LOI in Europe 2023

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Originally Posted by pineapple stu

I think so too. But it's just a foot.ie ritual - the only time of year Paul leaves the Ireland forum here.

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Sounds like what happens in the real world too. Some Irish fans who only turn their gaze upon the LOI during Europe and then criticise it when it doesn’t live up to their expectations.

I was at our game home and away. Dudelange deserved to go through, they were the stronger team over the two legs especially in attack.
The big frustration for Pats fans is that after we levelled the tie in the second half last night we had them under the cosh and it was very much in our own hands to go through. Then we gifted it back to them through a double mistake by a centre half playing his third game for us. Their injury time goal is neither here nor there, we were practically playing one at the back at that stage as we had to go for broke.

Mistakes in central defence have been killing us all season. Our first choice centre halves are Joe Redmond and Tom Grivosti, both out injured for the past few months. We have missed them badly.

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Originally Posted by EalingGreen

"All four"?
Are you winding me up?

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Should have been Kazakhstan - mis-scanned the line. Aoologies - no back-door return for Glens I'm afraid!

Have to say I really, really enjoyed watching the Pat's game. It was end to end with pieces of quality from both sides and even more mistakes from them too. Dudelange were clearly the better team over the 2 legs but they tried their best to give it to Pat's with the state of the goalkeeping for all 3 goals. When Pat's went 2-1 up on the night I thought there was only one winner from there. That didn't turn out to be the case and in that context I think it is fair to say Pat's should have went through even if I don't think they were the better team.

The last minute winner was such a killer too for those of us who love following the co-efficients like a league table.

Even though the results and performances haven't been good in Europe so far I've never been more bullish on the future of the league. Europe used to be in my be the be all and end all for the LOI. It would be how I would measure the quality of our league and how I would try and ligitimise the league to the barstoolers. But post covid and the attendance boost I don't feel like I need to try and argue the LOI case anymore, Europe is just a fun side-show to me now.

I think it's clear to everyone (including now eventually the FAI which is the main thing) that the biggest thing holding back football in this country is facilities and coaching. Now that there's an actual plan in place to improve on that front I'm more hopeful for the futures than previously hoping than that a club reaching the group stages will somehow fix everything. We already know it won't when Dundalk got there twice and still play in the same Oriel.

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Originally Posted by ger121

And yet, here you are!

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Not for long Ger!

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Originally Posted by paul_oshea

Finally that back pocket excuse thrown up here for years about budget, resources, conditioning etc can blown out of the water. When theres a co-ordinated push in footballing structures to lobby the government into fundamental investment into the game in Ireland the government are going to look for a bang for their buck. Where's the value in what's being offered? The rest of Europe has caught up and passed LOI out wheres the guarantee to government its going to pay off.

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So we shouldn't fund and improve the game because you weren't satisfied with a few European performances? Good stuff. Great to have you contributing again.

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Originally Posted by D24Saint

Shocking by the VAR team that the ref was required to have a look. It was peno all day long.

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What is shocking is that it is the first time a LOI club has had a VAR decision for them. Just 7 years after it was first introduced in the game.

The ref has every right to see for himself what you saw, to help make his decision. Sadly in the LOI, he wouldn't get the opportunity.

Despite the result, Bradley is safe as long as he wins us the league.

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Originally Posted by mypost

What is shocking is that it is the first time a LOI club has had a VAR decision for them. Just 7 years after it was first introduced in the game.

The ref has every right to see for himself what you saw, to help make his decision. Sadly in the LOI, he wouldn't get the opportunity.

Despite the result, Bradley is safe as long as he wins us the league.

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And that’s why it would almost be a good thing in the long run if Rovers don’t win the league. This team needs a clear out and we all know Bradley won’t do that.

Dundalk made quite hard work of that last night, but end of day the outcome was the most important part by miles, get to R2. €550k now min, Derry will get the same.

Europe really is so important for clubs in the absence of any TV deal or govt support.

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Originally Posted by paul_oshea

Watched 6(5-6 two eyes) of the 8 games and its the poorest fare I've seen from a collective set of teams in a long while. It wasn't like the 00s though, that story was quite different 60-70 mins of good organised and disciplined football until the inevitable lapse of concentration or dopiness from one player causing a goal then finishing with a 2 or 3 goal loss. This year was not like that, those lapses were happening from fairly early on.

Rovers performances were insipid and uninspiring they look totally flat and out of ideas. A tired team with tired ideas. That has to come down to the Manager and coaches. What's happening with the underage structure and the conveyor belt of talent coming through. Those Icelandic players looked fitter, stronger, better conditioned and technically superior to anything Rovers could offer.

The less said on Derry and less so Dundalk the better. But both were unbelievably bad and I have high hopes for O'Donnell.

Pats played good football and really should have won last night, Lux players were looking out on their feet as early as the 75th minute. A lot of poor balls by mulraney and a lot of hit and hope crosses into the box.

Out of any players across the teams and games Curtis looked like a good prospect out of all the young(er) players on show but he's too slow same as Ferizaj last year with Rovers and its no surprise to not see him involved this year based off what I said last year. He got so badly exposed by an average dutch striker for that last goal and yes I'm aware hes only 17 but it wasnt just the early sell it was the lack of pace injection that stood out after more.

Finally that back pocket excuse thrown up here for years about budget, resources, conditioning etc can blown out of the water. When theres a co-ordinated push in footballing structures to lobby the government into fundamental investment into the game in Ireland the government are going to look for a bang for their buck. Where's the value in what's being offered? The rest of Europe has caught up and passed LOI out wheres the guarantee to government its going to pay off.

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Why? Both went through, plus do you not think teams from Faroes and Gibraltar are not going to have a go at trying to earn 500k +

Who cares about a performance, its all about the results at this stage.

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Originally Posted by mypost

What is shocking is that it is the first time a LOI club has had a VAR decision for them. Just 7 years after it was first introduced in the game.

The ref has every right to see for himself what you saw, to help make his decision. Sadly in the LOI, he wouldn't get the opportunity.

Despite the result, Bradley is safe as long as he wins us the league.

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We disagree on a lot but I genuinely can't believe you'd want VAR in the LoI. I'd rather Sean Grant ref every game than ruin the entire sport.

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Originally Posted by ontheotherhand

We disagree on a lot but I genuinely can't believe you'd want VAR in the LoI. I'd rather Sean Grant ref every game than ruin the entire sport.

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100%.this all day, I’d never go to a game where the fans can’t celebrate a goal until the tv says it’s ok.if you want var, stay in the pub watching epl or cl or worse again the farce that international rugby has become.

You can celebrate a goal whenever you want. You can even celebrate getting a penalty that is not scored, happens in 1 in every 5 penalties.

What I want is justice on a pitch, not headlines about the wrong decision made by the ref. The officials deserve to be informed about the details of an incident, as much as everyone else. Every serious club and international competition these days has VAR available, so that justice is done when it's supposed to be done. And I'm delighted we got the chance to use it in our European tie. Without it, the result would have been even worse.

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Originally Posted by pineapple stu

Glens 10-10 in their shoot-out. Every kick scored so far

Edit - the keepers score too. Has there ever been a shootout where all 22 players scored?

Aaron McCarey scored for Glentoran - ex Dundalk keeper

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Drogheda v IK Start(?) I think. It amused at the time when Graham Gartland, Drogs designated penalty taker, missed both his penos.

*misread the above on ALL players scoring rather than the amount of penos needed.

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Originally Posted by mypost

You can celebrate a goal whenever you want. You can even celebrate getting a penalty that is not scored, happens in 1 in every 5 penalties.

What I want is justice on a pitch, not headlines about the wrong decision made by the ref. The officials deserve to be informed about the details of an incident, as much as everyone else. Every serious club and international competition these days has VAR available, so that justice is done when it's supposed to be done. And I'm delighted we got the chance to use it in our European tie. Without it, the result would have been even worse.

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Don’t care I’ll never agree that var has a place in football, absolutely robs the tempo .
And the uncertainty is part of the game. As is being on either side of a dodgy call.
Var arrives in loi I’m off.

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Originally Posted by Nesta99

Drogheda v IK Start(?) I think. It amused at the time when Graham Gartland, Drogs designated penalty taker, missed both his penos.

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Well even that didn't have all 22 players score though. It ended 11-10

Edit - an old (2014) Guardian article gives 29 successful kicks as the record, with the 30th missed.

This, with 27 successful kicks in a row, would go in at joint second best of all time in that regard

https://www.theguardian.com/football...st-most-scored

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Originally Posted by paul_oshea

Watched 6(5-6 two eyes)......
Finally that back pocket excuse thrown up here for years about budget, resources, conditioning etc can blown out of the water. When theres a co-ordinated push in footballing structures to lobby the government into fundamental investment into the game in Ireland the government are going to look for a bang for their buck. Where's the value in what's being offered? The rest of Europe has caught up and passed LOI....

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You make it sound like LoI was ever ahead of the rest of Europe and been overtaken. Its stating the obvious that there has been chronic neglect of the domestic game here and that has allowed the likes of Icelandic teams to not be underdogs v LoI sides. In that regard your point may be valid. We have seen improvement irrespective of underinvestment imo. That it was generally felt that the draw was favourable for all is based on being closer to European sides is indicative of this rather than arrogance. The leagues ranking hovers around the same yearly bar exceptions but having clubs seeded in early rounds also counters the argument that there is significant disimprovement rather than fairly much things being par for the course.

I dont really know why Rovers underperformed in europe previously bar maybe a conservative tactical approach, but I dont think they were incapable of progressing through the 1st round, they just didnt turn up and looked like they were in preseason and that could be due to them not needing to be sharp and on song week in week out domestically to top the league.

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Originally Posted by pineapple stu

Well even that didn't have all 22 players score though. It ended 11-10

Edit - an old (2014) Guardian article gives 29 successful kicks as the record, with the 30th missed.

This, with 27 successful kicks in a row, would go in at joint second best of all time in that regard

https://www.theguardian.com/football...st-most-scored

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Yup, copped the error before reading this post.

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Originally Posted by Dermobohs

Don’t care I’ll never agree that var has a place in football, absolutely robs the tempo .
And the uncertainty is part of the game. As is being on either side of a dodgy call.
Var arrives in loi I’m off.

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Everyone says that, and then everyone goes straight back. VAR is essential in football, it is in use in over 100 national competitions, and fans still go to watch them.

Results pay the bills, and it's an outrage that a team's entire season can be destroyed, because the ref didn't have the chance to see what he needs to see, to correct a clearly wrong decision. Unfortunately that's still the case in this league.

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Originally Posted by Dermobohs

Don’t care I’ll never agree that var has a place in football, absolutely robs the tempo .
And the uncertainty is part of the game. As is being on either side of a dodgy call.
Var arrives in loi I’m off.

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Thankfully that day is a long long way in the future. I expect to be pushing up daisies before it arrives (if ever). Absolutely agree with you. I’d rather take my chances on dodgy calls.