Greatest League in the World 2024 [new thread available]

chopperbyrne · 19-08-2021 4:06pm

Grace is out injured, and Finn will be playing right back.

If Tallinn are smart, they'll try to exploit that. Hopefully Finn handles the pressure.

the heathen · 19-08-2021 4:53pm

Genuine question, in what way does it help the league if Rovers reach the group stage?

Is it just a profile thing? Or does it actually help the other team's coefficients?

kksaints · 19-08-2021 5:33pm

Profile mostly although there might be increased solidarity payments also.

They're playing poorly atm tho, midfield is non existent when Flora have the ball.

Underground · 19-08-2021 6:44pm

Rovers defending has been fcking shocking. Did really well to get it back to 3-2.

Just park the bus at that point and take it back to tallaght at 3-2. Ffs.

sonic85 · 19-08-2021 6:48pm

Yeah it's been amateur hour at the back for Rovers. They did well to get it back to 3-2 but to concede again straight after was laughable

Dr. Bre · 19-08-2021 6:49pm

Sickener for hoops. Get it back to 3/2 then a minute later concede a 4th

ben.schlomo · 19-08-2021 6:52pm

Didn't see the game but it looks like a really poor defeat on paper for Rovers. They'll need a huge performance next week.

Dillonb3 · 19-08-2021 6:54pm

Desperate defending from Rovers all game and could easily have been 6-2 if Flora took those two chances at start of second half. They're still in it but they can't let Vassilyev have a free reign in the second leg

artanevilla · 19-08-2021 7:25pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117776899#Comment_117776899

People often point to Rosenborg in Norway as the model the LOI should look to in terms of European football but in my opinion it would be a disaster.

Generally good results in Europe are good for the club in the short and not really for the league. In the most case the European money also just goes on wages and doesn't get invested back into the infrastructure at the club. It just means the same players get paid more, the club with the money can poach their rivals players with big money offers and so it continues until one season they don't get to Europe and the prize money they had been using to cover the big wages dissappear and the club goes into free fall. Rinse and repeat.

pgj2015 · 19-08-2021 7:39pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117777442#Comment_117777442

Hoare was poor for Dundalk in the Europa league last year. He isn't good enough for European games. I know he scored a good goal against Arsenal but his defending wasn't good and he wasn't good on the ball.

CrabRevolution · 19-08-2021 7:46pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117777528#Comment_117777528

While it does little harm, I think the "great for the league" tag gets thrown about too loosely when a LOI team does well in Europe. We've had about a decade now of LOI teams competing well above their historical level, with innumerable European nights which have been "huge for the league" and "a great advertisement for the LOI", but there's few visible benefits outside of money to the clubs involved. It hasn't brought a discernible increase in fans or general financial wellbeing to the league.

I've always found it a questionable notion anyway that someone seeing Dundalk in the EL group stage will convince them to start supporting Athlone or Limerick as their nearest club.

artanevilla · 19-08-2021 8:02pm

It's always non LOI fans that throw it about as well, sometimes with the line "it might get more people interested" when they themselves have no intention going.

Just as an example as a Bohs fan I want Rovers out of Europe ASAP, not that fussed on other clubs but certainly don't support them in their European endeavours, I understand why some do, but non LOI fan always seems surprised when I tell them that.

Generally they are Liverpool or United fans but certainly don't like the suggestion that they should support other English teams in Europe as it's "good for the League".

joeysoap · 19-08-2021 8:03pm

Viteese and POAK both trailing by a goal at HT. A team Dundalk beat last year are in the Champions League playoffs ( Sheriff) that was a big win.ok we were lucky the playoff round was a once off in Dublin but we had to get past Sheriff first (away - only)

hardybuck · 19-08-2021 8:05pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117776899#Comment_117776899

The rising tide should hopefully lift all boats.

If they can get a win next week it'll mean a couple of million quid going to Ireland rather than Estonia. That'll mostly go into wages and maybe to the academy.

Better players playing in the league raises the overall standard, puts more bums on seats and encourages more commercial revenue from businesses.

artanevilla · 19-08-2021 8:07pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117777725#Comment_117777725

Except what we see is the same players getting more money.

joeysoap · 19-08-2021 9:18pm

Couldn’t agree more. In 2016 Dundalk paid a bonus of €40,000 a man. To Dundalk players. Not to anyone else.

Pawwed Rig · 19-08-2021 9:52pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117777630#Comment_117777630

Attendances were well up pre lockdown though so it might be working. It will be interesting to see average attendances once things open up fully.

Awesomeness · 19-08-2021 10:28pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117777594#Comment_117777594

Did Bradley really call hoares performance tonight one of the best by an Irish player in Europe

hardybuck · 19-08-2021 10:34pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117777730#Comment_117777730

Well the players who got them there should be rewarded to some extent.

Injections of cash into the league offer opportunities for improvement.

Dillonb3 · 20-08-2021 8:28am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117778365#Comment_117778365

He certainly did 😁 https://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2021/0819/1241818-bradley-bullish-about-hoops-hopes-of-salvaging-tie/

Pawwed Rig · 20-08-2021 9:07am

Well he could hardly go Mourinho on it and start calling his players out. 😄

Still have a chance in Tallaght. No choice but to go for it anyway. It's a pity the away goals thing is gone as that would be a small bit of a positive.

GLaDOS · 20-08-2021 9:11am

We should have some system where a portion of the European prize money is shared around the league. I know the teams qualifying (including my own) wouldn't be happy, but it might go some way towards improving the league as a whole.

chopperbyrne · 20-08-2021 10:42am

Rovers messed up and despite tickets supposed to be on general sale from 11:00, you can already purchase them. Just a heads up for anyone looking for tickets.

#BELIEVE

wrestlemaniac · 20-08-2021 11:09am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117779589#Comment_117779589

Ticket sorted, cheers

Cape Clear · 20-08-2021 12:28pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117777725#Comment_117777725

In the smaller leagues around Europe team's that do well in Europe consistently, usually enjoy a period of dominance in their domestic leagues. European money makes a huge difference to teams in the LOI as prize money, transfer fees and TV earnings are insignificant.

joeysoap · 20-08-2021 1:25pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117779305#Comment_117779305

Dundalk are (unfortunately) much changed too. It was still a much underrated performance.

Patrick2010 · 20-08-2021 1:29pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117779706#Comment_117779706

Looking at the seat selection on the website its almost sold out, only 37 seats left

hardybuck · 20-08-2021 2:28pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117780048#Comment_117780048

We're a bit away from having teams that do well in Europe consistently and our clubs that have done well (i.e. qualified for European competitions) haven't really had any period of dominance.

We have one club who've earned quite a lot of money over recent years and are currently in the bottom half of the league. We have another who qualified for the Europa League and have won the league once in the ten years since they qualified.

Clubs in the LOI are so strapped for cash and investment that we should be happy to see any money coming in from Europe.

chopperbyrne · 20-08-2021 4:55pm

2nd leg sold out.

Can't wait.

joeysoap · 20-08-2021 6:58pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117780775#Comment_117780775

Agreed. There’s just no money in the LOI. Dundalk got More for beating Maccabi then winning 3 league titles.

Drumpot · 20-08-2021 8:13pm

Break in shels game cause no corner flag!! Ha, was wondering what was going on.

Every game there’s always some defender pulling the hoop off o Connor and he gets no protection from refs.

joeysoap · 20-08-2021 8:47pm

drogheda by far and away the sharper team.

joeysoap · 20-08-2021 9:08pm

If I were the St Moctas manager I’d be happy. Very happy.

dfx- · 20-08-2021 9:10pm

Dundalk currently in the relegation playoff....

Oat23 · 20-08-2021 9:19pm

You could sense a night like tonight was coming for Owolabi. Always looks dangerous.

Dr. Bre · 20-08-2021 9:46pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117782645#Comment_117782645

That’s crazy. Should get out of it with the games in hand

NIMAN · 20-08-2021 9:52pm

Getting out of it isn't the issue, as they will.

But the fact they are where they are is shocking. What has gone wrong at that club?

kksaints · 20-08-2021 10:03pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117782676#Comment_117782676

His pace caused us huge issues, Barrett and Bone couldn't handle it at all but the first and third goals had a strong suspicion of offside and the second one was also questionable enough but not as strong as the other two.

Mind you Harps deserved their win, we were very poor after the first 20 minutes and Jaros had to make two very good saves to keep the score down.

20-08-2021 10:47pm

Another poor night for Longford. The last 2 times we have been up we have not been competitive at all. It wasn't unexpected but no league win since the opening day of the season is grim.

hardybuck · 20-08-2021 10:52pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117783030#Comment_117783030

Are they the same players that got promoted or what's the craic?

20-08-2021 10:54pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117783039#Comment_117783039

Yea we brought in very little. Dobbs came back he tries hard but is hardly a prolific scorer. We have a couple in on loan from Rovers. We came fifth last year in the first division which contains 2 teams who you'd like to think you'd beat every time you play them. We are a middling first division team unfortunately.

overshoot · 20-08-2021 11:35pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117782864#Comment_117782864

Best performance I've seen from us in a long time. Thought he was fine for the goals, he's always playing the line looking for the ball behind, but must watch the peno back too. Seemed soft but was the other end of the pitch. Connolly, seymore and coyle ran the show in midfield. First time all 3 played together

Our first hatrick since 2006, first in the premier since 1997 apparently. Scary stats!

Mid table is getting tighter all the time, very little in it

kksaints · 20-08-2021 11:39pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117783146#Comment_117783146

Ball bounces up off King and hits McNamees arm which knocks the ball away for the penalty. It's unlucky but most of the time it's a penalty.

overshoot · 21-08-2021 12:09am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117783158#Comment_117783158

Ah at the time it felt sickening, here we go again kinda thing but we regrouped and pressed on. Other times this season we'd have folded.

Feel for Longford, season like that is tough. They're well organised, work hard, just lacking that bit of quality.

ben.schlomo · 21-08-2021 12:21am

We were fcuking red rotten in Athlone tonight. I gave out about Shels and their ineffective long ball last week. We were the worst kinda version of it tonight. Just lump for the sake of it, no plan b, no alternative thinking, just keep doing it and hope for something, amateur hour. Athlone deserved their win and had a couple of excellent performers in Scott Delaney and the sub Tummise Sobowale (huge impact in midfield when he came on). Kurtis Byrne took his goal very well too. Typical of us dropping points when Shels and Treaty also do. One step forward and two back again.