Delaney-"All-Ireland league a possibility"

**David** · 04/03/2006, 9:03 AM

Originally Posted by Slash/ED

The odd matches in one short period alone v consistent results over the past 5/6 years not all of which we were in summer football? Seems pretty obvious to me.

Surely the best way to judge is when teams play each other rather than how Shelbourne do against a Romanian team and Linfield a Latvian team of a Finnish team or maybe that does not suit your argument.

**Slash/ED** · 04/03/2006, 10:16 AM

Originally Posted by David

Surely the best way to judge is when teams play each other rather than how Shelbourne do against a Romanian team and Linfield a Latvian team of a Finnish team or maybe that does not suit your argument.

Not until we have a few seasons under our belt and can make an accurate judgement, if you judge standard on one cup competition in one season than Millwall were once the second best team in England.

In any case, unless I'm wrong, here's the EL sides record against IL sides in the past two seasons...

Won 7
Drawn 4
Lost 4

I could be wrong as I've just added that up quickly now but the EL sides definitely come out on top, and if this seasons Setanta Cup is anything to go by that lead will only be extended. We've won all our home games and drawn the away ones (No defeats so far) including one of our sides two trips to Linfield whch should be the hardest match.

**David** · 04/03/2006, 6:08 PM

Am I not right in saying that Shels have had one good season in Europe when they reached the 3rd qualifying round and other than that, have never won more than one tie. Still a great achievement, don't get me wrong but the way you are talking you would think that you are consistently getting to the group stages of the CL. Believe it or not I was delighted to see you beating the Glens this season. I also watched Cork's games against the Slovakian team and I thought they were extremely unlucky and would love to have seen them winning. Since the Setanta has started I have taken a lot more interest in the EL and watch most of the live games that are on and enjoy them so I am a long long way from being anti Eircom League, quite the opposite in fact. However it does wind me up when some EL fans dismiss what Linfield achieved last season and how some like to think they are so superior to the IL. I would really love to know what you base this on. Do you watch much Irish League football?

**pete** · 04/03/2006, 6:31 PM

The IL usually seem to get good results from Linfield but no other teams. The eL has a bit more strength in depth so much so that expectations are that all teams will at least get past the 1st qualifying round in 2006. Summer football means more level playing pitch too.

**David** · 04/03/2006, 6:59 PM

Originally Posted by pete

The IL usually seem to get good results from Linfield but no other teams. The eL has a bit more strength in depth so much so that expectations are that all teams will at least get past the 1st qualifying round in 2006. Summer football means more level playing pitch too.

I would agree, and have said a few times, that the EL has more strength in depth. As for Europe, our results, other than this season have been poor but I would put that down to the timing of it which has certainly helped EL clubs.