Greatest League in the World 2024 [new thread available]

ShamoBuc

Cracking goal for Dundalk.

justshane

ShamoBuc wrote: »

Cracking goal for Dundalk.

Pitch seems awful

joeysoap

Commentator could be the agent for the Dane Massey appreciation society.

But it was a decent goal.

Pitch is a bit bumpy.

Weather looks great.

Mushy

joeysoap wrote: »

Commentator could be the agent for the Dane Massey appreciation society.

But it was a decent goal.

Pitch is a bit bumpy.

Weather looks great.

Been a lovely day, but any grass surface in the area is a bog after last 3 weeks

Oat23

Shocking decision by the ref there. Clear dive from Daniel Kelly.

joeysoap

From a Dundalk supporter I thought he bought that penalty.

Oat23

joeysoap wrote: »

From a Dundalk supporter I thought he bought that penalty.

The word is 'cheated'

dfx-

It's very hard to 'respect' referees making that decision and then issuing cards all over the place.

The linesman should be spotting that dive. It's the sort of decision they were getting last year as lifelines..

joeysoap

If the lines man (referees assistant) can’t see it why he there?

Irishmale0399

If I am honest (and if the FAI/UEFA had balls), I would be all for a 3 game ban for blatant diving. We stole a 0-2 win this evening. Pitch was muck, however there is still and awful lot of work for the 2 Italians to do there. Any Premier Division team would have torn that Dundalk team apart.

On a side note....Bill did a good job with team selection. Patching and Massey both played very well. With Massey there was a major improvement to seen.

Oat23

3 former Sligo rovers players in the UCD XI. Let's see if it'll be Kerrigan, Doyle or Keaney who continue the long standing tradition of former players scoring against us.

Irishmale0399 wrote: »

If I am honest (and if the FAI/UEFA had balls), I would be all for a 3 game ban for blatant diving.

He tried to cheat a penalty twice. A few minutes before he was involved in a challenge at the edge of the box and took two or three steps into the box before falling over looking to get a penalty out of it.

Nasty attitude.

joeysoap

No point in getting too worked up over it though, Dundalk would still have won
1-0 ( same as last year)

1st division sides not doing too well overall, home draws no real advantage

joeysoap

Foot in mouth disease.

Oat23

Oat23 wrote: »

3 former Sligo rovers players in the UCD XI. Let's see if it'll be Kerrigan, Doyle or Keaney who continue the long standing tradition of former players scoring against us.

Doyle it is after 7 minutes. You couldn't make it up

Omackeral

All square at the Bowl now. Few decent players on the UCD side

Oat23

Omackeral wrote: »

All square at the Bowl now. Few decent players on the UCD side

Doyle always stood out when I saw him for our U19s. Can't say I remember him in the first team but then I've mentally blocked most of the Dave Robertson era. UCD have a decent side alright.

There's another young midfielder in our U19s they might be in for soon..

VillaMad

https://twitter.com/ShamrockRovers/status/1300181420921495552

And for Dundalk, they have very winnable options apart from Slovan Bratislava perhaps
https://twitter.com/DundalkFC/status/1300202133078372357

Oat23

Jesse Devers goal last night for Rovers was nice. Flicks it up with his right foot and then volleys it home with his left. He's on a great run of form at the minute and proving a lot of people wrong.

https://twitter.com/SoccRepublic/status/1300180055268749312?s=19

VillaMad

Rovers drawn at home to AC Milan! Devastating that this will be behind closed doors.

Dundalk away to Andorran side Inter Escaldes. Lovely draw for Dundalk.

ShamoBuc

A real pity it's behind closed doors.

artanevilla

Milan is Red & Black.

Pighead

VillaMad wrote: »

Rovers drawn at home to AC Milan! Devastating that this will be behind closed doors.

Dundalk away to Andorran side Inter Escaldes. Lovely draw for Dundalk.

Andorra not on Green List. Wonder where game will take place? That's a sickener for Rovers. Could have generated big bucks with that draw.

Dillonb3

Happy with the Andorrans, not on the green list so neutral venue. They have 2 guys who scored against Ireland

Jelle1880

That is an unreal draw for Rovers. **** that they won't have fans there.

Pighead

Do Rovers have to agree a broadcast deal with one of the Irish TV stations or could they go it alone and stream it themselves?

joeysoap

Bummer that there no attendance at Tallaght, but if Rovers do it right I’m sure Italian tv will pay decent bucks for the match.

artanevilla

joeysoap wrote: »

Bummer that there no attendance at Tallaght, but if Rovers do it right I’m sure Italian tv will pay decent bucks for the match.

They only have Irish rights, Milan have the Italian & rest of world broadcast rights.

Awesomeness

Rovers would have been better off with one of the other teams which would have been winnable.

Zebra3

sugarman wrote: »

Yep, absolutely no financial gain to be hosting Milan without a crowd. A win against one of the other 2 would have been worth another €500k and see us progress to the next round.

Rovers would've walked all over a Lithuanian side too.

DvB

artanevilla wrote: »

They only have Irish rights, Milan have the Italian & rest of world broadcast rights.

Why?

Pighead

DvB wrote: »

Why?

I think it's because the tie is only one leg. It's a bit of compensation for the team that doesn't get to play at home.

Omackeral

Awesomeness wrote: »

Rovers would have been better off with one of the other teams which would have been winnable.

You love to see it. I’d say UEFA chiefs won’t be impressed if Rovers fans gain access to the ground like last time against European giants Milan.

(yes I know I’m being extremely petty)

Omackeral

On a more real note, I’m glad the barstoolers won’t get to come out to see Milan. I know Rovers are my rival team and all but seeing people flocking out who wouldn’t dream of bothering with our clubs sickens me. More respect for Rovers than I’ll ever have for the likes of them.

MonkstownHoop

Nobody entertaining the idea that we'll beat them, bring it on!

dfx-

Zebra3 wrote: »

Rovers would've walked all over a Lithuanian side too.

Lithuanian side probably easier than a Finnish side, but not necessarily easy either. Finances aside, it's Milan at home in a competitive fixture, it's hard to complain. It's a break from the tour of Scandinavia Rovers have been on since 2016.

The worst European draw is going out to a much stronger no name team with a crowd OR the likes of Ekranas. Mlada Boleslav being the prime example.

Zebra3

dfx- wrote: »

Lithuanian side probably easier than a Finnish side, but not necessarily easy either. Finances aside, it's Milan at home in a competitive fixture, it's hard to complain. It's a break from the tour of Scandinavia Rovers have been on since 2016.

The worst European draw is going out to a much stronger no name team with a crowd OR the likes of Ekranas. Mlada Boleslav being the prime example.

True, but half a million in the bank and into the third qualifying round.

Playing Milan in the current circumstances is very much a wasted opportunity.

Not that anyone gets pick and choose when to play them, but you know what I mean.

Omackeral

MonkstownHoop wrote: »

Nobody entertaining the idea that we'll beat them, bring it on!

We’d never hear the end of it if you did. And rightly so!

pgj2015

Omackeral wrote: »

On a more real note, I’m glad the barstoolers won’t get to come out to see Milan. I know Rovers are my rival team and all but seeing people flocking out who wouldn’t dream of bothering with our clubs sickens me. More respect for Rovers than I’ll ever have for the likes of them.

would they come out to see Milan? the only player i recognize from their squad is Ibramhimovic. it shows you how far the Italian teams have fallen.

I hate barstoolers as much as anyone btw.

if jack byrne has a good game I wouldnt be surprised to see some Italian teams looking for him, maybe even Milan themselves.

Corholio

Milan still have plenty good players in relative terms, just nowhere near Milan of old. Plenty of reasonably well known players in there. Would still have been a big draw definitely.

joeysoap

sugarman wrote: »

Yep, absolutely no financial gain to be hosting Milan without a crowd. A win against one of the other 2 would have been worth another €500k and see us progress to the next round.

I think the Europa league is worth €240/€260k a round

Gareth Keenan

Pighead wrote: »

I think it's because the tie is only one leg. It's a bit of compensation for the team that doesn't get to play at home.

I wonder what happened in the first round. Rovers sold (and later refunded) their stream to anywhere in the world except Finland. Could Ilves have given them the rights (or maybe just not cared enough)?

Oat23

pgj2015 wrote: »

would they come out to see Milan? the only player i recognize from their squad is Ibramhimovic. it shows you how far the Italian teams have fallen.

It's still Milan. Barstoolers have come out to watch Liverpool U21s in the past.

You've never heard of Donnarumma? He's one of the best keepers in the world. Calhanoglu, Rebic, Paqueta, Bennacer are some of their other famous players.

Jelle1880

pgj2015 wrote: »

would they come out to see Milan? the only player i recognize from their squad is Ibramhimovic. it shows you how far the Italian teams have fallen.

I hate barstoolers as much as anyone btw.

if jack byrne has a good game I wouldnt be surprised to see some Italian teams looking for him, maybe even Milan themselves.

I don't know if this is hyperbole but come on ffs

Gareth Keenan

Omackeral wrote: »

You love to see it. I’d say UEFA chiefs won’t be impressed if Rovers fans gain access to the ground like last time against European giants Milan.

(yes I know I’m being extremely petty)

What fans gained access? Those lads were outside the ground. Wonder if it even made the UEFA observers notes.

Omackeral

Gareth Keenan wrote: »

What fans gained access? Those lads were outside the ground.

Gareth Keenan wrote: »

Wonder if it even made the UEFA observers notes.

So do I.

Chardee MacDennis

pgj2015 wrote: »

would they come out to see Milan? the only player i recognize from their squad is Ibramhimovic. it shows you how far the Italian teams have fallen.

I hate barstoolers as much as anyone btw.

if jack byrne has a good game I wouldnt be surprised to see some Italian teams looking for him, maybe even Milan themselves.

Donnarumma?
Hernandez?
Rebic?
Kjaer
Romagnoli?
Biglia?
Begovic?
Duarte?
Bonaventura?
Calhanoglu?

Tchaikovsky

The Andorran team have a 42 year old up front. I still think we'll struggle to beat them. They'll be looking at Gartland, Hoare and Rogers and rubbing their hands.

pgj2015

no I haven't. are they up there with maldini, seedoorf, shavechenko, inzagi, kaka etc?

Awesomeness

Great goal for cork. Best bit of football I've seen from them in years

Dr. Bre

pgj2015 wrote: »

no I haven't. are they up there with maldini, seedoorf, shavechenko, inzagi, kaka etc?

Shavechenko!