Greatest League in the World 2024 [new thread available]

Only change from last week is Coyler back in the xi, with the three new signings on the bench.

We haven't beaten Drogs yet this season so this will be a tough game.

Moreso to keep fans of the Dublin teams off the pitch. It worked too. We've been absolutely desperate. Ye should/could be 3 or 4 up, hopefully we can make ye rue the missed chances.

I don't think we're looking very convincing at all against Drogs.

Just can't seen to get any coherent passing or attacking going.

Derry continue to steadfastly refuse to win this league I see.

I think that's the league over in many ways. When we drop points Derry can't take advantage, infact we still pulled one more ahead, despite having two men sent off. And Derry will continue to drop points. Dunno how Drogheda didn't win that in the end, easier to score that header than miss.

Any doubt about Shels collapsing on the run in under pressure is moot I think also. Derry have a bigger psychological block about getting over the line. And when we don't win, we generally don't lose.

I said a few weeks back when people felt we were under pressure, we'd win the league by 10+ points, and I can't see any other outcome. We'll continue to stretch the lead, and the chasing pack just aren't good enough.

We've also strenghted considerably. The league is over. Then again, it was over the minute we signed Jarvis.

I could have screamed at the tv tonight.

What is it with us and playing in Sligo. Always poor.

And why can't we capitalise on any slip Shels make? They had just conceded an equaliser then we concede as well.

As for the defending for Sligos winner. I haven't seen worse. I have watched it a few times and can't work out what Shane MeEleney was doing. He seems to run out of the way of Chapman, who was able to run from his own half with no tackles.

we have had more than enough chances handed to us this season, we simply aren't clinical enough.

Ya we were miles off it first half, ye bullied us all over the pitch.

Complete reversal after the first couple of minutes of the second half. Ye had a chance to make it 2 and then we went and scored. Ye never really came back into it and we won the battles that ye were winning first half.

I'd like to see a replay of our disallowed goal as didn't see an infringement live. I'd have taken a point if offered at HT so can't argue.

Annoying to lose that in Waterford tonight. We had enough chances in the first half to score that we failed to take. Waterford's first chance in the 2nd half they score and we didn’t do enough to break them down. Credit where it's due they defended very well in the 2nd half although like all Keith Long sides they're awful to watch once they go ahead because of their gamesmanship which the refs always take too long to clamp down on. Lots of work needed on the training pitch before the crucial cup tie in Derry in 2 weeks time.

Drogs are a pox to play. Our complete bogey team.

Stop that!

Agree on that. Shels have more weapons throughout their team than ye have, imo. Ye are just too prone to those crap performances and results like tonights, the night we won at The Brandy well etc. The 2 games ye have left against Shels will be your biggest chance to claw it back.

Hope it all comes to fruition. It would be great for the northwest region and great for the league.

Sligo Rovers a real credit to the LOI with their positive forward thinking outlook as a club.

McLaughlin was muck all night long letting Drogheda away with persistent fouling, now he got both of the Barrett yellow cards spot on crazy stuff from Paddy but the Tyreke 2nd yellow card was a joke I did not see any deliberate handball the ball was smashed across his body path with milliseconds to react or pull his arms out of the way

Rovers need to give up this playing out from the back. For this to work you need centre backs who can actually find a team mate with a pass. Anytime Rovers tried to play out they had 5 Dundalk players closing them down, you could almost feel the panic. Twice in Richmond goals were given away by this stupid tactic, costing us 6 points. Definition of insanity , doing the same thing and expecting a different result. If they try that on Tuesday the Icelanders will be all over them. I fear though that Bradley has a fixed way of playing and isn't going to change now. Sometimes route 1 is the way to go, keep the ball far away from your goal and play in the oppositions half.

Cleary and Grace are probably the two best central defenders at playing out from the back and they weren't involved last night, but agree we have been poor playing out this year. Watts and Byrne played some nice balls in behind the defence and Kenny is at least looking better this season with his runs in behind, it was a great pass and finish for the goal. Where are we at with injuries now? Seems like we have most back - Farrugia, Gaffney and Grace the only ones who are still currently injured?

Scored a deserved goal and then stopped playing instead of showing a killer instinct. Thought Diallo was having a great game up until that silly foul.

I don't want to be too critical of Waweru as I've watched some absolute wasters up front for us over the years and at the very least he gives 100% every time he's on the pitch, but we desperately need a forward. Can we have Colm Whelan until the end of the season please? 🙃

Derry are a weird narrative to me. I’ve only seen you play twice this season and both games were wars of attrition where neither team really ever had the other hand.

But then throughout the season, it seems like every time you win, it’s masses of people talking about how you’re miles better than us, and only a matter of time until you pull clear. But then the minute you drop points it’s similar amounts of people acting like we have it in the bag and Higgins just isn’t capable.

which is it?

If you don't win a trophy in 2024, will he be there next season?

Looking from the outside, you'd think that it might be the end of the road alright.

Impressive crowd of 5,300 in Tallaght on Thursday given recent results

Mother of God I finally saw a replay of the disallowed goal. Eoghan O'Shea is incompetent is the nicest thing I can say. Chorazka comes out and runs into the back of his own player, no obstruction, no push, no nothing and yet he somehow disallowed it.

come back to me when you have a free given against you for the goalkeeper catching it 2 yards inside his own box…

And your goalkeeping coach gets a 6 week ban for complaining about it

Random uneducated prediction time!

Games v Ireland + Iceland clubs are generally very tight, and whatever side wins often has to play very well to edge it. It'll be interesting to see what Vikingur are like, knowing nothing of the league, I imagine Breidablik were an exceptional side by Icelandic standards who Rovers really didn't treat with the respect they should of last season. I imagine they ended up not retaining the league due to playing 16 (I think?) games in Europe last season, and probably lost some good players in the off season.

I can't see Vikingur being quite as good, but neither are Rovers who seem to be declining year on year. I think Rovers could win if they learn from last season, decided to play more conservatively and ground it out, I'm thinking positive thoughts and thinking this will be Rover's final hurrah and Johnny Kenny will do something on the break.

Reckon Derry and Shelbourne should really be winning both legs at least certainly edging their way through. Think they'll all be in trouble in Round 2 if they make it. Gibraltar clubs are also in pre season, LOI clubs have a massive advantage there.

I'd give Pat's a solid shot against Vaduz, they're not bad, but they're Swiss 2nd tier and in pre season, they're wildly inconsistent from season to season in Europe, apparently lost their top scorer in the off season, hard to know but It's not the worst draw.

Do it for the co efficient lads!

I once got to watch Longford lose to Vaduz live :D

Derry are the only team I'd be confident are an absolute cert, every other tie is probably 60/40 or 40/60