Greatest League in the World 2024 [LOI Thread]

ben.schlomo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122623843#Comment_122623843

Saved Burns late shot inside the box after good work from Walshy. Saved Hickeys header, albeit straight at him. Rovers had more of the ball and had chances early but Clarkey had nothing to do second half outside the goal. Rovers were slowly going sideways and then giving it away in poor areas. We defended both goals poorly which, as you said, is galling.

The Golden Miller

I don't actually care about my bet, or Shels winning the league, in regards to Dundalks situation. If they're let go under, on the FAI's watch, I'd struggle to follow Irish football again. It's a disgrace, and whether Dundalk can be held accountable of this and that, is not the point. All the clubs are dealing with peanuts in the first place, regardless of the mismanagement or whatever at any individual club.

GAA clubs, not countys, have better facilities. Even most junior and intermediate clubs, have a state of the art astro turf pitches and bars, and about 60 clubs per county. Yet the top League of Ireland clubs, don't have a pot to p1ss in.

It's an absolute farce, and I've seen many Shels fans laughing at them, cause they laughed at us. It's much bigger and more important than that. If a footballing institution like Dundalk, the second most successful in the country, can go under, with no help or fight from the FAI, on their watch, the whole league should be boycotted by every club.

We have few enough "big teams" in the league as it is, and if one can go under like this, its shambolic and absolutely scandolous. I don't even care about "fairness to every club", money should be pumped into them by the FAI to get them back on their feet. They'd be actually owed millions, as would every club in the country, with the level the FAI have stolen and underpaid every club over the years, for league wins etc!

dfx-

A lot of the same stuff from Rovers. Dominate early on, maybe get one and look good but then concede with very little offered in the second half.

The Golden Miller

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122624103#Comment_122624103

They've been found out

The Golden Miller

Rovers are a bit like Germany under Lowe, they've become stagnant. And they've progressively got worse for a few years, got away with it, as no one was good enough to put them to the sword. We keep hearing about their injuries, it doesn't matter who they get back, the spirit in the camp is apathetic regardless.

Ye, they can kick into life for Europe, but domestically dead. Everyone parking the bus on them these days too, and they have no clue how to unlock defences anymore. They actually need a radical overhaul and fresh ideas.

Shels will win it this year, but going forward I don't see Rovers improving without new ideas. Bohs I'd expect to improve along with Pat's next year, both to challenge for the title. Teams have become complacent parking the bus to stop and expose Rovers, Shels and Derry, all three often spending a match passing sideways unable to unlock defences.

Bohs and Pats, with improvements throughout their teams, play a quicker and more direct brand of attacking football, that if they do it right, will catch alot of defences off gaurd next year. Rovers, Shels and Derry are complacent with the pressure and potency they apply attacking, and defences have got complacent thinking this is all they need to do to suss out the top teams.

I'd be pulling my hair out if I was a Bohs fan, the amount of top players they've let go in the last few years is criminal. How can you push on if your constantly rebuilding. In theory they should have by far and away the best team. They've caused Shels repeated problems down the middle, and you can see some direction now with some of their key players back, theres intent again.

A good manager, would go close to winning the league with them next year, playing a more high intensity direct attacking game that they play. Great potential there, seemingly always underutilised. But their attack brings something different to what the top teams offer at the minute, and to what defences expect. I wouldn't be surprised if Bohs aren't far away next year

chopperbyrne

I think that was only the third time this year we've got back to back league wins. The fact that we still have a chance of winning the league shows how poor/competitive the league has been this year.

DvB

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122624109#Comment_122624109

The vast vast majority of our defeats this year have been self inflicted, teams haven't magically discovered a way to find us out, we've just been crap! Its that simple. Teams have been parking the bus against us before this year. Lazy statements like 'They've been found out' doesn't really work in this league.

The ability is there (as we've seen in spells), but the team has been coached to play a different way this year and its clear what the issues are if you watch us week in week out, but for whatever reason Bradley is sticking to his guns & we're paying the price for that stubbornness. Doesn't take a footballing genius to see what we're doing wrong unfortunately.

I do agree however that a change is required, watching us this year its clear we cant continue with this years tactics/approach, so Bradley needs to up his game or past glories wont keep him in a job for very long. Another season failing to put in a real challenge with that squad and he'll definitely be at risk of being replaced.

To be fair, the Derry supporters have been saying the same about Higgins, and its the way the 2 teams have set up this year that has allowed Shels in the door, if both Rovers & Derry just played how we know they can then with the greatest respect to Duff & Shels they'd be 10-15 points behind them at this stage as both squads are currently stronger than the Shels one IMO.

But credit where its due, if shels hang on to win it, fair play to them, its over 36 (hopefully) games and the best team over those games wins it, but I genuinely don't see them as being anything remotely special or to be feared going forward, they have literally just been the best of a bad bunch this year, in my opinion.

Genuine question to shels fans, would you expect to start the league next year as favourites if you win it this year? i.e. Would you feel confident of retaining it? I know squads will change etc. but even gut feeling?

Hodors Appletart

No, Rovers just had an injection of over 4m euro, they'll dominate for a few more years

Ashbourne hoop

Shambles of a performance from Neil Doyle last night. The penalty for Galway was a joke of a decision as was the disallowed goal for Cleary. He missed a push on the Galway player for the winner and just got decisions wrong all night. Standard of refs in the league is scandalous.

ben.schlomo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122624890#Comment_122624890

I'd need to see it back but looked a clear hand away from body blocking a ball type situation. He missed fouls all over the pitch, Hoare must have pushed Hickey about 15 times in aerial duals and not one was given. He was the worst ref we've had since Eoghan O'Shea.

Ashbourne hoop

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122624914#Comment_122624914

His hand was close to his body from point blank range from what I could see. Looked very harsh I thought. Doyle has history of giving bad decisions against Rovers.

Hodors Appletart

nah, the refs are bad for everyone, no team is being targetted.

They are the worst thing about the league imo, even worse than the worst facilities that people complain about, the refs are atrocious

dfx-

The ref's are dreadful everywhere. The ref in the Celje game gave a free out instead of a penalty and the ref in Tallaght against Vikingur is in the EPL. All awful.

But Doyle...there was definitely a period where almost all of his Rovers games had a red card or penalty against Rovers.

DvB

Personally I'd prefer anyone to ref Rovers ahead of Neil Doyle.

Dogsdodogsstuff

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122624411#Comment_122624411

Irish teams did fairly well in Europe this season, nearly getting 2 into Europa knockouts. Suggests that Irish football might not be as weak as is being made out here.

Not having one or two significantly stronger teams in the league, walking it doesn’t necessarily mean the league is weaker, perhaps it’s a stronger league with Rovers having an off year.

Bohs are far stronger on paper then they they have shown in performances and all the way up to 4th spot Waterford, teams are strong and well able to take points off the top 3. Maybe the league overall is stronger (I was at our opening game against Waterford away and they looked good) but doesn’t have the runaway kind of team like rovers.

I haven’t seen anything of Derry that suggests they’d be 15 points better off with a different manager, that just seems like a general statement borne from a bias sentiment that the league is weaker therefore Derry are simply under performing.

In terms of shels , I would have taken a euro spot at start of season. I feel we will probably fall short as we haven’t been playing well for sometime.

Losing two of our best players Jarvis and Molloy mid season was massive. Jarvis was probably our most creative forward. When we were in form we were never scoring much but seldom looked like conceding either.

If we win the league I’m not sure it matters if we are favourites next season or how that’s really relevant. As somebody else said , we won’t have 4 million to splurge on strengthening the squad so rovers should be favourites no matter what happens.

Guffy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122624890#Comment_122624890

I was right in line with the handball, stonewall pen.

I thought there should have been a foul for united in the build up to second goal.

I didn't see an infraction for the disallowed goal, I believe he had made his mind up to give a free out before the ball came in because of the shite hawking.

Rovers should of had a red from the melee

Should have given a 2nd yellow on two occasions for time wasting in the end.

Very inconsistent in what he gave 50/50 frees for also.

Genuinely terrible reffing. Not suggesting he favoured either side, just seemed to be officiating in fear. The lino on the new stand side was equally as poor imo.

ben.schlomo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122625480#Comment_122625480

If you're on about the incident with #d that was a dive, never a free kick, he threw himself down and we got caught high and Buckley just did his best to clear but made a balls of it.

Guffy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122625498#Comment_122625498

He did that alright.

I thought there was contact and he threw himself down tbh. But that goes back to inconsistency. He gave them and he didn't throughout for both sides. I was in section A though so will take your word for it if there wasn't contact

Dogsdodogsstuff

So Dundalk safe for this season it seems…

https://x.com/jfallonexaminer/status/1836029700113612927?s=46

CrabRevolution

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122625289#Comment_122625289

The Conference League is a good competition, and I appreciate the exposure, money and new realistic level of ambition for LOI clubs it brings. But it seems to be giving the erroneous impression that clubs/countries are doing better than they are. It reminds me of hurling, where the weakest counties are all lumped into a competition together and the fact that anyone wins those contests is presented as somehow being evidence of improvement in those counties.

In 2020-21, 237 clubs qualified for the Champions League and Europa League. This season, 235 clubs qualified for the 3 European competitions.

So the same cohort of clubs are competing in Europe, but now instead of the weakest of that cohort being eliminated in the early rounds of the EL, they're being eliminated in the later rounds or group stage of the Conference League.

It's more prestigious alright, but I don't see how it can be presented as a result of an improvement in the standard of a club or league.

Dogsdodogsstuff

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122626751#Comment_122626751

It’s always difficult to rate the quality of a league in comparison to other years. European performances on their own don’t confirm it, but teams struggling to wrack up big wins or big leads doesn’t mean the quality has gotten worse. The point I was trying to make is that Derry or rovers not steamrolling the league doesn’t mean the league is poorer for it.

I think a lot of teams are stronger, particularly the promoted ones. Shels are stronger than we were last season when we finished 5 points off second, so I don’t see how the league can be that much poorer. The main difference is rovers have been uncharacteristicly poor for multiple reasons but that doesn’t mean the whole league has gone backwards.

NIMAN

Good news about Dundalk.

For the meantime anyway.

The Golden Miller

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122627646#Comment_122627646

Which is bad news for Derry ha

topmanamillion

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122627062#Comment_122627062

I'm not seeing this quality and I'd watch a few different LOI teams. It looks like the upper end of the table has regressed which means they've been massively inconsistent. That's fluffed the points total of the teams at the bottom end.

I watched Shams v Galway on Monday night and it was poor fair. The Galway box was a bit like the runway in Dublin airport with Jack Byrne hoofing crosses in every chance he got. Against a team as big and physical as Galway it seemed naive and it took a massive stroke of good luck for them to take 3 points.

I remember around the time of the Dundalk run the they had the likes of Horgan, Boyle and Rogers in Ireland squads.

Burke got a cap for Ireland against France before he went to England.

Byrne got 3 or 4 caps playing for Shams.

Is there one player in the league now we'd say should be in an Ireland squad? I don't think there's honestly one LOI player that would justify it and it's an even lower bar now than it was a few years ago.

The league just seems to have a catalogue of players flopping in England and back within 18 months. This matter because without enough success stories it reduces the transfer fees LOI clubs can ask for.

Afalobi was the league top scorer for Boh's and a big money transfer. He's not good enough for a bottom end Belgian side and he's out on loan in the Dutch first division.

The top 3 league goal scorers are: 32 year old Pat Hoban who looked out of his depth in league 2 when in his prime. The fact Derry paid 30k for him tells a story about the lack of options in the league.

Padraig Amond is 36 and was playing for Woking at the bottom end of the English fifth tier last season. He's scored a similar amount of goals now for Waterford in half the games.

Johnny Kenny is still young but it's probably fair to say he'd have hoped to be playing at a higher standard by now particularly having gone to Celtic as a teenager.

I don't think any of this is the clubs fault. They do their best. It's a result of decades of neglect by a notoriously absent FAI. This week alone the FAI shut down their emerging talent programe which was the last piece of direct oversight they were giving to youth development and they've effectively handed it all over to cash strapped facility light LOI outfits. Ireland has 10 fulltime youth coaches. The likes of Croatia has 300+. I have no idea how any promising footballer is supposed to come through. Any that do is by pure luck and definitely not design. The league and the national side are clearly sympathetic of all this.

Hodors Appletart

I'm very interested in what happens to Gav Molloy and Jack Moylan over the next while over the water, both seem to have settled into their teams, Moylan has played 5 times for Lincoln so far this season and scored a goal, and was scoring last season. Molloy has completed 10 games for Aberdeen at centre half, with 2 different partners so seems to be the main man there. I'm not sure how it's ten, they've only played 5 in the league.

I'd at least hope that Molloy would be worth a look at getting into the next Ireland squad if he's the main centre half in the team currently second in the SPL.

Dogsdodogsstuff

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122628193#Comment_122628193

I agree about the dysfunctional youth setup in FAI and with the meat if your post but I just don’t see the significant difference in LOI quality over the years that you are talking about. I’m seriously pissed off with the lack of infrastructure to Irish youth development. Indeed I was involved in coaching at youth level and it’s an absolute joke. My own son is losing out as a result , there’s a cultural bias against soccer that I think is intentionally allowing the sport to rot. I understand the desire to prioritise our natural spot GAA, but it’s leaving our kids at a disadvantage.

I wouldn’t qualify quality with Irish call ups as there’s different reasons why that would happen. Molloy to Aberdeen was a quality move for him , he’s starting every game and they are joint top of leageue and we haven’t seen him get a call up even though he’s playing at a far higher level to LOI. Different managers and agendas in FAI can play a role in any LOI players getting a call up.

Teams being more defensive and harder to break down , thus making the football less entertaining is not the same as “the quality has reduced”. As I said, I knew from game 1 that Waterford were gonna be a handful, but the game was boring , the farmers protest was the most entertaining thing about it.

But to be fair, you appear to watch a lot more football than me so perhaps you are correct. I’ve seen shelbourne get better/stronger each of the last 3 seasons , so when somebody says the league is clearly getting worse , it sounds a bit odd. Like if Rovers were cruising the league now and had 3 players in Irish squad sometimes would that really make the league so much stronger or just feel a bit stronger ?

Hodors Appletart

The teams that came up are exponentially better than the teams that went down, compared to last season - whatever about about Cork this season, I can't remember a season in the last 5 or 6 where the two promoted sides are not worried about going straight back down - they are or were both capable of taking, and did take, points off the established teams.

As was said above, Shels under Duff have been on an improvement arc, 8th, 4th and now looking like a top 2 finish is probably happening. I think for a variety of reasons Rovers have regressed a bit, especially early in the season. Bohs too, they were absolutely shocking until recently when they started celebrating draws, Pat's were bad too but will improve under Kenny.

artanevilla

I don't remember celebrating any draws.

Hodors Appletart

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122628432#Comment_122628432

you weren't in Tolka on the 23rd August?

artanevilla

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122628442#Comment_122628442

I was, no celebrating (unless you're counting goals and applauding at the end as normal as celebrating), I was also in Kerry where the team was booed off despite drawing, and the same V Dundalk, booed off.

Hodors Appletart

I mean it wasn't that, but whatever.

have a nice day chap.

Niall_76

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122628193#Comment_122628193

I don’t think anyone could accuse Rovers of getting the ball in the box too early.

GLaDOS

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122628442#Comment_122628442

?

General consensus from Bohs fans was an opportunity missed and 2 points left behind.

An improvement in performance was certainly appreciated though.

Hodors Appletart

there was certainly an air of celebration in the Ballybough End after the final whistle that evening.

cdeb

Back to Euro action for the LoI tonight - UCD v Stjarnan in the UCD Bowl at 7:30. First round of the UEFA Youth League.

Winners face a side from Albania or Kosovo next. Great chance of going through two rounds here.

artanevilla

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122628857#Comment_122628857

At least the players didn't throw their jerseys into the crowd.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122628938#Comment_122628938

I'd imagine there'll be no one at it unfortunately. Might get a thousand or so at another Dublin club.

tayto lover

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122626422#Comment_122626422

It will be back to the future next season. I haven't much faith in this new crew. Surely this time they will have to show a bank balance. Only in the LoI can you take over a club without having to prove that you can actually afford to.

cdeb

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122629989#Comment_122629989

No idea what the crowd will be. There was 400-500 when we last played in it though (against Molde in 2017). Similar crowd then in the away leg in Molde.

artanevilla

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122630149#Comment_122630149

I reckon they'll just cover the players wages so the club can retain it's licence, beyond that I don't see them paying down any debts.

jay1988

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122624411#Comment_122624411

Absolutely not, even if Rovers hadn't banked big euro money this season, I still would've expected Rovers and Derry at least to be way ahead of the rest again, the resources at both clubs would be hard to compete with no matter what.

Even this season the most I hoped for in terms of progress was to qualify for Europe through the league basically swapping position with Pats from last season and not rely on somebody above us to win the cup, even that seemed a big ask at the start of the season as pats seemed to have made some really good signings, definitely didn't expect them to be so poor for so long this season but they definitely will be in the mix next season IMO.

If we do win it, which I don't think we will, I'd hope to at least put up a challenge again next season but wouldn't have us anywhere near favourites unless we get a massive cash injection during the off season.

Dogsdodogsstuff

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122630149#Comment_122630149

It’s such a sad state of affairs, you are probably correct, but I guess Dundalk don’t have an awful lot of better alternatives.

From a league perspective, keeps the Final derby game between them and Drogheda tasty for neutrals.

DvB

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122630238#Comment_122630238

With Dundalk looking safe to see out the season and there being no asterix for the 2024 table I think Shels will see it out myself. Still raging that Rovers were so bad this year as 5IAR was there to be won in my opinion.

As i said above, fair play if shels do hang on & win it, the best team across 36 games wins the league at the end of the day so enjoy!

No idea myself for next year, Rovers may have 4m to bank but there's debts to be cleared & an academy to pay for so can't see the squad being hugely upgraded, in fact I'd be happy to see 2 or 3 moved on. Think Pats & Bohs will be stronger opponents next year too, but that's based on nothing other than gut feeling. Shels will be still tough to beat & see no reason why they cant mount another challenge. Can see next year being another dogfight if anything.

Just hope the standard improves, what I've seen this year hasn't impressed me at all, from anyone.

Dogsdodogsstuff

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122630783#Comment_122630783

If you think about it, shelbourne were really 4th , maybe 3rd in terms of “realistic goals” at start of season. We’ve been top for a long time and it’s draining for any team, especially a team that really wasn’t expecting to mount a real title challange.

As such, I’d wonder if we might have been playing with more freedom and less pressure had we been not really seriously challanging for the league. I mean I’ve always thought rovers could just as easily put 8 or 9 wins together and we’d be done. I still feel like 65 points will win the league (rovers can get 66) because I think rovers may drop points down to Europe if nothing else.

So my feelings on shels is that the increasing pressure of a team that’s no really supppsed to be challanging, has been weighing us down more and more. Trying to win a league after nearly 20 years would take its toll on any club to be fair. Sometimes it’s easier to come from behind then to retain the top spot.

I think we need to beat Galway this Friday any way we can, as we can’t keep looking at Derry/Rovers to drop points. I hope that game is a draw as I really do see Rovers as just as dangerous; if not more; as Derry.

I also think we need to be 4 points clear for final Derry game. If we go into that game only needing a draw I will just take a load of xanex from the game; it’s in some ways worse then being ahead. All the preparation in the world will not be able to change the mentality of the team “we just need to keep a clean sheet”, especially as the game is nearing the end. I’d rather have to go for the win then end up slowly clinging on to a draw.

But I wouldn’t bet on us winning it at moment. We’ve been toothless up front, creating very little and our build up play has been slow. Against Derry; 2 down and our players were still retaining possesion up and back as if they had loads of time to slowly break down Derry.

thebronze14

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122628193#Comment_122628193

I can't get the image of Jack Byrne hoofing footballs into Dublin airport out of my mind now

cdeb

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122629989#Comment_122629989

500 or so there in the end. Comfortable 3-0 in the end. Looking short odds to get to the next round, probably in Kosovo

pgj2015

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122628193#Comment_122628193

Liam Scales is doing very well for himself, and he played a good few years in LOI.

topmanamillion

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122631892#Comment_122631892

It's hardly been what you'd call a conveyor belt of success stories over the last few years?

It matters that LOI players do well when they go abroad because the more of them that do it the higher the fees clubs can ask. Keena back after 18 months in League 2 plus Mahon, Kenny, McGinty, Tierney and Devoy all back is not a good thing if we're talking bigger picture even if we might be happy to see them back in the league. The worry is the better LOI players are consistently flopping at the lower end of the English football league system.

NIMAN

Anyone know the rules re: ticket allocation for the Cup semis?

How many tickets are away teams entitled to?

Deiselurker

There's no specific rules on it. Waterford got the Des Kelly stand end for our Cup semi in Dalymount a few years ago but that was before the Mono stand was there. I'd imagine it'll just be the normal allocation in Mono Stand.

2 years ago Shelbourne only got the normal away allocation at RSC against us. They weren't happy about it but Waterford didn't have to give them anymore.

Hammer Archer

Excellent performance by UCD last night. 3-0 was the minimum that was deserved, could have been 5 or 6. Away leg looks like it'll probably be on an artificial pitch so may not be as free flowing as yesterday, but Stjarnan didn't look like they had enough yesterday to overturn a 3 goal deficit.

Of course, not a single mention of the result in any media outlets (bar LOI oriented ones).