What kind of results will Rovers get from their Group matches?

**Eminence Grise** · 03/09/2011, 10:38 AM

Went for two points. The group is a big leap forward, though the goals in the last tie showed the squad can play good football without fear. Six confident performances, with an emphasis on playing the game the way it should be, will do a lot for Rovers' and the league's reputation - it might even yield an extra point or two somewhere. Here's hoping!

**holidaysong** · 03/09/2011, 12:56 PM

I went for two points and I think that might even be too optimistic.

**ped_ped** · 03/09/2011, 1:00 PM

A hard-fought draw in White Heart Lane with a comfortable win for Spurs in Tallaght.
With a large dollop of luck they should be able to carve out a home point against Kazan, but the trip to Russie might be a little too much again.
PAOK would be Rovers' only hope of a decent few points. Might be able to scrape to a home win with a little luck, and an away draw doesn't look like too much of a push.

So, six points.

This is among the best - if not simply the best - squad that a League of Ireland side has assembled. The two new signings are unknown quantities for me, personally, but with the size and quality of the squad they already had, they're well capable of making their mark in the group this year.

Doubt six points would grab them second, mind. Kazan and Spurs would be hoping for full points against PAOK, so third place would be more than respectable.

**redobit** · 03/09/2011, 1:06 PM

The step up in class at this stage is huge. If Shams got 2 points I think it would be a decent return. Playing summer football undoubtely helped them in Europe qualification but will now work against them for some games. Unfortunatlely for the image of the league I think they could be on for a hidin in nealry all the games, but you never know I suppose.

**gormacha** · 03/09/2011, 3:00 PM

Originally Posted by legendz

Ray Houghton ... a legend!

Hmmmm... to bite or not to bite? I suppose he is a legend in that the goals you speak of were legendary goals because of the competition and opposition, but is he himself a legend? I've always thought of him as a decent pro, well above journeyman status, but well below being regarded as even remotely great. A busy midfielder, with a good header against England, and a fair lucky shot against Italy. And he's a dreadful commmentator - every comment seems to be tinged with the subtext of "jaysus, he's not very good, is he? Now at Liverpool, in my day..." OOhh, how iconoclastic of me.

**freewheel30** · 03/09/2011, 3:45 PM

Originally Posted by gormacha

OOhh, how iconoclastic of me.

No finer beef than that from a sacred cow?

**dfx-** · 03/09/2011, 4:01 PM

Originally Posted by ped_ped

A hard-fought draw in White Heart Lane with a comfortable win for Spurs in Tallaght.
With a large dollop of luck they should be able to carve out a home point against Kazan, but the trip to Russie might be a little too much again.
PAOK would be Rovers' only hope of a decent few points. Might be able to scrape to a home win with a little luck, and an away draw doesn't look like too much of a push.

PAOK are a lot better than that, they'll seriously perturb the group...

**ped_ped** · 03/09/2011, 4:11 PM

Well I was being seriously optimistic, and if Rovers are to get a win, you couldn't see it coming against Kazan or Spurs.

I know knock-out is different to a group fixture, but how would Copenhagen and Belgrade compare to PAOK would ye reckon?

**legendz** · 03/09/2011, 4:23 PM

The active UEFA Team Ranking 2012 table has Rovers as the lowest ranked club still competing 234th, Malmo are next lowest 211th and FC K�benhavn are 40th. Of Rovers group... Totthenham: 28th, Rubin Kazan: 55th and PAOK Thessaloniki: 86th.

**dfx-** · 03/09/2011, 4:24 PM

Well, they knocked out Karpaty Lviv to get to the group who handed an LOI side their rear end on a plate...

**legendz** · 03/09/2011, 4:27 PM

Hamstring blow for van der Vaart. Ruled out for 6 weeks.

**freewheel30** · 03/09/2011, 4:45 PM

Some of PAOK's recent goals should be visible here. Only checked out the ones from the Lviv tie myself, obviously they look like a decent side.

**abcd** · 03/09/2011, 4:53 PM

Rovers will do well to get any points in the group but who knows. Like Ireland the away games might suit Rovers more, they have looked more comfortable away from home in Europe to date. I think they'll be competitive in the 4 or 5 of the 6 games.

I think Rovers most pressing issue will be retaining their league title and giving them a shot at repeating their European expolits next season.

**Shelsman** · 03/09/2011, 9:19 PM

Originally Posted by mypost

Yes we are aware. As we are of Copenhagen's result against them last year. Not that it's much use to them now. Kazan probably went into those games without fear of the opposition. That's what we have to do. Respect them certainly, but don't be frightened of them.

With the games in Tallaght, none of the opposition are going to like coming here on a tight pitch, in variable weather, against a home side with a crowd on top of them, and playing with nothing to lose. Like Copenhagen and Belgrade, Kazan failed to make the grade this year, so now they're in this. We're not going to roll over for them because they got a few good results in the other competiiton last year.

Good stuff. If the Rovers players have this attitude (and the opposition don't) then they may get a lot more points that the others in the group think.

**Shelsman** · 03/09/2011, 9:21 PM

Originally Posted by bluemovie

Snap.

PAOK are a decent side from what I've heard.

Rovers are good too it seems!!!

**placid casual** · 03/09/2011, 9:29 PM

we will get all the points.
we have rohan ricketts, dontcha know.

**Charlie Darwin** · 03/09/2011, 9:33 PM

Very impressed with Ricketts. You could see when Dennehy came on that he knew his place was under threat and had to put in a performance.

**legendz** · 03/09/2011, 10:47 PM

Originally Posted by abcd

Rovers will do well to get any points in the group but who knows. Like Ireland the away games might suit Rovers more, they have looked more comfortable away from home in Europe to date. I think they'll be competitive in the 4 or 5 of the 6 games.

I think Rovers most pressing issue will be retaining their league title and giving them a shot at repeating their European expolits next season.

I wouldn't go along with that. Rover won their first home European game, did well against Copenhagen until the goal before half time killed off the tie and the recovered well after a poor start against Belgrade where they possibly showed them a bit too much respect. The Irish national team has two cones in midfield, Rovers don't have that problem.

On your second point, Rovers won away at Dundalk tonight to go 2 points clear with a game in hand. They are in a title battle with two clubs but they seem up for the challenge and seem to have made shrewd signings to help on both fronts.

**mypost** · 04/09/2011, 2:05 AM

Originally Posted by legendz

The active UEFA Team Ranking 2012 table has Rovers as the lowest ranked club still competing 234th, Malmo are next lowest 211th and FC K�benhavn are 40th. Of Rovers group... Totthenham: 28th, Rubin Kazan: 55th and PAOK Thessaloniki: 86th.

Most of those teams have been playing European football for years. Even the ones that haven't, come from countries with good European records in recent years. We have neither.

Everyone has to start somewhere. We have played 10 European games in the past 2 years, and despite our relatively low ranking, we haven't looked out-of-place at all.