The Big Fat European Latest Thread

**passinginterest** · 23/07/2009, 12:47 PM

Originally Posted by brianw82

Fenlon's tactics lost the game for Bohs. They played well in the 1st half, but far, far too deep in the 2nd. The substitutions were baffling too - Anto Murphy on the left wing? Glen Cronin on the right, in place of your top striker? Crowe left on the pitch when he can't even run and didn't get a kick all game?
If Fenlon had any guts he would've subbed Crowe with Madden. He may be young, but at least he has pace and would've been something for the Salzburg defence to worry about. Throwing big McGuinness on as a striker for the last few minutes was a travesty of a decision.
On the plus side, Bohs weren't outplayed by any means. Murphy absolutely commanded the area, he claimed everything. It's a pity he was left in no man's land for the goal. Such a horrible goal it was, too.

Jason Byrne was injured and signalled to be taken off so Fenlon's hands were tied there, he was always going to bring on a defensive player that's just his nature. Crowe should never have gotten 90 minutes in both games, he offered little or nothing up front, Madden couldn't have done any worse just being told to hassel the defence for the last 10 or 15 of both games.

**pineapple stu** · 23/07/2009, 12:49 PM

Originally Posted by Straightstory

A good run in the Champions' League is the only way - THE ONLY WAY - to raise the profile of the LOI and ultimately improve the match going experience for ALL FANS of the league.

Shels had a run to the Third Qualifying round and drew with Deportivo. Didn't do much for the league. Certainly hasn't improved my match going experience as a UCD fan.

**Duggie** · 23/07/2009, 12:51 PM

am i the only one that thinks crowe is past it.

**brianw82** · 23/07/2009, 12:54 PM

Originally Posted by passinginterest

Jason Byrne was injured and signalled to be taken off so Fenlon's hands were tied there, he was always going to bring on a defensive player that's just his nature. Crowe should never have gotten 90 minutes in both games, he offered little or nothing up front, Madden couldn't have done any worse just being told to hassel the defence for the last 10 or 15 of both games.

That's exactly why I would've had him on. He proved he could do it up in Dundalk.

am i the only one that thinks crowe is past it.

Nope.

**p�l-dcfc** · 23/07/2009, 12:55 PM

Originally Posted by Duggie

am i the only one that thinks crowe is past it.

I really don't think yu are the only person who thinks he is past it. Even on the Bohs forum some have been saying this for the pas few months. He never looks at all fit. When he was younger he could get away with it, but now he's really being shown up.

**Ezeikial** · 23/07/2009, 1:10 PM

Originally Posted by Duggie

am i the only one that thinks crowe is past it.

I can't see there being many premier clubs chasing his signature for next season. Madden on the other hand.......

**The Betting Man** · 23/07/2009, 1:12 PM

Originally Posted by Ezeikial

I can't see there being many premier clubs chasing his signature for next season. Madden on the other hand...

Can give us directions to the 1st div grounds

**Hairy Bowsie** · 23/07/2009, 1:17 PM

Just seen this post on another forum

Oh if only Bohs had won

Then all LoI grounds would be full this weekend. RTE and SKY would have a bidding war (worth millions) for the rights to show 2 LoI games a week. All the leagues best players would stay here to play their football. On the streets of Dublin, Cork, Galway etc people would be leaving their barstools walking outside the pub taking off the Liverpool, Man Utd, Celtic jerseys and burning them in the middle of the street, then they'd be making a bee-line for their nearest sports shop to buy a LoI jersey. JP McManus and other such investors would be racing to buy a Irish club and pump millions into them. Trapatoni would tell the plastic paddys to f*ck off and would be calling Murphy, Healy, Deegan into the Irish squad and not only would we qualify for the world cup but we'd win it. Oh i do lament, if only Bohs had won.

Says it all

**dcfcsteve** · 23/07/2009, 2:09 PM

Originally Posted by Hairy Bowsie

Just seen this post on another forum

Says it all

A well-written and humorous piece - but it misses the point.

There are no quick solutions to the appeal of Irish football. It will have to built-up slowly over literally decades. The older generation who think Irish football is gash and who will only support British football are largely lost. It's the young who need to be our main targets, and building-up with them - whetehr it be through youth football or whatever - takes time.

So no - if Bohs had won none of the above would have happened. But it would've been another small chip away at the mediocrity of the league, and another small improvement in its appeal. And when all the little things get added togethr over time, it makes our league more attractive. But that's what it will take - time.

**p�l-dcfc** · 23/07/2009, 2:13 PM

Originally Posted by dcfcsteve

A well-written and humorous piece - but it misses the point.

There are no quick solutions to the appeal of Irish football. It will have to built-up slowly over literally decades. The older generation who think Irish football is gash and who will only support British football are largely lost. It's the young who need to be our main targets, and building-up with them - whetehr it be through youth football or whatever - takes time.

So no - if Bohs had won none of the above would have happened. But it would've been another small chip away at the mediocrity of the league, and another small improvement in its appeal. And when all the little things get added togethr over time, it makes our league more attractive. But that's what it will take - time.

Er.... That was the point of the post I think...

As in, all that was mentioned wouldn't have happened, so Bohs losing really didn't matter that much to the league as a whole.

**dcfcsteve** · 23/07/2009, 2:18 PM

Originally Posted by p�l-dcfc

Er.... That was the point of the post I think...

As in, all that was mentioned wouldn't have happened, so Bohs losing really didn't matter that much to the league as a whole.

But point is that it does matter, which is what I was saying.

It's another small chink which, over time, will all add up.

Obviously the original post was written in an exaggerated fashion, but no-one expected there to be a Damascene conversion for the country over night. But also conversely - that doesn't mean that Bohs winning would have meant damn all. Baby steps still get you to where you want to go.

**Hairy Bowsie** · 23/07/2009, 2:18 PM

Spot on Pol. Steve, where have the baby steps of the great LoI european runs of the last few years got us? No further than where we were before them is the answer.

**TheBoss** · 23/07/2009, 2:34 PM

Valletta

24 Hogg
2 Grioli
7 Agius
10 Briffa
13 Bezzina
17 Scicluna
18 Pace
20 Falzon
21 Den Ouden
66 Dimech
77 Cruyff

Bench
28 Vella
8 Agius
9 Zammit
19 Grima
23 Borg
26 Giglio

St Patrick's Athletic

1 Rogers
2 Maher
4 Partridge
5 Harris
7 S. Byrne
14 Ryan
17 O'Connor
18 Gavin
21 Guy
22 Stevens
23 O'Brien

Bench
20 Clarke
3 Ryan
6 Lynch
10 Cawley
12 Fitzpatrick
16 Haran
19 Haverty

**Straightstory** · 23/07/2009, 2:41 PM

A victory last night would have been a small step. The Group Stages are the dream. It may never happen, but if it did, football in this country WOULD be revolutionized. The LOI will never be the Premiership nor Serie A, but even if it had the status (stadiums and attendances) of even Div 1 in England, that would be a massive improvement. Is it too much to aim for that - even for a few of our clubs? Why are people's expectations so low? Dublin is big enough to support a team in regular Champions' League (Group Stages) competition. To just accept the dire way things are, and to see no prospect of things ever improving seems completely defeatist.

**pineapple stu** · 23/07/2009, 2:43 PM

Aim for it of course, but the notion that it'd revolutionise the game here is well wide of the mark, and has nothing at all to back it up.

There's a huge difference between wanting things to improve and being considered defeatist if we don't get to the CL regularly.

**Happy shamrock** · 23/07/2009, 3:08 PM

Originally Posted by Duggie

am i the only one that thinks crowe is past it.

agreed. he was a disgrace last night. think I sw him jog 5 meters once last night. Other than that he stood in the same spot

**marinobohs** · 23/07/2009, 3:21 PM

Originally Posted by pineapple stu

Aim for it of course, but the notion that it'd revolutionise the game here is well wide of the mark, and has nothing at all to back it up.

There's a huge difference between wanting things to improve and being considered defeatist if we don't get to the CL regularly.

Real football, of course, consists of 9 "fans" (4 of whom are students trying to shake a hangover) and a dog (wandered in lost) watching UCD play a game of "who can kick the ball the highest" with some other backwater nobodies (waterford, dundalk, shels etc) on a bumpy pitch (guaranteed 0-0 every time). Anyone aspiring to anything better than this for Irish football is a fool and needs to learn their place

But at least the finances look OK.

**ger121** · 23/07/2009, 3:34 PM

Just wanted to wish Pats and Derry all the best in their games and hopefully you both get better results then we did last night

**marinobohs** · 23/07/2009, 3:36 PM

Originally Posted by Hairy Bowsie

I don't give a sh*te about co-efficient and i don't care if other leagues "disrespect" us, although i'm not sure what you mean by that.

"i don't give a sh*te" "I don't care" - and to think other clubs slag off Shels fans as just a bunch of kids !

When you grow up, ask some real LOI fans and they will tell you that it was always the case that fans supported all our teams in europe (except for the odd bigot). this even extended to bohs fans supporting Rovers (and vice versa) over the years and many bohs fans that I know supporting Shels not too long ago when they were our representatives in europe . Unfortunately the silly english attitude of "support your club by hating all others" crept in here and we now have the mutually assured destruction policy of hoping clubs go bust ! Glad that you enjoyed last night but more glad that I was sick as a pig in Tolka when that Maltese side beat your lot with a late goal, would'nt want to be that bitter

Best wishes to Pats and Derry - hope they both get good results.