Greatest League in the World 2024 [LOI Thread]

artanevilla

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122402667#Comment_122402667

You can't hear anything from G when you're in A and vice versa, so it just sounds normal from inside the Jodi.

Ferris_Bueller

Yeah Rovers were so poor tonight and Bohs completely deserved that win. It was always going to be difficult after Tuesday but I thought we might have had a bit of spirit and momentum going into it, worst case scenario I thought we'd tire and lose but we didn't even turn up. Starting to fear we could get an almighty walloping off Sparta Prague. Only a handful of our players look up to it, and not many of them were on the pitch tonight.

Randomfriend

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122402657#Comment_122402657

Feels like we've more or less released anyone on money who wanted to go and are just waiting until next year at the stage.

PGE1970

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122402945#Comment_122402945

If I was a Rovers supporter, european games or not, I'd be worried if a squad that is the envy of most clubs can't get at it for a cup game v Bohs?

Your second XI beats my club Drogheda nine out of ten games!!

topmanamillion

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122402657#Comment_122402657

Shows the gulf between Premier and certainly bottom end First Division. I doubt Longford are sustainable long-term. Hanley seems to put a lot of money into keeping them afloat but they don't have much support locally. It's only UCD that are worse supported than them out of the whole 20 league clubs. They were reasonably successful around the 00s but if Hanley was ever to walk away they'd most likely drop out of the league. It'd be a shame because Strokestown road is better than a few premier division grounds.

Randomfriend

Longford the Town has struggled massively since the crash, it has never recovered, most of the fanbase don't even live in the county any more, every home game is an away game.

I don't know where we go long term, things were going relatively well until Cronin left for Bohs, club lost all momentum on the pitch, took an age to hire a manager, had a very weak squad because half the team left, has been slipping since.

It's completely unsustainable without Hanley, but honestly I don't remember a time it hasn't been.

This is the worst Town team since Kenny took over, certainly one way to celebrate the centenary. I am reticent to criticize anyone, we just don't have a lot outside of a nice stadium to actually compete any more.

The 1st division is also very poor, Cork aren't great and they're walking it, so lookit, maybe things will improve next season.

BlazingSaddler

Bohs were well worth that win tonight, Rovers didn’t know what hit them with that midfield performance from Tierney, Devoy and McDonnell. Bohs still lacking a decent striker but the effort and pressing tonight best I’ve seen in years. Flores outstanding

Oat23

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122403245#Comment_122403245

If you add Keena and a few more in Winter there's no reason you couldn't challenge at the top next year, assuming Reynolds is a decent manager. Been fairly sh*te under him so far but he inherited a bad team.

artanevilla

I think Bohs are just missing a striker. We've no outlet. Last night we controlled the midfield and the best part was after the goal they didn't panic, they more or less continued to control the game.

I would have some consternation about our defense as well, particularly from set pieces. When Flores plays in defense he can be excellent, he reads the game very well and steps out to intercept/tackle but sometimes he tries passes you should only try in midfield and puts the team under pressure.

eire4

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122403020#Comment_122403020

Even more so when the players knew going into the game that the Cup at this point was their only realistic chance at winning something this season.

CSF

This thread has gone awful weird with the reactions anytime a half decent team (or historically big club) doesn’t win a game.

Bohs were at home and have good players too.

artanevilla

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122405170#Comment_122405170

Europe is big for Bohs and the cup is their only chance of it at this point. So a huge game for them also, maybe even more so.

eire4

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122405445#Comment_122405445

No question about that and a deserved win. Hopefully it translates into an upswing in league form as well as at this stage as while the league form has been very poor 4th place is amazingly still not completely out of reach. Only 5 points back if the game in hand was won.

Niall_76

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122405244#Comment_122405244

It’s more the manner than the result that gets the reaction I think.

Was a really strange game between bohs and rovers. Usually they are 100 miles an hour with tackles flying in. Looked more like a pre season friendly in the first half.

CSF

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122405800#Comment_122405800

I’ve not seen a minute of that game (still abroad with Shels), but I can tell you with 100% certainty that both teams were very eager to win that game. Sometimes teams just stifle each other.

NIMAN

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122406002#Comment_122406002

How did the trip go?

CSF

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122406194#Comment_122406194

Yeah, unbelievable stuff. Beautiful weather, Shels through and fuelling international incidents between Gibraltar and Spain :)

artanevilla

I'm vaguely amused that there's another club in Cobh called Cobh Wanderers.

CSF

We’re through in probably the least eventful game in the history of time.

Randomfriend

Big performance from Derry here, pretty much dominated the whole game, did not expect them to have the legs after Bruno's!

CSF

At least Pats can concentrate on the league now.

Boooourns

Derry are just plain weird.

trashcan

Absolutely disgraceful performance from Pats. Play like this in Europe and we’re going to be seriously embarrassed. Worst performance of the season by a distance. This group of players should be doing much better. Shocking.

Randomfriend

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122408854#Comment_122408854

Decided to give it a watch, I've no skin in the game, but they just can't play out of the press at all, nothing in midfield and Melia up top is so isolated. I think Derry have played a big part in making Pats play badly, but I can't believe its this one sided.

kksaints

Unacceptable 2nd half performance from us. Anyone would think we played 120 minutes on Thursday not Derry. Can't believe how bad Forrester, Lennon and Leavy have been this season. Don't want to see Melia upfront on his own again this season. Kenny has some serious work to do, there has to be a reaction to today on Thursday.

CSF

Pats ending their campaign in solidarity with Joe Biden

Oat23

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122408621#Comment_122408621

Didn't realise they're managed by Stephen Henderson until I saw him on the touchline.

The early rounds of the cup are pointless when LOI sides are matched with intermediate teams. The gulf in talent plays a big role obviously, but you'll rarely get a decent game when you add match fitness on top of that. Few of those Cobh lads are just back from Santa Ponsa I'd say. I don't think their league starts for another 4 or 5 weeks.

trashcan

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122408994#Comment_122408994

Played like a bunch of 80 year olds in fairness.

NIMAN

I must admit I was shocked just how bad Pats were tonight, expected so much more from them. SK has brought little to them since his arrival.

They looked tidy in the first half without actually creating anything, and we looked our usual lethargic, slow self's.

But what a change in the 2nd half, really went for it and fully deserved the victory. Was never a penalty either, so justice was done.

SK has a big job on his hands. Time to earn his big money.

Oat23

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122402637#Comment_122402637

Looking back at the highlights and it looks like the scoreboard was 10 seconds faster than the video in most games. They'll need to fix that before the next round.

BonnieSituation

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122408650#Comment_122408650

I had to switch off after about 10min of the second half. I'm only human, and I was missing out on a game of hurling for the ages.

We got the win. But Jesus it was a tough watch.

Hodors Appletart

it was what it needed to be, I could hear Boyd all second half just roaring at the defenders "KEEP THE BALL"

Ferris_Bueller

Steaua Bucharest or Macabi Tel Aviv if Rovers progress against Sparta Prague (which we won't). If we lose - we would likely play one of Celje, Banja Luka or Santa Coloma (Andorra). Draw around 1ish.

Santa Coloma would be an excellent draw, Banja Luka would be a good draw too. Celje you'd imagine would be too strong.

VillaMad

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122411247#Comment_122411247

Rovers sadly get Celje which seems to be the likely outcome.

Very likely now that they will drop down to the Conference League play-off round.

kksaints

In the somewhat unlikely event we get past Vaduz we'd play either Maccabi Haifa or Sabah of Azeribajan. Horrific draw tbh, both travel nightmares and the off-field mess that would come with playing Haifa would be horrible.

Ferris_Bueller

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122411525#Comment_122411525

Ah FFS. Probably the toughest of the 6 unseeded sides (presuming all the weaker sides lost).

Boooourns

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122409045#Comment_122409045

Research St Francis FC.

ben.schlomo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122412674#Comment_122412674

Research 30 years ago. The game has moved on!!

artanevilla

It would be more concerning if there wasn't a gulf. It is what it is, that's the magic of the FAI cup as they say.

CSF

The 3 all Premier Division ties in the first round has meant that more than half the remaining teams left are lower division also.

You would think all of ourselves, Derry, Galway, Waterford, Bohs and Sligo will be feeling like this is a prime opportunity.

Ferris_Bueller

It would be great to see Waterford or Galway get to the Aviva this year after the great seasons they've had. You'd wonder how many they'd bring with them. We've grown accustomed to very healthy crowds at the cup final the past few years.

kksaints

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122412946#Comment_122412946

Around 10,000 each I'd say, maybe a bit more in Waterford's case. In one way I'd love a shock first division finalist this year , say one of Athlone, Kerry, Wexford or UCD but then I'd wonder what numbers they'd bring and I go off the idea somewhat.

CSF

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122413206#Comment_122413206

I would also like a First Division team in the final…..against us

Ohmeha

UCD against someone like Derry in the FAI Cup final at the Aviva would be quite the mismatch in terms of numbers of support and a nightmare for the FAI's revenue

First Division is bad this season but if you had 6 of 7 Premier Division teams drawn against each other tomorrow it would really open it up for any of the First Division teams. If all Premier Division teams avoid each other tomorrow then it's goodnight for a First Division team going on a run to the final

CSF

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122413250#Comment_122413250

On the flip side, Cork bring as many as anyone for a big day out

kksaints

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122413232#Comment_122413232

Not sure I'd like that personally. Now there's a chance of an embarrassing loss for Shels but the odds would be low enough. I'd rather Bohs vs Shels drawn out tomorrow, get rid of one of them at least.

trashcan

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122413268#Comment_122413268

Cork are an anomaly in terms of the first division though. Crowd wise they’d be too 5 or 6 in the country I’m guessing, and well capable of attracting a bidg crowd to a final. Hard to see the attendance matching last years really. ( Just saying that out of bitterness now we’re out 😉)

chopperbyrne

8250 tickets already sold for tomorrow night in Tallaght, for a match that pretty much every supporter knows we're huge underdogs for.

artanevilla

You'd imagine Kerry would bring a good few for the day out.

Bohs set to announce Aidan Keena at some point this week, very happy with the window so far, got rid of some duds and signed some proven talent.

CSF

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122415270#Comment_122415270

Yeah, very different approach to the window to the off-season. Be interesting to see how good Bohs can get over the remainder of the season.

Pats under Kenny just haven’t taken off at all and the honeymoon period well and truly over by now. I remember thinking back in May when we beat them, that maybe we’d been fortunate to get them before he’d been able to put his stamp on things. But they’ve won 2 games since then and the season very much hanging on these games against Vaduz.