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Drawing Newcastle has great publicity and money making potential but for all the wrong reasons. You'd have a significant amount of people coming only for Newcastle and when you combine travelling and domestic support you'd have a sizeable amount behind them. It could also be quite embarrassing if they won by a heavy score and give the barstoolers another stick to beat the league with. I'd rather easiest possible draws and more progress.Quote:
Originally Posted by higgins
Have to agree,like to see progression to group stagesQuote:
Originally Posted by Poor Student
Ok, bit of research here. The countries ahead of us in somewhat catchable range are Macedonia and Georgia.
Macedonia have one team left in Europe, their CL representatives who are Rabotnicki Skopje. They drew 1-1 away in Hungary for the first leg of their 2nd round CL qualifier and have the second leg to come at home.
Georgia have two teams left. Sion Bolnisi who are in the CL and lost the away leg of their tie to Levski Sofia 2-0 and have the home leg next week. Their other representative is Ameri Tibilisi who are in the UEFA draw tomorrow.
So, we hope for a tough draw for Ameri in the UEFA and that the other two clubs lose their 2nd legs. Even if we can't catch them this year Macedonia and Georgia will lose scores of 1.166 and 1.333 respectively next year whereas we'll be dumping a pathetic 0.166. We'll get ahead of them next year if things stay the same and we do similar next year.
Well, I think we have to walk before we can run. The next stage I see is making it to the 3rd round of CL qualifiers more often and our UEFA Cup representatives to get to the 1st round proper. Group stages are another step ahead of that.Quote:
Originally Posted by nshoop
Fair enough,but getting newcastle wont helpQuote:
Originally Posted by Poor Student
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Originally Posted by Poor Student
Thats the key, we should never, ever have such a dreadful score holding us back again. After the 0.333 the year after being dropped we should be flying
Don't make these assumptions though. Have a glance over the list and you'll see practically every country has an exceptionally bad year. It would actually be freakish to have 5 consistent years behind us. Here's hoping though.Quote:
Originally Posted by Soko
We are doing well to maintain our current run. All 3 clubs put out sides that were expected to beat us.
The big step is to have our 3 clubs seeded in their first games. This should lead to at least awin and a draw each and allow us to keep the seedings and then move on.
The group stages of the Champions league are still a long way off. Even getting to the 3rd qualifying round probably means a draw v the likes of Milan, Valencia or Arsenal. We need to be getting there regularly and thne get a bit of luck in a draw.
True, but a few of the countries directly above us are also relying on one freakishly good year - look at Slovakia who are relying on Artmedia Bratislava's fairly freakish performance last year.Quote:
Originally Posted by Poor Student
IMO last night was a huge step forward for the league and I would fancy any of the teams in the 2nd round apart from Newcastle - though to be honest, they wouldn't intimidate me too much given their track record
Ofg course if any of our clubs played Newcastle we could chant "stand up for the Irish team/club" "is your union jack at home" "were Irish and we know we are" amongst many others to remind our brethern of the clubs they should be supporting. Might not achieve anything but it would good fun!
I like the positive thinking Hecko. Any team are do-able. There are upsets all the time in football. Bigger ones than Cork beating Newcastle.
Any team that lets their guard down in the qualifiers will be in a mess.
Granted having to beat Red Star and Newcastle over two legs makes it a lot harder. The key is getting into the 3rd round more often by getting seeded in the 2nd round (25th ranking 10-11 co-eff points). Then instead of 2 hard 2-legged games you got a slightly easier and one hard game. Those days could be as little as 4 years away. Don't forget the Uefa 1st round proper awaits any beaten 3rd round team and double co-efficient points!
As Poor Student says, its a step by step process but we are getting there. And quickly too!
If Cork was to beat Red Star Belgrade, they got drawn against AC Milan in 3rd Round - what a tie that would be :eek: :D
Hope Derry and Drogheda get nice draws and they be in first round proper ie group stages of UEFA Cup
We up to 37th in co-efficient with at least another 5 games to play in European football :)
1.666 points already - with all 3 teams still in competition & at least 5 games (legs) to go - turning out to be a great European season.
Things looking rosey for the rankings for 2009 & beyond: http://www.xs4all.nl/~kassiesa/bert/...crank2009.html (imagine - 21 countries ranked below us!)
I think Cork can really say goodbye to the Champions league for this season. I cant envisage how they will score two goals over there. A couple of draws from Derry and Drogs will be fantastic.
This season defintely has been a step up. The clubs look a lot stronger in Europe than ever before. If we can keep this up for another 3 seasons there will be a massive improvement in the standard of the league. We could be 31st by 2009 and northern ireland 48th. Almost 20 places in difference. I think the clubs up north will surely want to join the EL then.
If we could get an average of 2.0 each season we jump to 25th - 27th. Of course thats when you miss out on the first qualifying round and go straight into the second qualifying round AFAIK.
Playing big teams in the 3rd qualifying round may be a daunting challenge but if the clubs do well and dont loose by a hockey score then the irish public will defintely start paying attention to the league. Shelbourne did fantastically against Deportivo.
The big difference this year is have our best teams in europe & we cannot rely on that every season. Still though definitely more points to be earned this year. With more clubs consistently winning & getting more experience it can only improve & the irish public might view as more than flash in the pan.Quote:
Originally Posted by thejollyrodger
Could Cork get a draw tonight and boost the co-efficient but i doubt it. i think they get beat 2-0 but love to be wrong :D
Mixed news last night for the coefficient. The country above us in Macedonia got an extra win last night as their champions Rabotniki won 4-1 and got through to the next round. They'll now pick up further points as they're guaranteed to go into the UEFA 1st round when they will probably lose to Lille in the CL 3rd qualifying round. The other country within touching distance is Georgia. Their representatives were dumped out with a loss last night. They now have just one side left in the UEFA Cup. If Derry and Drogs do the business then we can make some headway in catching up with these two.
The the upside only Liechenstien can catch us. estonia the only country below us with 2 teams left & most of the countries just above have only 1 team left.
Swedes continue their downward spiral with only 1 from 4 teams left as Djungardens dumped out last night.
Sweden's only representative is Åtvidaberg from the first division - Superettan. There are coincidently a feeder club to Djurgården. Highly unlikely that they will add to Sweden's current score for this year so there is a risk that Sweden's representatives will be playing in the Champions League first preliminary round next season. Pretty amazing considering the finances that are available to Swedish clubs.Quote:
Originally Posted by pete
I suppose we should get used to Swedish teams scouting top eL player so...
I think will be hard to make any further jump in ranking this season but every point counts as makes it easier for future years.
Looking at minimum 1.7 club points for any eL side in the CL/Uefa Cup next season with Shels at 2.7. I think 1.7 would be enough for seeding against teams only using national ranking points but not enough for anyone with club points like Shels.
Terrific chance though. Drogheda and Derry will have to play well on the night and take nothing for granted but both their ties are winnable. If both got through to the first round proper you'd like to think one at least could progress, obviously depending on the draw, or at least come away with a couple of draws from the four matches. With the double points coming into play, we could well have our most successful year since the advent of the Eircom League.
1st round proper is as difficult as the Cl 2nd qualifying round & current lowest seed is Levski Sofia if they not make to CL group Stages. For example Slavia Prague would half way through the seedings & they were quality side last year.
Even 1 draw in the 1st round is hige for the particular eL club when comes to seedings in draws as Shels still holing onto point from draw against Lille & made them seeded against Glentoran last year.
Seville, Newcastle, Schalke, Leverkusen, Marseille and many more CL 2nd qualifying round class?Quote:
Originally Posted by pete
Id fully agree!Quote:
Originally Posted by Red&White
Not sure if they can both get through but were looking at 4 games here against even enough sides. two wins and a draw is what I would imagine with Derry most likely to get through.
Our coefficient is far from finished this season.
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Originally Posted by Red&White
to be fair, if either team just qualifies for the 1st round, this will be our most sucessful year ever (1 more win or 2 draws would give us a coeficiant of at least 2.0 and our highest - last year - was 1.833) - getting both teams into round one followed by just 1 draw each there would give us at least 3.0 points for the year!
and the rest......Quote:
Originally Posted by pete
Its the Champions League 2nd round winners plus a whole host of teams from the best League's in Europe entering at that stage.
As said above its Seville, Newcastle, Schalke, Leverkusen, Marseille etc that enter at that stage.
Cork went out to a tough team, but there's a hell of a lot tougher in the UEFA 1st round if Derry or Drogs can get through.
The fact that people were saying that they thought it would be hard to beat 1.833 this yet and yet we could end up with 3 is pretty amazing. To be fair, the quality really is there in the first round, but I'd like to think we could get a draw with a fair few of the teams when we play at home. That win over Gothenburg has given me great hope, as it wasn't a 'backs to the wall job,' with the underdogs sneaking a cheeky goal, it was a comfortable, patient, well played, European game that Derry played both home and away and it looked great. Unfortunately, have yet to see Drogheda yet in Europe this season, but I imagine they must be playing a similar way.Quote:
Originally Posted by CuanaD
The quality we face is made up for by the media circus surrounding games like this, and the advert for the league that say, Derry v PSG (my personal dream draw :D ), Cork v AC Milan, or Drogs v Newcastle is.Quote:
Originally Posted by OneRedArmy
Lads/Ladies
Can be concentrate on the next round first ok, lets get through first :p both tough games as start and gretna will think they can get through, norway football is better than swedan football down through the years while gretna will be tough enough.
Out of the four games, if we can get 2 wins, we will be over 2 points in co-efficient and hopefully have at least one team in 1st proper round.
There are Ladies using this forum now?:)Quote:
Originally Posted by swinfordfc
Sadly, I dont think Drogs are playing with half as much composure as Derry did. TBH they were a bit lucky to win in Dayler - but they did get more impressive as the opposition tired. That's not to say that I didnt enjoy the game - the atmosphere was brilliant! - I'd gladly watch any game in an atmosphere like that, but they still look more rushed than composed & still haven't sorted their goalscoring problems (Zayed could be the business tho')Quote:
Originally Posted by Red&White
Have to agree,they looked leaderless and had to resort to long ball football because the passing on the ground was all over the shop.fair play to them though for sticking it out and keeping up the tempo into extra time,great fitness level!Quote:
Originally Posted by CuanaD
So tonight is the night can Derry and Drogheda improve our points?
Good news on the non-eL results. Macedonians Ratbotniki lost 3-0 to Lille last night and luckily Georgians FC Ameri lost 1-0 to Hertha Berlin with a 90th minute winner. They're the two countries ahead of us in the rankings.
looks like a win for Derry if they can hold on.. what does that mean to our co-efficent ?
Well we're about 1 point behind Macedonia but unfortunately that side of theirs left in the CL will go into the UEFA 1st round after they get knocked out by Lillie. I'll leave Bert Kassies to do the accurate calculations.:pQuote:
Originally Posted by thejollyrodger
Co-efficient is now 2.
Think it is 2.1ish if i'm not mistaken
amazing !! our highest EVER !!
6 points divided by 3, so it's 2.0.Quote:
Originally Posted by ger121