CL2QR2L Shelbourne FC -v- Steaua Bucharest (Agg 0:0)

thejollyrodger

Wednesday 6.30pm GMT RTE.

Reading through the sunday papers it seems fairly clear that not one of the papers gives Shels the faintess of chances in BUCHAREST. Most journos reckon its going to be a whitewash 4-0 or something like that.

Felons best oppurtunity to get a goal was in the first 30 minutes at Tolka. Steaua did grow in confidence and we were against the wall for the last 20 odd minutes.

Steaua are defintely better than Spliit and we havent got a scoring draw against good opposition in Europe. I dont think there will be any white wash but with the big pitch and Steaua in better shape I think this might be a 2 - 1 win for Steaua. I hope im wrong though.

Big Ears

head says 2-1 aswell but my heart says 1-1 .

StickyMcGinty

i'm hopin my heart is right too... 1-1

theres a big screen at tolka showing this game too if anyone wants to make he trip

Chucky the tree

2-0 steaua

evilhomer

It's always hard to call a game like this.

If Shels score first they can probably hang on.

But if steaua score first I can see the heads going down, Shels just don't have the experience in Europe to come back if they go behind IMO (I hope i'm wrong btw)

I will go with my heart and say 1-1 but it really could go down the tubes if Steaua score early.

applehunter

Steue looked good in the second half against Shels cause Shels didn't press them at ALL up the pitch.

I dont think its over by any means. If Shels play Hoolahan and Byrne and keep the ball better and Crowe and Jason Byrne get a chance they will have to take it.

0-0 I think. Shels to go out on Peno's

Raskolnikov

1-1, Shels to go through on away goals.

Illkillya

Hate to say it but... 3-0 Steaua

thejollyrodger

after Steaua losing last night and them picking up an injury i think Shels might be able to cause an upset.

1-1

Davei141

As much as id like shels to get through, i cant see it happening.

cournioni

The best Shels can do I think is get a draw. But I can't see that happening. 2-0 to Steaua, I reckon.

thejollyrodger

Defeatists!!

Slash/ED

It all depends on Fenlon actually picking the right team. Hoolahan and Ndo MUST play.

Töpher

Slash/ED wrote:

It all depends on Fenlon actually picking the right team. Hoolahan and Ndo MUST play.

If fit, then yes. If not 100% then not a chance, bench though.

I've got Steaua 1-2 Shelbourne in my head, but I don't see how! 1-1 however...

_blank_

I had a dream that we won 2-2, with Jayo scoring in the last minute to put us through.

That would be a bit special.

StickyMcGinty

i'd love to do it, i'd be travelling to the next away game if we made it through, 1 step away from the group stages!!

head: 2-0
heart: 1-1

_blank_

VinnyL wrote:

head: 2-0
heart: 1-1

But either way we go through

Come one Shels, I am dying for this game.

Are you heading to Tolka Vinny?

StickyMcGinty

seansouth wrote:

But either way we go through

Come one Shels, I am dying for this game.

Are you heading to Tolka Vinny?

i'd love to sean, but i'm heading to AMsterdam thursday mornin on, eh, businness so i need to be up bright and early. might just watch it in the local.

i really hope we can do it, i think this is a bigger euopean game than deportivo for us, we win this and i really think we can get in to the group stages!!

the thing that gives me hope about tomorrow is knowing that Steua have to win on the night!

I'll be praying to alla, buddha, jesus and who ever will listen for a score draw!!

Forza shels!!

The Insider

I would think 3 or 4 nil to Steaua, can see shels maybe holding it at 0-0 for the first 45 but then Steaua stepping up a gear. Hope I am wrong though!!

StickyMcGinty

steua were beaten at the weekend, and they'd a fairly handy player injured. dont know if he's deffo out of wednesdays game though.

hadjuk wrote us off last year, lets hope the scouse bangs in a 30 yarder again!!

Kingp35

although 0-0 wasnt a bad result and it still gives shels a chance I really feel that they needed to win the home game 1-0. They had the chances to score in the first half and dint take them and this could come back to haunt them.

Steau totally controlled the game in the second half as shels looked like they were settling for a draw and tbh looked like a far superior team. I really dont know why shels reverted to these tactics in second half as they were more than a match to steau in the first.

If they play for the draw or play deep they will be beaten easily. The goal will evenyually come and the heads will drop. They need to offer an attacking threat and try to score. This will force steau back and release the pressure on the defense which is vital in a European game.

If Fenlon plays the right tactics shels have a chance but I feel he will do the usual thing and tell his team to sit and soak pressure and because of this shels will go out.

2-0 to steau I would say if not more.

If he plays more attacking football I can see shels having a real chance and they could cause an upset

thejollyrodger

If shels lose it will be only by a goa IMOl. I wouldnt start building this steaua team up to something that they are not. They are vunerable at the back if they are put on any kind of pressure. They lost against a weaker side in the SuperCup and are missing a key player. they only have about 13 better players and if they picked up another injury wednesday night it wouldnt look so pretty for them.

Still shels do have a massive task ahead of them and its going to take all 3 subs to keep the team going. 30c temperatures wont be easy. Shels need to score but if they score too early i just think that they will sit back and try to defend it.

soma

heart: 1-1 or 2-2
head: 1-3

What I fear most is steaua doing a 'lille' and simply overwhelming us in the first 30 mins once they have us in their backyard. Shels are very poor at soaking up pressure and I feel that this approach only worked in the first leg due to steaua being very rusty in the final third.

If things go badly, the reason i said steaua might score 3 is that when shels' heads' drop... they often drop spectacularly :rolleyes:

However, these predictions are primarily based on the assumption that fenlon goes for an overly defensive 4-5-1. There are ways to play this formation with a real chance of scoring, particularly if he plays weso playing just off crowe. Baker was utterly out-classed on the wing so I'd be tempted to put Jayo there.

There are some factors which makes me believe my 'heart' predictions may come to pass.

* shels are rested, steaua had a tough derby game & lost.
* our keeper appears to be in the form of his life (fingers crossed)
* crowe looks damn sharp
* weso (if selected) will be a real shot in the arm for the team's creativity
* ollie had a good game in the first leg! :eek:
* steaua, for all their confidence, will know that deep down, they are on shaky ground when it comes to away goals & actually only managed one truly menacing shot on target in dublin.
* steaua's fans are highly regarded, but i've heard a mention or two of their impatience if things arent going swimmingly by 30 mins.

I'm gonna be pretty damn nervous watching this game!

gimmick

The next 3 days are crucial to Shels' season. If the lose the Steuea and City beat Waterford, they will be out of Europe AND 17 points off the top of the eL.

From watching the game the other night I felt that SB were by far the better team. They put together good passages of play and were comfortable on the ball for the most part. Shels on the other hand looked like they had left their composure at the turnstiles. If the game starts like that, Shels are scrwed.

On the other hand, psychology will come into this alot. Shels know that they must improve drastically to have any hope. SB, however, may look at it as being the hard work is done and take the foot off the gas somewhat.

Should be an interesting game, one which I have no idea who is going to come out of top.

_blank_

...and furthermore I would like to extend my heartfelt good wishes to Shels for a good result tomorrow night, ensuring them passage to the Third Round tie against Rosenborg.

Isn't that what you meant to add at the end of that post gimmick ?

gimmick

How very remiss of me!

Slash/ED

http://www.shelbournefc.ie/news.php?id=142

Not looking good. Same team again, same mistakes made by Fenlon again, and we will lose. We cannot expect to beat a team like Steaua with Cahill, despite his good game first leg, and Baker as our main creative threats. It just wont happen bar a miracle.

_blank_

Well if Weso is still not 100% then he shouldn't be risked, just as Stuey shouldn't have been last week.

The even more worrying thing is that Ndo wasn't even mentioned.

What the blue hell is going on there.

Slash/ED

That's what I'm complaining about, if Wes can't play he can't play - though I really don't see how a stomach bug could keep him out for over a week.

The Ndo situation is getting farcical and as ever the fans are being kept in the dark.

_blank_

Slash/ED wrote:

The Ndo situation is getting farcical and as ever the fans are being kept in the dark.

Come on Slash, do you really expect the club, any club to air it's dirty linen in public.

Would you prefer a public falling out between manager and player?

- not that I am implying anything of the sort -

Slash/ED

I'd like some kind of comment to be made saying if he has a future at the club or not. I'm really not too convinced that it was a falling out between player and manager, though that does look likely, surely if that was true with the timing of it he'd be sold by now? I doubt there would be any shortage of takers, he'd walk into any team in the league and there would probably be interest from abroad, plus Fenlon could have gone out and gotten a replacement right away.

Simply freezing him out of the team while at the same time paying his wages would not be the way to go about it if that's what happened, so I think there must be something else going on, god knows what though.

soma

I'm really really hoping that fenlon is trying to pull the wool over steaua's eyes here and goes with a different team on the night - dropping baker, weso in,
jayo on the right.

Otherwise - that team seems more built for a 'respectable scoreline' rather than any kind of serious expectation of getting the right result

Slash/ED

It's not impossible that he is doing that. He did the same for the Glentoran game, pretended Hawkins was all but out when in reality he was completley fit. I can only hope.

StickyMcGinty

soma: your abs right, i totally agree with ye

thats a shocking announcement, baker had the worst ever performance in a red shirt last week, if he cant raise it in front of a sell-out tolks then he cant raise it. completley ran out of ideas so he did.

if wes doesnt play we wont score - that i'm sure. we wont even get a sniff of goal. its REALLY frustrating knowing if fenlon puts out the same team again we're going to be destroyed....... and if we do get knocked out and we're 17 points behind cork, fenlon may collect his p45 on monday

Pigman II

I think it'll be a similar game to the Deportivo game last with Shels holding on til about the hour mark and then the superior class of the Romanians showing.

Head : 2-0 Steaua
Heart : 5-0 Steaua

StickyMcGinty

superior class?? their hardly group stages material are they. if nutsy plays the same team as last week then it will be 5 nil though. he HAS to wise up tactics wise for the second leg!!

_blank_

Slash/ED wrote:

Fenlon could have gone out and gotten a replacement right away.

Alan Reynolds?

Why was this man brought into the squad?

Slash/ED

seansouth wrote:

Alan Reynolds?

Why was this man brought into the squad?

If he was brought into the squad to replace Ndo I fear for Fenlons sanity.

It'd be like Ronaldinho having a falling out with someone at Barca and Lee Carsley being brought in to replace him.

Bateman

I'd also go for the "Shels holding them for an hour, then letting in 2 or 3" scenario. Shels just aren't good enough, based on what I've seen of them this season, with our without Hoolahan and with or without Ndo.

thejollyrodger

Pigman II wrote:

I think it'll be a similar game to the Deportivo game last with Shels holding on til about the hour mark and then the superior class of the Romanians showing.

Head : 2-0 Steaua
Heart : 5-0 Steaua

Superior class of the romanians ?? :rolleyes: OMG im going use in my signature. It will look great if we go through.

FFS this Steaua outfit are good but not that good. They will be better than the first leg but not unrecognisablely so. We will be better too. Steaua arent in the same league as Lille or Deportivo so dont build them up as something they clearly arent. They made a dogs dinner of the Supercup against inferior opposition :rolleyes: Any contential side can knock the ball around well but when you get at them its a different kettle of fish.

I dont do the building up the opposition rountine anymore. It always creates a mental block and we spend most of the game waiting for the opposition to rip us apart. (this includes the national side as well)

Fenlon says he is sticking closely to the team last game with only a few changes, well he will bring on all 3 subs on top of a few changes so thats a lot.

Shels have to concentrate on what they are going to do to get a result. There is fúck all point in going over to Romania to get a respectable score line, moral victories and the like. We have to go there and try to score and go for a win not defend a goal!!!!!!!. When shels are all nervous its dreadful stuff. They have to go out and play.

1-0 is the same as 10-0. We held back against Deportivo last year and whats the point in doing that if the league wants to make serious progess???????

**edit.. bateman you havent a clue

Slash/ED

Agree on moral victories, they are pointless. I'd rather lose 10-0 going for it than go all out defence and get a 1-0 loss and be happy with it

StickyMcGinty

so who is goin to tolka tomorrow night??

Töpher

A loss is a loss, be it 5-3 or 10-0 or 1-0. None of that matters, we need a result.

0-0 will see extra-time; where perhaps their lack of match fitness may prove a hinderance. Any other draw and we're through.

I'm not going to entertain the possibilities of winning the game as I don't want to jinx any opportunities!

Leave the moral victories to Steaua, please! Once we get through I don't care how we do it!

//edit: I'll be there VinnyL.

Slash/ED

I was going to go to Tolka but there's been a change of plan, it should be good though. Are both bars open and showing the match there?

_blank_

I shall be in Tolka.

Pigman II

Yes VL&JR, Superior class i.e. their class is superior to yours. I'm not saying Steaua are AC Milan, I'm simply saying they are a better team than Shels and if they had to play to a result they would probably beat them 8 times out of 10.

No need for all you Shels studiers to get so bent out of shape about it just because I'm not heralding your team as the second coming.

_blank_

Pigman II wrote:

No need for all you Shels studiers to get so bent out of shape about it just because I'm not heralding your team as the second coming.

Hardly ALL.

In fact, I can see only one "Shels Studier" who had a go at anyone else in this whole thread. VinnyL certainly hasn't, Slash hasn't, Einstürzende hasn't, soma hasn't, I haven't.

KdjaCL

come........on ..........shels.........


:eek:

kdjac

Pigman II

seansouth wrote:

Hardly ALL.

In fact, I can see only one "Shels Studier" who had a go at anyone else in this whole thread. VinnyL certainly hasn't, Slash hasn't, Einstürzende hasn't, soma hasn't, I haven't.

I didn't say they 'had a go' I said they 'got bent out of shape'. Also 'all' can be two or even one. Plus I make a distinction between people I consider supporters and those I consider 'studiers'. Plus I was also talking about other shels studiers who may read my posts in the future and as a result 'get bent out of shape' also.

_blank_

KdjaC wrote:

come........on ..........shels.........


:eek:

:eek: indeed.

Dude, I'm putting that quote in my sig

thejollyrodger

i didnt mean to get "bent out of shape" but i know what a typical continental side are like. They were always great at moving the ball around and looked great on the ball but when you get at them they arent so hot. thats all my point is.

speaking of ac milan, they looked great until liverpool really went at them in the second half of the champions league final last season.