Trap's Opinion on the Standard of LOI

Speaking about the League of Ireland to Italian journalists yesterday, Giovanni had this to say:
"The problem for us is that the Irish league is like the lower levels of Serie B".

So, needless to say, he isn't going to be very interested in picking players from the domestic league any time soon. Do you think this is a fair analysis? Has anybody got a good idea of what level Serie B is at? I understand the second teirs of European leagues can be tripe, unlike in England where the Championship is reasonably strong; so this comment could be bad indeed for players hoping to get a chance with the new man.

i havent watched any italian football for a whie, but from what i can remember Serie B is about the standard of League 1/2 in England. I dont follow the international team, but didnt Trap pick 1 or 2 players from league 1/2 for his first squad????

Juve were in league 2 recently...




They came straight back up though despite a points deduction. :(

HOw would he know? He watched one game (Pats v Linfield) in the Setanta Cup. I'm not saying he's wrong either

He watched the league u23s play too, and singled out Mark Quigley as "an exciting player"

Hopefully Mr Trappatoni will seek to improve the league, and make us reach the standards he sees fit. Good too, that he acknowledges that a stronger league would lead to a stronger national side.

I was at a league cup game in Italy a few years ago between a Serie C1 team and a C2 team. The standard in that game was better than anything I've ever seen in a game in Ireland to be perfectly honest.

I'm surprised about Trap's opinion to LOI. I thought with him as new nationalteam coach, players like K. Brenann, Mark Quigley, Brian Murphy or Fahey have any chance to come into the irish A-nationalteam.

I think the quality of LOI is not so bad because the strong teams play good football and after the last sucess of Drogs and Pats in europe it's a "must do" for Trap to take a serious look to LOI and there great players.

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Originally Posted by Rovers1

i havent watched any italian football for a whie, but from what i can remember Serie B is about the standard of League 1/2 in England. I dont follow the international team, but didnt Trap pick 1 or 2 players from league 1/2 for his first squad????

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I believe that Serie B is the best 2nd Tier in Europe, Each team has some really top players that could handle any top tier easily.

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Originally Posted by niallsparky

Juve were in league 2 recently...

They came straight back up though despite a points deduction. :(

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Well, if Man Utd, Lyon, Bayern Munich etc, were relegated, I would think they would go back up even with a points deduction.

It's a fair enough assessment I'd say.

I would always have put the top Irish Premier Division teams somewhere between top of the English League One and bottom of the Championship, it's probably more or less the same standard in the Spanish and Italian leagues.

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Originally Posted by Dodge

HOw would he know?

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Exactly. If he hasn't been to English games, there's frankly no chance of him going to LOI games.

In fairness, Serie B's not that bad a standard. Our English-based ex managers probably reckoned our league was conference level. :mad:

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Originally Posted by Nipper

It's a fair enough assessment I'd say.

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Agreed.
Given that Italy is a leading footballing nation, with a population of 58 million and no aberrations such as GAA or obsession with football in another country, I'd say that LoI being rated as equal to their second tier is quite an achievement.

You can't judge any league from one game of football.

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Originally Posted by Dodge

HOw would he know? He watched one game (Pats v Linfield) in the Setanta Cup. I'm not saying he's wrong either

He watched the league u23s play too, and singled out Mark Quigley as "an exciting player"

Hopefully Mr Trappatoni will seek to improve the league, and make us reach the standards he sees fit. Good too, that he acknowledges that a stronger league would lead to a stronger national side.

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I wonder can he work a telly !:confused::)

No away is it Serie B standard I think Trap was being diplomatic, I would expect a Serie B team to be infinitely superior to LOI standard.

would a serie b team fair as well against dynamo kiev and elfsborg over two legs as eircom league teams did???

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Originally Posted by Dodge

He watched the league u23s play too, and singled out Mark Quigley as "an exciting player"

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One of the worst games I have ever seen in a long time. No wonder Trap was bored....

I've no problem with his statement, I dont think there is any player in the league that would get into the team and would improve it in anyway. Hopefully there will be during the reign of Trap, but he is right, the league needs to consistently improve by way of the Coefficient & general standard of football. A big improvement in facilities wouldnt go amiss but thats off topic.

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Originally Posted by centre mid

I've no problem with his statement, I dont think there is any player in the league that would get into the team and would improve it in anyway. Hopefully there will be during the reign of Trap, but he is right, the league needs to consistently improve by way of the Coefficient & general standard of football. A big improvement in facilities wouldnt go amiss but thats off topic.

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Money as simple as that!

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Originally Posted by Dodge

Hopefully Mr Trappatoni will seek to improve the league, and make us reach the standards he sees fit.

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That's not his job. His job is to manage the Senior International side.

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Originally Posted by Nipper

It's a fair enough assessment I'd say.

I would always have put the top Irish Premier Division teams somewhere between top of the English League One and bottom of the Championship, it's probably more or less the same standard in the Spanish and Italian leagues.

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I do think thats pushing it a bit. Looking a few top players that went overseas, I think its more like league 2 to league one. The top four or five would survive league one, the botton 6 or so would bs suitable for league too

One thing for it;

A LOI selection with 2 weeks training to play national side in a friendly :)

Surely Parkhouse should have been called up by now, Ireland could do with his pace up front

A big thing about comparing our league to other leagues is that a lot of the teams, if not all, in Serie B, League One, League, et al would be full-time teams, whereas here only the top four/five are full-time and the others are trailing far behind. :(

Maybe the top four/five could compete in those leagues but the others would struggle greatly.

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Originally Posted by finnpark

Surely Parkhouse should have been called up by now, Ireland could do with his pace up front

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ya and the donkey next door too :)

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Originally Posted by Rovers Maniac

I wonder can he work a telly !:confused::)

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Why the confusion. He lives in Italy. I'm sure has better things to be doing on a Friday night that fiddle about with the satelitte settings looking for TG4

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Originally Posted by Paulie Bleecker

That's not his job. His job is to manage the Senior International side.

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Agreed, but as manager of the international team complaining about the lack of options, maybe he'd like to do something about it

There isn't a hope a LoI team would compete in Serie B, he was being diplomatic for the sake of not offending us lot

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Originally Posted by pateen

I do think thats pushing it a bit. Looking a few top players that went overseas, I think its more like league 2 to league one.

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But then you have the likes of Kevin Doyle, very good player when he was at Cork but not on a different planet altogether to the other "elite" players in the league...also Daryl Murphy and Shane Long are able to hold their own at a fairly high level...

It's tough to gauge. A lot of good players aren't picked up by English teams because they're too old, and players only reach their peak from 25-28.

If he went to a few games i would say fine but he didnt go to any,did he??
I know tardelli went to one game.He went to see the under 23s where we had no Fahey, Murphy,both IMO would improve the squad.

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Originally Posted by Dodge

Agreed, but as manager of the international team complaining about the lack of options, maybe he'd like to do something about it

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Yes indeed. Believe it or not, Roddy Collins actually made the same suggestion ( if he knows what one is! ) in one of his recent articles. When you've guys with the experience of Trap he should give seminars / try and coach some of the Eircom League managers ( aren't we paying him well for it? ).

That said, if it was part of the job description all along, poor aul Stevie Staunton may have been talking to a set of empty chairs ( might have been billed better as a stand up comedian than a seminar -Today FM actually did a sketch on something like this Only Fools and Horses style! ). Then again, maybe THEY could have been giving HIM advice, and Don Givens too for that matter! :mad:

The lower levels of Serie B would be fairly awful. Trap clearly doesn't rate our league, can you blame him?

Serie B teams

Never seen Serie B but in continental Europe quality does drop fairly quickly outside the top division unlike say England. From list above seems to almost 50:50 ex-Serie A & teams most people have never heard of.

LOI is probably a combination of top League One to lower Conference. The SPL is probably combination of mid table English Premier to lower League Two.

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Originally Posted by finnpark

Surely Parkhouse should have been called up by now, Ireland could do with his pace up front

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Is he not declared for OWC, as a first problem for that... :D

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Originally Posted by finnpark

One thing for it;

A LOI selection with 2 weeks training to play national side in a friendly :)

Surely Parkhouse should have been called up by now, Ireland could do with his pace up front

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Aah, I see. So Parkhouse has got bags of pace but only "acceleration in moderation.";) Brilliant song btw. :D

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Originally Posted by DUFC4life

would a serie b team fair as well against dynamo kiev and elfsborg over two legs as eircom league teams did???

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Unless a Serie B team is put into the exact same situation as Drogheda or Pats it cannot be judged that way.

A lot of EL fans have a very fanciful notion about how good they think EL football is just because they go week in week out. Bohs are top by a long way but some of the performances this season that I have seen havent been great.

Bottom line is Drogheda had a chance and blew it because of a lack of composure. Pats beat a Swedish team but in recent times Cork and Derry have knocked out Swedish opposition so it was hardly a breakthrough for the league. Drogheda's performance must be put into context of your league season. I reckon it had more to do with Kiev's attitude plus Drogheda players raising their games for the big one.

I would imagine Serie B is of higher standard then the eircom league and Trappatoni pointing this out is him stating the truth, not getting a dig in at the league here.

http://www.lega-calcio.it/eng/btim_societa.shtml

This is the current list of clubs in Serie B and there is probably only 2-3 (max) current EL sides who would be able to hold their own in amongst that group.

Anyone else think Bari's crest looks like a cornflakes box?

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Originally Posted by Dodge

Why the confusion. He lives in Italy. I'm sure has better things to be doing on a Friday night that fiddle about with the satelitte settings looking for TG4


Agreed, but as manager of the international team complaining about the lack of options, maybe he'd like to do something about it

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You sure you know what Trapp does on a friday night !? ;):)
Sorry i was actually laughing and being sacastic i will put it in brackets net time i am for you just to point it out.:D

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Originally Posted by pete

Serie B teams

Never seen Serie B but in continental Europe quality does drop fairly quickly outside the top division unlike say England. From list above seems to almost 50:50 ex-Serie A & teams most people have never heard of.

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You just have to look at the results of the Anglo Italian cup to know this is nonsense (sorry Pete could not help myself being so blunt). In the 90's the competition was played between sides from Serie B and what is now the championship Italian sides won 3 out of 4 times i supppose quite close to our own Setanta cup record.

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Originally Posted by Charles Bronson

Anyone else think Bari's crest looks like a cornflakes box?

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Yes, sure does.

Frosinone looks like Peugeot badge.

what do you expect him to say lads that the eL is on a par with Serie A??

Get a life. He was either being diplomatic or complimentary to the league. To be compared with the second tier of one of the powerhouses of european club football is a massive compliment.

We can't use Pats and Drogs european games this season as a barometer of where we are in the same way we wouldn't use Cork's or Bohs... or Longford getting trounced by a Welsh team not so very long back!

I read the interview and felt at the time it was complimentary but to see some of the reactions here ye'd swear he should be saying we are on a level with the top divisions in italy, spain and england before he doesn't insult ye.

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Originally Posted by galwayhoop

I read the interview and felt at the time it was complimentary but to see some of the reactions here ye'd swear he should be saying we are on a level with the top divisions in italy, spain and england before he doesn't insult ye.

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What reactions were they? The vast majority agreed with him, or said he wasn't in a position to compare (when the majority of people here aren't here either)

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Originally Posted by BohDiddley

Agreed.
Given that Italy is a leading footballing nation, with a population of 58 million and no aberrations such as GAA or obsession with football in another country, I'd say that LoI being rated as equal to their second tier is quite an achievement.

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Well said, also their are a few players playing in seria B who ive had great sucess with in champion ship manager :D

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Originally Posted by Billy-Green

...also their are a few players playing in seria B who ive had great sucess with in champion ship manager :D

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Well, that settles it then.