SPL better than eircom League � Hoolahan

**daveh** · 05/01/2006, 9:37 AM

Originally Posted by tommy

Sorry again am i missing something?Shels better than livingston.....i dont think so.I honestly cant believe this....The eircom league is an illusion.Why are people fooling themselves into believing that it is better than it is?Lets be realistic.

Personally I think shels ARE better than livingston,as are city,derry and drogheda,these four IMO are better than the bottom 6 in Scotland and apart from rangers and Celtic in the top half,they could probably live with the rest

**Mark Breen** · 05/01/2006, 9:47 AM

I agree, Shel's, Derry and cork are stronger teams than the bottom half of the scottish premier (I don't think the drog's are)

The main thing is overall the scottish premier is a stronger league than our's.

Better facitlities, better football association, better coverage (even from our sports channel setanta) and better teams ie: the top 4, yes the 3 teams i mentioned could compete in that league but other than that the rest would be down there with livingston or in the 1st...

Weso went to a better league, but join a worse team than he was with,
It looks like weso made a mistake going there, Only time will tell...

**Hibs4Ever** · 05/01/2006, 9:48 AM

How many people have seen Livi play???

And how many times??

Just wondering as a lot of people seem to know so much about their standard

**Mark Breen** · 05/01/2006, 10:16 AM

Personally HIBS4EVER other than watching them most weeks on setanta i don't know that much, i'm also well aware that you can't really tell what a team are like from watching highlights but do you honestly think livingston (as a team) is a step up from Shelbourne (you been a pats fan you would have seen us over the last 5 years wes was with us)

And do you think he will improve as a player playing in the scottish FIRST division next season cause thats were livingston are going.

by the way as i said in another thread the scottish premier is a step up, Livingston isn't...

**Hibs4Ever** · 05/01/2006, 10:26 AM

Originally Posted by Mark Breen

Personally HIBS4EVER other than watching them most weeks on setanta i don't know that much, i'm also well aware that you can't really tell what a team are like from watching highlights but do you honestly think livingston (as a team) is a step up from Shelbourne (you been a pats fan you would have seen us over the last 5 years wes was with us)

And do you think he will improve as a player playing in the scottish FIRST division next season cause thats were livingston are going.

by the way as i said in another thread the scottish premier is a step up, Livingston isn't...

I think there wouldn't be much of a difference between Livi and Shels. But I do understand what you're saying about Livi being in Div 1 next season (I hope so anyway) but Dunfirmline are down there too, so don't be so sure Livi will get relegated.

Also maybe he's hoping that being in the SPL will give him more oportunities to moving to a bigger club the being in Eircom league would

**Mark Breen** · 05/01/2006, 10:34 AM

Quiet possibly, and i hope he does,maybe he will catch the eye of another manager in scotland or england, maybe even the Hib's management !!!

**pete** · 05/01/2006, 10:47 AM

Originally Posted by Mark Breen

Weso went to a better league, but join a worse team than he was with...

Thats it in a nutshell.

Usually teams look better in highlights which doesn't say much for quality on lower half of the SPL. I don't know much about Livingston but would be surprised if coaching be any better than Shels. However Hoolahan will get better exposure in the SPL than InterTwoBob Cup.

**Poor Student** · 05/01/2006, 11:06 AM

Originally Posted by pete

Thats it in a nutshell.

Usually teams look better in highlights which doesn't say much for quality on lower half of the SPL. I don't know much about Livingston but would be surprised if coaching be any better than Shels. However Hoolahan will get better exposure in the SPL than InterTwoBob Cup.

There's every reason to assume his coaching is better. He is working under Lambert who has worked under Hitzfeld, Jansen, Venglos and Martin O'Neill. He also did his coaching badges in Germany. Facilities are also better at Livingston. Personally I think Livingston will stay up. They had a diabolical start to the season and have recovered to a degree. They were totally adrift a few months ago and they've even lifted themselves off the bottom recently.

**Raheny Red** · 05/01/2006, 12:21 PM

Originally posted by Poor Student
they've even lifted themselves off the bottom recently.

Well, they are actually bottom now!!

**ThatGuy** · 05/01/2006, 12:23 PM

Colin Hawkins couldn't even get his game in the Vauxhall Conference. You shouldn't be so dismissive of other leagues.

**Hibs4Ever** · 05/01/2006, 12:41 PM

Originally Posted by ThatGuy

Colin Hawkins couldn't even get his game in the Vauxhall Conference. You shouldn't be so dismissive of other leagues.

Agreed, there are a lot of players here that didn't make it at lower levels in England. Joe Gamble didn't make it at Barnet when they were in the conference (i was a regular visiter to Underhill when I lived i London at the time) also, didn't Hunt from Bohs come from the reserves of a league 2 club in England to be one of the top players in this country?

**gustavo** · 05/01/2006, 12:46 PM

conversely though why are people fooling themselves thinking that the eL isnt any good ?

**Hibs4Ever** · 05/01/2006, 12:52 PM

Originally Posted by gustavo

conversely though why are people fooling themselves thinking that the eL isnt any good ?

Don't think anyone is saying it isn't any good. Just that its not a better standard than the SPL

**Kingdom** · 05/01/2006, 1:12 PM

I've monitored a lot of these discussions without really getting involved. Nobody on this particular thread has said that the eL isn't any good. Just that it isn't as good as the SPL.

**Mark Breen** · 05/01/2006, 1:19 PM

I think this is where this thread should be closed,

SPL as a whole IS better than an improving EL,

What the El has to do is keep improving, Cork & Derry need to keep up the good work of Shels & Cork and Shelbourne have to work twice as hard as last year, in Europe that is,

As for the rest of the EL, we need to get our finances right before attempting full time and with any luck in another 5-6 years we'll have more full time teams than the 4 (i think) we have now (Shels,cork,derry & drog's)

**ThatGuy** · 05/01/2006, 1:23 PM

Originally Posted by Mark Breen

I think this is where this thread should be closed,

SPL as a whole IS better than an improving EL,

What the El has to do is keep improving, Cork & Derry need to keep up the good work of Shels & Cork and Shelbourne have to work twice as hard as last year, in Europe that is,

As for the rest of the EL, we need to get our finances right before attempting full time and with any luck in another 5-6 years we'll have more full time teams than the 4 (i think) we have now (Shels,cork,derry & drog's)

FYI there is a club that play a few minutes away from Tolka Park which is called Bohemian FC, which has been full time for 6 years, and has had as much of a positive impact on Irish results in Europe as any club, including eliminating a side from the league being compared with the EL.

**pete** · 05/01/2006, 1:30 PM

Originally Posted by Hibs4Ever

Agreed, there are a lot of players here that didn't make it at lower levels in England. Joe Gamble didn't make it at Barnet when they were in the conference (i was a regular visiter to Underhill when I lived i London at the time)

I understood he was ever-present in their first team & only left as they couldn't afford him when didn''t get promoted. I don't understand how could say he "didn't make it".

**Mark Breen** · 05/01/2006, 1:57 PM

My apologize That Guy

I knew they went full time but i thought/was under the impression that now they only have a few f/t players left as it didn't work out for them,

If i'm wrong i'm sorry if i hurt your feelings or any of the other bohemians fans on here,

my point wasn't really about who's full time and who's not it was more about the spl -v- el conversation just going around and around and etc....
That part at the end was just me rambling on like i am now.

ps i would like to see Bohs do well again and compete it would make for an even more interesting league(o ye and my Dad was a bohs fan, poor man)

**Roo69** · 05/01/2006, 2:17 PM

Originally Posted by Conor H

With the exception of the Old firm the standard of the SPL id on a par with The Eircom League IMO.

We played Hearts in a pre-season friendly for them, We were mid season and they ran us ragged, beat us 5-1 and it could have been a lot more. I personally think that after a few seasons to adapt the top eL sides could do pretty well in the SPL, the likes to Shels, Derry, Cork and Drogs and to a lesser extent maybe Bohs and Longford

**Poor Student** · 05/01/2006, 5:22 PM

Originally Posted by Raheny Red

Well, they are actually bottom now!!

I'm well aware of that. What I was saying is that at one point they were miles adrift, had lifted themselves off the bottom and yes have fallen back again but I think Dunfermline will be the ones relegated come May.