League of Ireland in Europe 2015

Who didn't realistically think BATE weren't going to up their performance? Very naive not to know they would. Still Dundalk performed well. Just not enough and on another night could have lost 0 - 2. It's just a pity they didn't take another chance in belarus and conceded so quickly after equalising. They can't really complain though the better team won and if they got through it would have been with a lot of luck.

That's the third time I've seen them play on that surface and even they don't look comfortable playing on it. It's a woeful surface and I thought they looked worse for it than over in the bigger and better surface in belarus. Next year Is another year and if they win the league hopefully they get a fairer first draw.

I have to say I am a little disappointed with Kenny for the 2nd half. Dundalk went away from what they were about, and when they really had to create chances instead they hoofed it. Bate's centre backs were much stronger in the air and dealt with anything thrown at them. They were better off going out at least trying that they're good at.

At least it wasn't all bad news tonight, with the other Irish side going through easily against those pesky Icelanders!

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Originally Posted by MeathDrog

I have to say I am a little disappointed with Kenny for the 2nd half. Dundalk went away from what they were about, and when they really had to create chances instead they hoofed it. Bate's centre backs were much stronger in the air and dealt with anything thrown at them. They were better off going out at least trying that they're good at.

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BATE's pressing reduced Dundalk to playing it long. I've watched this Dundalk team almost every game for two years now and that is the first time I've seen them under such pressure.

Hindsight is a great thing! It may have been better to start Sheilds, keep it tight and spring Finn from the bench last 15 minutes or so. Starting with an approach to getting an early goal left us very open and only for BATE being very goal shy we would have been in a similar position to Pats last year. Its an opportunity lost considering the draw for the next round. People may say we were unlucky by not getting a break in front of goal, I think we were lucky that BATE spurned plenty of chances. The fine margins of considering the deflected goal away and the lack of punishment for Rodionisov we can look to for solace but over the 2 legs I dont feel we should have gone through bar being very fortunate. The pitch and all is easy to roll out (ahem) but we should be well used to it by now. On to Sunday now v Cork! Key is qualifying for Europe year in year out and to build both ranking and experience (and money too).

I don't think you need hindsight to see starting Shields would have been the right option, despite his fault for the goals last week. Don't think you need hindsight to see dropping Mountney was a bad choice too.

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Originally Posted by Charlie Darwin

I don't think you need hindsight to see starting Shields would have been the right option, despite his fault for the goals last week. Don't think you need hindsight to see dropping Mountney was a bad choice too.

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Well it is hindsight now - unless you commented that very thing before the game this evening. In that case it would be foresight.

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Originally Posted by Real ale Madrid

Well it is hindsight now - unless you commented that very thing before the game this evening. In that case it would be foresight.

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Well it was my reaction when I saw the teams and I assume other people would have felt the same. Many Dundalk fans on here have been saying in recent weeks the team has looked less solid without Shields, so it's hardly a minority opinion, and Mountney was roundly praised for a great performance in Belarus.

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Originally Posted by Charlie Darwin

I don't think you need hindsight to see starting Shields would have been the right option, despite his fault for the goals last week. Don't think you need hindsight to see dropping Mountney was a bad choice too.

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SK showed complete faith in his 'philosophy' and a complete faith in his team too, which is not entirely a bad thing if they felt they had prepared well for the game. I'm not convinced by the attacking options over 90mins so hence i feel that it may have been prudent to play the averages by starting Sheilds and then pressing late if a goal was needed. But hey it is what it is, 0-0 tonight was a reasonable result all performances considered. The result wasnt as a result of a lack of effort or ambition.

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Originally Posted by Nesta99

SK showed complete faith in his 'philosophy' and a complete faith in his team too, which is not entirely a bad thing if they felt they had prepared well for the game. I'm not convinced by the attacking options over 90mins so hence i feel that it may have been prudent to play the averages by starting Sheilds and then pressing late if a goal was needed. But hey it is what it is, 0-0 tonight was a reasonable result all performances considered. The result wasnt as a result of a lack of effort or ambition.

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I just read my original comment back and it looks like I was being snarky - I wasn't trying to be. I think Kenny was obviously planning for this game when he left Shields out in previous weeks, but I thought it was a disaster. I don't agree playing Shields would be playing the averages - I think leaving him out is the reason you never got any sort of passing game going because your best players were stuck running around 20 yards from their own goal.

Didnt see it as narky at all! I think Sheilds not playin was to give O'Donnell game time myself but possibly for similar reasons as you've said. It wasnt a great performance at all with the likes of Horgan not getting in to the game. Whether that is to do with Dundalk's team selection or BATE being clued in I dont know for now. I shall watch the game again on RTE player tomorrow with a clearer perspective and look at whether players undid themselves or whether the struggled at being pressed for 90 minutes. No drink on board but bloody knackered after the whole malarkey!

I thought the Dundalk performance was brave but BATE always looked in control of the game. Dundalk hardly threatened the BATE goal as they found it too hard to pass it through them, often forced into playing the long ball which BATE were comfortable with defending. I feel the ground itself actually suited BATE more (not for obvious reasons!), its a small pitch, so their pressing was effective, on a bigger pitch it would be far harder to do that. In addition to that, BATE look a threat when attacking even if they fluffed their lines on many occasions. Its quite hard to believe they have qualified for UCL a number of times, I would have expected a far better side than I saw over the 2 legs, if they have been like that over the years, the Champions League is not the million miles away it once was.

Back to pitch issue, it is becoming a common trend that League of Ireland sides struggle more at home, I believe the smaller pitches are a big reason why. Because many League of Ireland sides actually perform much better away than home, the bigger pitches gives the players more room to play and helps passing teams much more. If Dundalk played this game at the Aviva, I think they would have had a far better attacking performance.

I dont know the dimensions of the Oriel pitch but I thought it was toward the maximum size rather than a Highbury or United Park?

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Originally Posted by Nesta99

I dont know the dimensions of the Oriel pitch but I thought it was toward the maximum size rather than a Highbury or United Park?

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Well, I'm talking complete rubbish then :D It just looks small compared to Borisov Arena.

Very frustrating as Dundalk would have played a much weaker team in the next round. They were very unlucky to draw Bate, who proved to be just a little too good for them. Still, they'll be back next year and with a bit more luck will get a kinder draw. (And hopefully will also hold on to their best players )
Good luck to Roves and UCD tonight - but don't expect either to go through.

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Originally Posted by Nesta99

SK showed complete faith in his 'philosophy' and a complete faith in his team too, which is not entirely a bad thing if they felt they had prepared well for the game. I'm not convinced by the attacking options over 90mins so hence i feel that it may have been prudent to play the averages by starting Sheilds and then pressing late if a goal was needed. But hey it is what it is, 0-0 tonight was a reasonable result all performances considered. The result wasnt as a result of a lack of effort or ambition.

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The one thing I thought was they with 10 minutes or so they never went for it by pushing another man up front. Even a centre half up there if Bate were reducing them to hoofing it with their pressing. Gartland went up in injury time but that was it. They needed a goal at that stage.

It's sadly looking like Thursday will wrap up another european campaign for the LOI but hopefully UCD can pull an upset but reckon Bratislava will be improved on last week.

They'll have 11 players for a start anyway, the devious feckers.

Odds for tonights game

UCD 11/1 Slovan Bratislava 2/9 Draw 9/2

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Originally Posted by D24Saint

Odds for tonights game

UCD 11/1 Slovan Bratislava 2/9 Draw 9/2

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always believe, just seen that Jamaica knocked the USA out of the Gold Cup, in front of 70,000 in Atlanta, so............:)