Dream draw : Any of the Baltic country’s.
Middle of the road: Aberdeen or Kilmarnock.
Nightmare: Norway, Sweden, Iceland or Rangers.
Meh: Crusaders
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Dream draw : Any of the Baltic country’s.
Middle of the road: Aberdeen or Kilmarnock.
Nightmare: Norway, Sweden, Iceland or Rangers.
Meh: Crusaders
I'm not sure about your nightmare draws there in a draw where we could end up in Belarus or Kazakhstan.Quote:
Originally Posted by D24Saint
I'd gladly take a trip to Glasgow to play Rangers.
Based it on regional pots but your right you have to allow for UEFA adding such countries to bulk out the pots.Quote:
Originally Posted by PartySaint
I think there's 23 unseeded team from what would be considered our region and only 15 seeded teams so a few of the unseeded ones will get shafted.Quote:
Originally Posted by D24Saint
If they go by co-efficient points the seeded pots from our region will be:
Pot 1 Malmo Sweden Zalgiris Lithuania Aberdeen Scotland Brondby Denmark Crusaders Northern Ireland Pot 2 Rangers Scotland Ventsplis Latvia Stjarnan Iceland Norrköping Sweden Brann Norway Pot 3 Haugesund Norway Cork Ireland Riteriai Lithuania Levadia Estonia Kilmarock Scotland
That would rule us out of pot 3 with Cork in it so we'd be extremely unlikely to get put into a pot with our region but then again they probably don't just base the pots on co-efficient points.
Had a look on Berts European football site & forum and even the boffins there are none the wiser.
I don't think your pots make any sense, tbhQuote:
Originally Posted by PartySaint
Hopefully later today we'll know the groupings ahead of tomorrow's draw
Cork getting pencilled in as one of the weaker seeds on berts forum.
Fair. We would probably have been considered one of the weaker seeds even if we weren't as bad as we appear to be this year I'd imagine, but we are exactly the kind of team I would have thought would be beatable if we could have gotten them when we were unseeded.Quote:
Originally Posted by D24Saint
First time in our history we are seeded and we are ****. Frustrating.
Champions League groups.....
https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsle...d=2611300.html
Dundalk v Piast (avoid, avoid, avoid), Linfield, HB, Valur, Riga or the preliminary round winners
Belarus is fairly handy to get to, and they've relaxed their visa policy too, as long as you fly in/out.Quote:
Originally Posted by PartySaint
In footballing terms, it's difficult but not out of the question.
We won in Minsk last year, and we were brutal last year.
Are some parts still not a bit dodgy with radiation , I heard the the NI fans got a warning about eating certain food in the country.Quote:
Originally Posted by brendy_éire
As long as we avoid Piast I’m happy
I’ve heard Linfield tipped as the ideal draw, granted we’d have the best chance of beating them but I fear the game would be the kind of circus we’d like to avoid.
The faroes is the plumb draw in football terms , probably a nightmare for fans to get to.
Food is all grand. Only limited foods grown with 50km of Chernobyl are permitted for sale.Quote:
Originally Posted by D24Saint
Minsk is a really nice town too, could do worse.
Avoid Piast and you'd fancy Dundalk against any of the rest. How many CL rounds do you have to go through before a defeat will put you straight into the EL group stage?Quote:
Originally Posted by seand
Playoff round I think isn't it ?Quote:
Originally Posted by PartySaint
I'm damn nervous about tomorrows draw! Not knowing what Peak6's minimum requirement for a return on their involvement means there is additional worries on getting a disasterous draw. Positives ahead of the draw - Generally we have been improving in Europe, more saavy(or clued in on the dark arts), building our co-efficient to be seeded early on. We have a very settled squad and will be as well prepared as possible with plenty of European experience. Parachuting in to EL I suppose does ease things a little when there is a 2nd chance. Possible negative - as a management team will we miss the ability that Kenny had to instill that belief that we can go and compete. We havent been the luckiest side either for one reason or another eg While the squad has been strengthened we have been seriously hit my injuries. Larnaca was a chastening experience but Gannon being injured meant Hoare was badly exposed as a makeshift fullback and McEleney wasnt near match fitness and the heat did have an impact. We were out of the game before any changes could be made and probably Larnaca took the foot off the pedal. Away to Rosenborg Gannon was concussed and we were punished ruthlessly but could have progressed taking the tie to ET. We have had a mixed bag with the draw over the last decade Luxembourg sides twice, Icelandic and Estonian once but after that Poland, Croatia, Bulgaria, Belarus twice, Cyprus was really an unknown but wouldnt have jumped out as a nightmare, and Rosenborg while not the powerhouse they were it was the toughest draw iirc.
Sooo whats on order then, decent draw (not BATE again!!), luck with players fitness with just about the month to get players up to match fitness - this mini break will have players fresh hopefully and there are 3(?) games before Europe. Cut out the tendency to concede just after scoring or just before half time. No conceding in the first few minutes and chasing a tie from the off especially at home. For the team to click in to the sort of form we know they are capable of but has been patchy in the league. For Hoban to hit a really hot streak of scoring from play, ye get the feeling that at any point he is going to start putting chances away. We need to really up the conversion of chances to goals rate. If dropping in to the EL early then a Linfield again and a third round buy (if its still possible :p ). So not asking for too much......
*ok bar Plast that group isnt so bad eeek!:nails:
Winners of the preliminary round - Happy days
Piast Gliwice (POL) - Tough - but have never won a Euro game and will be out of season.
Valur Reykjavík (ISL) - potential banana skin. Dundalk only beat FH on away goals and they are not as strong now, maybe Valur not as good as FH either, gave Rosenborg a nice fright last year.
Linfield (NIR) - should be handy enough out of season.
HB Tórshavn (FRO) - ideal draw.
Riga (LVA) - there are easier teams but should have too much for them.
Group 1 (seeded sides in bold)
Vaduz (LIE)
Kilmarnock (SCO)
Brann (NOR)
Vitebsk (BLR)
Malmö (SWE)
Shamrock Rovers (IRL)
Ballymena (NIR)/NSÍ (FRO)
Connah's Quay Nomads (WAL)
KuPS Kuopio (FIN)
Breidablik (ISL)
Group 4 (seeded sides in bold)
Rangers (SCO)
Brøndby (DEN)
Cork (IRL)
Molde (NOR)
Crusaders (NIR)
Progrès Niederkorn (LUX)/Cardiff Metropolitan University (WAL)
B36 (FRO)
Inter Turku (FIN)
KR (ISL)
Prishtina (KOS)/St Joseph's (GIB)
Group 8 (seeded sides in bold)
Haugesund (NOR)
Aberdeen (SCO)
Stjarnan (ISL)
Norrköping (SWE)
Dinamo Minsk (BLR)
Riteriai (LTU)
Liepāja (LVA)
Levadia Tallinn (EST)
Barry Town (WAL)/Cliftonville (NIR)
Saint Patrick's (IRL)
RoPS Rovaniemi (FIN)
KÍ (FRO)/Tre Fiori (SMR)
Vaduz and Riteriai/Stjarnan the targets there. Cork need to avoid Progres (who beat Rangers two years back). Some tough draws too though, as to be expected when unseeded
Would be interesting to see LoI v SPL
Depending on the teams involved though.Quote:
Originally Posted by pineapple stu
I wouldn't give Pats much chance of beating Aberdeen, for example. But would Rovers over Kilmarnock.
couple of sticky ones in there in both football and travel. My preferences are.Quote:
[COLOR=#333333]Haugesund (NOR)
Aberdeen (SCO)
Stjarnan (ISL)
Norrköping (SWE)
Dinamo Minsk (BLR)
Riteriai (LTU)
[/COLOR]Liepāja (LVA)
Levadia Tallinn (EST)
Barry Town (WAL)/Cliftonville (NIR)
Saint Patrick's (IRL)
RoPS Rovaniemi (FIN)
KÍ (FRO)/Tre Fiori (SMR)
1: Riteriai (LTU)
2:Aberdeen (SCO)
3Dinamo Minsk (BLR)
4:Norrköping (SWE)
5:Haugesund (NOR)
6:Stjarnan (ISL)
We're going to Minsk aren't we ? Would like to get Stjarnan, mainly cos I can't help thinking of the song every time I see the name. You know the one. " There's a Stjarnan waiting in the sky":D
How did the Derry fans get to Minsk, best solution I can see is the train from Vilnius. I dont think any Pats fans made our trip over the last time with the short notice. The good news ive seen is no visa required for stays under five days.
I stayed in Minsk when we played BATE in 2015. We got the club charter flight, probably the best shout given the difficulties with entering the country.Quote:
Originally Posted by D24Saint
If you fly direct to Minsk you get limited time Visa free entry. If you enter the country elsewhere then you need to worry about queues for Visas at the border. You can get to Minsk from lots of European cities. From memory I had options from Berlin I think and maybe somewhere in Poland.
I got a train through Belarus in 2012, going from Köln to Moscow. It took four hours to cross the border. Partly that's because the wheels had to be changed - not an issued coming from Lithuania - and I think it'd be easier crossing groom another ex-Soviet state, but for a short-stay European trip, I'd be surprised if skyscanner couldn't sort something easier.
Hope to god it’s not Norway , the place is over 400km from Oslo and the prices in the country are mental.
Internal flight should sort distance easily enough.
Prices - yeah.
Seems to be a airport nearby that cuts the distance to 90km so not too bad but €9 a pint would leave a sour taste. I will light a candle tonight for Vilnius or Aberdeen.Quote:
Originally Posted by pineapple stu
9 euro if you're lucky! I'm in Norway at the moment, sipping on a 10 euro 330ml bottle.
Cans would be your only man I'd say
We were in Norway last year, some bars did do cheaper prices but yeah it wasn't cheap. We were able to fly direct to Trondheim from Amsterdam, I'm sure there will be plenty of options for you.
For my money Rovers got the toughest group of the 3 northern-ish groups, group 4 looks very weak. Would Rovers be favourites against any of these? Vaduz are a good Swiss second division side, the rest are pro clubs. Kilmarnock in pre-season would be interesting, Vitebsk possible the best shot for progress. Irish clubs really should be able to compete with the Belarussians.Quote:
Originally Posted by Real ale Madrid
Pats I'd fancy against Stjarnan or Riteriai. Cork I'd want to see avoiding Finland and to a lesser extent Luxembourg.
Kilmarnock in pre-season with a new manager too. Steve Clarke, who led them to Europe, is now the Scotland manager. It's be a good time to get them.
Antonio Conte's former assistant manager AFAIKQuote:
Originally Posted by pineapple stu
I would say that we got the hardest of those groups from a seeded point of view, I'd be far happier with Group 1 or 8. Obviously the make up would be slightly different if we were in one of those groups as Pats/Rovers would need to be replaced.Quote:
Originally Posted by seand
Reckon Cork have decent prospects in that pot, avoid Iceland & Finland and they should be favourites.
Yeah, the only draw that I think we'd fancy at this point is the side from the Faroes. Or if the Welsh side somehow progressed against Progres Niederkorn. It'll be very tough otherwise. I really hope we avoid the Kosovan side.Quote:
Originally Posted by El-Pietro
I don't agree. We won't be favourites against Progres and certainly not Prishtina.Quote:
Originally Posted by D24Saint
Flying in and out, or getting on the club's visa, are likely your only options due to time constraints.Quote:
Originally Posted by D24Saint
Last time, I went via Amsterdam with Belavia. Wasn't too expensive. A cheaper option could be to Tallinn, then Air Baltic via Riga, which worked well once.