Quotehttps://m.youtube.com/watch?v=jl54buHAdncOriginally Posted by pateen
On Youtube with Croatia TV.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=jl54buHAdnc
I had missed that 2nd penalty that nobody shouted for. VAR moment???
Some funny comments on the youtube vid, I liked this one and hope thats what the general expectation is - 'While (our) football players shave their legs, car mechanics from Ireland show their balls and win'
This one is just an interesting one-
'Every year the same.. Sell everything that is worth a little and then patch it up with some freebies.. So sell the club when you can't finance the club for a single year without selling everything.. Every 6 months a new team.. They can't wait for the winter and summer transfer window to sell. A trading company, not a club'.
Just cause it mentions Dundalk....
'If we exclude Dinamo as the biggest club in Croatia in terms of results in Europe, Irish clubs have much more success than the rest of us in the last 10 seasons combined. From Dundalk, Shamrock Rovers, Cork City... with double and triple the budget'.
Last edited by Nesta99; 07/08/2025 at 11:52 AM.
Outside of the champions having a couple bites at it, and being able to have a few games/weeks to get up to speed with the level, I think the ECL has been huge in giving every club games at a level they can compete in and improve over time. Pat's are the obvious non champion benefactor over the last few years, and have become very consistent at winning the ties they should. Bohs looked like they could go that way too a few years ago but the team was taken apart, they might be on the cusp of getting back there. Off and on the field they're at the strongest point they have been in decades, navigating the stadium redevelopment will be crucial. Derry can be anything they want to be. We have a lot of clubs with huge untapped potential, (Hello Cork) even if the Dublin clubs will always have natural advantages that are extremely difficult for everyone else to compete with.
I think we largely have a generation of players now who go in to these games with little fear and want to emulate what they've seen Rovers and Dundalk do. Being at a level where all 4 teams are getting seeded in Rnd 1's and consistently winning 90% of those ties would be my hope for the future, with a lot of clubs being well able to recrate what Pat's have shown, most Irish clubs being regularly seeded and/or winning in ECL rnd 2 is possible too. There will be plenty of teams from every small league establishing themselves as regulars in the 2nd/3rd rnd and there's no reason that we can't be part of that. We'll always need huge luck to get anyone outside of the champion in to the groups, but I am cautiously optimistic it's far from impossible any more.
I love the champions route and the ECL, I think it's great teams from the Faroes and everywhere else have a chance to get a club in to a group stage, it could have really positive knock on effects for minnow national teams in the medium term.
The obvious glaring issue is with the money being so huge, and with Rovers already having a very strong structure off the field, we are in serious danger of them completely running away with the thing and creating a gap between themselves and everyone else that could take a decade to bridge, for that alone I think the league really need Shels to make the groups this time out. If Rovers are regularly making groups, I do still think they will have the odd season where they wobble, the fixture congestion will always be an issue for clubs at our level, it will be very interesting to see if Shels can maintain any momentum this season if they make it. Someone else will need to be ready to take their chance when it comes, but we have a pretty solid group of clubs outside of Rovers who can put a strong challenge together over the next few years.
Even for Shels, they're raw a European level, but including last season they've played 9 European games in about 12 months, a decade ago they would have been unseeded last year, gone out in rnd one, probably had the same happen to them again this year and that would be that. They're building a lot of experience and momentum that wasn't really possible previously, and it is lovely to see they surprised us all yesterday with such an accomplished performance. Even if they don't see out the 2nd leg, I would be very confident they will play with far more confidence and conviction in the Playoff.
Last edited by Acornvilla; 07/08/2025 at 11:56 AM.
Until Rovers academy becomes an absolute conveyor belt of talent I dont think LoI will become a 1 team league. Whether Rovers fans like it of not, recent dominance has been partly to to with how rubbish other clubs have been and not put in a challange when they should, not looking at anyone specific like Derry....or Dundalk's self inflicted wounds. (im not taking away from 4 in a row, you beat whats in front of you but it was done at a canter and not consistantly blowing teams away as they should).
Maybe its wishful thinking not having one side dominate ala Scotland, unless its Dundalk of course, but I just think money only goes so far tbh, great to have, but attracting better players in is still an ask. I do ultimately believe in the rising tide adage, and its less an arms race or as financially attritonal today compared to the past. There are a number of clubs that could put together title challange sides financially at least (Dundalk are nowhere in that bracket and wont be without significant outside investment again as divisive as it might be - without all the inside detail pushing P6 was plan a with no viable plan b). From Galway, Derry, St Pats, Bohs, maybe Shels now that they'll plug some financial holes with Europe, Drogs even, theres enough there to keep it a real challange to win the league. That may be be Rovers regularly but they will have to be on song all the time.
Last edited by Nesta99; 07/08/2025 at 12:15 PM.
It never happens that teams dominate for ever , it just feels like it.
When we won 4 in a row in the early/ mid 80's people couldnt see us losing again and if you has said we would win 1 title and be relegated in the next 25 years people would have sent you to the loony bin.
Man United in 2012 had won 13 totles in 20 years and are now winless in 13 and not looking likely.
Lyon won around 10 French leagues in a row an are nowhere now..............to cross codes its not that long since people were saying we should split the Dublin GAA footballers into two teams North and South or no one would ever win the All IReland again, not mention a friend of mine in Kilkenny who told me back in the day he was missing an All Ireland Final as he was sick but "sure ill be better for next years final"
All that being said ill enjoy it while it lasts but losing the league last year will probably cost us group stages this year so there is no money piling up yet
Last edited by sbgawa; 07/08/2025 at 1:43 PM.
RTE won’t be showing the second leg of Shels Europa league tie,I presume Premier Sports will pick it up….
Irish by birth ,Harps by the grace of god.
Looking at the highlights again, I'm so glad for all those Shels fans that the goals all happened right in front of them. Hoping for them it's not the case but that could easily be the highlight of their season. It looked like they were all having an absolute buzz, money well spent.
I wonder who will the Shels players and fans be thinking they'd rather play in the next round. Belfast is such a handy spin so I'm guessing thats the real answer but the Faroes could be a great adventure too and it'd probably be a slightly weaker side than Linfeld.
Interesting game in Moldova at the moment - Virtus of San Marino away to Milsami Orhei. They're the first ever Sammarinese team to reach the third round of Europe I think - because they got the bye in round 2
It's 2-2 with ten to go and Orhei are down to nine men, so a good chance of a winner there. Probably they wouldn't hold on in the return - but San Marino in the playoffs just maybe? They'd play the losers of Mostar and Breidablik
Edit - 9-man Other win it in the 90th minute...
Last edited by pineapple stu; 07/08/2025 at 5:51 PM.
I'm going to go out on a limb here and say they'll want to play either PAOK or Wolfsberger!
Speaking of the ECL PO round. It is 1-1 already in Torshavn after 17 minutes.
Oh dear a bad start for Pats …
Irish by birth ,Harps by the grace of god.
This is going to be a painful night for Pats …
Irish by birth ,Harps by the grace of god.
Oh dear, indeed. Very disappointing from Pats that the tie is over after less than 15 mins. I know Besiktas are a different level but you’d have hoped they can keep it tight for at least the 1st 20 mins. Anang had a bit of a howler there. I just hope this doesn’t turn into a pasting and undo some of the credit LOI teams have built up in recent times.
Was always going to be that I felt.
Yep. Tammy Abraham being marked by Jay McClelland. Was always going to be tough
Rovers second best in Kosovo early doors so far it seems going off the stats. 4-0 in shots and 70-30 possession. Long way to go obviously
Uh oh.
Double figures incoming over the tie?
I’m only following the Rovers game on UEFA but it seems to be mainly Ballkani so far?
Shels against Bohs still going ahead?
Remember last year when Pats were able to postpone the Dundalk game last minute.
Whats the difference this year?
.....
Pats look awful here. Seems to have given up.
Posting Permissions
Bookmarks