LOI In Europe 2025

[joey B]

Linfield hanging on a bit but Shels need to score to reward their dominance…

[sbgawa]

Shels deserve a goal. Hopefully they don't regret these missed chan es

[2 Year Contract]

Good start by Shels well on top first 20 min
Good to see uefa implementing player safety in tolka having sidelines a min 3m from hoardings something the FAI overlook every week will prob b same in Richmond tomorrow night

It is indeed. Was the same last year in both grounds for the first time. I think I recall hearing that United Park had issues with the pitch size when allowing for that minimum distance from the hoarding that threw into doubt Drogs game being played at United Park regardless of the eventual issue with the licence

[Kiki Balboa]

Linfield there for the beating, but Shels already looking like they ran out of ideas.

[ger121]

Shels need to be quicker with their passing and also have a shot if it is on and stop this laying the ball back rubbish all the time. Linfield there for the taking.

[sessylU]

I get that it's their pre-season, but Linfield look very poor. Shelbourne, though, for all their dominance, don't exactly impress either. Could be an interesting second half. Linfield will be wondering if they can nick something, Shels should have a bit more fire in the belly and a few more ideas.

[yurt]

Shels are definitely better than them, but they absolutely have to bring a lead north next week. You'd hope as the game goes on Linfield's lack of match fitness will really come to the fore and Shels will get more space. Linfield do look relatively comfortable though once they've 11 men behind the ball.

[2 Year Contract]

Shels have had enough chances to be ahead at this point but need to be more clinical in front of goal as Linfield could also have taken the lead with that chance they had around the 45th minute if they had a more clinical striker. Peno decision was 100% correct in the end, never a penalty and I was surprised the ref gave it in the first place given his view of it

[yurt]

Good finish from Mipo.

Positive substitution from O'Brien rewarded pretty quickly. Boyd is different threat that linfield couldn't deal with

[sbgawa]

Linfield are awful.

[2 Year Contract]

Linfield are awful.

Very poor alright. Even taking the physical aspect out of it with them being in pre-season, their technical ability on the ball looks levels below a shels side that are currently only the fifth best in the country. I think shels will put a few past them on the bigger pitch next week

[ger121]

They could do with a 2nd.

[2 Year Contract]

https://x.com/steobohs/status/1943030233155727666?s=46

Good lord that’s an entire other level of embarrassing stuff :eek:

[cláirseach]

Terrible standard in the last half hour. Shels are a very uncreative team and Linfield are technically poor.

[brendy_éire]

Terrible standard in the last half hour. Shels are a very uncreative team and Linfield are technically poor.

Agreed.

Shels are the better side by a distance. Maybe I'm being harsh, but that feels like a poor result for them. Linfield we're knackered in the second half, and Shels just weren't able to take real advantage of it.

I still think they'll go through, but Linfield will be happy enough to be heading back up the road with that result.

[cláirseach]

I'm aware that I have made a few negative posts in succession, so here is a positive one - Sean Boyd makes the most of everything he has. Did so well for the goal.

[Nesta99]

https://x.com/steobohs/status/1943030233155727666?s=46

Good lord that’s an entire other level of embarrassing stuff :eek:

What am I missing? Watching the superior physical strength of Shels tonight, compared to Linfield, reminded me of how Dundalk sides looked against better European opposition. Pre season or not, Linfield should be stronger on the ball. Even Dickie looks like he has some substance and bulk to him. Shels were great bar in the final third for a lot of proper build up play. That second goal would have been nice.

[2 Year Contract]

What am I missing? Watching the superior physical strength of Shels tonight, compared to Linfield, reminded me of how Dundalk sides looked against better European opposition. Pre season or not, Linfield should be stronger on the ball. Even Dickie looks like he has some substance and bulk to him. Shels were great bar in the final third for a lot of proper build up play. That second goal would have been nice.

Grown men in the shels end wearing Shels-Linfield half and half scarves

https://x.com/smiledogg88/status/1943027546834055590?s=46

https://x.com/steobohs/status/1943008134034759691?s=46

[yurt]

To be fair to Shels, I think they had more chances then people are making out, it actually could have been 3/4 on another evening. They hit the post and the keeper made a wonder save in the first 10 mins.

Boyd nearly finished off would would have been savage goal at the front post after a class first touch and arrowed cross from Wilson.

Shels are the better team and if they show up next week they should go through.

[ger121]

I know Linfield are pre-season but that has to be one of the most limited Linfield sides I can remember seeing.

They lost Cooper to Coleraine at the end of the season so they seem to not have the same spending power or pull they’ve had in the past.

If Shels start with Boyd next week they’ll finish off the job with another win.

[total hoofball]

No question Shels left goal or two on the table tonight, I hope it doesn't bite us this time next week but if you have watched us all season the final third was typical of us all a bit two dimensional at times while not being particularly good on set pieces either. Two and half weeks ago with the turmoil of Duff's departure I would have taken for us to be unbeaten in the next four games winning 2 drawing 2 under O'Brien including winning this 1st leg 1-0

The game felt reminiscent of our Conference League home game against St. Joseph's a year ago where we were considerably the better side until tailing off towards the end only taking a goal advantage into the 2nd leg. Linfield looked about the same standard as St. Joseph's most of their players technically limited while also looking exactly like a side in pre-season missing half a yard of pace, I expect Linfield to be sharper next week but for Shels we don't have to worry about 30 degree humid heat like Gibraltar last year and the larger Windsor Park pitch may suit us

[listowelceltic]

Did Shels narrow the pitch width last. Anyone know the reason for that?

[Kiki Balboa]

Did Shels narrow the pitch width last. Anyone know the reason for that?

To comply with UEFA regulations for distance between pitch and hoardings I think.

[Kiki Balboa]

Fair play to Shels for getting a winner. Could have been one of those frustrating nights.

Thought there was a huge amount of emotions that carried them for the opening 20 min or so, that gave the players energy to really attack Linfield. It looked like it could be a cricket score at that point. Feel they nearly got a penalty for that reason, but VAR seen sense.

Once that Adrenaline Rush ended, Shels became pretty stale until Boyd came on. Gave them a physical presence and a link to Mipo.

So many times Linfield would have seven or eight players crowding out the center of the box, with only one Shels player there. Shels play the ball too often to feet in front of that bank of blue players, with players happy enough not to try and penetrate, and ask questions. Its just way too 'safe' football.

The tie is wide open for the second leg, both teams have so much room to improve.

[Guitd]

Did Shels narrow the pitch width last. Anyone know the reason for that?

Yes Rules state it must be 3m from boundary hoardings UEFA insist for player welfare but same rule applies to our leagues but FAI &Refs overlook this it’s player safety issue surprised PFAI aren’t insisting it’s done here

[Buller]

Yes Rules state it must be 3m from boundary hoardings UEFA insist for player welfare but same rule applies to our leagues but FAI &Refs overlook this it’s player safety issue surprised PFAI aren’t insisting it’s done here

How are you surprised? It would make places like Richmond Park and United Park unviable. 3m is overkill anyway, dont think any player has ever been injured in Tolka or Richmond by the pitch boundary. More likely to get hit by bottles or flares, id say theyre the bigger risk! :D:D

[brendy_éire]

How are you surprised? It would make places like Richmond Park and United Park unviable. 3m is overkill anyway, dont think any player has ever been injured in Tolka or Richmond by the pitch boundary. More likely to get hit by bottles or flares, id say theyre the bigger risk! :D:D

Gerard Doherty knocked himself out after his head hit the wall at Richmond.

I think the UEFA regulation is fair enough, and won't affect most clubs.

[outspoken]

To comply with UEFA regulations for distance between pitch and hoardings I think.

Should have been done years ago, I remember Paul O'Connor almost killing himself off the wall up there for Longford years ago, missed a series amount of games with concussion after it

[2 Year Contract]

Gerard Doherty knocked himself out after his head hit the wall at Richmond.

A deserved punishment for having done it in the process of conceding a goal from the halfway line ;)

[Nesta99]

The dimesnions of the pitch area in Oriel hae to be adjusted when the new pitch is laid for this reason. think its behind one of the goals that is the issue. Floodlights in United Park are inside the pitch area and were a bit scary for years until they ut padding around them ala rugby goalposts. Even with the 3 metres you do see the occasional collision by players on TV if not domestically, more a good luck thing, but it is important. I think it has as much to do with where he sdeline grass area stops, if its narrow and players run on to a tarmac or concrete area then thay are like bambi and end on their ass or in the hoarding.

[Buckett]

How do Man Utd get away with their sidelines? There's a very steep drop just before the perimeter fence.

It's always been very tight in Terryland too, Jimmy Nolan broke his leg colliding with it years ago.

[yurt]

Pats have played alright. Melia should have had a hattrick and didn't hit the target any of his opportunities.

Their keeper is in shambles and definitely should have been sent off for carrying the ball outside the box, couldn't believe the linesman didn't flag for it. Really poor officiating.

[placid casual]

He wouldn't get sent off for handling outside the box...
Can really see why Pats have struggled this season, they're in danger of getting caught on the counter as the opposition have real pace up front when they get their act together.
Pats need to take a lead for the 2nd leg or it'll be more regrets

[sidewayspasser]

Keeper clearly looked to be outside the box with the ball in his hands. Hard to believe the officials missed that.

[pineapple stu]

Santa Coloma of Andorra 3-0 up away to Borac Banja Luka (last 16 of the Conference League last year) at halftime is a bit mental

[ger121]

I’m only dipping into Pat’s game on UEFA but they look fairly dominant on the match tracker. Goals always an issue for them.

[ger121]

On a side note. Finnish football continues to slide. Clubs getting beat home and away by sides from the Faroes. HJK taking a battering.

[placid casual]

https://www.camel1.live/home

A good streaming site for watching games, if anyone's interested

[ger121]

1-0 thanks to a Keena penalty. How he is not starting is beyond me.

[yurt]

Pat's finally got their goal in the end. Eerily similar game to the Shels one Wednesday. Loads and loads of possession and pressure and eventually turned that into a 1-0 home win against teams that really don't look like they are up to much.

Of all the talk of the league's progressing and standards, etc, I think we can really see it in this round of Europe. I've been watching LOI games in Europe for a long time and you can clearly see the LOI has gone up a level vs the competition.

Part of it is obviously due to the changes in structure of the conference league and there being only the smaller teams in the first round, but our teams do look like the dominant side in ties which used to be 50/50s.

Would be a disaster for either side not to progress after being so much better than the opposition in the home leg.

Poor results for Armenian's this evening are great for our Europa league spot in 27/28 also.

[2 Year Contract]

Thank Jaysus for that. Melia had 3 great chances and Baggley with another one or 2. Didn’t get that bit of luck with McClelland’s cross hitting the bar too. Baggley who has had more than his fair share of bad games this season was man of the match for me tonight, excellent all night. More confident they can get the job done over there next week, looking forward to the trip over

[Jack B]

Hegelmann were comfortably the worst side we've played this season I thought, but in keeping with how we've been playing of late it felt like a penalty was the only way we'd actually put the ball in the net despite our dominance. Can only hope we don't live to regret it next week.

Side note but a nice, albeit initially confusing moment was a couple of Hegelmann players at full time went around to applaud the home fans as well as their own. They got a nice reception back after some skeptical looks at first!

[2 Year Contract]

Hegelmann were comfortably the worst side we've played this season I thought, but in keeping with how we've been playing of late it felt like a penalty was the only way we'd actually put the ball in the net despite our dominance. Can only hope we don't live to regret it next week.

Side note but a nice, albeit initially confusing moment was a couple of Hegelmann players at full time went around to applaud the home fans as well as their own. They got a nice reception back after some skeptical looks at first!

Yeah they didn’t seem up to much. Having obviously watched recent Pats matches and saw the inability to break down defences, their game plan was to come and be compact and hit long balls to the Cameroonian number 11 up top but he had very little impact and couldn’t make the ball stick long enough for them to get bodies up and around him. The Brazilian number 15 Leo Ribeiro looked head and shoulders their most talented player, he’s got a serious turn of pace about him and will certainly need to be kept a leash on next week. They didn’t/couldn’t get the ball to him enough for him to hurt Pats tonight but there were a few flashes from him to know that he looks a serious player if given time on the ball. As for the rest of them they looked pretty ordinary players.

Comical moment of the night for me was when they were on the break on what was looking like a dangerous counter attack from a Pats corner and 2 of their players ran for the same ball and ended up running into each other and falling over allowing Pats to regain possession and start another attack :)

[TVFBLOCKF]

Pats have played alright. Melia should have had a hattrick and didn't hit the target any of his opportunities.

Their keeper is in shambles and definitely should have been sent off for carrying the ball outside the box, couldn't believe the linesman didn't flag for it. Really poor officiating.


Melia hasn't impressed me at all, can't see how he could be a Premier League player. Noonan and Elding have looked far better IMO. What do Pats fans think?

[2 Year Contract]

Melia hasn't impressed me at all, can't see how he could be a Premier League player. Noonan and Elding have looked far better IMO. What do Pats fans think?
If a 17 year old with 14 senior league goals in his career and man of the match performance against Istanbul Basaksehir hasn’t impressed you at all it’s probably a good job you’re not a scout ;) Himself and Noonan have scored the same amount of goals this season. Elding has 2 more than both but is also 2 years older than Melia and 3 years older than Noonan and was nowhere near at the level of the either when he was their age. Melia has struggled for form recently but that will happen with a 17 year old, there’s no doubting his ability

[D24Saint]

Himself and Noonan have scored the same amount of goals this season. Elding has 2 more than both but is also 2 years older than Melia and 3 years older than Noonan and was nowhere near at the level of the either when he was their age. Melia has struggled for form recently but that will happen with a 17 year old, there’s no doubting his ability

I think the tough patch he is going through will only benefit him. He is only 17 and has the talent to have a good career. If he can go to the highest level will only be revealed in time.

[2 Year Contract]

I think the tough patch he is going through will only benefit him. He is only 17 and has the talent to have a good career. If he can go to the highest level will only be revealed in time.

As you said we’ll see what level he ends up at in time. Despite his transfer fee being a record for a LOI player, it’s peanuts for Spurs so it’s definitely worth the gamble for them. Worst case scenario they develop him to a level that they sell him for a slight profit on what they paid as they did with Troy Parrott, although that was a good bit more than just a slight profit, but the point still stands that they benefited from signing him despite him not cutting the mustard as a first team Spurs player

[sbgawa]

I think the tough patch he is going through will only benefit him. He is only 17 and has the talent to have a good career. If he can go to the highest level will only be revealed in time.

Controversial statement maybe but i think Melia got his transfer off the back of a few good performances and as someone said a punt from Spurs...i suspect he will disapear on loan to some lower league clubs and end up back here fairly soon.
Hopefully im wrong but he has never impressed me and ive been watching him playing against Rovers underage teams for the last 4 or 5 years

[2 Year Contract]

Controversial statement maybe but i think Melia got his transfer off the back of a few good performances and as someone said a punt from Spurs...i suspect he will disapear on loan to some lower league clubs and end up back here fairly soon.
Hopefully im wrong but he has never impressed me and ive been watching him playing against Rovers underage teams for the last 4 or 5 years

The last time he played a game of underage football was in 2023 when he was 15. The game I mentioned above against Istanbul Basaksehir, he was 16 years old and gave non stop problems to the centre back pairing of Leo Duarte, who AC Milan had spent 10 million quid on before he moved to Turkey, and Senior Ghana international Jerome Opoku. He also ran Roberto Lopes and the rovers back line ragged several times last season. Surely those examples are more relevant than the handful of games you saw him play between the ages of 13 and 15.

Spurs have signed him as an academy player, he will no doubt go out on loan to lower league clubs as is the norm with most academy players, such as Josh Keeley going to Barnet and Leyton Orient and doing well. The likelihood of Melia or Keeley for that matter making it as a regular in the spurs first team is very very slim but they can still make a good career of it in England or elsewhere off the back of doing well in those loans. The problem for young lads in academies over there is that picking the right club(s) to go on loan to can be an absolute minefield that can make or break their career, so there’s a lot of luck involved

[sbgawa]

The last time he played a game of underage football was in 2023 when he was 15. The game I mentioned above against Istanbul Basaksehir, he was 16 years old and gave non stop problems to the centre back pairing of Leo Duarte, who AC Milan had spent 10 million quid on before he moved to Turkey, and Senior Ghana international Jerome Opoku. He also ran Roberto Lopes and the rovers back line ragged several times last season. Surely those examples are more relevant than the handful of games you saw him play between the ages of 13 and 15.





Spurs have signed him as an academy player, he will no doubt go out on loan to lower league clubs as is the norm with most academy players, such as Josh Keeley going to Barnet and Leyton Orient and doing well. The likelihood of Melia or Keeley for that matter making it as a regular in the spurs first team is very very slim but they can still make a good career of it in England or elsewhere off the back of doing well in those loans. The problem for young lads in academies over there is that picking the right club(s) to go on loan to can be an absolute minefield that can make or break their career, so there’s a lot of luck involved

I think you missed my point, obviously i have seen him play the senior games my only reference to the underage stuff was that he was never a standout at underage and while he has shown some good form at senior level nothing spectaculer that other players hos age and younger arent doing as well. Hes Irish so i hope he does well but i am still mystified as to how Spurs picked him out as worth the money.