LOI in Europe 2022

**EatYerGreens** · 27/07/2022, 12:27 AM

Originally Posted by sbgawa

****ing eejits throwing ****

Well Rovers do have a reputation

If the referee puts that in his report you could be in for a fine.

**Nesta99** · 27/07/2022, 2:25 AM

They werent long forgetting a bcd (suspended)threat

**legendz** · 27/07/2022, 6:10 AM

Brave effort. The third goal in the first leg gave too much of a mountain to climb.

**DCWA** · 27/07/2022, 6:50 AM

Very impressive standalone performance and result from Rovers last night - unlucky.

I said this about Tallinn last year and seemed to be in the minority opinion although their subsequent performances seemed to back it up and I hold the same opinion about Shkupi this year - they are a better team than will generally be recognised and I still think it is a tough ask for Rovers.

**paul_oshea** · 27/07/2022, 7:12 AM

Originally Posted by ontheotherhand

Disappointing overall but a good performance. Not buying the above comments about approaching the first leg differently. The context isn't the same. The scoreline being so comfortable for them is what allowed us to play the way we did and if we'd pressed them like that away from home they would've cut us apart. Having Burke on from the start was key as well. He's streets ahead of Watts. Away from home everything broke down when it hit Watts, tonight Burke was able to hurt them.

Gives me some hope against Skhupi any way. Hopefully we have one of Pico or Jack back.....doubtful though.

Disagree totoh, ludogris lads showed they were bad tempered, Ill disciplined and both niggly and late challenges. Sure they looked good 1v1 or in the case last night 3 v 3 but the blind man and his dog on the street know LOI sides can't defend 1v1 and they aren't good enough to sit back and soak up pressure so you counter than by pressing high in your own half closing off the space and limiting the slide balls in behind your full/wing backs. And that's exactly what rovers did last night bar when they had to go gung ho and play with 3 or 4 strikers on. If towell had scored instead of falling over and been caught for pace im sure last night would have been a different result. Don't get me wrong ludogorets are a good side but like slovam they were more than beatable over the two legs. It's another case of slovan - and yes pretty much everything has to go right on the night and over two legs.

**Nah Nah Nah Nah** · 27/07/2022, 12:14 PM

Very good performance in general. As said already lack of pace killing then in Europe I think. Shocking dive from Towell. Was clean through and all. Bradley then comes out complaining it’s a red card.

**paul_oshea** · 27/07/2022, 12:58 PM

One thing I noticed in the crowd last night which was great was there were some rovers fans( I assume as in beside other rovers fans) wearing headscarves and appeared to be enjoying themselves. Great to see that sort of inclusivity and young fans from diverse backgrounds latching onto a loi side

**pateen** · 27/07/2022, 1:10 PM

Originally Posted by paul_oshea

One thing I noticed in the crowd last night which was great was there were some rovers fans( I assume as in beside other rovers fans) wearing headscarves and appeared to be enjoying themselves. Great to see that sort of inclusivity and young fans from diverse backgrounds latching onto a loi side

yeah noticed that too. Was great to see with the camera panning about before the game.

Blatant dive by Towell and outside the box too but did play well overall. Bradley should have more sense.
Really like Graham Gartland as a pundit, more of that please.

Burke was immense

**joey B** · 27/07/2022, 1:52 PM

Were Pats able to get a chartered plane to Slovenia? Just seemed to be trouble for others to get one…

**pineapple stu** · 27/07/2022, 4:22 PM

Linfield's first leg lead wiped out in 20 minutes in Bodø - 2-0 and a man down

Ildefons Lima sent off for Inter Escaldes against Cluj - he's 43 in December and scored Andorra's goal in Lansdowne in 2001

**pineapple stu** · 27/07/2022, 4:34 PM

Linfield 4-0 down now; half an hour gone

Long afternoon ahead possibly...

**ontheotherhand** · 27/07/2022, 4:46 PM

Originally Posted by paul_oshea

Disagree totoh, ludogris lads showed they were bad tempered, Ill disciplined and both niggly and late challenges. Sure they looked good 1v1 or in the case last night 3 v 3 but the blind man and his dog on the street know LOI sides can't defend 1v1 and they aren't good enough to sit back and soak up pressure so you counter than by pressing high in your own half closing off the space and limiting the slide balls in behind your full/wing backs. And that's exactly what rovers did last night bar when they had to go gung ho and play with 3 or 4 strikers on. If towell had scored instead of falling over and been caught for pace im sure last night would have been a different result. Don't get me wrong ludogorets are a good side but like slovam they were more than beatable over the two legs. It's another case of slovan - and yes pretty much everything has to go right on the night and over two legs.

They would have beaten our press over there though Paul. I think they would have beaten it last night too if they weren't sitting on a cushion. That cushion gave us an opportunity to play the way we did but ultimately they knew they could hit us when we were chasing and so it came to be. We also didn't really sit back and soak up pressure by choice over there. Not sure if you saw the full game but we played basically the same formation. The two major differences were that they wanted goals so they pressed us high up in our half and didn't allow us any time on the ball and we didn't have Graham Burke to give it to in their half so we were turned easily when moves broke down. Second half they had their cushion and we had Burke. Different game. Easy to say now what we could or should have done but they had counters for what we put out either way. Second half over there we played more like you want to see and they still scored.

I do agree with you on Towell (two chances missed badly) and Slovan though. We should probably have beaten Slovan or gotten to extra time. Ludogorets are a different animal. Not trying to belittle our performance and we did have them rattled but I don't think we missed an opportunity based on tactics. We were beaten over two legs by a better team.

**yurt** · 27/07/2022, 5:05 PM

I'm a little conflicted on where I stand on supporting the northern teams in Europe. I feel like I want them to do well as some form of increased cross border competition seems like it's inevitable and stronger clubs on both sides is obviously a good thing.

But since the north had briefly over taken us in the co-efficient table and Linfield looked to have a decent chance of going further in the UCL than Rovers it made me realise that I want them to do well but definitely don't want them to do better than the LOI teams.

Also I'd like to think I can separate politics from football but with the scenes from the 12th still fairly fresh in the mind I'm not too upset at all seeing Linfield get stuffed. (tbf Linfield deserve credit for taking a stance on this)

Would be happy enough to see both sides make it to the UCL.

**joey B** · 27/07/2022, 5:15 PM

Linfield 6 nil down with a half hour left!!

**ger121** · 27/07/2022, 5:42 PM

7-0 now. Ouch!

8-0 now.

**ger121** · 27/07/2022, 5:47 PM

Lithuania 45 minutes away from having a team in the groups stages for the 1st time. Malmo not the team they were last season.

**ontheotherhand** · 27/07/2022, 6:23 PM

Originally Posted by DCWA

Very impressive standalone performance and result from Rovers last night - unlucky.

I said this about Tallinn last year and seemed to be in the minority opinion although their subsequent performances seemed to back it up and I hold the same opinion about Shkupi this year - they are a better team than will generally be recognised and I still think it is a tough ask for Rovers.

We found some common ground!

**Philosophizer** · 27/07/2022, 7:05 PM

8-0 is quite a battering!

**sbgawa** · 27/07/2022, 9:50 PM

Originally Posted by Philosophizer

8-0 is quite a battering!

No character too lose 8 nil.

**SPXcyan** · 27/07/2022, 9:53 PM

Indeed the local champions here in Lithuania have pulled off a shock result against Malmö, and none of the natives appear to have any idea.

Not bad for a club that averages roughly 400 through the gate.