champions league

[Guitd]

dynamo kiev beat spartak moscow 4-1 in moscow today puts drogs result
seem like we nearly made it to group stages if only one of the chances at the end went in

[passerrby]

dynamo kiev beat spartak moscow 4-1 in moscow today puts drogs result
seem like we nearly made it to group stages if only one of the chances at the end went in

if only the manager had more money

[gspain]

I imagine Roddy will go on a rant about how rubbish Russian football is now. If only they combined their league with Northern Ireland they'd be winning European trophies.

BATE also won 1-0 in Bulgaria. Terrible news for our coefficient if they make the group stages but a superb achievement.

[gufcfan]

Now Roddy, ya clown.

So Kyiv were gonna get thrashed in Moskvá anyways were they?

CLOWN

That is all.

[Mayo_Bhoy]

dynamo kiev beat spartak moscow 4-1 in moscow today puts drogs result
seem like we nearly made it to group stages if only one of the chances at the end went in

Ah now let's not get carried away here. I wtached the 2 legs of the Kiev game and while Drogheda performed superbly and could have smeaked through, Kiev were the better team over the two legs and to suggest that Drogheda nearly made the Group stages, based on tonights result is ridiculous. BTW Did Roddy really say they would be hammered in Moscow??:p

I must admit i thought the same myself judging Spartak purely on what i saw in the Qualifying Round V Celtic last season. They looked a good side.

[SMorgan]

Mayo Bhoy, you're 100% right.

But that statement will go down like a fart in a space suit with some on this message board.

[ciaraa]

Ah now let's not get carried away here. I wtached the 2 legs of the Kiev game and while Drogheda performed superbly and could have smeaked through, Kiev were the better team over the two legs and to suggest that Drogheda nearly made the Group stages, based on tonights result is ridiculous. BTW Did Roddy really say they would be hammered in Moscow??:p

I must admit i thought the same myself judging Spartak purely on what i saw in the Qualifying Round V Celtic last season. They looked a good side.

thats pretty much spot on really - kiev were definitely the better team over 2 legs - no one could argue that.
although I would differ with the celtic - spartak match last season - I thought they were 2 average teams whom any top irish side on their day would give a game to. it amazes me how people rate celtic in europe when really they are the biggest bottlers away from home you will ever see. if that was celtic having to play dynamo instead of drogs dynamo would've thrashed them. (edit. thrashed them in kiev that is!)

[bennocelt]

BATE also won 1-0 in Bulgaria. Terrible news for our coefficient if they make the group stages but a superb achievement.

the team of the comp so far me thinks, they are on a winning run now

[LeixlipRed]

Did anyone watch the highlights of the Moscow-Kiev game? The defending from Spartak was quality :D They scored an og from about 35 yards out

[Mayo_Bhoy]

thats pretty much spot on really - kiev were definitely the better team over 2 legs - no one could argue that.
although I would differ with the celtic - spartak match last season - I thought they were 2 average teams whom any top irish side on their day would give a game to. it amazes me how people rate celtic in europe when really they are the biggest bottlers away from home you will ever see. if that was celtic having to play dynamo instead of drogs dynamo would've thrashed them. (edit. thrashed them in kiev that is!)

I agree that Celtic would have struggled in Kiev but it's their home record that has got them to the Last 16 in the last two seasons. To suggest a top Irish side would match Celtic in the CL over two legs is stretching it a bit.

As for rating Celtic in Europe, well the last 16 two years in a row isnt to be sniffed at, considering the vast differnece in resources with most of the teams they compete against. Id love to see an Irish side hold AC Milan scoreless and take them to extra time in the knockout stages.

[CMcC]

I agree that Celtic would have struggled in Kiev but it's their home record that has got them to the Last 16 in the last two seasons. To suggest a top Irish side would match Celtic in the CL over two legs is stretching it a bit.

As for rating Celtic in Europe, well the last 16 two years in a row isnt to be sniffed at, considering the vast differnece in resources with most of the teams they compete against. Id love to see an Irish side hold AC Milan scoreless and take them to extra time in the knockout stages.

I would too, but the vast difference in resources you say Celtic have to deal with is positively minuscule when you compare it to the differences between an Irish side and the Celtic's of this world, or indeed the Kiev's.

[OneRedArmy]

I agree that Celtic would have struggled in Kiev but it's their home record that has got them to the Last 16 in the last two seasons. To suggest a top Irish side would match Celtic in the CL over two legs is stretching it a bit.A stretch, but based on past results its not inconceivable.

Anyway, the relevant point here is, as noted above, that Roddy has again proved how much of a tool he is.

[Black and White]

Cypriot champs also hammered Olympiakos!! more bad news towards our co-efficient.

[galwayhoop]

although I would differ with the celtic - spartak match last season - I thought they were 2 average teams whom any top irish side on their day would give a game to. it amazes me how people rate celtic in europe when really they are the biggest bottlers away from home you will ever see. if that was celtic having to play dynamo instead of drogs dynamo would've thrashed them. (edit. thrashed them in kiev that is!)
ahh come on man will you take your pills.
drogs were on the verge of a massive result in kiev but in the first leg they were totally outclassed. on another night they could have lost 3 or 4 nil and no-one would have complained.
i am only speculating but perhaps kiev were not expecting much from the drogs in the second leg considering how easy they had the first! drogs to their credit almost upset them.

celtic have made the last 16 in the CL two seasons on the bounce (a big achievement for a club with resources nowhere near the other first or second seeds in the group stages) so it really isn't that hard to see why people rate them, albeit they are only really a second tier team in CL context.

spartak moscow looked very dangerous against celtic last year, even in parkhead where usually other teams get nothing (hence why celtic are usually at business end of the group). they did damn all in the uefa cup though. again they have a massive budget so would resonabily enough be expected to be decent enough opposition.

overall (in CL context):
Celtic - decent second tier team
Dynamo Kiev - decent second tier team
Drogs (and any other team from this island at the current time) - fourth or fifth tier team at best.

to insuniate that the Drogs are a superior European team (on the back of one second leg result) to celtic and spartak moscow is a bit optimistic (or even deluded).

[Mayo_Bhoy]

Anyway, the relevant point here is, as noted above, that Roddy has again proved how much of a tool he is.

At last...something we can all agree on...barstoolers, EL die hards, Occasional EL fans, Celtic fans, EPL fans, Badminton fans etc etc

[CMcC]

to insuniate that the Drogs are a superior European team (on the back of one second leg result) to celtic and spartak moscow is a bit optimistic (or even deluded).

I dont think he was. Or I must have missed it if he was. Think he was saying that Celtic are gick away from home in CL. Even the dogs on the street know that and he said they may have been given a bigger beating in Kiev then drogs were on the night. Its his opinion and basing it on how Celtic, more often than not, seem to bottle it away in CL (Artmedia etc) its an understandable opinion. Not one I would necessarily agree with however.

Dont think anyone is seriously arguing that Drogheda Utd are a better European side than Celtic !!!

[paul_oshea]

DOES ANYONE THINK ye both have it wrong and infact its a she rather than a he?!

[Higgo]

At last...something we can all agree on...barstoolers, EL die hards, Occasional EL fans, Celtic fans, EPL fans, Badminton fans etc etc

I would like to echo this, Roddy Collins has to be the biggest begrudger in LOI circles (well he's not even in the circle anymore really!)...what a complete tool. I'm delighted he was proved wrong again, such a shame that Drogs didn't score in the las minute in Kiev all the same. The man should never work in the LOI again. It would kill me if he ever managed Shels anyway.

[JC_GUFC]

I imagine Roddy will go on a rant about how rubbish Russian football is now. If only they combined their league with Northern Ireland they'd be winning European trophies.

BATE also won 1-0 in Bulgaria. Terrible news for our coefficient if they make the group stages but a superb achievement.

Yeah great result for them after beating Anderlecht.
It mightn't be too bad if they make the group stages as they would probably get no more than 1 point in their matches. If they went to the UEFA Cup they'd have a decent chance of getting to the group stages where they'd definitely get more than 1 point.

Either way it's not great for us but they're actually quite a bit off us.

[pete]

I don't think BATE results affects us as they are a fair bit behind us & have to split their points with the rest of Belarus who are not contributing much. I will be cheering them on to the group stages anyway as gives hope that small nations can partake in the CL. Nice two fingers to Uefa who want the biggest clubs there.

[HarpoJoyce]

Surely LoI clubs want the grass trampled in front of them to progress in European Competition themselves. So the success of Anorthosis and BATE Borisov in their first leg match (so far/only) is a benefit to clubs who compete at the 1st qualifying stage (q1).

While both clubs can be considered underdogs, I think that UEFA are happy to promote the underdog in the CL. UEFA expand both competitions for the middle-ranked clubs aswell and if the middle clubs can be overtaken by experienced sides from below, so be it.

[Sheridan]

I don't think BATE results affects us as they are a fair bit behind us & have to split their points with the rest of Belarus who are not contributing much. I will be cheering them on to the group stages anyway as gives hope that small nations can partake in the CL. Nice two fingers to Uefa who want the biggest clubs there.
What makes you say that? The qualification criteria are actually pretty liberal and favourable to the smaller teams. It's not so long ago that a previous administration excluded the champions of countries like Ireland from the European Cup altogether.

[pete]

What makes you say that? The qualification criteria are actually pretty liberal and favourable to the smaller teams. It's not so long ago that a previous administration excluded the champions of countries like Ireland from the European Cup altogether.

System favours the biggest countries with multiple teams. For example english teams cannot play each other the 1/4 finals which means evenly lowest ranked English teams have advantage over say Portugal or any country with one participant. Spain & Italy have same advantage. If Everton or someone gets through as 4th English side they have an advantage over teams with same ranking from smaller countries.

[bennocelt]

What makes you say that? The qualification criteria are actually pretty liberal and favourable to the smaller teams. It's not so long ago that a previous administration excluded the champions of countries like Ireland from the European Cup altogether.


I was under the impression that lower ranked teams accepted money for not participating in the CL back then, but i could be wrong

[HarpoJoyce]

I was under the impression that lower ranked teams accepted money for not participating in the CL back then, but i could be wrong

UEFA compensated clubs for travelling ( Clubs still receive money from UEFA) but the main trade-off was the takeover and expansion of the Inter-toto cup.
http://www.uefa.com/competitions/intertotocup/history/index.html
A betting competition for Central European clubs during the summer.

[paudie]

I don't think BATE results affects us as they are a fair bit behind us & have to split their points with the rest of Belarus who are not contributing much. I will be cheering them on to the group stages anyway as gives hope that small nations can partake in the CL. Nice two fingers to Uefa who want the biggest clubs there.

In fairness UEFA have changed the CL last qualifying round so that , I think, a team that has won their league can only be knocked out by a team that has also won it's league
ie Liverpool wouldn't be playing Standard and Fiorentina playing Slavia for a place in the CL. Rather Liverpool would play (for example) Fiorentina and Standard v Slavia
A good change i think.