League of Ireland in Europe 2019

**Ezeikial** · 07/08/2019, 10:17 PM

Originally Posted by sbgawa

I wish vinny the best as a Tallaght lad but lose next week and I'll be shocked if he is still there next Feb.

Be prepared to be "shocked"

Maybe things could change if a manager with over a 40% european win rate came available

**Ezeikial** · 07/08/2019, 10:21 PM

Originally Posted by Ezeikial

Dundalk V Slovan Bratislava on Tuesday 13 August at Tallaght Stadium. On-Line ticket sales

https://embed.futureticketing.ie/c/dundalk-fc/

TICKET SALES – KEY POINTS
* ALL tickets for this game will be sold ONLINE ONLY. To purchase, please visit our online ticket page.
* Tickets will be priced as follows: €15 adult, €10 concession and €5 juvenile (under-12s).
* Tickets will be sold by block number (stadium map below).
* Tickets will be available to buy in the West Stand (Blocks A-E, G-J) and the East Stand (Blocks M-Q).
* Away supporters will be situated in Block K of the East Stand.
* We request that supporters wishing to sit in the ‘singing section’ purchase tickets for Blocks A, B or C of the West Stand (same area as our 2016 Europa League campaign).

https://www.dundalkfc.com/europa-lea...atislava-home/

**EatYerGreens** · 07/08/2019, 11:35 PM

Originally Posted by sbgawa

Dundalk should let anyone with a league of Ireland season ticket in for free.

WTF ?

**sbgawa** · 08/08/2019, 5:01 AM

Fill the place with loi fans.
Lower gate receipts (the approx 1500) dfc season ticket holders who would go anyway but 30k gamble against progressing...
Won't happen obviously but it's not that controversial surely.

**Ezeikial** · 08/08/2019, 7:03 AM

Creating a raucous, passionate atmosphere by giving free tickets to those who wouldn't otherwise attend? What next, South Stand reserved for Rovers pitch invaders?

**PartySaint** · 08/08/2019, 8:08 AM

Originally Posted by sbgawa

Long term contracts on Bigish money (by loi standards) , I wish vinny the best as a Tallaght lad but lose next week and I'll be shocked if he is still there next Feb.
Hopefully dfc play like they can and make it a harder call

I assume this was a wind up attempt?

The chap is probably going to win a treble in his first season in management and got through a round in the CL only to lose to a side way above LOI standards.

I thought (was hoping) replacing Kenny with Perth was going to be a disaster for Dundalk but it hasn't made a difference at all.

**marinobohs** · 08/08/2019, 9:06 AM

Originally Posted by PartySaint

I assume this was a wind up attempt?

The chap is probably going to win a treble in his first season in management and got through a round in the CL only to lose to a side way above LOI standards.

I thought (was hoping) replacing Kenny with Perth was going to be a disaster for Dundalk but it hasn't made a difference at all.

I guess Perth just didn't have a 'project'

irrespective of next weeks result, Dundalk nailed on to win the League and short odds for a domestic treble. where, oh where, did it all go wrong Vinnie

**nigel-harps1954** · 08/08/2019, 9:22 AM

I think Dundalk really let themselves down last night. Genuine chance to go out there and put a few goals past a very average Slovan side, and they didn't take it. Negative approach cost them in the end.

That being said, there were two big saves from Slovan goalkeeper, but they were the only proper tests he got all night. There wasn't the same intensity about Dundalk that you'd expect from them, they sat back and allowed Slovan time on the ball, and made negative subs when they needed to push for a goal, leaving the likes of Georgie Kelly sat on the bench in favour of bringing on a defender for Hoban in the dying minutes.

Obviously there's no point comparing to Kennys Dundalk side in one way, but it's effectively the same coaching staff there, and you'd expect them to have a similar approach to games as Kenny had. Was very disappointing.

**CityBoy** · 08/08/2019, 9:48 AM

1 goal in their last 7 European games now for Dundalk. Funny how that's not been mentioned much by journalists. When Cork City failed to score in 6 it was mentioned constantly.

**Straightstory** · 08/08/2019, 10:00 AM

One goal in five games (in Europe) says it all. Reckon their best chance is 1-0 next week and take it to penalties. If Slovan get one, Dundalk will need three; they're not capable of that. Very disappointing that they haven't built on their performances and experiences they had in 2016.

**sbgawa** · 08/08/2019, 10:02 AM

The most dissapointing thing for me about rovers this season is the esse with which dundalk have won the league.
If anything we look better than we are as the league is so weak t his year. Two of last year's top 4 have imploded , Derry and bohs are comparable with last year and pats.......
Dundalk have won the league at a canter because of the depth and strength / cost of their squad without several of their star performers playing to potential.
Hoban, Duffy, mceleney and others.
Have a look at the second 11 that play against cobh on Saturday even without Benson and Flores and ask yourself where that team would finish in the league.
I don't think peak 6 will look at a season (If they go out on tuesday) where the performance meets minimum expectations in Europe (win first round as a seeded team then go out asap) as a success as Europe is the only way they make money.
Do the dundalk fans think vinny is getting the best out of the players?
For me rovers need to finish the league strongly , finishing second in the league this year isn't progress for me, we need to finish further ahead of the rest and try to not lose any more ground on dundalk to be able to call this season progress.
The money from the Burke and bazuna Clarke transfers has allowed the signings of farrugia, o Neill and ironically Burke so that bit of depth might help next year.....it's the hope that kills you though.
We can't rely on cork and Waterford or a newly promoted shels to be as bad as this year.
That being said and this is the craziness of football win on Tuesday and the season has hit expectations in Europe and vinnie can argue that early injuries in the season despite the size of squad unsettled the team and that all of this year's underperformers can only improve next year and he deserved another crack at it. Which he does imo .

**CorribsideSteve** · 08/08/2019, 10:09 AM

It might have been a wind up indeed, however, due to a decrease in quality of player (no Horgan, for example), this years version of Dundalk in Europe has been bland, toothless and quite limited. Is that down to tactics? When they needed a goal with a few minutes left, they played like 2016 again, so they can do it. Maybe it was a case this year that the draw for matches wasn't too kind. He is going to get a treble, as others have pointed out, but there has just been no sense of attacking quality about Dundalk at all this Euro season.

**marinobohs** · 08/08/2019, 10:32 AM

Originally Posted by sbgawa

The most dissapointing thing for me about rovers this season is the esse with which dundalk have won the league.
If anything we look better than we are as the league is so weak t his year. Two of last year's top 4 have imploded , Derry and bohs are comparable with last year and pats.......
Dundalk have won the league at a canter because of the depth and strength / cost of their squad without several of their star performers playing to potential.
Hoban, Duffy, mceleney and others.
Have a look at the second 11 that play against cobh on Saturday even without Benson and Flores and ask yourself where that team would finish in the league.
I don't think peak 6 will look at a season (If they go out on tuesday) where the performance meets minimum expectations in Europe (win first round as a seeded team then go out asap) as a success as Europe is the only way they make money.
Do the dundalk fans think vinny is getting the best out of the players?
For me rovers need to finish the league strongly , finishing second in the league this year isn't progress for me, we need to finish further ahead of the rest and try to not lose any more ground on dundalk to be able to call this season progress.
The money from the Burke and bazuna Clarke transfers has allowed the signings of farrugia, o Neill and ironically Burke so that bit of depth might help next year.....it's the hope that kills you though.
We can't rely on cork and Waterford or a newly promoted shels to be as bad as this year.
That being said and this is the craziness of football win on Tuesday and the season has hit expectations in Europe and vinnie can argue that early injuries in the season despite the size of squad unsettled the team and that all of this year's underperformers can only improve next year and he deserved another crack at it. Which he does imo .

Not sure why a relatively average LOI season for other clubs should result in the best team in it considering their managers position

did PEAK6 set a minimum number of points he had to win the league by ? Dundalk have, just about, achieved the minimum their owners would have expected in Europe. Performances have not ben great but (just about) enough done .

I think every other club hoped that Kenny's departure would weaken Dundalk, even for a period of time while they transitioned. Instead, after a typical (for Dundalk) sluggish league start it has been pretty much business as usual. unless there is some targets set by PEAK6 we are all unaware of I think Vinnie/John (change order to taste) are pretty comfortable in their role.

**Kingswood Rover** · 08/08/2019, 10:41 AM

Dundalk are due a good performance in terms of converting chances this year in Europe so i still think they are well in the tie. Rovers are better this season and if we finish 2nd within 10 then thats progress imo. I really hope the club targets the FAI cup because its now one of 2 primates sitting on our backs. Next Season we need to be challenging to the end.

**ger121** · 08/08/2019, 10:51 AM

Winning the League at a canter. Back in the CL next season, where I presume they should be seeded again. €1.2 million in the bag from Europe this year. Possibly a similar amount next season too. Unless something drastic happens, they’ll be heavy favourites to win the League in 2020, which should ensure CL football in 2021. More money again. A breakthrough into Playoff round territory or indeed Group stages is the target but not likely to be expected on a yearly basis. I think PEAK 6 will be happy enough with that and Perth to remain as Manager.

**Real ale Madrid** · 08/08/2019, 11:16 AM

Dundalk's co-efficient looking like 8.500 next season - 9.000 if they beat Slovan - a similar season in Europe next year would see them have a co-effient of roughly 10.000 - 10.500 - more than enough imo to see them through to the new thrid tier Europa league 2 group stages in 2021 as they would be seeded throughout the champions route in a competition like that, with a co-efficient like that. If the owners are sensible enough to play the long game then there are returns to be made, if of course the financial rewards for that new competition mirror roughly what the Europea League does now.

**EatYerGreens** · 08/08/2019, 11:19 AM

Originally Posted by sbgawa

Fill the place with loi fans.
Lower gate receipts (the approx 1500) dfc season ticket holders who would go anyway but 30k gamble against progressing...
Won't happen obviously but it's not that controversial surely.

It's not controversial. It's just plain daft.

If only football was so simple that the margin between success and failure was having <8,000 randoms in a stadium for a single game.

**oriel** · 08/08/2019, 12:07 PM

This Dundalk side has declined a fair bit from the one of 2015 and 2016. The defence is mostly the same, up front its Hoban for McMillan, but the real weakening is the MF and 3 players in particular are badly missed and have not been replaced, O’Donnell – Finn – Horgan. We are losing the ball on too many occasions in MF at this level and attacks are taking far far too long to build, when they do they opposition have all re-organised. An exception was the great ball by Mountney for Duffy, then that chance by Boyle and right at the end with the header, both from set pieces.

We have scored one goal so far this season from 5 euro games, now we need 2 with a clean sheet to have any hope, 1-0 gets to ET but the longer it goes on the threat of an away goal is there, and you would think should Bratisalva score, that will be it. These guys are beatable though, I`m just not sure we have it in us to get 2 with no reply, comparisons were made to same position being 1-0 down away to BATE, then the famous 3-0 win in Tallaght, but that seems a long time ago. I`m certainly not giving up, its more a realistic look at where we are at this level, just a pity we couldn’t have held out, 85 mins was a sickener, but they did deserve to win it overall.

It’s def not over, but it will take one huge effort to get past them. I’m not sure this Dundalk side can do that, I hope I’m wrong.

Tallaght will not sell out, I`d like to think we can exceed 4k at the gate though.

**paul_oshea** · 08/08/2019, 3:58 PM

I remember watching the 2016 games in particular and shields was getting all the praise but I thought O'donnell was the main man then. People seemed to lose sight of him cos of Oneills praise for shields. This is exactly what I thought by the end of yesterdays game, he controlled Dundalks play much more effectively and held them together well and shape well without the ball.

Lots of different opinions on here. ONe thing you cannot say though is a team is due a good performance or due goals. THey've proved nothing to suggest they can, other than some preceded reputation based on a different team a season or two ago.

On the tactical side of things and the negativity, no idea how kenny compares to perth but the style of play is very different. I had a stream which was 20 seconds commentary behind the play so realising subs and other stuff was difficult but from 70 mins onwards Brazzerslava got more desperate and Dundalk more negative, I am convinced a side under kenny(player quality aside) would have got them on the counter or caught them with a quick work well worked goal. Instead the manager decides to wait till the 87th(88th?) minute to bring on a winger with pace. There was one perfect example when they had a 2v2 and i think it was mcgrath/mceleny played Hoban through and no pace to beat the defender , with a couple of pacy lads up front at this point in the game they'd have exploited this. Instead it looked like management were happy to go with a 0-1.

The other consensus on here seems to be that it was fairly even at half time and that when Dundalk "wanted/tried" to create chances they could, i think its a combination of things but they definitely played more positively and ventured further up the pitch after conceding even if the subs were more negative.

I think they will score at home but I know they will concede, which makes it task possible but highly unlikely.