LOI In Europe 2021

**DCWA** · 04/08/2021, 9:35 AM

Perhaps there is a bit of lurching from one extreme to another here, you are all probably right.

Was it an excellent performance and result? Yes

Should Bohs fans be waking up elated this morning? Yes

Are PAOK still highly likely to progress? Yes.

I think trying to compare it to previous European results is a waste of time, and certainly comparing the standard of the opponents on a then and now or then and then basis is silly.

Rosenborg with several CL group stage campaigns probably have more European pedigree than PAOK? Again, yes. The likes of Gothenburg who Derry beat home and away certainly did for example but would be way off PAOK�s standard now, but this really is all irrelevant and is basically trying to make a comparison for the sake of making a comparison.

Bohs fans can understandbly be giddy about this, the rest of us can understandbly take a step back and more logically say super performance and result but still up against it big time. On the latter most of us hope we are wrong.

**Calcio Jack** · 04/08/2021, 10:18 AM

Personally I can never understand fans of one LOI wishing another well in Europe - why would one wish their rivals well especially in the context of the money that can be earned ? you wouldn�t expect Celtic fans to be cheering for Rangers or Everton for Liverpool .

**CSAD** · 04/08/2021, 10:22 AM

Originally Posted by Calcio Jack

Personally I can never understand fans of one LOI wishing another well in Europe - why would one wish their rivals well especially in the context of the money that can be earned ? you wouldn�t expect Celtic fans to be cheering for Rangers or Everton for Liverpool .

Because they are bitter ****s! We�re better than that, it�s the same in the rugby, the provinces route for each other in Europe.

**placid casual** · 04/08/2021, 10:23 AM

Impressive win by boez last night and good for the coefficient I presume.

Reports from the London PAOK lads was they enjoyed their day on the pi$$ in Dublin, thought the atmosphere generated by boez fans in almost empty stadium was decent, their own team looked still in pre season, and ref was atrocious, apparently.
The lads thought the "little guys" in midfield for boez were impressive , thought both teams looked shaky at the back and wondered why they bothered with the "lumbering guy upfront" - I told them he's the LOI top scorer... 😁.

One of them is going to the return game next week in Greece and seemed quietly confident of PAOK progressing.

**sbgawa** · 04/08/2021, 10:27 AM

Originally Posted by ger121

Well beating PAOK is not for everyone

Dont know what you expected me to say beyond great result ??
But as people said about us beating Slovan if you dont back it up it means nothing.
Dundalk beating Bate over two legs or us doing Partizan is what matters...you have a chance next week to make a little bit of History for yourselves beyond moral victories.

**sbgawa** · 04/08/2021, 10:28 AM

Originally Posted by Dalymountrower

Not too many well dones from certain quarters , but a lot of genuine positive remarks from most LOI fans

To actually watch live quality football in Lansdowne after many years of international dross is reward In itself. To have your local team you have supported from childhood play with that intensity and skill on the big stage is a bit special.
I did spot PC's PAOK mates bearing gifts for him , I will say yassu to them when I am in Salonoki next week.

Now THAT is a good point

**sbgawa** · 04/08/2021, 11:14 AM

Originally Posted by CSAD

Because they are bitter ****s! We’re better than that, it’s the same in the rugby, the provinces route for each other in Europe.

Yet to meet a Munster man that cheers for Leinster, maybe i just know a load of bitter ones

**joey B** · 04/08/2021, 11:24 AM

Originally Posted by Calcio Jack

Personally I can never understand fans of one LOI wishing another well in Europe - why would one wish their rivals well especially in the context of the money that can be earned ? you wouldn�t expect Celtic fans to be cheering for Rangers or Everton for Liverpool .

You can recognise a good performance without necessarily wishing teams well if you know what I mean,that�s where I�d fall on watching Irish teams in Europe!

**Philosophizer** · 04/08/2021, 11:29 AM

I don't agree with the sentiment that Bohs win against PAOK means nothing unless they go through.

PAOK are still strong favourites and rightly so, but last night is the most impressive win a LOI team has had in Europe since 2016. Fair play to them. It proves once again that LOI teams are capable of winning matches at that level, even if it only happens now and again. And it's another few points for the coefficient, which is always nice.
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**Philosophizer** · 04/08/2021, 11:31 AM

Just checked BBC weather and it expects 34 degrees at k.o. time in Thessaloniki next week, with a real feel of 36. Scorchio!!

**Calcio Jack** · 04/08/2021, 12:06 PM

Originally Posted by joey B

You can recognise a good performance without necessarily wishing teams well if you know what I mean,that�s where I�d fall on watching Irish teams in Europe!

Agree 100%

**Calcio Jack** · 04/08/2021, 12:08 PM

Originally Posted by sbgawa

Yet to meet a Munster man that cheers for Leinster, maybe i just know a load of bitter ones

Same with us Leinster fans even though the best players at Munster and Ulster are from Leinster

**yurt** · 04/08/2021, 12:25 PM

Not sure if anyone had pointed this out, but as things stand Bohs are ranked 1st in Europe so far this year with 4 wins and a draw (they obviously have the advantage of having played an extra game than most). The league is ranked joined 5th. This would be top if we were to exclude the top 4 league that have 4 teams automatically in the group stages.

7	Ireland		8	2	3	9.0	2.250
1	Bohemians Dublin	ECL	4	1	0	4.5	not out
34	Dundalk	ECL	3	1	0	3.5	not out
113	Shamrock Rovers	ECL	1	0	1	1.0	not out
212	Sligo Rovers	ECL	0	0	2	0.0

Yes the draws have been decent but whats more obvious now than ever is that there is no easy games in Europe. There's been dozens of teams that would have said they got a good draw and came out the worst. Bohs and Dundalk have gone and won 7 games between them so far and these are teams which aren't even in contention domestically. No matter what way you look at it, it's some achievement.

Did I read a stat before that Bohs were the first team to win 3 European game in a row in a couple of decades? Have any Irish team ever won 4 games in a row?

**Dalymountrower** · 04/08/2021, 12:47 PM

Bohs have won 4 European games in a row, Stjarnan Dudelange x2 and PAOK

**Kingdom** · 04/08/2021, 12:51 PM

Originally Posted by yurt

Not sure if anyone had pointed this out, but as things stand Bohs are ranked 1st in Europe so far this year with 4 wins and a draw (they obviously have the advantage of having played an extra game than most). The league is ranked joined 5th. This would be top if we were to exclude the top 4 league that have 4 teams automatically in the group stages.

7	Ireland		8	2	3	9.0	2.250
1	Bohemians Dublin	ECL	4	1	0	4.5	not out
34	Dundalk	ECL	3	1	0	3.5	not out
113	Shamrock Rovers	ECL	1	0	1	1.0	not out
212	Sligo Rovers	ECL	0	0	2	0.0

Yes the draws have been decent but whats more obvious now than ever is that there is no easy games in Europe. There's been dozens of teams that would have said they got a good draw and came out the worst. Bohs and Dundalk have gone and won 7 games between them so far and these are teams which aren't even in contention domestically. No matter what way you look at it, it's some achievement.

Did I read a stat before that Bohs were the first team to win 3 European game in a row in a couple of decades? Have any Irish team ever won 4 games in a row?

Mark McCadden reporting last night, that Bohs are the first Irish team to win 4 European games in a row. ever.

And anyone who saw the Stjarmen game in Iceland will know that Bohs should have won that too. They are a team that is suited to playing against footballing teams, and Lansdowne suits them hugely. This was clear last year against Videoton/Ferharvar, where they would have been full value to advance. these performances aren't a surprise. The match-ups they have around the pitch work really well Lyons & Coote, Buckley/Devoy, Wilson/Breslin & Burt, even Tierney & Kelly to a degree.

I'm a big fan of Cornwall, and was happy to see him back in instead of Feely, but he looked out of his depth to a degree last night, no shame considering who he was up against, but the Cornwall/Kelly partnership is decent too.

**DCWA** · 04/08/2021, 2:03 PM

Originally Posted by Calcio Jack

Personally I can never understand fans of one LOI wishing another well in Europe - why would one wish their rivals well especially in the context of the money that can be earned ? you wouldn�t expect Celtic fans to be cheering for Rangers or Everton for Liverpool .

Yeah I have absolutely no qualms with fans not supporting other LOI teams I generally like to see them do well but can understand the flip side as well. I think with Rovers - Bohs in particular there can be no expectation that one would support the other in any way.

I see the following post to yours mention provincial rugby. It is a sad day if Irish football fans were trying to become like that.

**Philosophizer** · 04/08/2021, 2:17 PM

Originally Posted by sbgawa

Yet to meet a Munster man that cheers for Leinster, maybe i just know a load of bitter ones

I know quite a few Leinster people who cheer for Munster and Connacht in their European ties.

**Kingdom** · 04/08/2021, 2:26 PM

Originally Posted by Philosophizer

I don't agree with the sentiment that Bohs win against PAOK means nothing unless they go through.

100%.
How often has an Irish team been drawn at home in the first leg against a vastly superior side (or against a seeded side), and gone out and won the first leg?
In the modern era say...so I've spent the past couple of hours checking this out:

In the CL:
- Cork in 06 (vs Apollon - but hard to say how ahead of Cork Apollon were at that stage)
In the Uefa Cup:
- none.
In the Europa Lge:
- Pats in 2009 vs Krylia Sovetov
- UCD in 2015 vs Dudelangers
- Rovers in 2019 vs Apollon

So Bohs victory last night is only the 5th time since 1996 that a LOI side has won the first leg at home against a seeded team.
That's a pretty big deal, regardless of whether they qualify or not.

Oh, and aside from all that, Sligo are f-ing sh�te in Europe for the LOI .

**Dalymountrower** · 04/08/2021, 2:31 PM

Some great pictures going around of olympic bronze medalist Aoife Lambe cheering on her local team in Lansdowne last night in full Bohs gear.
So I think we can claim that as a second Bohs olympic medal following the success of Oliver St John Gogarty in ..em.. poetry .. ( naturally)

**pateen** · 04/08/2021, 3:09 PM

Originally Posted by Calcio Jack

Personally I can never understand fans of one LOI wishing another well in Europe - why would one wish their rivals well especially in the context of the money that can be earned ? you wouldn’t expect Celtic fans to be cheering for Rangers or Everton for Liverpool .

Because we're the forgotten league and forgotten clubs in our country. Europe is one way to restore pride and respect in that.
Also as another poster said above, we're better than that.

Part of me is very happy for Bohs, another part of me is going, Jesus imagine if this was a regular thing but it can only be a good thing for the league as whole.