League of Ireland in Europe 2016

[Pablo Escobar]

I saw cork at the weekend, your reserves would beat that lot to the title. They are awful. Dundalk will win the title

Maybe they would, but their first team has lost to us 3 times already this season and haven't scored a goal. Don't worry though, we'll do enough on our side to ensure Dundalk win the league.

I missed the game last night, but Bensons goal was incredible. Overall it was a great effort, I just hope they dont go on to draw a team that draws better support here than themselves.

[pineapple stu]

Dunno about that, I followed a link to that Joe.ie tonight and when I was there, clicked on the football tab and of course there was nothing about tonights game, and its places like that Barstoolers consume their football.

https://twitter.com/SportsJOEdotie/s...64106700328960

Twitting the goal last night anyway.

Wonder how many people switched over as a result?

[Conroy]

Being disappointing about entering the Europa League groups after missing out on the Champions League sums up this club IMO. How far we have come in the last few years. What a group of players we have, always striving to achieve more and not accepting anything but 110%.

We went to Iceland and pulled the tie back after going a goal down. We went to BATE and hung in for a 1-0 nil loss, and smashed them in Tallaght. Given no chance against Legia we got done with a dodgy peno & gifted them a poor 2nd goal at home.

We went over there last night and every player on that pitch was immense. They all gave 110% and it was one of the proudest moments i've had as a Dundalk supporter watching each and every player on that pitch.

The big thing for me was the confidence in the players to take the ball and play on such a big stage and look comfortable. There may have been misplaced passes here and there but the telling thing is that the next time the ball came to them they were willing to take the ball and make them passes again.

We will take points in the group stages.

[SPXcyan]

I find it strange to be waking up dissapointed after that match, but surely the Europa League will be a huge bonus for Dundalk an their players?

I'll be looking forward to such games again that's for sure!

[paul_oshea]

Every manager before Kenny (with the possible exception of Baraclough) in the last 15 years has done it though. If anything, the stupidly short season should make it easier to keep a big squad happy. Although it must be said Dundalk have done an incredible job dominating with a small squad.

All in all, I think it was a chance missed for Dundalk and it all goes back, as PStu says, to not taking out the Legia lad in injury time last week. Like BATE, they were really rocked tonight and without the injuries and suspensions I think you'd have got the job done. Europa League will be interesting now - you'll definitely put up a better fight than we were able to.

A lot of things fell into place for Dundalk on this run, and they got better as they went along. The pieces won't fall as kind next time. The opportunity that created itself last night, was there, and it will be a few years before it all works out again into the perfect opening. I don't necessarily agree, with the pulling the man down being the obvious thing, barrett did it yesterday and it gave Legia valuable time when Dundalk really needed to create that final opening. Thats what they did last week by not giving away the foul, the realisation that pulling the man down, threw away whatever last chance Dundalk had in equalising in Dublin. In a two legged affair where away goals matter so much a 1-1 is a huge difference to a 0-1, there isn't a huge difference between a 0-1 and a 0-2 at that point. Again its easy say that in hindsight, but had they not pulled him down, and got one final chance and scored no one would be commenting on it.

It's a lot easier to put up these big performances once off or so, when the carrot is being dangled in front of you. But hopefully they can keep that level for Europa and get a few points.

The team did very well in keep possession unlike any Ireland international match against similar opposition, O'Neill and Keane could learn from that. They only started to misplace passes or overhit or mistime passes as the legs tired. Having said that I was a little bit disappoitned by horgan, he lost the ball or gave poor passes too many times over the last two games, when this was his real chance to impress. He also faded in and out too often.

I don't take the argument either that Legia were much better, they might have better players, they might consistently perform at a higher level, but over two legs there was very little between the two sides. A bigger budget proved the difference in fresh legs and impetus coming on for Legia. Dundalk lacked in the final third, but everywhere else it was a very even match. And again thats another reason why I think it was a missed opportunity, BATE looked way more dangerous at home than Legia did over two legs - but I am sure they can perform to a higher level, they just didnt do it over 180 mins against Dundalk.

[ger121]

Dundalk's EL group could contain at least two teams better than Legia. I think Legia finished last in their EL group last year with a win and a draw. Dundalk will be doing well to pickup a win and a draw. Rovers didn't get any points.

It has taken 5 years for a champion to get past their first qualifying round and also to make the EL group stage. With the knockout nature of the qualifying rounds, it could be at least another 2 or 3 years before the league's champion get through their first CL qualifying round.

Nobody has been seeded since Rovers went out in 2012, so that has to be considered as a factor. Whether Dundalk would again should they win the League, really depends on whether they'll be seeded. At the moment based on lowest ranked seeds in QR2 this year, they wouldn't be seeded. Still need a draw minimum but most likely a win to be sure of being seeded, if my calculations are correct.

[marinobohs]

Great display by Dundalk last night, congrats to Stephen Kenny and all involved. eventually the task of chasing a 2 goal deficit proved to much for Dundalk but they gave it a real rattle and did the LOI proud.

Funny but I felt a lot more pride watching Dundalk last night than I did watching Ireland in the euros, maybe easier to appreciate Dundalk fans perspective than many of the Oirish day trippers.

[jbyrne]

Funny but I felt a lot more pride watching Dundalk last night than I did watching Ireland in the euros, maybe easier to appreciate Dundalk fans perspective than many of the Oirish day trippers.

id say Dundalk were glad to see so may "day trippers" in Lansdowne last week though

[marinobohs]

id say Dundalk were glad to see so may "day trippers" in Lansdowne last week though

Would be even 'gladder' to see them more often I have no great problem with the day trippers, more the merrier, just don't feel an affinity with them.

[Philosophizer]

A lot of things fell into place for Dundalk on this run

While every team needs a bit of luck to progress in Europe, I don't think Dundalk got overly lucky during their run. They played very well considering the level of our league and I think they got as far as they deserved to get.

The pieces won't fall as kind next time.

You're kind of playing the percentages with that line, Paul. It's unlikely they'll progress this far again next year, but if they're seeded next year and they get a kind draw, you never know.

I was a little bit disappoitned by horgan, he lost the ball or gave poor passes too many times over the last two games, when this was his real chance to impress. He also faded in and out too often.

Correct. Horgan was Dundalk's poorest player last night. I hope he ups his performaces in the EL.

[paul_oshea]

You're kind of playing the percentages with that line, Paul. It's unlikely they'll progress this far again next year, but if they're seeded next year and they get a kind draw, you never know.

Perhaps, but so are you by using Buts and Ifs. The draw is important, and they got better at every round, maybe flatlined a bit in this one, but still more than held their own. I just think lots of things worked in their favour, I wouldn't say it was being overly lucky. I include the lad getting sent off last night, it was harsh enough, with 10 men they still didn't capitalise. I actually thought that lad should have been booked twice last week and I think I said it on here, so maybe that one evens itself out.

Did the players get a 40k bonus for getting this far?

[Dodge]

Nobody has been seeded since Rovers went out in 2012, so that has to be considered as a factor. Whether Dundalk would again should they win the League, really depends on whether they'll be seeded. At the moment based on lowest ranked seeds in QR2 this year, they wouldn't be seeded. Still need a draw minimum but most likely a win to be sure of being seeded, if my calculations are correct.

Rovers weren't seeded in 2012. Dundalk may be seeded if they draw one game, probably will be seeded if they win a game and almost certainly will be seeded if they can earn 3 points in the group

If they win the league of course

[disgruntled]

Great effort by Dundalk last night but just ran out of steam in the last 20 minutes.
They did the League of Ireland proud.
Wonderful goal from Benson.

Mention also the excellent Norwegian referee who made sure that Legia didn't get away with what that German referee let go last week. If this guy had been the referee last week who knows what might have happened.

[pineapple stu]

Do (significant) UEFA Solidarity Payments only depend on CL qualification by the way?

So there was talk of E3.1m for the LoI if Dundalk qualified - is there any such boost at all now?

[Philosophizer]

Do (significant) UEFA Solidarity Payments only depend on CL qualification by the way?

So there was talk of E3.1m for the LOI if Dundalk qualified - is there any such boost at all now?

Good news. There are still solidarity payments for the league even with Dundalk "only" getting EL. It's only about 10% of what it would have been if they qualified for the CL, but still, better than nothing - approx €381k according to the sun.

Pretty decent considering all the prize money for the league in 2015 amounted to about 380k

http://www.thesun.ie/irishsol/homepa...in-Europe.html

[Mr A]

Feck Dundalk- we needed that money!

That would work out at around €381,000 per league, with a further portion then added for the nation’s TV market share.

Taken from this: http://www.thesun.ie/irishsol/homepa...in-Europe.html

Not sure how that's distributed, whether just premier clubs or not.

[sparky12345678]

same from my Dad and brothers. All watched the game more than just cos I told them to. My Dad was ranting about how it def wasnt a peno and could easily have held on for 0-0 at home. He was surprised to see a decent game from them etc.
Alot of things need to come together to improve the league's standing in civil society though...

[ger121]

Rovers weren't seeded in 2012. Dundalk may be seeded if they draw one game, probably will be seeded if they win a game and almost certainly will be seeded if they can earn 3 points in the group

If they win the league of course

That's right. Ekranus were the lowest seeded side.

Dodge, you do remember it's 3 points for a win these days and not two

[passinginterest]

Maybe not quite the right forum, but I think it's relevant, Cork City will play in the UEFA Youth League. Having U.19 winners participating at this level should be a good boost the the U.19 league and should help clubs to attract and keep players. It will be very interesting to see how they get on, our underage clubs always seem to manage decent results in friendlies and tournaments so I'm very curious to see how they cope in this competition.
http://www.the42.ie/cork-city-uefa-y...45459-Aug2016/

[ger121]

Feck Dundalk- we needed that money!



Taken from this: http://www.thesun.ie/irishsol/homepa...in-Europe.html

Not sure how that's distributed, whether just premier clubs or not.

Presuming of course that Dear Leader and the Party saw fit to share the wealth with the Proletariat