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That only tells you who the best individual teams were at those times. It says nothing about the respective qualities of the 2 leagues - which is what is beign discussed here.Quote:
Originally Posted by David
And on that score, it's clearly the EL way ahead of the IL.
Linfield could win the next 10 Setantas in a row. That wouldn't make the Irish League any better....
It would make my team better than all the others tho ;):D
Only on one occassion.Quote:
Originally Posted by LeviathanNI
For the record, the all-time Setanta scores for meetings of clubs from our respective leagues looks as follows :
2005 : EL Wins 4 / IL wins 3 / Draws 2
2006 : EL wins 11 / IL wins 2 / Draws 5
2007 : EL wins 7 / IL wins 3 / Draws 4
TOTAL : EL Wins 22 / IL wins 8 / Draws 11.
Almost 3 times as many victories for EL teams as for IL. The results says it all about the respective strengths of our leagues. Ladies and Gentlemen, I rest my case....
Quote:
Originally Posted by dcfcsteve
I'm not arguing that the EL is better throughout than the IL. I am arguing that Linfield wouldn't be a mid table team and we would in actual fact be a top of the table team alongside Derry City, St Pats, Drogheda and Cork.
But could you trot out the Linfield vs Eircom League results head to head.
I think you will find that we have won nearly 3 times the amount of matches against LOI than we have lost.
Longford away defeat
Lonford home Win
Shelbourne Final(away match) Win
2nd Season -
Shelbourne Home - Win
Shelbourne away(with 10 men) - Draw
Derry City home and away - Draw
Drogheda(eventual winners) - Lose
3rd Season -
Drogheda Away Win - Deservidly so and could have scored more
Derry City home win - played you off the park
Derry City away Draw - We got played off the park in 1st half, once we scored your heads went down and we nearly won the game after coming from 2 behind.
Drogheda home Draw - Too me what was a legitamate goal dissalowed, but havent seen tv replays. Bore draw but we where the better team even with a weakened team.
Linfield 5
LOI - 2
Draws - 4
Can I also say that Linfield has not once had a full strength team playing in any of our games. We have very much rotated our team in this Setanta cup as it takes a back seat to our domestic duties.
Against Drogheda we had a number of influentual players on the bench and some players who hasn't played in a long while on the pitch(eg Lindsay and McCann)
Against Derry City home game, we had a few suspensions and again never played such players like Glenn Ferguson & Noel Bailie and used fringe players.
Away to Derry City, it was a very very understrength team which showed in the first half, but then we brought on one big gun who has been injured for the whole season and he changed the balance of Linfield and we tore you a new bottom(not sure if your allowed to use a**h*l*)
Drogheda at home, we left players like McAreavey out from the starting line up and Maccers is one of our most gifted players, who dictated the game at Windsor against Derry City.
These are the facts and the facts are the LOI does have more strength in depth, that is not argueable. But Linfield, the team I support and only concerned with is more than a match for anything the LOI has to throw at us.
Would you not expect a country 4 times as big to be stronger?Quote:
Originally Posted by dcfcsteve
Firstly - as the Republic has a population of just over 4m, and the North 1.7m, the south is only 2.3 times the size of NI. Not 4 times.Quote:
Originally Posted by David
Secondly - not one where soccer is way-down the sporting pecking-order, versus one where it is easily the top sport, and always has been.
Thirdly - China has a population of c. 1.6bn. Holland c. 15m . But which has the better football team......?
There are plenty on this thread willing to argue it though - claiming that one win for Linfield and one win for Drogheda somehow equals league parity.....! :eek:Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve Bruce
I think this year has really driven home to EL fans the fact that Linfield would easily be a Top 4 team in the EL. Some years you'd be top - but not every year, as we have much more fluctuation in fortunes (as shown by the fact we've had 6 entrants into Setanta, and a different set each year, whilst the IL have had the same 4 throughout). I don't believe anyone on here is trying to argue otherwise though......?Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve Bruce
My prediction is that it'll be a Linfield v Pats final, with Pats the winner by 2 or 3:1. Though a Linfield victory wouldn't surprise me either, as I haven't had a good look at Pats this year and home advantage would help you. Would be a great game to watch either way
Oh, I think if we get to the final, we will win (but then I always think we will win).. in regards to any AIL, I fully believe we will always be in the top 3.. and as you say, not winning every year, but always up there to be potential winners.
Unlike a lot of my fellow Bluemen, I actually do think that an AIL could be the saviour of Irish 'league' (ie both leagues and clubs) football, and would be a brilliant boost to Linfield... but I would never compromise my National team, which would seem to most to be the natural progression if an AIL happened. If that could be avoided ie we retain Northern Ireland as our National team, and you guys retain the Republic of Ireland as yours, then an AIL would be great.. imo of course.
Your portion of the country ;) has a far lower percentage of gohbshytes who play football with their hands.Quote:
Originally Posted by David
The Ports attitude is a disgrace and people posting here while their team is in action in the same town should be ignored.
No amount of lies, damned lies or statistics will change the fact that Linfield have the largest football ground, support, supporters network of social clubs etc etc on this island. They'd probably make a fist of competing in the FL Championship if they had to and their current team are no mugs either.
Which would put the sword to Jeffrey's gurning about Linfield losing European places in an AIL.Quote:
Originally Posted by LeviathanNI
Personally I care a lot less about international than club teams. I can see a number of scenarios where we could have an AIL and retain the 2 international teams if that was what people wanted. It's certainly not insurmountable, and there are a number of precedents for it - e.g. NZ having it's own international team, despite clubs in the Australian league; ditto for Canada and the US.Quote:
Originally Posted by LeviathanNI
Spot on.Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve Bruce
PS. What's up at Derry City?
When Glentoran Seconds beat you at home, it's a bit of a reality check.:eek:
dahamsta I hope to see a bit of equality here and this post is deleted. It is an obvious political jibe.Quote:
Originally Posted by TommyT
Firstly, i dont think Portadown tankings in this years Setanta can be totally put down to attitude.Quote:
Originally Posted by TommyT
They were well beaten by both St Pats and Cork, but i doubt that Cork would come to Shamrock in a league game, and leave seven goals to the good.
We all seem agreed that Linfield are on a par with anything the LoI has to offer, but if the rest of the Irish League is so bad, then how come Linfield don't win our league with a Celticesque points difference every season?
Secondly, you propose that i should be ignored, then drag up a two week old post. Rock on Tommy. :D
It would if he was talking purely from a Linfield pov.Quote:
Originally Posted by dcfcsteve
Which part of "8 clubs in europe would suddenly become 4" are you having difficulty in comprehending?
Then surely it IS due to attitude, the Ports aren't taking a visit from Cork as serioulsy as say one from Coleraine, hence they're getting humped.Quote:
Originally Posted by AnnaghRed
Aaaagh no I'm supposed to be ignoring you.
Brucie boy chill out
Quote:
Originally Posted by dcfcsteve
Don't recall anyone saying arguing against the fact that there is more strength in depth in the Irish League. As regards size, I was simplifying it to 6 counties against 26. Your maths also completely ignores that one of the top teams in the Eircom League (well one of the top last few seasons anyway, not sure about this season) is from Northern Ireland. As for entrants, you had the exact same teams qualified this year as last only Shels withdrew allowing Pats in. Prior to that Shels and Cork were also constant entrants.
I'd like to use "attitude" as an excuse but i reckon, on current form with best foot forward, we'd still have got humped at least 4-0. And as for Coleraine we go there on Chewsday :(Quote:
Originally Posted by TommyT
Excellent result in Bray [Greater Dublin] tonight btw. You must have left the match early to post at 7:54 ;)
Quote:
Originally Posted by AnnaghRed
Ah I see. Also the Bray game was at five, I was home about twenty minutes by the time I posted
It was more of a point to see what dahamsta would do. Obviously not much which kind of proves the theory of his bigotry. No doubt i'll get banned now.Quote:
Originally Posted by TommyT
Steve Bruce, stop wanting to be a victim, you're looking very silly. If you want to complain about something, do it properly by informing a mod or going to the support forum. Dahamsta is not omnipresent.
Tommy, he is right about the thinly veiled political jibe. If you try to bait or goad anyone again, you won't get away so lightly.