Yeah, would help if I could spell Bologna.
Agreed. Overall though, a higher chance of LOI making the group stages of a European competition.
They most certainly will be bothered about the logo if the prizemoney isn't the same. If prizemoney for the new ECL group stages is comparable to EL group stages, I think it will be a very positive development for the LOI.
That's exactly it, isn't it?
I would be surprised if the prize money was the same as the EL to be honest (even before any covid downturn). It seems more likely that the EL prize money would increase (which it surely will anyway as they're going from 12 groups down to 8) and ECL prize money would be lower than the EL now (but probably still higher than, say, what Rovers got in 2011) It would seem to defeat the point of creating the third tier otherwise.
I like the idea overall - though to be honest, it looks like the LoI sides will still struggle to qualify (league champions aside) as at least 10 of the 32 group spots will be teams that didn't start in the ECL. There's four rounds to get through and even as it is, it's a very good achievement for an LoI club to win two rounds. This might well help us get through one more round on average, but that's still a good bit short.
I had in mind a competition with, say, no clubs below 10 in the UEFA rankings, and much more chance of smaller clubs reaching the groups. But that's probably a bit optimistic in hindsight.
Last edited by pineapple stu; 22/09/2020 at 1:13 PM.
Pardon me for asking a silly question, but what is it that has Dundalk so confident they will make the Europa League this year?
Have they bought a new goalkeeper/centre half/passing midfielder that I haven't heard about?
They have to win 2 more games to qualify, yeah?
They have got about as easy a draw as they could get in fairness. Always gets the hopes up.
They will need to get rid of the shyness in front of goal which has dogged them the last couple of years though, and which was still noticeable against Celje and Inter.
Is the game on the box?
I don't think most of us are that confident actually. I give us about a 30% chance against Sheriff (and I would consider myself to be an optimist!).
OK, the good draw for the playoff round might have gotten the hopes up a bit more but sure it's the hope that kills you in the end.
If we do manage to get past Sheriff then I will be making no apologies for ratcheting up my expectations. So one more game away from losing the run of ourselves and then being brought crashing down to earth by Brian Gartland managing to hit one into our own net via a Georgian players arse in the last minute of injury time to lose 1-0.
OK cool, so is it felt that sheriff are better than the team you'd meet after that. Handy if that's the case.
It would certainly turn dundalks season around anyway.
Sheriff are bankrolled by dodgy money I believe. Then again in European football who isn't these days eh!
There's an ever-present threat of some sort of Gartland captiulation haunting Dundalk's chances in Europe. Would be nice to see him score a crucuial goal from a corner instead. Is this the first time an LOI side is playing a Moldovan/Transistrian side since Zimbru 1999? Sorry Pat's fans that dread to remember.
Ah, the good old "We won't lose 5-0 again"
Yeah, first time since then (although UCD were a penalty shoot-out from playing in Chisinau in the Youth League in 2017)
Sheriff have made the group stages four times in the last decade, though only once in the last five years. They were knocked out of the CL by Qarabag twice in the last three years though, so they shouldn't be that far ahead of Dundalk (they lost 2-1 this year and 3-1 in 2018/19, while Dundalk lost 4-1 in between)
Their home record is quite good though; you'd have to hope it being behind closed doors will help Dundalk a bit.
I do remember reading about this new competition a long time ago but it went out of my brain rapidly! I do remember the old three european competitions .Think UEFA were hasty in madness in getting rid of Cup Winners Cup so welcome move for me!
Gary Cronin is he the right man to manage Longford Town?
Had a few quid on dundalk to qualify.
Sherrif are not world beaters, favourite for sure but not 3/10
I’m not as confident. Obviously they’re not world beaters but I think they are a level above us. They have just signed a player who played against us in the Europa League group stages for Alkmaar, so that gives an idea of their level. I think we can do it but as ever we need be more clinical in front of goal and we need to avoid silly mistakes at the back. The usual requirements for an Irish team in Europe I suppose.
It may just be a tendency to be over-optimistic on my part, but I see our chances as being closer to 40%.
Filippo Giovagnoli appears to have steadied the ship over the last 4 weeks - even if the performances have been only marginally better than adequate, the 3 successive wins and new regime appears to have had a positive impact on the squad.
Although Andy Boyle's suspension is unfortunate, Patrick McEleney's availability - probably from the bench - adds another creative string to the bow. From the players perspective, they know a win lifts them back to he rarefied air of Europa League Group Stages possibilities, while a defeat could leave the season in a negative tail spin.
Obviously a lot also depends on the quality and attitude of the Shefiff side - it looks like a stream could be confirmed later today.
Brian Gartland to get his 51s goal for Dundalk with a 90th minute bullet header
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