I'm a 23yr old right-handed heterosexual who drinks milk and likes democracy. - dcfcsteve knows me well
And don't forget the Moldovans - Sheriff Tiraspol or whatever.
The three countries ranked below us with representatives in the group stages - Debrecen(Hun)(CL), Ventsplis(Lat)(EL) and Sheriff(Mol)(EL) - show that the best chance of doing that lies with our champions league place, a favourable draw and/or a big result and your in that last qualifying round guaranteed EL group stages.
Course the other team have to get results too, and I think the next step is to regularly get two teams to last qualifying round.
Despite what the naysayers say we are making progress. Its going to get tougher just staying where we are, not helped by the on going situations at various clubs. But considering how well our teams did this year, certainly better than I expected, I'm hopeful that breakthrough is coming.
No irish team will break the groups anytime soon, the play off round puts up vs a team that has easily 10 times an LOIs budget.
Having seen it twice now with Hertha and Steaua for all our effort, they had another gear in them could score when they wanted too.
Great effort by us last night and last season but we not good enough not even close tbh.
Sad thing is if our owner gave us a Kabillion euro and said sign any players in the LOI i dont see a single one that would perform better than how we did last night in any position.
Bohs may think they could have but the reality is they wouldnt, when you come vs these kind of teams we will get beat, at least we getting tru 2 rounds to play them (3 for others next season).
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The way an LOI team will get into the Europa League group stages will be through the CL.
Winnign through 2 rounds means you're guaranteed automatic group stage place in the Europa league doesn't it?
Still a while off but more realistic that gettin to the group stages through the Europa league itself
Still 2 rounds to get tru in that, our league at the moment doesnt have a team capable of breaking Europe. Certainly wont next season unless we in it but thats unlikely.
We simply cant afford it, romanian lad was telling me the amount Steaua cutting from their budget via wage cuts is 1.2 million thats our budget or thereabouts for the season
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"It's time for the FAI to grow up." John O'Donoghue, Minister for Sport, RTE , Sunday 7 Nov 2004
Atm (assuming all current players play next season)
Bohs CL certainly the best equipped but your looking at 2 rounds vs teams that are far beyond in terms of budget and players. Assuming its the current bohs team that plays. I cant see them past 1 round unless they get a lucky draw, no dis repesct to Bohs far too many better teams in that draw. unlikley to get tur 2 rounds.
Rovers UEFA with current playing staff and current style of football, a dishonourable loss is expected unless they get our ranking and get seeded. Unlikey to get tru 4 rounds.
Cork UEFA players have played in it before and seen both sides of it unlikely to get tru 3 rounds.
Derry UEFA Best suited to get to playoff round, but thats about it.
Waterford UEFA ****ed in every sense of the word
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Take Bohs for example. Salzburg were there for the taking and 1 second of lapsed concentration stopped them from beating them. Salzburg are now in the Europa League group stages. Pat's performances this year could see them through 2 rounds with a good draw.
Im not saying it's anywhere near a definite, or even that we've a godd chance in the next couple of years.
But I certainly think it's possible that the 'upset' could happen.
For the record - the path to the various CL & EL Groups for those three was as follows:
Debrecen: Beat Kalmar of Sweden 3-3 on Away Goals, Beat Levadia Tallinn of Estonia 2-0, Beat Levski Sofia of Bulgaria 4-1 - Champions League Group Stages
Ventspils: Beat Dudelange of Luxembourg 6-1, Beat BATE Borisov of Belarus 2-2 on Away Goals, Lost to FC Zurich of Switzerland 5-1 - Europa League Group Stages
Sheriff: Beat Inter Turku of Finland 2-0, Beat Slavia Prague of the Czech Republic 1-1 on Away Goals, Lost to Olympiacos of Greece 3-0 - Europa League Group Stages
Kom Igen, FCK...
Of course a LOI team can do it in the near future, you only have to look at Ventipls effort this year, surely Bohs would have had a similar run in if they had got that opposition.
The encouraging thing for the LOI in Europe is now the games are more competitive, and the LOi isn't as easy a touch as it was years ago... (like the Norn Iorn league for example!)
By the way does anyone know what the attendance for the Pats game was?
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