League of Ireland in Europe 2017

[pineapple stu]

All the underage winners are now known - so UCD need three of the following to qualify for the CL group stages and we're in the UEFA Youth League -

Sporting Lisbon
Dinamo Kiev
Ajax
Red Bull Salzburg
Legia Warsaw
APOEL Nicosia
Celtic
Qarabag
Ludogorets Razgrad
Honved

If by some outside chance 5 of them qualify, we could end up being drawn against F91 Dudelange again.

[Charlie Darwin]

You'd imagine at least three of those will qualify.

[pineapple stu]

You'd imagine so alright.

Club have done initial licencing prep for the tournament. Obviously just in case, but yeah, I'd be confident enough of qualifying.

[patrickccfc]

Have never known such confidence among our fans ahead of a European tie. Doesn't sit well with me. I know we're on a great run, but we literally have no idea how strong these lads are. Would gladly take a score draw now.

Well maybe most were extremely confident against linfield last year, and we didn't exactly stroll through that. Drawing the lowest seed can be seen as a good draw of course, but they are also on a fantastic run in their own league. I'd bite your hand off for a 1-0, but yeah a score draw would be very satisfactory.

[geysir]

Bradley talked to few local reporters early this evening after training in Stjarnan's ground. He let it be known that Rovers "are the biggest club in Ireland and have the best supporters".
That's mighty talk from the minnow sized coach.

[Charlie Darwin]

He's actually not as short as he looks, so take that back.

[geysir]

You don't take issue with Bradley's mighty sized boast? You just want to squabble about an imperceptible millimeter?

[Charlie Darwin]

While Rovers might not currently be at the top of the tree, the hysterical reaction to anything Bradley says speaks for itself.

[Dalymountrower]

[QUOTE=geysir;1926289]You don't take issue with Bradley's mighty sized boast? You just want to squabble about an imperceptible millimeter?[/QUOTE
Fair play to Bradley, rile them up!

[sbgawa]

Wow shamrock rovers manager says rovers are biggest team with the best supporters. Shock horror...

[Ezeikial]

I'd say he has really frightened them with that talk.

He's a master at the ould psychology all the same

[sbgawa]

I'd say he's on a par with "poor me we haven't had a peno in 5 years "

[Nesta99]

This is bubbling up nicely! and not a Cork fan in sight to row in behind geysir ... yet. Cork and tbh Dundalk struggled in Iceland the last couple of years but Dundalk got over the jitters and kicked on. Cork have a banana skin of a tie but expectation is to progress. Id imagine Shamrock Rovers fans feel the same as bar struggling in Luxembourg, struggling in Iceland wont meet expectation regardless of overtures of staying grounded and stating that nothing is taken for granted - it is hard not to feel expectant against teams from countres that big Irish clubs should be putting away. Without seeing any of the game i'd say the expectation in Windor Park tonight was a given with relatively new management at the NI champions who were actually available for the forray in to Europe, the biggest club on the island and their fans had to have been thinking all about their glamour tie against the other hoops. Tie still up for grabs though there.

[Charlie Darwin]

You'll give poor geysir a heart attack with that "countries big Irish teams should be putting away" talk.

[Nesta99]

Oh after beating FH last season that heart sucked it up and quit the onslaught of the virtues of the Icelandic domestic league Id give plenty to have the facility that FH have, not the one fairly new stand, though that would be nice, but the facilities anciliary to that stand were sweet. But then if we all had the funding from the local council as they did we'd be grand.....cough.

[Charlie Darwin]

I approve at your thinly-veiled dig at Bohemians and their cushy peppercorn rent deal.

[Nesta99]

Thinly veiled - hardly. Jealousy is what it is, of FH.

[Charlie Darwin]

Thinly veiled - hardly. Jealousy is what it is, of FH.

I'm sure they probably had to endure a years-long court case taken by the local GAA club before anything happened. I assume they have GAA clubs in Iceland anyway.

[PartySaint]

Bradley talked to few local reporters early this evening after training in Stjarnan's ground. He let it be known that Rovers "are the biggest club in Ireland and have the best supporters".
That's mighty talk from the minnow sized coach.

He says that before every game over here as well, I'm not sure if he's trying to convince himself or everyone else.

I reckon 2 of the 4 Irish sides will go through

[oriel]

Best of luck to Derry, Rovers and Cork today. I`ll be following the updates closely. I think I saw Cork were slight favs to win tonight?

I think the only time we were favourites last season was home to FH, and we still didn't beat them!