sabah 3 nil up away to Maccabi. That game is now in injury time.

[Kiki Balboa]

That Israeli team got spanked, which considering the current Pats score, is good news for everyone.

[brendy_éire]

Very lively start from Pat's. A world away from their tempo last Sunday in the Brandywell.

Be interesting to see if they push on and try and kill tie off tonight.

[Philosophizer]

Vaduz very lucky to still be only 2 down.

[Martinho II]

He knows how to do Europe.

Awful pity he didnt stay on as mgr time Vaduz beat us. Always thought AM was overhyped imo

[Philosophizer]

This commentator at Richmond sounds like a bit of a dose…

[total hoofball]

Disappointing Shels performance though the technical/speed/physical gulf was evidential, I've said here before our ball retention is shocking for a team top of the LOI and it was badly exposed tonight at this higher level. I don't feel we maximised everything to pull off even a 1-0 defeat to keep the tie alive going into Tolka next week. Our only right back Gannon being suspended was always going to be a problem with a re-jigged backline but I have no idea why Boyd (even Martin) and Caffrey did not start, Duff hasn't touched John O'Sullivan all season and gives him a start tonight. Love Duff he gets 95% right but he does have a few tactical headscratchers

All said and done from when we were at a much higher level 20 years ago legitimately competing for 75% of our final qualifying game against Deportivo to getting shat on 1-4 by Cabinteely at Tolka in the First Division in 2017 it's a much better place to be in today still looking forward to the 2nd half of the tie next week

[yurt]

Was thinking 30 minutes in that it'd be a massive crime if Pats didn't bring at least a 2 goal lead away with how much better they are. Vaduz grew into that game though and are capable of causing them problems.

All in all though a great first half from Pats. They need to keep their clean sheet and see if they can nick another one. Vaduz clearly capable of gifting chances when pressed properly

[Philosophizer]

Vaduz score with their 1st attempt on goal. Absolutely ****e play from Pats.

[pineapple stu]

Vaduz score with their 1st attempt on goal. Absolutely ****e play from Pats.
That's more like the LoI we know and love - was getting worried there for a while! :p

[osarusan]

3 ex-LOI players on the pitch for St Mirren away to Valur tonight. Jonah Ayunga, Richard Taylor, and Roland Idowu.

[Philosophizer]

Pats really should have buried the tie there. Bolger header from 6 yards and put it straight at the keeper.

[Acornvilla]

I am happy to be resoundingly correct in my Euro predictions for once :D

[pateen]

Fair play to Pats.

Good entertaining game

[ger121]

That’s a good win.

[Philosophizer]

Good win for Pats. But they maybe should have a 3 goals lead for next week and the tie as good as over. As it’s stands Vaduz still have a real chance if they score first next week.

[pineapple stu]

Third goal gives good hope for next week - you'd imagine Pat's now favourites to go through?

Then on to Sabah, a new Azeri team with no European pedigree - though a record of four wins from five, losing only to Partizan (on penalties ultimately)

Probably a step too far, but a win always gives a bit of hope for more!

Edit - there's three countries the LoI has lost every European game to. One is Liechtenstein - or was Liechtenstein now. Another is the Czech Republic, but they've kept their record up. Third then is the USSR, which will probably remain forever (well, unless Putin has his way I guess)

[pateen]

Though in fairness Pats did beat the Russians away once for one of the biggest results in Europe ever

[EalingGreen]

3 ex-LOI players on the pitch for St Mirren away to Valur tonight. Jonah Ayunga, Richard Taylor, and Roland Idowu.Plus two ex-IL - Caolan Boyd-Munce and Oisin Smyth.

Likely reflects St. Mirren's financial resources (or lack of); possibly also that manager Stephen Robinson (NI) may be more aware of the Irish market(s) than others?

[Briuk]

Pats will win the league in 2025 if.

They qualify in the tie against Vaduz
Sabah beats Maccabi Haifa.
They qualify vs Sabah.
They are out in the Play-offs
They don't qualify to Europe from league.
Kenny is the coach for 2025

100% - 2025 Champions.

[D24Saint]

Won’t complain about that tbh. I’ll take any sort of result to travel with. TBh we should be three goals ahead in the tie.

[pineapple stu]

We drop back to 33rd in the rankings, behind Kosovo.

Pretty much no chance of going higher than 32nd. Iceland are 0.542 behind us but have all four teams still in. Armenia having a good year too with all four sides left.

Only four countries below us have a higher score this year, so we're doing ok there.

But I think it's the lower teams getting to the Conference League groups that'll really tell how we end up. I expect Shels and Rovers will lose handily enough next week, but more hopeful Pats could get a result to keep us ticking along

[TonyD]

That Israeli team got spanked, which considering the current Pats score, is good news for everyone.

Absolutely. My only fear about us going through ( and I’m not counting my chickens there) is that we’d end up having to play Haifa. Would have been awful. Israeli teams really have no business in European competition at the best of times, let alone in the current climate. Here’s hoping they don’t turn it around.

[2 Year Contract]

Nights like tonight are the ones that make all the ****e ones throughout a season worth it. Mulraney was absolutely electric tonight, he rinsed their right back pretty much every time he took him on and his delivered consistently good crosses, on top of two excellent goals. Unfortunate not to score a few more goals but it was a hugely promising performance and hopefully the two goal lead will be enough to hold onto. It’s set to be around 30 degrees over there next week, coupled with Pats being winless away from home since the first game of the season it won’t be an easy task but it’s brilliant to be heading away with hope anyways

[Knocklyonhoop]

Good performance and good goals for Pats tonight. Surely they have some chance in the next round if they go through

[Jamesie]

Third goal gives good hope for next week - you'd imagine Pat's now favourites to go through?

Then on to Sabah, a new Azeri team with no European pedigree - though a record of four wins from five, losing only to Partizan (on penalties ultimately)

Probably a step too far, but a win always gives a bit of hope for more!

Edit - there's three countries the LoI has lost every European game to. One is Liechtenstein - or was Liechtenstein now. Another is the Czech Republic, but they've kept their record up. Third then is the USSR, which will probably remain forever (well, unless Putin has his way I guess)

Don't go swallowing too much of that Western media horsecrap. The same people gave us weapons of mass destruction among many others.

[Jack B]

Obviously a great night tonight, though I'm struggling to work out how much it was us finally performing or Vaduz just being abysmal because there were times tonight I thought we could've kicked on and won by one or two more, which I can't say for more or less any other game this year. Given our away record this season I'm still not 100% confident going into next week but still and all can't argue it isn't a great result, especially compared to how the other sides have gotten on. Hopefully it kick starts our season a bit so we can kick on to finish around...6th.

[total hoofball]

Obviously a great night tonight, though I'm struggling to work out how much it was us finally performing or Vaduz just being abysmal because there were times tonight I thought we could've kicked on and won by one or two more, which I can't say for more or less any other game this year. Given our away record this season I'm still not 100% confident going into next week but still and all can't argue it isn't a great result, especially compared to how the other sides have gotten on. Hopefully it kick starts our season a bit so we can kick on to finish around...6th.
Shels 1st in LOI get done comfortably away 3-0 by a top Swiss 1st Division team and Pats 7th in LOI do over at home a Swiss 2nd Division team - most likely Vaduz are weak, but it's still a really good result for Pats and halfway to job done and another potential financial bump, it takes some heat off Kenny aswell

This highlights aswell the importance of winning the FAI Cup over 2nd/3rd place in the league, getting that potential bye/seeding/favourable draw might be why some clubs currently struggling top finish Top 3 in the LOI have gone on all-in on mid-season spending sprees

[Acornvilla]

Vaduz being knocked out last season by a club from Belarus was my main reason for expecting Pats to win. They ebb and flow, any time they do well, like in 22/23 they get picked apart and have to reset. Lost their top scorer before the start of this season. New striker in scored 1 goal in the same league.

They have many advantages for a tiny club, but they're still a relatively small fry in the Swiss system and don't keep their best players for very long. Pat's can definitely still throw it away but you'd be hopeful for at least a draw out there to get it done.

[pineapple stu]

Don't go swallowing too much of that Western media horsecrap. The same people gave us weapons of mass destruction among many others.
You've lost me there...?

[EatYerGreens]

Don't go swallowing too much of that Western media horsecrap. The same people gave us weapons of mass destruction among many others.

I guess we must all have just imagined Putin invading Georgia and Ukraine, de-facto annexing part of Moldova, making Belarus a puppet/vassal state etc.

[EatYerGreens]

They have many advantages for a tiny club

A little harsh on Pats ? :D

[Nah Nah Nah Nah]

Good win for Pats. Anyone know why our game next week is still scheduled for the day after they play in Liechtenstein? It’s been known for months they’d be playing that day

[2 Year Contract]

Good win for Pats. Anyone know why our game next week is still scheduled for the day after they play in Liechtenstein? It’s been known for months they’d be playing that day

Yeah it’s an odd one that it hasn’t been postponed yet, I guess it will over this weekend. Shels and Derry on the same night was only moved to the following Monday night a couple of days ago when it was announced for TV coverage, although I’d have expected them to re-fix the Pats Sligo game in the same announcement

[Nah Nah Nah Nah]

They had no need to move the Shels game until they qualified for round 2. Pats have been in round 2 for ages.

[2 Year Contract]

They had no need to move the Shels game until they qualified for round 2. Pats have been in round 2 for ages.
There is no place for that level of common sense in FAI fixture scheduling ;)

[pineapple stu]

Goals from Zurich below. "Was für ein Fehler!" - the commentary at the start of the second goal - means "What a mistake!" Different language, but same view of the LoI in Europe... Also says it was a goal "their absolute dominance deserved"


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BA4H2OAxg08

[pineapple stu]

And goals from Richmond here; Vaduz messing about for the second Pat's goal, and Pat's returning the favour for the Vaduz goal.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IaMICzKWntc

(Limit of one video per post)

[Kiki Balboa]

I think it's time to admit...

Dundalk is Irelands only truly consistent European club, and it is in the best interest for the coefficients that teams let Dundalk win in the LOI for ever.

[ger121]

Some of the Shels defending for those goals must have had Joey O’Brien pulling out his hair.

[Straightstory]

Delighted for Kenny - he hasn't had the best of luck in recent years (which leads me to think Pats might struggle to get over the line in the second leg).

[Jack B]

Good win for Pats. Anyone know why our game next week is still scheduled for the day after they play in Liechtenstein? It’s been known for months they’d be playing that day

Was speaking to someone from the club the other day and they said it was being played on the Sunday. Absolutely no idea why nothing has been communicated about it though.

[joey B]

Some of the Shels defending for those goals must have had Joey O’Brien pulling out his hair.

Kearns not great either,the 3rd goal in particular….

[2 Year Contract]

Was speaking to someone from the club the other day and they said it was being played on the Sunday. Absolutely no idea why nothing has been communicated about it though.

Just been confirmed by the league for 6pm on the Sunday now

[Jamesie]

You've lost me there...?

The whole Putin wants to conquer the world and we better all spend all our money on weapons and let's start WW3 to be on the safe side...kinda of a line I'm hearing from the media

[D24Saint]

The whole Putin wants to conquer the world and we better all spend all our money on weapons and let's start WW3 to be on the safe side...kinda of a line I'm hearing from the media

If Putin isn’t an obscure player that nobody has heard of then it shouldn't be discussed on the site. There is enough of this crap online these days.

[Acornvilla]

Gunna be Putin a lot of pressure on the mods if this keeps up

[pineapple stu]

If Putin isn’t an obscure player that nobody has heard of then it shouldn't be discussed on the site. There is enough of this crap online these days.
I hear he had a spell with Celtic as a youngster and was never quite the same since.