1.500 earned so far this season in Europe. Some winnable games ahead I think. You would hope we could get up over 2.000, which would go some way to replacing the big year (2016) we are losing for next year.
Dundalk on another night could have lost 4-1 OR won 3-2. Crazy opening 30 mins where they were so ridiculously open and vulnerable.Zahibo was the main culprit for both goals conceded I feel. My old man has a 1970s Massey Ferguson that's faster than him, and I hope that was one of his last games for the club.
Great credit to them though for not capitulating, and for the most part, finishing as the stronger team. What a player Patching is. How come it didn't work initially? His time at Derry really seems to have driven him on. McMillan though, ice cool finisher as always. He is so reliable.
Abibi to be fair to him could do little to prevent either goal, and some of his passes were actually very good, playing out of defence. How unlucky was McEleney with the mazy run he went on late in the match. I fancy them to beat Levadia next week, as long as Sloggett starts, and Zahibo is kept well away from proceedings. The commentator mentioned how Shields may have been holding him back, casting a big shadow. Thoughts on that Dundalk fans? You could tell too though that they really missed the trickery of Duffy, whom I hope will be right for the return game.
Regarding the various penalty shouts; the first one where (McMillans?) ankle seemed to be tapped in the box was a stonewall penalty IMO. The other shouts were less convincing, including the incident where the Dundalk player appeared to be barged in the back during a corner; you see that fairly often, where it'd be in the favor of the defender over the attacker.
Thank Jebus for no more away goals though. Its turning every game into an FA Cup style scenario.
Solid win for Bohs too. Luxembourg teams are no longer considered an easy game, and delighted that they will get such an attendance for the return leg at the Aviva.
Last edited by CorribsideSteve; 23/07/2021 at 6:18 AM.
Should be noted there's a bit of rating inflation now with the new formats - particularly with the CL losers transferring from the first round, and now potentially being able to lose twice and still get another draw. The bottom 20 or so nations used to average a steady 1.0 per year, but the last couple of years that's gone up to 1.3 and then 1.5 last year. This year it's already 1.1. The bottom 20 nations, on average, have a coefficient 1.15 higher than they did five years ago.
2.000 ain't what it used to be!
We loss 2016 results last year - only the last 5 years result that count. At the moment if it stop now we move up to 43th placed in the table but some countries above us are losing big scores this year. We do need to positive results next week to push the league up further the table.
Well, we had the 2016 results for this season's seedings. We lose it for next year's.
Although the national ranking doesn't do much in practical terms - we've a long way to go to start at a later round, and club rankings determine seeding.
Some countries around us are losing big scores this (ie next) year, but others are losing low scores. The Bert Kassies site lets you jump a year ahead - we go from 43rd to 42nd by dropping off 2017/18 scores
Yeah, we pass Albania, North Macedonia and Moldova, so it looks good, but the Faroes and Georgia lose very low scores.
Long way to go yet this season though, for everyone. (And of course those rankings would be missing next year's figures too) We've passed out Liechtenstein for example, but they're weird as they only have their Cup winners in Europe, so one win for Vaduz next week and could they go up 8 places.
Last edited by pineapple stu; 23/07/2021 at 11:22 AM.
For what Zahibo is costing its almost criminal, its past the point of not being fit now, he doesnt have any pace, but maybe there is something in the role he is being used or system that doesnt suit. Either way if he isnt effective thats the bottom line. Playing Sloggett and Shields in the same side jut didnt work that well, too similar, both right sided players so Sloggett now being deployed in the Shields role, the role that suits him would always have meant some improvement in his performances (Lampard and Gerrard like conundrum ). Stanton is left sided so played with Sloggett I think could be a handy combination and both have a good engine too. It was said somewhere that Patching was a bit too laid back when he arrived which I think was a nice way of saying he was late for training and a bit on the lazy side. FG must have put the foot down, obviously an error and showed some lacking in man management. For whatever reason he pulled his socks up at Derry and has carried that back to Oriel Park and is now showing the form that was his potential when signed. Its time to knuckle down and get people the likes of Patching signed up for next season as he will be in demand. If he went back to Derry, with McEleney and Duffy well it wouldnt be a bad start to Higgins rebuilding.
Last edited by Nesta99; 23/07/2021 at 1:45 PM.
Zahibo was supposed to be really highly-rated, wasn't he? Or was it that he did well in his first couple of games?
The Dundalk policy the last 18 months or so seems to have been to sign random foreigners who flop, while losing the decent Irish players. It's weird.
Any word of the rumoured summer transfers; think a couple of players were likely to be departing?
Its not so weird when you have a person who pulls the purse strings completely trusting of a player agent, in the way that agents have roles in US sport. Of course this isnt US sport and any agent here will take every opportunity to 'recommend' their players - if they get a cut of the transaction they'd be foolish not to seek as much money as possible - if people at a club that protest or try to put the breaks get sidelined as the agent has the ear of the money man well there is little weird about it, falling standards more fait accompli. Supremely naïve!! It would make you question the business acumen of owners when its allowed to pay over the top for new signings at the expense of tried and tested players. Now maybe those tried and tested have had their wages creep up significantly over the years so are on a premium wedge too but taking some pretty random punts has been false economy. If the money man was actually spending his own money directly rather than say prizemoney, you'd have to wonder whether things may have been different. It is unfortunate that one person seems to have seriously damaged a club and im not necessarily referring to a chairman. It would of course deprive some fans of other clubs p!ssing themselves with excitement at the prospect of a fall from grace which would be terribly unfair though they may be disappointed yet so should hold their water!
Interclub from Andorra beat Teuta 2 nil last night in Albania so looks like Rovers will be playing them in the 3rd round.
Upwards to the vanguard where the pressure is too high.
Its the footballing equivalent of the Peter Principle.
Players transfer to a big club then a bigger club etc until they fail.
Then everyone says well look at that big club he played for he must be great , in actual fact he proved he wasnt good enough at that level hence he was let go
Well he did play in La Liga (twice...in 2015), so he has to have had something about him at some stage. And played regularly in the MLS too, although that's notoriously variable with regards the players in it. A few marquee players and the rest complete journeymen. Still wouldn't have expected him to be playing quite as badly here as he seems to be.
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