40 replies to this topic

[Nugget]

The draw for the first and second qualifying round was made yesterday. I'm just going to keep track of the British Isles teams for now.
The four English teams have gone straight into the group stages this year.
The two Scottish sides Celtic and Motherwell are into the third qualifying round. If they lose in that round they get put into the play-offs for the Europa League.
Irish and Welsh champions Shamrock Rovers and TNS are into the second qualifying round with Northern champions Linfield being put into the first round.


First Qualifying Round
Linfield vs B36 Torshavn (Faroe Islands)


Second Qualifying Round
Shamrock Rovers vs Ekranas (Lithuania)
TNS vs Helsingborg (Sweden)
AEL Limassol (Cyprus) vs Linfield/Torshavn


Best draw Shamrock Rovers could have hoped for really, hope they don't make a mess of it

Edited by Nugget, 10 July 2012 - 10:21 PM.

[David1]

Chelsea's fault we're in the first round but hopefully it gives us a platform to actually start building in Europe and taking it seriously. Shamrock Rovers obviously reached the Europa League group stages and they're not a million miles away from where we are. Hell, they needed penalties to knock Cliftonville out of the Setanta Cup. We have no excuses for not winning against them. The second round is just a little bit more trickier, wouldn't expect us to progress against a Cypriot team not solely due to the heat they'll have to play in as well.

[LiamCP]

I always find these stages interesting. Some decent sides do appear. I take interest in our sides from LoI participating at UEFA competitions. The draw was good to Rovers. I'd expect most of our sides to beat a Lithuanian team, so Rovers should set up a place in the Third Qualifying Round. Stranger things have happened though, they can't get complacent or over confident. A certain Bohemians side got over confident against TNS and we know how that ended!

I wouldn't expect the other sides from the other nearby leagues to make the Third Qualifying round, but Linfield could grab some valuable co-efficients against this pub team they got in the Pub team round! If they can't progress here, they may give up!

[David1]

That was probably the most one-sided 0-0 I've ever seen us play in my entire life and that's without exaggeration. It's a very disappointing result but I'd be quite confident of still progressing over there, particularly since away goals come into it now for us. In the second half I don't think they got out of their half more than 2-3 times but our cutting edge up front was sorely lacking. Thompson also missed a penalty tonight.

[LiamCP]

That was probably the most one-sided 0-0 I've ever seen us play in my entire life and that's without exaggeration. It's a very disappointing result but I'd be quite confident of still progressing over there, particularly since away goals come into it now for us. In the second half I don't think they got out of their half more than 2-3 times but our cutting edge up front was sorely lacking. Thompson also missed a penalty tonight.

I didn't see the game, so I won't comment too much on it, but in terms of trying to get as many co-efficients as possible, that is a very poor result at home to an amateur side. The other sides won 7-0 and 8-0 so that will do their co-efs the world of good

[Nugget]

You would really hope Linfield wrap this up the next day. Would be pretty awful to go out at this stage.
Starting to worry about Rovers chances though, they really are off the pace entirely this season

[LiamCP]

Starting to worry about Rovers chances though, they really are off the pace entirely this season

That's true. They look a shadow of the team they were last season. That being said I'd rather Dundalk be like them than the way we are now haha. Rovers should have enough to beat Ekranas, its the next round that will provide the big danger.

[Nugget]

That's true. They look a shadow of the team they were last season. That being said I'd rather Dundalk be like them than the way we are now haha. Rovers should have enough to beat Ekranas, its the next round that will provide the big danger.

Oh god, you're from Dundalk, rough times for you! Was in the same situation last year with Galway, the league will run out of teams at this rate

[LiamCP]

Oh god, you're from Dundalk, rough times for you! Was in the same situation last year with Galway, the league will run out of teams at this rate

Yeah its depressing, and I've always felt for every club that succumbed to this horrible faith. It was all rosy just a few years ago. From Promotion to the Setanta Cup and Europa League to be now facing relegation due to finances or even extinction, its a roller-coaster in our league! Yes there will be no teams left very soon, they are all dropping like flies!

[Nugget]

Yeah its depressing, and I've always felt for every club that succumbed to this horrible faith. It was all rosy just a few years ago. From Promotion to the Setanta Cup and Europa League to be now facing relegation due to finances or even extinction, its a roller-coaster in our league! Yes there will be no teams left very soon, they are all dropping like flies!

Just saw that ye have a game against Chelsea XI coming up. Could be a big boost

[snday]

You said is very good ,I agreed with you .

[David1]

Still 0-0. Embarrassing.

That's me away out now, five minutes left and still 0-0. Looking forward to coming back to see us having gone out on penalties. Pathetic.

Edited by David1, 10 July 2012 - 06:41 PM.

[Nugget]

Still 0-0. Embarrassing.

That's me away out now, five minutes left and still 0-0. Looking forward to coming back to see us having gone out on penalties. Pathetic.

0-0 after two legs. That really is awful

[David1]

0-0 after two legs. That really is awful

Couldn't score in over three hours against a team from a country with a less population than Bangor for fuck's sake. It's been said before about our, ahem, preparation for Europe and how the club doesn't take it as seriously as they should but there should be a major inquest into it. Cliftonville beat a team who were supposed to be clear favourites and Portadown are currently drawing 1-1 at home to this Macedonian outfirt. Okay, the Crues got tanked but they were playing Rosenborg and their manager was too busy sunning it up in the Algarve or wherever the hell he was.

The management at our club are too comfortable in seeing us win the league or cup every year but we should have higher ambitions than that. We should be looking at progressing in Europe, not just one round where we can pat ourselves on the back, but actual meaningful progress. I said it when Rovers qualifed for the EL groups and I'll say it again: there's absolutely no reason why we ourselves shouldn't be pushing to reach that level. Even after beating these fishermen on penalties we're still only progressing to the same stage we would expect to normally enter so how is that progress in any way? Failing to score a single goal - despite our pressure which means nothing without capitalising - against Torshavn is just entirely the opposite, a complete regression from where we're (well, where I would expect) us to be aiming for.

[Nugget]

Couldn't score in over three hours against a team from a country with a less population than Bangor for fuck's sake. It's been said before about our, ahem, preparation for Europe and how the club doesn't take it as seriously as they should but there should be a major inquest into it. Cliftonville beat a team who were supposed to be clear favourites and Portadown are currently drawing 1-1 at home to this Macedonian outfirt. Okay, the Crues got tanked but they were playing Rosenborg and their manager was too busy sunning it up in the Algarve or wherever the hell he was.

The management at our club are too comfortable in seeing us win the league or cup every year but we should have higher ambitions than that. We should be looking at progressing in Europe, not just one round where we can pat ourselves on the back, but actual meaningful progress. I said it when Rovers qualifed for the EL groups and I'll say it again: there's absolutely no reason why we ourselves shouldn't be pushing to reach that level. Even after beating these fishermen on penalties we're still only progressing to the same stage we would expect to normally enter so how is that progress in any way? Failing to score a single goal - despite our pressure which means nothing without capitalising - against Torshavn is just entirely the opposite, a complete regression from where we're (well, where I would expect) us to be aiming for.

That must be extremely frustrating, thankfully ye got through in the end anyway.
It's a strange one, the preparation of a few of the northern teams has always been viewed as a bit of a joke down here. It's so hard to understand why it isn't taken that seriously. Things have gone quite well for us and the move to the summer season has certainly helped us in europe.
After failing to score against a Faroe Islands side over two legs it's very very hard to see anything coming against Cypriot opposition

[David1]

Based on most recent results in Europe I'd say we do tend to fair a bit better when we're the underdogs, but then in those situations we're not really expected to break the other team down which is where I personally think our management have no idea how to change the system when required to.

[LiamCP]

Just saw that ye have a game against Chelsea XI coming up. Could be a big boost

Yeah that should provide a boost. But one bout of good news follows with more problems, the manager Sean McCaffrey walked out today! These fund raisers up and coming will decide the future of the club I think..

[Nugget]

Yeah that should provide a boost. But one bout of good news follows with more problems, the manager Sean McCaffrey walked out today! These fund raisers up and coming will decide the future of the club I think..

Seems most Dundalk fans are happy he's gone.

Shamrock Rovers and TNS drew their games 0-0. Was a good result for TNS considering they had Swedish opposition.
Rovers should have won comfortably and they better not fuck this up in the away leg. It's mental that every time I watch Rovers Gary Twigg is completely shite, yet he's supposed to be brilliant, starting to think I'm jinxing him at this stage.
Linfield are playing tomorrow at 6

[LiamCP]

Seems most Dundalk fans are happy he's gone.

Shamrock Rovers and TNS drew their games 0-0. Was a good result for TNS considering they had Swedish opposition.
Rovers should have won comfortably and they better not fuck this up in the away leg. It's mental that every time I watch Rovers Gary Twigg is completely shite, yet he's supposed to be brilliant, starting to think I'm jinxing him at this stage.
Linfield are playing tomorrow at 6

Yeah, there was a collective sigh of relief when the news came of his departure. He was out of his depth and had no idea what he was doing. We got a good result against Shamrock Rovers and Oriel was packed. The side played a lot better too. His departure seemed to lift everyone lol.

Bad result for Rovers, up in the air if they progress because if you cant beat these at home, what chance have you away. Rovers havent been playing great anyway, this result only further highlights that. Linfield are currently getting trounced, no surprise considering the result for them in the last round. Its a huge step up in class from a Faroe side to Cypriot side!