LOI in Europe 2022

[CSAD]

Chr!st you're like a child

Teams have off-days all the time. That's life. Even if Rovers had played at their absolute best they would still have lost last night. The gap between the teams is realistically too big to bridge with pluck alone in 30+ degree heat and a partisan crowd.

Stop digging / shaking your rattle.

So you’re telling me Rovers played as well as they could?

It’s easy to say in hindsight as they got a beating, it’s hard to be sure as Rovers regularly make teams look a level above what they actually are due to how incredibly easy they make it for the opposition. The reality is Rovers could have played any seeded side the way they did last night and would have got a porking, the fact you continue to look at Ferenvcaros and ignore all the issues Rovers had shows you are being willfully ignorant and not really interested in listening to the problems at hand.

And that is what we call adversity, in this situation we see how well a team is set up, how mentally strong they are and how committed they are to the cause and I’m afraid we got all our answers last night, just like they did in Bulgaria last month and in Tallinn last year…but hey, keep focusing in on this game and pretend it’s the only time it’s ever happened.

[CSAD]

Dundalk under Kenny had a style and an approach to games that gave them a great chance of good results in Europe. It's been commented by a few that's Pat's style was suited to doing well in Europe. Pat's are rightly kicking themselves for their exit last week.
If Pat's were playing Ferencváros last night, it would have been interesting to see the difference their approach might have achieved.
Rovers to be fair are efficient. Domestically they are getting results and they are beating teams in Europe this season where a win is achievable.
Ludogorets away and last night have been disasters. Bradley said after Ludogorets, “We don’t do that at home to a team in the Leinster Senior Cup" after the naive third goal conceded.

True but even under the Italian coach they showed more adaptability then I’ve seen from Rovers under Bradley.

St Pats may have lost last night but sure as hell wouldn’t go out the way that gutless mob did last night, they would at least have been commendable in their approach even if it wasn’t enough.

They are efficient in the league and against lesser teams in Europe, it’s game like last night and Ludogorets that show them up every time. But the issue is they were making Leinster senior cup errors last night and against Flora last season, it’s not a once off and how Bradley isn’t being questioned more I find astounding, what will it take?

By achievable you mean the games Rovers would be the favorites, in any game that’s 50/50 or they are underdogs they get totally found out. If Rovers fans are happy to just stay top of the league and never grow then cool but forget about ever doing anything in Europe.

[ontheotherhand]

Don't feed the trolls folks.

[Nesta99]

I think the idea is to have a level playing pitch for all teams.
A full house in Tallaght with minimal away fans is a harder place for a team to get a result so if one team got to play us in the Aviva they would be at an advantage compared to the other two teams.
If there was a tussle between two of the teams for first or second place in the group i think the team that had to play in Tallaght would be entitled to have a moan.
That being said i agree UEFA could show a bit of latitude here it is probably only going to benefit small clubs.

I see the reasoning but I just think sometimes its overdone. Eg playing Zenit St Petersburg away in September is going to be easier than November, or it rains heavily during a game making a pitch more slick than normal watering, maybe Tallaght is a sellout for one side but not another. So basically UEFA are trying to replicate the same conditions for each game in an attempt to be fair but there are many variables that cant be controlled. The balance is playing home and away in what should be minimum requirements ie UEFA Cat4 designation. The home time tries to be as fair as they can, allowing training without sprinklers going off and stuff knowing that messing will be back at you when you go away. Its not a massive issue and only effects small clubs with a plum draw what want to maximise their earnings so a little common sense from UEFA and maybe allow requests of the opposition to play in a bigger ground where more of their own fans can get access. There are for and against reasons but there should be some flexibility. It will eventually happen that more than one club could be in the groups and play in Tallaght st up differently.

[legendz]

By achievable you mean the games Rovers would be the favorites, in any game that’s 50/50 or they are underdogs they get totally found out. If Rovers fans are happy to just stay top of the league and never grow then cool but forget about ever doing anything in Europe.

To say never grow is harsh. Rovers have bounced back from previous European set backs. Ludogorets, Ferencváros and the ECL group phase is great European experience all in one season. The Ludogorets and Ferencváros performances give a clear indication that 2nd in the ECL group will be a step too far. When the dust settles on Rovers European adventure, it'll be interesting to see can they grow again and achieve more.

[Kiki Balboa]

To say never grow is harsh. Rovers have bounced back from previous European set backs. Ludogorets, Ferencváros and the ECL group phase is great European experience all in one season. The Ludogorets and Ferencváros performances give a clear indication that 2nd in the ECL group will be a step too far. When the dust settles on Rovers European adventure, it'll be interesting to see can they grow again and achieve more.

Its a Rovers team that played six 30 year olds yesterday - and thats missing 3 others (McCann, Finn and Lopes). There two youngest starters were Andy Lyons (22) and Dylan Watts (25). Their manager has been there for 6 years. Its the one team in this league that shouldnt need experience.


They showed no growth in how to play from Ludograts to Ferna either. That should be a worry. Rovers look like they are going to be third seeds in the group stage in the conference. They have a possibility for qualifying out of it (obv depending on the draw), but not how they played yesterday. In the game, they gave up 25 shots (compared to Rovers 4). A huge amount. Its solely down to Rovers not being able to adapt to a higher level and getting steamrolled because of it.

[ontheotherhand]

Again kiki - we literally beat Ludogorets. We got well beaten by a better team with half a squad and one eye on Sunday. Don't be losing any sleep over it.

[Kiki Balboa]

Again kiki - we literally beat Ludogorets. We got well beaten by a better team with half a squad and one eye on Sunday. Don't be losing any sleep over it.

Yeah, thats the exact issue. Its not about the quality or talent of the Rovers team, its about the complete naivety in Europe, and not being able to survive/manage the first leg.

I wouldnt be surprised if the return leg you find out Ferna are not as great shakes as yous allowed them to be in the first- but like Ludograts, the game is already effectively over. (Not saying Rovers will win next week, just Ferna are not the greatest team in Europe as it is being made out to be).

[ontheotherhand]

Nobody is saying they are the greatest team in Europe. It's hard to have a discussion about anything on here when hyperbole like that is being employed. They are a good side who beat a weakened Rovers team with one eye on Sunday in sweltering heat in front of their 25 odd k fans. It's happened to Dundalk too.

I don't think we were naive in either leg. Naive is a weird word to use anyway. You think we went in not realizing how good they were? Or we should have sat back and put everyone behind the ball? We put out the best team in the best shape we could and we got beaten. The idea of sticking Richie Towell in a 5 man midfield isn't something I'd want to see us go with. Gannon was our only option at RWB unless you'd have wanted Farrugia on from the start? Playing a 4 at the back for the first time in years would have been even more calamitous. We don't even really have a recognized left full with Kavo already needed in midfield. Our best team went out last night and it wasn't good enough.

We are still heading to the groups. Which is lucky for you......

[pineapple stu]

Again kiki - we literally beat Ludogorets. We got well beaten by a better team with half a squad and one eye on Sunday. Don't be losing any sleep over it.

To be honest, I wouldn't rate the Ludogorets win that much. It was a better performance, sure, but Ludo were there to see out the tie, which they did. Similarly Sligo beating Viking and even Rovers' draw in Malta are largely meaningless given the tie was over after the first leg

[ontheotherhand]

To be honest, I wouldn't rate the Ludogorets win that much. It was a better performance, sure, but Ludo were there to see out the tie, which they did. Similarly Sligo beating Viking and even Rovers' draw in Malta are largely meaningless given the tie was over after the first leg

Your argument would be fair if they'd controlled the second leg but they didn't. Seeing out the tie wouldn't involve getting a man sent off and coughing up as many chances as they did. Completely different scenario to our game v Hibs. They didn't score.

[sbgawa]

Yeah, thats the exact issue. Its not about the quality or talent of the Rovers team, its about the complete naivety in Europe, and not being able to survive/manage the first leg.

I wouldnt be surprised if the return leg you find out Ferna are not as great shakes as yous allowed them to be in the first- but like Ludograts, the game is already effectively over. (Not saying Rovers will win next week, just Ferna are not the greatest team in Europe as it is being made out to be).

You do realise we were missing half a team ?
Just checking because it seems you are completely oblivious to this?
Can you name 11 Rovers palyers?

[pineapple stu]

Your argument would be fair if they'd controlled the second leg but they didn't. Seeing out the tie wouldn't involve getting a man sent off and coughing up as many chances as they did. Completely different scenario to our game v Hibs. They didn't score.

They didn't really have to control the second leg in fairness. As soon as Rovers made it interesting, Ludo scored to end it. Viking didn't control the game in Sligo either - and even gave up a penalty needlessly - but I still wouldn't pay too much heed to that win

[ontheotherhand]

They didn't really have to control the second leg in fairness. As soon as Rovers made it interesting, Ludo scored to end it. Viking didn't control the game in Sligo either - and even gave up a penalty needlessly - but I still wouldn't pay too much heed to that win

Viking were 4 up already and Sligo scored 1. An O.G. Viking were never in any trouble at all.

I take your point to an extent obviously. Ludo got the job done even if they looked completely shook and on the ropes. I'm not going to claim a side that has a cushion won't occasionally get sloppy and open things up but we were a completely different animal in the home tie and second half over there for a fairly obvious reason....we had Graham Burke on the field. The story of Rovers in Europe for the past two seasons has been the story of what could have been of we had our best players available.

And yet we are still in the groups! Some achievement really. Works out all around. People who don't like rovers can focus on the defeat, while we celebrate the success. Middle ground secured.

[ger121]

They didn't really have to control the second leg in fairness. As soon as Rovers made it interesting, Ludo scored to end it. Viking didn't control the game in Sligo either - and even gave up a penalty needlessly - but I still wouldn't pay too much heed to that win

They didn’t control it because they were not let from the start.They were all over the shop and lucky not to be 2 down long before Rovers got the 2nd. The goal for them you could say was a classic against the run of play goal, when the other side is playing a high line to chase the goal they need to level the tie and are hit on the counter.