Originally Posted by
Peaky Blinder
To be fair, that was back in the days of the old European cup. No easier preliminary rounds and an open draw for all 32 teams, 2 unfortunate draws v Celtic & Honved were we fought gamefully but ran out of steam. That Honved side were a lot better than people realised. They didn't go far themselves in the tournament but had 4 or 5 hungarian internationals in the side (Detari being one of them, what a player he was)
The Linfield tie was the real one that got away, a solid 0-0 in Belfast and we simply left it too late to get going in the return game at Milltown, which had one of the strangest atmospheres I can remember at a Rovers match. We were by far the better team but just couldn't get the winner on the day.
The last year n Omonia Nicosia we were in a state of flux having just left Milltown and playing out of Tolka with the fans boycott underway... the heart had been ripped from the team at that stage and it was just another nail in the coffin before the rebuild started in Dalymount the year after.
For me they were the best footballing side in the league I've ever seen, Kenny's Dundalk were incredibly effective, better at the dark arts and fitter though, I'll give them that, but for pure footballing ability the 4IAR team were untouchable. They just blew sides away, never more than in the big games too, they loved an occasion.
I'd rate Bradleys Rovers as second to them in my lifetime, MON's team were more like Kenny's Dundalk, fit, effective & gave little away at the back but less pleasing on the eye, when Bradleys team play to their strengths there's few that can live with them domestically, the slow erosion of the team will mean they are more vulnerable as time progresses however & with a stronger, wealthier Derry coming up fast it'll be a huge challenge staying head of them next year, thats assuming they haven't already done so by winning it this year, which they definitely still can. The title is far from being decided as I can see Derry winning all of their remaining games in the run in which puts huge pressure on Rovers to win at least 4 of their 5.