Champions League

[ColinR]

I would have put my house on deportivo to win if i owned a house. There we go again people with rose tinted eircom league glasses on. Deportivo didnt bother playing in the first leg and in the second i only remember one clear cut chance for Shels. And im not taking anything away from Shelbournes achievements this year which i can only say were phenomenal but dont get carried away with yourselves lads

agree, just as shels held deportivo for so long, the icelandlic crowd could quite easily have beaten shels (2 late away goals were the difference remember), just like the maltesse a couple of years ago. had shels not got through on away goals, we would have given shels a similar pasting for embarressing the eL as longford were given.

shels had one good year, the real test is to consistantly good years, then we can talk about them making the step up to the group stages, i think its still a bit premature yet

[lefty]

Finally someone who actually talks sense and sees things for what they are. Totally agree with u Shels could have so easily been knocked out in Qualifying Round 1. Consistency will be the real achievement and they have gambled on it by bringing in so many players.

Cant believe i agree totally with a drogs fan, might have to change my views on Drogheda United ......actually maybe not!!!

[ColinR]

Cant believe i agree totally with a drogs fan, might have to change my views on Drogheda United ......actually maybe not!!!

well, i did go to college in ucd

[Slash/ED]

I would have put my house on deportivo to win if i owned a house. There we go again people with rose tinted eircom league glasses on. Deportivo didnt bother playing in the first leg and in the second i only remember one clear cut chance for Shels. And im not taking anything away from Shelbournes achievements this year which i can only say were phenomenal but dont get carried away with yourselves lads

No, you said Shels were 'well beaten' by Deportivo, you were wrong. Why in the name of jaysus would they 'not bother' playing in a champions league qualifyers that if they lost would pretty much cripple their club? What a laod of sh*te.

[pineapple stu]

If Shels qualify they will get about five million odd

But I bet they still "couldn't afford" to pay us for Cawley!

[Buller]

exactly, deportivo had their first team out!

[elroy]

Shels were perhaps lucky in the first round but i dont accept that depor took it handy, it was a major must win for them. If shels had scored in the away they had the best chance of the first half-depor wouldve being in serious trouble.
I do think depor were the better team but by no means as comfortable as some are making out.

Whatever abouth the CL, an eircom league should def be lookin into breakin into the group phases of the uefa cup very soon

[pineapple stu]

Whatever abouth the CL, an eircom league should def be lookin into breakin into the group phases of the uefa cup very soon

Definitely. I think lefty's right in a way when he says that Shels are a good way away yet from getting into the CL group stages - Depor's performance in the group stages shows they were one of the poorest Depor teams in recent years, and possibly by extension one of the weakest teams Shels could have gotten in the draw. To see them up against Man Utd/Real/Inter or even Celtic/Rangers would be interesting.

Target for this year though has to be to make the Third Round again. 2004 was the first time any eL club had gone that far, and Shels have to show it wasn't a fluke. Only when we start getting into the Third Round regularly can we really talk about getting into the groups.

Other upcoming targets -
> Get a bye into the Second Round of the Champions' League (possible I think in four years if each year is as good as last year)
> UEFA group stages have to be looked at - First Round UEFA is poorer than Third Qualifying Round in the CL, so it stands to reason we're more likely to break through here first. You'd hope that at least one, if not both, eL teams in the UEFA can get through the first round though.

[thejollyrodger]

err, maybe we were watching a different game, but the Depor players didnt look so happy at landsdown Road and when Victor(?) scored at the Riazor he was jumping all over the place and so was the manager. They were obviously rattled enough and delighted to get the break through. The Depor coach was quoted as saying that Shels were only a number of years away from qualifying to the group stages of the Champions League.

Shels might have well be playing their home games away from home. If both Depor and Lille were at Tolka we could have had a two wins going to France and the Riazor

Depor did alright against Liverpool this year so I dont know where all this "Depor are muck" is coming from.


As for Lille. Shels did very well against them and they are flying in the French league and UEFA Cup (AFAIK). Shels havent went pro that long, their squad was weaker last year, they had less experience last year. So I expect they can get to the 3rd round again this year.

I have to agree with some people, Shels will probably break into the UEFA Cup sooner than the C.L but that wont be good enough. Champions League group stages is the destination.