Linfield
Printable View
Linfield
If they lose at home to a jammy goal without scoring themselves that is scandalous
Tbf to Rovers Flora were clearly underestimated on here (and in the bookies as has been touched upon) they are a decent side, a bit better than Rovers or any other LOI side imo regardless of the lack of depth in their domestic league.
They won’t be pushovers in their ECL group either, they know what they are at.
Comprehensively outplayed for 180 minutes by a team from one of the worst ranked countries in all of Europe. Rovers, favorites to be head and shoulders above all the other teams in our League by season's end.
Jaysus imagine how bad bohs dundalk and the rest of the league must be if rovers are this bad. Top of the league !!
Rovers had a decent 30 minutes at the start, spells of pressure and created a couple of half-chances, but when they didn't score in that spell, it was all over after that.
Quote:
Originally Posted by DCWA
I don't necessarily agree with that. Flora aren't great. How many of their goals were gifts from Rovers? Today's is the obvious one, but in Tallinn Rovers were passing straight to them, were falling over in the box, weren't tracking back at all.
The Estonian league - average crowd 400 - is 53rd in UEFA for a reason. I didn't see anything from Flora in either leg to indicate that were anything other than a standardly-competent pro side.
This was a very winnable tie and to lose home and away is as bad a result as the LoI has had in Europe in a while.
One word for it: Embarrassing.Quote:
Originally Posted by CorribsideSteve
Deflect all you like, ****ed live on the telly twice by a tuppence hapeny team from the Baltic.5-2 ffs.Quote:
Originally Posted by sbgawa
You can harp on about the league and about it being a winnable tie all you want but if it was winnable beforehand it doesn’t look it now.
I think Flora can feel they won that pretty handily all in.
Which is precisely why it's concerning that Rovers were so easily brushed aside. Our League winners last year, and this year most likely, are actually not good enough for Europe, at the lowest entry point, with a favourable set of draws.Quote:
Originally Posted by pineapple stu
That was really poor from Shamrock R. well off for what is required to make progress at this European level.
Fair play to them. Well organized outfit. 10 clean sheets in 17 in their league so you knew they'd be able to limit any side in terms of chances. We had enough to get the 3 goals we needed but when we didn't score while we had that spell of cutting them open in the first half, I figured they'd get to halftime and shut up shop. Easy for them from there really even if they didn't threaten much. They didn't have to of course. The goal obviously kills us and it's further evidence that Mannus has gone down a level. Still a great shot stopper and organizer but his concentration is slipping. One of a few faces that will need to change for any run in Europe next season. Champions Path or no.
What's frustrating is that we played like we played in the early stages of the league, particularly in the first leg. Silly errors, a lack of midfield cover and nothing happening up front. It was never going to be good enough in Europe and to be honest, I'd been dreading the games. We'd started to click leading into them though so it's poor to regress. If we don't get back to where we were in the 4-5 games leading up to Europe, the league is wide open and the cup....well....Sunday should be fun.
Til next year then.
I can only hope Shamrock Rovers are as crap next Friday night as they were tonight. That was woeful.
Bradley as he has since he took over will learn from this and we’ll be the better for it next time … Europe really exposed how much we need a fit wide player (Farrugia) as we were just too ponderous for this this level …. we move on so now bring on Sunday
Pretty poor year for the league in Europe
Rovers only won one tie and that was against an Albanian side
Sligo, pathetic.
Dundalk beat Levadia as expected then lost to Vitnese as expected
Bohs beating the Icelandic team wasn’t a surprise, knocking Duderlange out was probably the only tie won by one of the teams that would be considered a decent win.
As a fan of our feeder club I appreciate u need to enjoy these moments, maybe next year you might make the telly, if u qualify.Quote:
Originally Posted by Dalymountrower
Rovers didn't co themselves justice but we will settle for winning the league and go again next year
Yet, it was one of our best ever years in terms of co-efficient..Quote:
Originally Posted by PartySaint
Viva La Conference LeagueQuote:
Originally Posted by nigel-harps1954
Yeah, I agree.Quote:
Originally Posted by CorribsideSteve
Like, the argument about "Has the LoI improved" has to resurface now that another season is over, and I still don't think it has
Bohs v PAOK and Dundalk v Vitesse were more than respectable. Ok, three of the four ties could have ended 4-0 by the sounds of it - but they didn't. So there's shoots there.
Our coefficient this year is a record too. But really, we scored highly in part because we had the easiest set of draws the LoI has ever had in Europe - Wales, Luxembourg (a decent win, albeit overshadowed by a query over the side's finances) Iceland twice, Albania. And the same happened last year with Dundalk. The new format means coefficients are going to be higher. It doesn't mean we're improving.
Two of our sides were knocked out by countries ranked in the 50s - that's never happened before. Our respectable results were against sides 3-4 weeks away from the start of their season.
And this is all despite changing season specifically for European progress, and postponing games to give clubs an extra boost (which few other leagues do)
Excuses that Flora were underrated are really a bit minnowist for my liking. I think there's a lot to consider with this year's results
I think it's worth repeating that it'd want to be, given we faced Iceland, Iceland, Wales (and lower half sides too), Estonia, Estonia, Luxembourg and Albania.Quote:
Originally Posted by nigel-harps1954
We got a very lucky draw this year. That will translate to a higher coefficient
The only thing embarrsing is that Rovers team will win the league again this year without much challenges from anyone else in the league.
Must do better folks.
Rovers need a few changes in personnel for next year to make a better fist of Europe.
Great support from the Rovers fans, and a great send off for Liam Scales.
We'll Never Die.
No, losing home and away to an Estonian side is also pretty embarrassing.
Quote:
Originally Posted by wonder88
You keep telling yourself that. Another chance to bottle it again next year. A BradserclassQuote:
Originally Posted by placid casual
I'd be keeping an eye on Galway if I was you mcgonigle, they look like they could be competitive in the relegation play off. Hope you don't bottle it ;)
Having fallen to the relegation play off place and you have cheek to hector us about bottling …. Comedy gold thatQuote:
Originally Posted by mcgonigle
Get the buckets ready.
Still out performed the so called standard bearers in Europe again. Rogers and Byrne rightly ripped into them.Quote:
Originally Posted by sbgawa
Any take on the game or are you just happy to be the best of a bad bunch?
Quote:
Originally Posted by wonder88
Empty Rovers tears out of them before sending them up pleaseQuote:
Originally Posted by sbgawa
Quote:
Originally Posted by wonder88
Every Dundalk fan will admit we're a mess. Any Rovers fans brave enough to admit that they embarrassed the league twice in a week?Quote:
Originally Posted by Calcio Jack
Good luck in the ECL group stages.Quote:
Originally Posted by mcgonigle
Embarrassed the league.....hang on to your pearls love.Quote:
Originally Posted by mcgonigle
;).
I already said Rovers didn't do themselves justice....it happens.
At least we get to try again next year. Will u be in the league next year ?
That's the consensus here, by the pundits and in the media. They won't use the word embarrassing but when they are talking about the second placed team in a poorly ranked league with moderate resources I think you can read between the lines.Quote:
Originally Posted by sbgawa
Keep the deflection up lads.
Deflection ....lol
Good luck in the relegation play off. Lol
How is abibi on taking corners ? As good as Rogers?
Quote:
Originally Posted by wonder88
As good as Mannus on tonight's performance.Quote:
Originally Posted by sbgawa
You're deflecting because the only responses you have to criticism is to point out that your team is better than mine and you're top of the league.
Thanks for the well wishes. Get a good night's sleep it won't hurt as much in the morning
First, despite the result, it's been a very good year in Europe for Irish football. The amount of wins this year is far higher than expected in what was supposed to be a weak league. Beating the teams from leagues around us is clearly positive, and in plenty of other years, those wins could have been draws or losses.
I was not able to watch the game last night and only seen the goal, but who was the midfielder tracking the goalscorer? I couldn't make it out in the wee clip I'd seen. Was it Gary O'Neil? The serious lack of pace was really surprising and thought it was nearly as bad as the goalkeeping.
For Rovers, how many of their players are contracted next year? For an old team, their transfer policy of bringing in oldish players on multiyear contracts was surprising. I think you could really make the point that the so many late goals for Rovers this year has papered over a lot of cracks in the squad.
With Dundalk imploding, and Rovers looking very old, this off-season suggests possible one of the most open opportunities for the 'chasing pack' to become real contenders since the end of the 2012 season. If there ever was an offseason to be extra aggressive (in keeping players or getting new one in) for Derry, Bohs, Sligo and Pats, it would definitely be this one.
I have been struggling to remember a worse League Champions performance in European competition over the last ten years than last nights debacle, Pats hammered 6-1 by Legia is up there , slightly better performance by Cork who were well beaten by a good Legia team in 2018.
Rovers (again) being beaten by another Baltic powerhouse, mighty Ekranas of Lithuania in 2013 stands out, although they did manage a plucky 0-0 draw at home.
(Cue Sbgawa and deflection squad referencing Bohs TNS/Icelandic part timers in the Europa League)
That's a bit harsh to compare Pats v Legia (when Pats drew the away leg but ran out of steam at home, conceding three times in the last ten minutes) to Rovers losing home and away to an Estonian team who'd never won both legs of any tie before this year, and indeed the LoI had only lost 1 of 16 previous games against Estonian teams (you won't need me to remind you who that was! :p)
We scored 50% from ten games against leagues ranked in the 50s (4 wins, 2 draws, 4 defeats) - is that "clearly positive"?Quote:
Originally Posted by Kiki Balboa
Stephen Kenny a common denominator in a couple of the Baltic debacle.Quote:
Originally Posted by pineapple stu
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dalymountrower
Every team is allowed a few bad games a season, i've said several times already Rovers didn't do themselves justice so i am not deflecting .
I am however enjoying throwing a few jabs at the feeder club supporters (Devoy on his way next reportedly) and the Relegation candidates whose supporters are revelling in Rovers losing.
I don't mind that though as i wouldn't like to see either win game changing amounts of money in Europe so would enjoy a PO defeat for them just as much.
Provided we win the league again our seeding next year should give us a great chance of giving group stages a real good shout.