The problem in Tolka mainly was in the media facilities. It just can't handle the amount of media who will be there, it couldn't even handle the media who went to the Hajduk game. Apparently Ollie had to put a few of them up in a hotel so they could watch the match on RTE because there simply wasn't room, and it'll be far worse for the Depor match.
Selling out how stupid are some people ? Look at the state of finances in our league what other club in Ireland would not do the same and make as much money as they can . Who knows when we will get the same chance again. If they have it in tolka not everyone who wants to go shels fans or not will get tickets so lansdowne gives everyone a chance and gets much needed money in the coffers . After all it is a business not a charity
That's another good point, I can only imagine how ****ed off I'd be if I missed out on seing the match live because it was in Tolka and it sold out before I managed to get there. I'd rather see it in Lansedown than have to watch it on RTE.
"First Irish side ever to progress four rounds in a European competition"
getting beaten by deportivo and being dumped into the uefa cup doesnt count as progressing
He's right. When City get to the 3rd Qualifying Round of the Champs League then we can say we're bigger/better than Shels, until then ya can't knock their acheivement as much as people might not like itOriginally Posted by Slash/ED
Yeah, Cork would murder Depor. 3-0 home and away, if Cork were talking it easy that is, because their just so much more big time than little ol league winning champions league third round competing shels.
Carlsberg dont make .....
Yeah, Cork would murder Depor. 3-0 home and away, if Cork were talking it easy that is, because their just so much more big time than little ol league winning champions league third round competing shels.
Who is this guy, Trapper Tony?
I'm not knocking their achievement but I think that Shels have been relatively poor in Europe this season. Or to put it in a way that might ease the personal abuse that I'll probably get
I think the only difficulties that Shels have experienced so far in Europe have been mental e.g.
- Irish teams are meant to do poorly in Europe.
- Shels hadn't won at home in eleven years in European competition
It really annoyed me at half-time when Shels were obviously the better team and Roddy Collins was talking about being realistic and how many passes Hajduk Split were stringing together. The only thing that was strong about the Hajduk Split team that I saw was their history.
Pat Fenlon has adopted a new formation for Europe irrespective of the opposition. Personally I think Shels are strong enough to have come thru playing 4-4-2 and I abhor the thought of the country's top striker playing in midfield. I think it made things harder for themselves adapting to a new method, but then again they are where they are so who am I to talk, and it will probably stand them in good stead when they play teams who are of a higher quality.
I think that Cork City's run in Europe has been more impressive so far (and I stress so far) but as I have said Shels have been battling their own demons as well as the opposing team. City had only one player with previous European experience (two for Nijmegen away) but they had several players with experience with a winning Ireland u21 team. Even after beating Malmo 3-1 at home the only people who believed they could progress were the players themselves. They won away, kept a Dutch league team scoreless over two legs and frightened the bejesus out of Nantes. If Shels had the same confidence then I believe that they would have strolled thru the two rounds, but their quality saw them through anyhow.
With the confidence they have now they could give Deportivo a right scare.
Which is why I'm a bit disappointed that they're playing it in Lansdowne, I know there's good reasons for it but as Pat Fenlon said
"I hope it’s at Tolka. The crowd were fantastic for this game. If there’s the ticket demand, maybe we’ll have to move the game but I hope it’s here. I think we’ve got a chance against anyone if we play it here." - Eleven-a-side.com
My head understands the decision but my heart thinks that Shels have conceeded before they've begun. They have to play two away games against top class opposition.
This is not meant to be a Shels-bashing or a Cork-arrogance post but I think that the giant-killing, once-in-a-lifetime-achievement, best-result-ever brigade are doing the league a disservice. While tactics and luck and decisions come into it I think that lack-of-belief has been the reason that Longford and Bohs have done badly in Europe, and that Shels and Cork City have (hopefully) broken that duck. Either one would not have been enough, but both teams making history could spell the turning point in eL football.
As for the fear that Shels will dominate; it is a possibility, but only if the other teams allow it. I'm going to speak purely from a Cork City fan's viewpoint now but it applies to other teams as well. With Bohs in turmoil and Shel's likely to have a bit of a slump in the league due to Europe it's all there to fight for. A top two place will get us into the Setanta cup with a possible €300k prize money and European football in either the UEFA cup or (here's hoping!
Citys run was great but don't think you can say better than Shel$ cos theres a lot more pressure on the CL games cos of the importance. City knew the Inter Toto would not make or break their season.
Obviously Fenlons tactics were rewarded with win but I was surprised stuck so much to 4-5-1 with Jason Byrne way out of position & largely ineffective.
Maybe it not suitable for all teams but I thought Citys tactics in Europe were very good with variations on 4-4-2, 4-5-1, 4-6-0 given the situations.
Sport is largely TV driven these days so is only natural so many people express interest in watching game on tv but really wouldn't realistically attend a game.
It will when we make the UEFA cup group stages
To Derm who said Shels have been relatively poor in Europe has he seen the footage of both legs of the game in Split. Some of the football Shels played on wed was better than anything I have seen in the League and shows the level they are capable of playing at . Its a bit sad to see how people will never appreciate how good our teams are capable of being
My point essentially was that Shels were under more pressure but it was of their own doing - they were fighting history as much as Hajduk Split were relying on it. Besides, you don't get to be league champions by not being able to handle pressure.
City had a team of youngsters who didn't know any better and an optimistic madman for a manager and the results they got were awe-inspiring, but ultimately meaningless. So IMO City's results were better but Shels were more important.
In short City deserved to get to the quarter-finals, Shels deserved to get into the 1st round (or is it another qual - CL always confuses me). I think Shels have the ability to have made qualification easier for themselves but they chose to make it more dramatic!
That was the hook! Further on I say that Shels hadn't played to their full potential, which in my understanding equates to "how good our teams are capable of being". The results against Hajduk Split were well deserved, but seem to point to the fact that the Shels made hard work of it against Rejkavik. TBH Rejkavik was a bit of a banana skin and I didn't see them play but I believe that our teams are capable of being better than Icelandic teams. Those results were "relatively poor", not in eL terms but in Shel's own terms.
Basically I'm saying don't miss the wood for the trees. Shels achievement is not great because they beat superior teams or overcame great odds. They deserve it, plain and simple. It's a great achievement because it has never been done before.
Personally I think that our teams are good enough to make City's & Shel's achievements the norm in future years.
Or 10-0-0 for the last 10 or 15 minutes against NEC !!!
Better 10-0-0 against NEC than those IcelandersOr 10-0-0 for the last 10 or 15 minutes against NEC !!!
I don't agree. I think Longford lost because they have a crap squad ( I mean when compared to the other eL participants in Europe, I mean how may of the Longford players would get into the Shels, Bohs or Cork teams? ).
This in turn turn makes you wonder about having your Cup Winners playing in Europe -remember when Bray won the cup and then lost 8-0 on aggregate to Grasshoppers Zurich, but then, other countries let their cup winners in and if the UEFA place was taken away from the FAI Cup to the league then clubs might not take the cup seriously.
As for Bohs, I think it was overconfidence that caused them to lose -I think the fact that they had always progressed past the first round in recent years coupled with the fact that they had knocked out the same club before and apparently dominated the first leg meant they were complacent in the second leg ( although I will accept the views of someone who was actually at the match if they think otherwise ).
AFAIK it wasn't the same club that Bohs played a couple of seasons ago, but a club from the same city.
The quality of oppostion faced in the Uefa cup & CL (with the exception Split) by Irish teams this year has been very poor, and should have been beaten easily. It's about time we as a nation were able to beat the best that Estonia, Leichtenstein & Iceland have to offer, and I hope that will be the case in future years.
I think that Shels will loose to Deportivo, but as a seeded team in Uefa cup 1st round draw, they will probably be drawn against a team which they have a good chance of beating, and ending up in the group stage. This will be a better reflection on how far they will have progressed this year than the games against Deportivo.
I think a plan is just a list of things that don't happen - Mr Parker
It's the same team with a different name.
From what I remember from the away game report Longford were all over Vaduz and Vaduz scored with their only shot of the game (I may be open to correction here). It was Lichtenstein's first win in Europe, so confidence did play a part for both teams in the return leg.
I agree with you about Bohs, you should always treat teams who have a score to settle with respect ...
As to Boh's opposition (can't remember their name) AFAIK there are an amalgamation between the team Boh's beat and another team from the same city.
Good luck to Shels tonight
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