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Thread: League of Ireland in Europe 2019

  1. #1641
    Seasoned Pro swinfordfc's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by pineapple stu View Post
    I don't think it is. I think the new Champions Path in the Europa League - including sides knocked out in the preliminary rounds of the CL - makes it easier for a small champion to reach the EL groups. Look at Linfield in the play-off round, at Dudelange reaching the groups last year and being in the play-off round this year against an Armenian team. Riga and Suduva are there too.

    The CL groups is definitely harder to reach.
    Sorry, I meant the Champions League - and your right about the Europa League! Dundalk just wasn't good enough! Riga are still there (Dundalk lucky to get by them) and so is Linfield and the Luxembourg side! Dundalk can be seeded for whatever next year but if they don't produce the performance, what good is it?

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    Biased against YOUR club pineapple stu's Avatar
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    I think we can forget about an Irish club qualifying for the CL. I presume EL2 will see access to the CL further restricted to the top countries. The EL is still a decent prize for an Irish team as we've seen, but we're a good way away from it, and I think the Champions route is about the only way it's going to happen.

    EL2 may be interesting when it comes in.

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    Quote Originally Posted by RathfarnhamHoop View Post
    Nobody is bemoaning Dundalk for not winning, people are rightly saying Dundalk did not play well in Europe this year, and it wasn't as if they weren't being allowed to play well (except maybe Qarabag in spells) they just didn't.
    I'm as disappointed as the next fan but in the cold light of day did they play that bad? Granted didn't score against Riga but overall were the better team. Well beaten by Qarabag alright but played really well in the 2nd half of the 1st leg and could have won in the end, were also still in the tie with 20 minutes to go. The goals we conceded against Slovan on Tuesday were criminal but we created enough chances over the two legs to win multiple games, fine margins.

    2016 is constantly being referenced and compared against. It isn't a fair comparison anymore, the players we lost have never been replaced as there is nothing in this league at that level. We can't afford to compete for better players in the UK and beyond. In 2016 winning two rounds of CL qualifiers guaranteed EL group stages, now you drop into EL 3rd qualifying round.

    Anyway we've done this to death. Point is we expect too much of our teams and until there is proper prize money, sponsorship and TV deals we will face the same disappointment each season

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    Quote Originally Posted by mcgonigle View Post
    I'm as disappointed as the next fan but in the cold light of day did they play that bad? Granted didn't score against Riga but overall were the better team. Well beaten by Qarabag alright but played really well in the 2nd half of the 1st leg and could have won in the end, were also still in the tie with 20 minutes to go. The goals we conceded against Slovan on Tuesday were criminal but we created enough chances over the two legs to win multiple games, fine margins.

    2016 is constantly being referenced and compared against. It isn't a fair comparison anymore, the players we lost have never been replaced as there is nothing in this league at that level. We can't afford to compete for better players in the UK and beyond. In 2016 winning two rounds of CL qualifiers guaranteed EL group stages, now you drop into EL 3rd qualifying round.

    Anyway we've done this to death. Point is we expect too much of our teams and until there is proper prize money, sponsorship and TV deals we will face the same disappointment each season
    A bit unrealistic to use 2016 as a benchmark a it was clearly a high point. It appears qualifying has got even more difficult since then so expectations need to be lowered (unless there is oil found off the North east coast ) while we would all like to see LOI teams get further I'm not convinced that, apart from a couple of lucky draws or a collapse in some other club, we can have such expectations.Unfortunate, but that's reality.

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    International Prospect sbgawa's Avatar
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    EL2 cha nges everything lads , we will see Irish teams in group stages regularly

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    The Cheeto God Real ale Madrid's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by sbgawa View Post
    EL2 cha nges everything lads , we will see Irish teams in group stages regularly
    Not that regularly, given that the Europa league proper will reduce from 48 to 32 teams and teams from the top ranked nations will get automatic entry into this competition. Our champions, with a co-efficient of around 10.000 would have a chance of being seeded into it ( i.e. would only have to beat lower ranked sides to get in, achieveable for Dundalk in 2020/21 alright - but if say for example Shamrock Rovers win the league - thier co-efficient 3.750 - would see them having to beat 2 or 3 seeded teams to get in.

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    League Of Ireland players are mentally brittle. From my 22 years of watching LOI in Europe, a significant improvement on fitness and strength/conditioning has taken place, however, the same "Oh God, what do I do" panic station mentality exists in the same way now as it did in 1997. Whether it's being one on one with the keeper, or hitting the crossbar from 2 yards out, missing open goals, blasting shots from 40 yards out that land in Row Z, scoring comical own goals, conceding penalties and goals from inside the box through kamikaze calamity, I could go on for hours. There's a real inferiority complex once an LOI team take to the field against most opposition in Europe. Watching how well SRFC played against Brann was refreshing, but a rarity. Yes, Dundalk had spells to win the home leg vs Qarabg, but missed GOLDEN chances. As they did last week vs Slovan. The Riga matches were an absolute chore to watch. LOI sides MUST score almost every chance they get to be in with a shout, and the conversion rate, if I had to guess, is not 90% but more like 30.Of course this League of ours needs millions pumped into it, but it shouldn't cost millions to create and foster a mental steeliness within our best players through a dedicated coaching regimen that would improve those deficiencies. Some Dundalk fans here are saying they didn't play that badly. It's on the way towards being true, but what is closer to the truth is that their players this year really lacked mental decisiveness in the heat of battle. And it's a blight that affects all teams not just Dundalk, before any fans think it's just them I'm singling out. 22 years of saying "Ah ffs, schoolboy stuff, watching matches through my fingers at the cringe concession of yet another soft goal from 3 yards out that kills yet another tie. Oh look, the striker missed a sitter too down the other end, just to compound the situation". And yes, Qarabag and Norrkoping and the likes have multi million budgets choc full of talented players, but these sides never have to work very hard for their goals. LOI sides don't often lose because the opposition were miles better technically, they lose because they defeat themselves first with basic mistakes.
    Last edited by CorribsideSteve; 16/08/2019 at 6:34 PM.

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    That is pretty similar to my own take on it all. Shels v Rangers 'home' leg in *Tranmere is the stand out in that regard. For every Derry like demolition of Gretna or Dundalk v BATE there are umpteen ties that are tagged with 'what could have been if'. We need to eradicate the tendency for the at least one or 2 deensive clangers per game. Not switching off at any point as the transition from attack to scramble defense is frighteningly lightening at Eurpean level. I had hoped that Dundalk players had gained that experience over the last number of years - we seemed to take some game management back to league games, often referred to the dark arts but also quick throw in and frees while opposition are still setting up to defend etc. Being clinical needs stepping up and just having a better striker is not a silver bullet on that either.
    People have said that expectations need to be adjusted but for me it was always more a cautious hope this season and others rather than expectation and that has always been the case for me. After the 1st leg v BATE in 2016 I had little hope for the 2nd leg, the risk of an away goal changing the tie hope even then was held in check until Benson scored.
    It has been done to death but the seeming opinion that Dundalk fans had expectations beyond our station is not the impression I have gotten from fellow Dundalk fans - even quoted posts used to express this imo were of the nature that we can play better than we have shown, players need to step up, if this happens ye never know. More of the 2nd 45 minutes (riskier) play v Qarabag was the hope going in to subsequent games. We tried to manage the game in Baku and then exploit the way they tired last 20mins but it didnt happen. To an extent we did look to be more adventerous v Slovan in Tallaght but fell victim of some same old LoI habits in the end. The hope is that this can be worked on and lessons learned for future campaigns.

    *Dunno why I said Preston as I knew the game was held in Tranmere.
    Last edited by Nesta99; 17/08/2019 at 8:54 AM.

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  11. #1649
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    I don'y know why people are so negative on LOI teams progressing in Europe. If anything, Riga's progress shows Dundalk were a lucky draw from doing well, and Rovers were a stupid second yellow from having a real chance of going through. The margins are small.

  12. #1650
    Biased against YOUR club pineapple stu's Avatar
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    The margins can be small for sure - though not in the games against Qarabag and Slovan - but I guess at this stage it's an accumulation of results. The margins seem to be small every year. But ultimately we're about as low as we've ever been in the UEFA standings, and that has to mean something. Yes, other countries are getting extra coefficient points because they have teams starting in earlier rounds, but I think Luxembourg are the only country to have passed us out because of it, and even then their teams have clearly outperformed ours over the last couple of years.

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    The Cheeto God Real ale Madrid's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by pineapple stu View Post
    The margins can be small for sure - though not in the games against Qarabag and Slovan - but I guess at this stage it's an accumulation of results. The margins seem to be small every year. But ultimately we're about as low as we've ever been in the UEFA standings, and that has to mean something. Yes, other countries are getting extra coefficient points because they have teams starting in earlier rounds, but I think Luxembourg are the only country to have passed us out because of it, and even then their teams have clearly outperformed ours over the last couple of years.
    We were 44 / 48 in 1998.

    42 / 55 isn't so bad really, we are way ahead from those days.

  14. #1652
    Biased against YOUR club pineapple stu's Avatar
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    Fair point. Certainly back then, we had gotten through I think three rounds in 15 years, so yeah, we're not quite that bad! Though no Gibraltar, San Marino, Kosovo, Montenegro back then, all of whom we're ahead of now.

    42/55 is still pretty bad though. There's a big gap from 34th to 33rd (Lithuania to Hungary), and you'd like to think we should be capable of being up at the top of the lower list (i.e. 34th). Instead, we're more likely to fall further in the next two years as Dundalk/Cork's runs get wiped off the slate without being replaced.

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  16. #1653
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    Quote Originally Posted by CorribsideSteve View Post
    League Of Ireland players are mentally brittle. From my 22 years of watching LOI in Europe, a significant improvement on fitness and strength/conditioning has taken place, however, the same "Oh God, what do I do" panic station mentality exists in the same way now as it did in 1997. Whether it's being one on one with the keeper, or hitting the crossbar from 2 yards out, missing open goals, blasting shots from 40 yards out that land in Row Z, scoring comical own goals, conceding penalties and goals from inside the box through kamikaze calamity, I could go on for hours. There's a real inferiority complex once an LOI team take to the field against most opposition in Europe. Watching how well SRFC played against Brann was refreshing, but a rarity. Yes, Dundalk had spells to win the home leg vs Qarabg, but missed GOLDEN chances. As they did last week vs Slovan. The Riga matches were an absolute chore to watch. LOI sides MUST score almost every chance they get to be in with a shout, and the conversion rate, if I had to guess, is not 90% but more like 30.Of course this League of ours needs millions pumped into it, but it shouldn't cost millions to create and foster a mental steeliness within our best players through a dedicated coaching regimen that would improve those deficiencies. Some Dundalk fans here are saying they didn't play that badly. It's on the way towards being true, but what is closer to the truth is that their players this year really lacked mental decisiveness in the heat of battle. And it's a blight that affects all teams not just Dundalk, before any fans think it's just them I'm singling out. 22 years of saying "Ah ffs, schoolboy stuff, watching matches through my fingers at the cringe concession of yet another soft goal from 3 yards out that kills yet another tie. Oh look, the striker missed a sitter too down the other end, just to compound the situation". And yes, Qarabag and Norrkoping and the likes have multi million budgets choc full of talented players, but these sides never have to work very hard for their goals. LOI sides don't often lose because the opposition were miles better technically, they lose because they defeat themselves first with basic mistakes.
    Could not have written this better. Very well put.

    I don'y know why people are so negative on LOI teams progressing in Europe. If anything, Riga's progress shows Dundalk were a lucky draw from doing well, and Rovers were a stupid second yellow from having a real chance of going through. The margins are small.
    I actually think had rovers gone through the other route they would have progressed. I think they looked much more assured and much better on the set-piece, capable of scoring goals. I never really got that sense watching Dundalk this year. But that away game more than anyone will stick with them for next year. its a good experience and a lesson learned. Hopefully they can keep the team together for the Euro games next year.

    Eamon Sweeney has his say below. I think i did up an average monthly salary in a lot of these countries a few years ago, including georgia and armenia also with a list of the smaller european nations relative to co-efficients. So moving wages aside for a minute its an interesting piece(tbf i think there is a much more realistic view from LOI fans now than he is suggesting certainly than from a few years ago as more players move abroad and most return or they play at a much lower level):

    https://www.independent.ie/sport/soc...-38412406.html
    Last edited by paul_oshea; 19/08/2019 at 9:43 AM.
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  18. #1654
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    Gavin McLaughlin gives his perspective


    https://dundalksport.ie/dfc-dundalk-...d-3926bbfce537

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    I can't read that but i think i might have seen it on one of the social media platforms, is this the article where he suggests supporters should get a grip about perth? If that's the article, interesting that on here some people were suggesting this(perths worth)and internally some Dundalk fans were saying the same.
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    Quote Originally Posted by paul_oshea View Post
    I can't read that but i think i might have seen it on one of the social media platforms, is this the article where he suggests supporters should get a grip about perth? If that's the article, interesting that on here some people were suggesting this(perths worth)and internally some Dundalk fans were saying the same.
    No the bandwagoners are saying the same. The same Dundalk "fans" who we wont see again until we can win the league or have a FAI Cup Semi or Final

    Any Dundalk fan i know, thinks Vinny is doing an excellent job

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  22. #1657
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    Brann's centre half was scared of his life of Finn closing him down, Limassol were relieved to get through in extra time against Rovers and lost their discipline in both games when it was going against them. The other teams at this level, budget or not, get jittery too...

    It's not about wage difference, crowd size or budget. The key determining on-pitch factor is fitness at that point of the season and then it's experience. A team that is in and out of Europe finishing fourth in the LOI is not going to get that experience and are going to make mistakes when tired...

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  24. #1658
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    Quote Originally Posted by paul_oshea View Post
    I can't read that but i think i might have seen it on one of the social media platforms, is this the article where he suggests supporters should get a grip about perth? If that's the article, interesting that on here some people were suggesting this(perths worth)and internally some Dundalk fans were saying the same.
    I am not sure what you are saying here, but as far as I can see there is strong support and approval among Dundalk fans for the job Vinny Perth has done so far this season. OrielWeb is probably a good barometer of the view of the core support and, bar the odd grumble about substitutions, the vibe has been very positive.

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  26. #1659
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    So our game that was postponed because of Dundalk in Europe will now be on 2nd September. We have gone from a Bank Holiday Saturday to a Monday which is the first day back at school.

    Ironically enough the game was originally changed to give Dundalk more than 3 games between the Europe game and LOI game ... but we will make the journey to play Cork on the Friday. Which is you guessed it, 3 days before the Monday game! You couldnt make it up.

    Anyway thats enough out of me on this but a serious look at fixture scheduling and maybe a postponement fee for European team needs to happen. Its every season.
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    Like the Fonz. Only a dog. Mr A's Avatar
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    Fixture scheduling in this league has to be top priority to sort. It is a shambles year after year.
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