Roddy Collins : Clown of the highest order

he is a eejit..i think he has issues with the fact he is not working in football anymore...cant sing either...
he slags of the leageu of which he has worked and played alongside a lot of people employed in the league, which is out of order, but he get sloads of airtime.............rte/star/newstalk, so maybe they want him to be a dunphy-esq figure...

his analysis of performance was right but the intertoto idea was bulsh*t

I do not believe it is certain that an eL side will make the CL group stages as lets face it Uefa do not make small teams there (Milan ruling yesterday) but with some luck it is possible.

Levski Sofia were seeded in the 2nd round & beat Georgian team 4-0 on aggregate, Sofia are now also seeded in the 3rd round & play Italys Chievo. Beating a strong 2nd round seed can make you seeded in the 3rd round meaning easier tie.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by joeSoap

The first two qualifying rounds of the CL are in the main made up of clubs like Cork City, Shelbourne, etc. In other words clubs that are going to get knocked out in the 3rd qualifying round if they get there. I'll bet that the majority of clubs that automatically went into the third round draw will make it to the group stages. An Irish club will not make it to the group stages of the CL in the next 5-10 years and we can all delude ourselves all day long into believing that if we so wish.

Roddy may have been overly critical when he said about puling out of the CL and the UEFA cups, but he ain't half wrong imo. The problem here lies within UEFA. There should be a totally different competition solely for clubs of lower co-efficients, something similar to what the GAA have done with regard to the hurling championship. The Christy Ring cup is now an eagerly contested competition for clubs of a lower standard who wouldn't have a snowball in hells chance of winning the Liam McCarthy. It gives them something to strive towards other than beatings from Cork and Kilkenny.

If there was a competition amongst your equals in Europe Irish clubs would prosper more I believe and achieve far better long term prosperity.

---

You cannot be serious. If teams dont learn by playing the big boys how on earth will they progress?

Roddy wasnt wrong about cork not strengthening their squad though.

For a true reflection on him check out last sundays tribune!


KOH

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by NY Hoop

You cannot be serious. If teams dont learn by playing the big boys how on earth will they progress?

---

Agreed, but at the moment whats the point in fighting above your weight? There's none, you get pummelled. All I'm saying is that UEFA should have some parallels and devise a competition whereby teams can compete at their own level in Europe to give them a chance of being successful. There is no point in going out onto a pitch with the knowledge you're going to lose and lets face it, thats what Cork City had last night. The gaps are simply too big at present between the superpowers to the big clubs to the aspiring clubs to the minnows. There should be a system in progress whereby teams can compete, not go out there simply proud to have qualified for Europe.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by joeSoap

Agreed, but at the moment whats the point in fighting above your weight? There's none, you get pummelled. All I'm saying is that UEFA should have some parallels and devise a competition whereby teams can compete at their own level in Europe to give them a chance of being successful. There is no point in going out onto a pitch with the knowledge you're going to lose and lets face it, thats what Cork City had last night. The gaps are simply too big at present between the superpowers to the big clubs to the aspiring clubs to the minnows. There should be a system in progress whereby teams can compete, not go out there simply proud to have qualified for Europe.

---

But if you extend the logic only premier teams should be allowed compete in the FAI Cup. There should be a FAI Cup-lite for all the others.

And also, UEFA do have that type of structure - its called the InterToto, UEFA Cup and CL - and qualifying rounds within the CL. :ball:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by LFC in Exile

But if you extend the logic only premier teams should be allowed compete in the FAI Cup. There should be a FAI Cup-lite for all the others.

And also, UEFA do have that type of structure - its called the InterToto, UEFA Cup and CL - and qualifying rounds within the CL. :ball:

---

Exactly. The present system offers the best of both worlds. You can compete against teams of equal standing in the early qualifying rounds and then test yourself against the better teams as you progress. And we are making progress, no-one can dispute that surely ? As Sheridan said, we will get bad results from time to time. Plenty of English Premier league teams have been on the end of 3-0 beatings away from home I'd bet. We shouldn't let it overshadow the general improvement in results, which has been quite marked in just 3 or 4 seasons. If we continue to improve at this rate I for one will be reasonably happy. In fairness to Roddy(though he is a bit of a clown) I don't think he was advocating pulling out of the Champions league, just that we shouldn't be talking up the possibility of making the group stages in the near to medium future. I think we all know he's probably right there. His criticism of Cork for not spending was mind blowing stuff though. Clearly they are trying to live within their means and there's nothing wrong with that. We all know the dangers in trying to do it any other way. And lest we forget, look at the "quality" at some of Roddy's signings when he was given money to spend. Carlton Palmer, anyone ?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by geysir

I might have missed something here, but with 3 merited wins and a draw already gained in the UEFA cup competition, with both teams involved now at the same level that a string of lower profile co-efficientless InterToto victories would have brought, the achievements of Derry and Drogheda make Roddy's statements look irrational.

---

I'm not saying he was right about restricting ourselves to the Intertoto cup, what I am saying is that I think that people who think that we will be in the Cl group stages within 5 years are deluding themselves, under the current structures.

For example, taking Collins own time with Bohs (shudders), the performances against aberdeen and kaiserslautern. How much progress has been made since then. How much progress has been made since shells did the job on Hadjuk Split.

The league has moved on somewhat since the bad old days, but not as much as some would like to suggest. While some might have found Collins remarks annoying, what to me was more embarassing was the commentators having to try and justify the gap in class being attributable to 4 missing players.

Football is about squads, not your best XI and even had Cork had their best XI they still would have struggled mightily and they sure as hell weren't getting past AC.

The only way Irish clubs get into Cl groups is if someone decides they are going to pump millions, not thousands, but millions into getting them there. The only possibility of that happening lies with the Bohemians property deal. Other than that no hope.

On the point of pulling out of Euro competitions, no its not a good idea. What might work is forsake the CL spot for a few seasons in favour of a seeded 1st round Uefa draw for the league winners, but It'd never happen.

Collins is a complete ****** and I cant stand him, but I think he was correct in the sentiment he was expressing if not the specifics.

Roddy seems to get punditry work because he's a "big character" and recognisable to the general public thanks to You're a Star, The Rod Squad and his brother. Unfortunately, more people associate him with Irish football than the likes of Pat Morley (who I think does an excellent job as co-commentator).

For Roddy, it's a case of:
"You can't sing, you can't manage, you look awful.....you'll go a long way".

P.S. Is it just me or have the posts from Dublin City fans been a lot better and more insightful since their club did a dinosaur?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by bluemovie

P.S. Is it just me or have the posts from Dublin City fans been a lot better and more insightful since their club did a dinosaur?

---

Dinosaurs dominated their era before they became extinct. Dublin City were a dodo at best.

:p

I watched Cork City last night and saw their away game in Cyprus. They battled hard in Cyprus and got through with alot of luck. However what Roddy Collins said last night is pure rubbish. Irish teams need to play the likes of Belgrade more and more often not less. By playing these teams the players will learn to adapt better to the euro game and what is a higher level of football. I honestly dont see an EL team getting to the group stages of the CL in the next 5 years BUT I certainly think the UEFA cup is a great competition for them in which them can develope. To my eye it is very likely that an EL team could qualify for the group stages of the uefa cup and playing in this competition will improve them.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by reder

I watched Cork City last night and saw their away game in Cyprus. They battled hard in Cyprus and got through with alot of luck. However what Roddy Collins said last night is pure rubbish. Irish teams need to play the likes of Belgrade more and more often not less. By playing these teams the players will learn to adapt better to the euro game and what is a higher level of football. I honestly dont see an EL team getting to the group stages of the CL in the next 5 years BUT I certainly think the UEFA cup is a great competition for them in which them can develope. To my eye it is very likely that an EL team could qualify for the group stages of the uefa cup and playing in this competition will improve them.

---

Spot on.

KOH

The presenter dude (Con something?) came out with a weapons grade classic as well - "but surely Roddy, Cork are just cutting their cloth to suit their.... er, suits". Compulsive television.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Dodge

I love the way you never dumb down your posts Sheridan. Agree with that last post 100% too.

---

Agree.
That poster deserves Champions League football.:ball:

Of course the big difference between European football in Roddy's day, and European football now is that every club would get knocked out in the first tie.
These days, we're almost expected to win the first match. All four teams this year got past the first round, which is showing a level of consistency never dreamt of 10 years ago.
Of course the whole Champions League thing is geared to the bigger clubs, and its awful hard for a smaller club to break through - a bit of a Catch 22, like Ireland until 88 - you don't get a good seeding until you qualify, and you don't qualify because you don't get a good seeding.
Having said all that, Cork's performance was the worst in the CL by an Irish club for a number of years, and I can kind of see Roddy's point that the League is regressing. But hopefully it was only a glitch.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Poor Student

He always talks about spending large wads of cash that don't exist in the eL, which is exactly what he did in his last two jobs.

---

Excellent point!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Clones Road Cas

He argues that we are more than 5 years away from the group stages of the CL.

---

Nope, he said we would never qualify! The fooking spanner. I suppose he's right though unless we get some serious investment in one club or another....

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by joeSoap

The problem here lies within UEFA. There should be a totally different competition solely for clubs of lower co-efficients.
If there was a competition amongst your equals in Europe Irish clubs would prosper more I believe and achieve far better long term prosperity.

---

I half agree, we would make more 'progress' i.e. go further in the competition, but would people come out in their droves to see the cream of Latvia, Lithuania, Malta and Macedonia turn out in Turner's Cross? :confused:

UEFA were going to have a Poll to see if 'The Fans' thought that the Champions from each country would go straight into the Group Stages of the Champions League -now THAT would be a solution.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Sheridan

I really don't understand how and why people continue to take Roddy's pronouncements seriously. He mounts a particular hobby-horse at the beginning of a broadcast and rides it rock solid until the bitter end. The more contentious, the greater the likelihood of his invited being back. From a broadcasting point of view, he speaks fluently and relatively articulately, encourages controversy and has a certain grotesque charisma. But NO-ONE takes him or his opinions seriously.

---

So, to surmise -
The eircom league has been, once again, Ridden Rock Solid by Roddy
:D

Here is my opinion of where the eL stands at the moment:

Why the eL has made so much progress recently:

- Full Time teams
- Summer Soccer
- The Setanta Cup ( more matches at a higher level )
- ITV Digital Collapse ( a lot of players came back, fewer went over )
- The emergence of many new, small nations in Europe e.g. Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Macedonia ( a lot of our wins have been against teams from countries that didn't exist 50 or 60 years ago ).

What is holding us back:

- Lack of investment, we need the Irish Millionaires to invest in Irish Clubs, not English ones
- Lack of support from the general public ( how many million is being lost from 'fans' buying Man Utd, Arsenal, Celtic jerseys and spending €500 a pop to go to one match a year at Old Trafford or wherever ).
- Competition from the GAA and Rugby ( Red Star Belgarde don't have to worry about that although I 'm sure they have other sports )
- Stadiums that are simply not good and certainly not big enough. Surely City would have got 20-25,000 at the first leg of the Red Star game and consequently 4-5 times the income in gate receipts? I would like to see City team up with Munster Rugby and develop a 25,000 seater stadium together.
Also for Bohs and Shels to ground share ( though I do believe that a clubs stadium is a big part of it's identity -though it does work for AC and Inter! ).

The way forward:

- Get more investment from the FAI and the Government
- Don't panic and keep plugging away, we are slowly getting there
- Expand the Setanta Cup to include Scottish ( and Welsh ) teams. This is a competition that is played at a higher level than the eL and one where our teams play a good number of matches every year.
- Other than this, we really do need some Irish Abramovices, we do have them but they are only interested in English and Scottish clubs. Here's hoping I win a bumper Euromillions! :)

roddy collins is one of the great men of irish soccer he is thoughful ,caring and always mindful of the clubs budget and a great dresser.
sorry have to go there calling me for my medicane