League of Ireland in Europe 2015, mod note in OP

dan1895 · 23-07-2015 8:17pm

Oat23 wrote: »

The best part of Europe this year was Shels on twitter wishing good luck to everyone except the other Dublin teams.

Shels' twitter activity over for another couple of months.

Hammer Archer · 23-07-2015 8:18pm

Didn't deserve to lose by that much. After their second goal when Cannon came on we were the better team for 25 minutes or so. As well as Swan's goal, their keeper made a few good saves and there were a couple of last ditch interceptions as well.
Even when they got their third, we still pushed forward when it would have been easier just to see the game out. That was the main reason Vittek got the two goals in injury time.

So proud of the team. Such a surreal month as a UCD fan. Travelling to Luxembourg and Slovakia (which I missed), making the headlines in the Guardian and the BBC, having nearly 1500 home fans at a game in the Bowl and all the while playing good football. And of course sticking two fingers up at those who questioned whether we should be in the Europa League.

Bit disappointed that it's over and we've to go back to Division 1 games. It was 15 years since we last made Europe and chances are it'll be at least that long before we make it again.

'MON THE COLLEGE!!!!

MarkSRFC21 · 23-07-2015 10:56pm

Was disappointed by the performance tonight from rovers. We played like we were the team defending a lead. Didn't look like we were ever going to win. Gavin Brennan is the worst player I've seen in a rovers Jersey for a long time, completely out of his depth. Fenlons substitutions were also puzzling, and we never really chased the game. I suppose it's good to be out of these Mickey Mouse competitions.

wadacrack · 23-07-2015 11:09pm

MarkSRFC21 wrote: »

Was disappointed by the performance tonight from rovers. We played like we were the team defending a lead. Didn't look like we were ever going to win. Gavin Brennan is the worst player I've seen in a rovers Jersey for a long time, completely out of his depth. Fenlons substitutions were also puzzling, and we never really chased the game. I suppose it's good to be out of these Mickey Mouse competitions.

Fenlon I would question his recruitement. Need more pace in that Rovers team

MarkSRFC21 · 23-07-2015 11:12pm

wadacrack wrote: »

Fenlon I would question his recruitement. Need more pace in that Rovers team

We need a lot more than pace

dreamers75 · 23-07-2015 11:13pm

MarkSRFC21 wrote: »

I suppose it's good to be out of these Mickey Mouse competitions.

Yeah you are right, we should now focus on the league and trying to get back into them

On Dundalks match (which their fans wont like this ) but the amount of mis controls and bobbles on the ball from both teams forced the ball into the air. In one way prolly for the best Bate didnt have a decent pitch because at times they were opening up Dundalk at will. But the other side is that it has to affect Dundalk players too.

One moment stood out when Horgan piroutted out wide and was about to take a touch and allow Massey to overlap and the ball bobbled and he lost it. Countless times that happened more so for Bate who had the ball more often in dangerous areas.

MarkSRFC21 · 23-07-2015 11:26pm

dreamers75 wrote: »

Yeah you are right, we should now focus on the league and trying to get back into them

On Dundalks match (which their fans wont like this ) but the amount of mis controls and bobbles on the ball from both teams forced the ball into the air. In one way prolly for the best Bate didnt have a decent pitch because at times they were opening up Dundalk at will. But the other side is that it has to affect Dundalk players too.

One moment stood out when Horgan piroutted out wide and was about to take a touch and allow Massey to overlap and the ball bobbled and he lost it. Countless times that happened more so for Bate who had the ball more often in dangerous areas.

Obviously joking about the Mickey Mouse competitions, and I know the leagues gone
I agree about Dundalk though. I think bate probably underestimated them in the first leg and probably could have hammered them last night. And re the pitch, I don't care what anyone says, that pitch is a disgrace, and it definitely gives Dundalk an advantage.

dfx- · 24-07-2015 2:45am

Coat22 wrote: »

I would actually start again from scratch and offer regional franchises. One would be a midlands franchise and Athlone Town would be best place for that IMO.

I know this would horrify most people but it would make it sustainable.

Planning franchises or joining teams together to form a new club drags LOI threads off topic. It provokes LOI fans when proposed as a 'solution' to problems.

Therefore as with the 'how to improve LOI' type threads, it will be considered trolling if anyone discusses it further in this thread. A red card and an automatic ban may apply.

miroslavklose · 24-07-2015 3:45am

Poor performance from Rovers but I think goes to show our good form (Bohs excepted) over the past month or so was built on fairly brittle foundations. Odd are no great shakes and will be knocked out once they face a decent footballing team, but they made us look very ordinary. Focus now on getting our aul lads back fit and focusing on a strong finish to the season and maybe nicking second place off Cork.

Paz-CCFC · 24-07-2015 2:56pm

The LoI being unwelcoming is such a bollocks argument. There was no one being either welcomed or turned away. Someone put up an idea, some others said that they thought it was a silly idea and then another person accused the the majority of the circa 15,000 LoI fanbase of turning people away

It's gotten to a stage on here that if an LoI fan simply disagrees with someone, they're accused of being unwelcoming and bitter.

anncoates · 24-07-2015 3:15pm

Sucks to be out of Europe.

Injuries to Fahey and mcphail had an impact but fact remains we're building a team and some way off it at the moment and it showed.

Made a few quid anyway and a few signings next season and I think we've a good team.

uch · 24-07-2015 3:21pm

MarkSRFC21 wrote: »

Was disappointed by the performance tonight from rovers. We played like we were the team defending a lead. Didn't look like we were ever going to win. Gavin Brennan is the worst player I've seen in a rovers Jersey for a long time, completely out of his depth. Fenlons substitutions were also puzzling, and we never really chased the game. I suppose it's good to be out of these Mickey Mouse competitions.

Do you not remember Kerea Gilbert ???

GLaDOS · 24-07-2015 3:25pm

uch wrote: »

Do you not remember Kerea Gilbert ???

Bohs fans certainly do :pac:

DvB · 24-07-2015 3:51pm

uch wrote: »

Do you not remember Kerea Gilbert ???

In reality he was nowhere as bad as people made out (not be be confused with not being bad BTW). He was an attacking full back that had zero support when pushing up the pitch & had a woeful back line beside him & junior league standard goalkeepers behind him... he simply became the ultimate scapegoat of Kenny's woeful mismanagement of the team... a quick look back at his signings tell their won story as to why he couldnt walk the walk at Rovers.

miroslavklose · 24-07-2015 5:08pm

DvB wrote: »

In reality he was nowhere as bad as people made out (not be be confused with not being bad BTW). He was an attacking full back that had zero support when pushing up the pitch & had a woeful back line beside him & junior league standard goalkeepers behind him... he simply became the ultimate scapegoat of Kenny's woeful mismanagement of the team... a quick look back at his signings tell their won story as to why he couldnt walk the walk at Rovers.

So Gilbert was the strong link in a weak defence? Baffling.

MarkSRFC21 · 24-07-2015 7:49pm

uch wrote: »

Do you not remember Kerea Gilbert ???

Oh yeah, forgot about him. Brennan is bad but he'll never be that bad.

MarkSRFC21 · 24-07-2015 7:53pm

DvB wrote: »

In reality he was nowhere as bad as people made out (not be be confused with not being bad BTW). He was an attacking full back that had zero support when pushing up the pitch & had a woeful back line beside him & junior league standard goalkeepers behind him... he simply became the ultimate scapegoat of Kenny's woeful mismanagement of the team... a quick look back at his signings tell their won story as to why he couldnt walk the walk at Rovers.

No he was probably worse than made out to be. He is currently learning to be a personal trainer after being unable to find a club for the past 2 years, when he should be in the peak of his career.

dfx- · 25-07-2015 1:18am

MarkSRFC21 wrote: »

Oh yeah, forgot about him. Brennan is bad but he'll never be that bad.

Gartland, Powell and Oman and Sives (that season) would all run Gilbert close. Does a GK shirt count....

After all this time I still can't believe he signed Gartland..or how Shels did the next season.

dan1895 · 25-07-2015 10:39am

dfx- wrote: »

Gartland, Powell and Oman and Sives (that season) would all run Gilbert close. Does a GK shirt count....

After all this time I still can't believe he signed Gartland..or how Shels did the next season.

That lad had the turning circle of an oil tanker.

MarkSRFC21 · 25-07-2015 11:45am

dfx- wrote: »

Gartland, Powell and Oman and Sives (that season) would all run Gilbert close. Does a GK shirt count....

After all this time I still can't believe he signed Gartland..or how Shels did the next season.

Jesus I forgot how bad that team was

DvB · 27-07-2015 8:01am

miroslavklose wrote: »

So Gilbert was the strong link in a weak defence? Baffling.

Read the post again.

Gilbert was bad, as my post states, but he was only a part of a shocking defensive set up that collectively deserves more criticism, simply blaming one of them in isolation is ignoring the fact that we were a shambles at the back and that was down to more than one dodgy full back.

djpbarry · 27-07-2015 11:52am

DvB wrote: »

Gilbert was bad, as my post states, but he was only a part of a shocking defensive set up that collectively deserves more criticism, simply blaming one of them in isolation is ignoring the fact that we were a shambles at the back and that was down to more than one dodgy full back.

But nobody's saying that.

What they are saying is that Gilbert was bad. Really bad. How he managed to get a game at Cardiff and Leicester is beyond me.

Hammer Archer · 27-07-2015 5:56pm

Swan's goal on Thursday making him UCD's leading European goal scorer and also overtaking his auld fella in number of European goals.
Probably the last UCD goal in Europe for a long time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V5OadU1z6uY

miroslavklose · 28-07-2015 12:51am

DvB wrote: »

Read the post again.

Gilbert was bad, as my post states, but he was only a part of a shocking defensive set up that collectively deserves more criticism, simply blaming one of them in isolation is ignoring the fact that we were a shambles at the back and that was down to more than one dodgy full back.

I didn't blame him in isolation. You're saying he was the scapegoat for a terrible defence - I'm saying the defence was a shambles but he was still uniquely terrible.

DvB · 28-07-2015 8:34am

miroslavklose wrote: »

I didn't blame him in isolation. You're saying he was the scapegoat for a terrible defence - I'm saying the defence was a shambles but he was still uniquely terrible.

To be fair, a lot of hoops i've spoken to refer back to him as the sole reason we were poor at the back at that time, when clearly that wasn't the case, we were poor at the back because each & every one of them was bad, to claim anything else is, to use your phrase, baffling.

I'm not saying Gilbert wasn't bad, I agree 100%, he was, and i've said that from the start, but I hate the fact others seem to get away with their poor performances because he was there to take the flak...

Anyway, he still wasn't the worst player i've seen in a Rovers shirt...

djpbarry · 03-08-2015 2:44pm

Just looking at the Premier Division table, I can't help but notice the huge gap that has already emerged between top and bottom. Ignoring Bohs for a moment – we’ll call them the “mid-table” side – there’s a massive twenty point gap between fourth and sixth. Not only that, but the bottom seven sides all have relatively large negative goal differences. The final standings from last season show a similar story, although the gap wasn’t quite as big.

So I’m wondering if this polarisation of the league is adversely affecting the top sides’ preparation for European games? Pats and Cork are good examples. Both were both poor in Europe, but Pats have won their last seven in the league, scoring twenty-three and conceding only three. Cork, as awful as they were against KR and as tactically illiterate as Caulfield seems to be, have still only lost one league game this season (against Dundalk) and in the eleven games since, they’ve scored three or more five times.

It might be easy to suggest that the poor performances in Europe this year simply reflect a decline in the standard of the LOI, but I don’t think that’s the case. Dundalk ran a very good BATE side very close, Shams are still a work in progress while Pats, on the basis of chances created, should have beaten Skonto comfortably. And then of course there was UCD.

But then, being based over here in London, I wasn’t able to attend any of the Euro games, so what do those who were in attendance think? Has the fact that the top sides can expect to win comfortably in the league most weeks created at a sense of complacency that’s difficult to shake off for Euro ties? Would an extra competitive edge have made much of a difference?

SteelyDanJalapeno · 03-08-2015 4:13pm

djpbarry wrote: »

Just looking at the Premier Division table, I can't help but notice the huge gap that has already emerged between top and bottom. Ignoring Bohs for a moment – we’ll call them the “mid-table” side – there’s a massive twenty point gap between fourth and sixth. Not only that, but the bottom seven sides all have relatively large negative goal differences. The final standings from last season show a similar story, although the gap wasn’t quite as big.

So I’m wondering if this polarisation of the league is adversely affecting the top sides’ preparation for European games? Pats and Cork are good examples. Both were both poor in Europe, but Pats have won their last seven in the league, scoring twenty-three and conceding only three. Cork, as awful as they were against KR and as tactically illiterate as Caulfield seems to be, have still only lost one league game this season (against Dundalk) and in the eleven games since, they’ve scored three or more five times.

It might be easy to suggest that the poor performances in Europe this year simply reflect a decline in the standard of the LOI, but I don’t think that’s the case. Dundalk ran a very good BATE side very close, Shams are still a work in progress while Pats, on the basis of chances created, should have beaten Skonto comfortably. And then of course there was UCD.

But then, being based over here in London, I wasn’t able to attend any of the Euro games, so what do those who were in attendance think? Has the fact that the top sides can expect to win comfortably in the league most weeks created at a sense of complacency that’s difficult to shake off for Euro ties? Would an extra competitive edge have made much of a difference?

Sounds a contradictive to call caulfeild tactically illiterate in the same sentence you mention they've scored 3 or more5 times this season, and have only been beaten once.

I dunno if I'd fully agree with your thoughts re the top versus the bottom, even if you consider Dundalk cork shamrock rovers and pats top 4, IMO they're all quiet and except for Dundalk could beat each other on their day, considering they play each other 3 times, this means there's at least 9 proper challenges.

I've also noticed our champions get a few lucky results this year even this weekend against galway, 1-0 is nothing to get excited about.

I also watched attended Turners Cross Friday night to see City dismantle Bohs in the best 45 mins I've ever seen them play, against albeit a weakened Bohs team who beat the champions early this year.

dfx- · 03-08-2015 5:07pm

DvB wrote: »

Anyway, he still wasn't the worst player i've seen in a Rovers shirt...

Some of the Morton sides and the 2003/4/5 sides should feature strongly - or back further perhaps..

McDonagh, McDonnell, Keith Doyle, Martin Cameron, Gough, Noel Mooney, Russell Payne

Was it Dave Smith that Richardson blamed for the 4-6 and never played him again..

djpbarry · 04-08-2015 10:13am

TiltedBrain wrote: »

Sounds a contradictive to call caulfeild tactically illiterate in the same sentence you mention they've scored 3 or more5 times this season, and have only been beaten once.

There’s no contradiction at all. In fact, you’re just emphasising my point. Cork are winning games at a canter in the league, yet they struggled against an Icelandic side with 10 men.

TiltedBrain wrote: »

I dunno if I'd fully agree with your thoughts re the top versus the bottom, even if you consider Dundalk cork shamrock rovers and pats top 4, IMO they're all quiet and except for Dundalk could beat each other on their day, considering they play each other 3 times, this means there's at least 9 proper challenges.

Right, so that’s 9 out of 33?

TiltedBrain wrote: »

I've also noticed our champions get a few lucky results this year even this weekend against galway, 1-0 is nothing to get excited about.

You don’t win 17 out of 21 games on the basis of luck alone.

TiltedBrain wrote: »

I also watched attended Turners Cross Friday night to see City dismantle Bohs in the best 45 mins I've ever seen them play, against albeit a weakened Bohs team who beat the champions early this year.

Again, you’re just emphasising my point.

CHealy · 04-08-2015 10:55am

djpbarry wrote: »

There’s no contradiction at all. In fact, you’re just emphasising my point. Cork are winning games at a canter in the league, yet they struggled against an Icelandic side with 10 men.

I think that was more a reflection of our managers tactics at the time rather than the strenght of our team/league. Dundalk and Pats would have been able to easily dispose of KR given the way they play ball. Ourselves and Rovers did, and would have struggled.

League of Ireland in Europe 2015, mod note in OP

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"I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year" - Charles Dickens