Cruyff RIP. My third favourite player of all time behind Gormley and Zidane.
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Cruyff RIP. My third favourite player of all time behind Gormley and Zidane.
He was before my time but I've read and watch tons about him. I was obsessed by him at one stage. Fascinating character and he changed footballer forever
Football has existed long enough to have no shortage of legends but his impact on how the game is played at this exact moment in time is probably down to him more so than any other individual, which as an achievement is all the more impressive given he hasn't been involved in a day-to-day capacity in 20 years.Quote:
Originally Posted by Dodge
Rip
Hannover's relegation was confirmed this weekend.
The Pats curse.Quote:
Originally Posted by kksaints
That's themselves, Krylya and Hertha who have been relegated within a few years of playing us in Europe.
Steaua had their identity taken off them
and Olimps no longer exist...
That dodgy Glasgow club next so please. Long overdue :)
I'm hoping we get Rovers in Europe, then Shels...Quote:
Originally Posted by Slavia
Shels are already dead
Lincoln Red Imps from Gibraltar got through in Champions League vs Flora Tallinn of Estonia
They have Celtic next not a bad draw...Quote:
Originally Posted by St. Robbie
Quote:
Originally Posted by St. Robbie
The Europa League team from Gibraltar, College Europa, are 2-0 up on Pyunik Yerevan from Armenia, 2nd leg tonight
Something wrong about the sight of Pepe lifting an international championship while playing an entire tournament as an ultimate scumbag
He was the player of the tournament for me. Absolutely incredible defenderQuote:
Originally Posted by decokh
He was brilliant, but defo should keep his place of captain of wankbag XIQuote:
Originally Posted by Dodge
Celtic lost 1-0 on 'The Rock' tonight :eek:Quote:
Originally Posted by Slavia
Cork 1-0 up after 65. Peno. Maguire again! He likes his Euro penos. Defender sent off for the Swedes too. Beautiful artificial pitch. Nice stadium too. Kinda thing we should have.
Is the Dundalk game being streamed on line tonight?
It's on setanta / eir sport
better stillQuote:
Originally Posted by Danny
Great result for Dundalk, 2 more rounds guaranteed
Now that Cork are into the third qualifying round, does anyone know if turners cross is up to standard to host that stage? Parking is a nightmare down there on a match night, surely that'll hold them back in Uefa's eyes and they'll have to play it elsewhere
Turners Cross is OK yeah. Parking just has to be "available" We could use the oblates to tick that box for exampleQuote:
Originally Posted by We are the Red Army
F*ck the begrudgers.
Fair play to Dundalk. Extra €7m now guaranteed?
Time for us to up our game.
Up our game? What are you suggesting, a bank raid?Quote:
Originally Posted by Paddydillon
Everyone said when Rovers made the group stages of the Europa League that they'd dominate for a decade and obviously that failed to materialize. But this is different gravy - we're talking at least €6 more than Rovers earned that time.
Fair play to them and all that but the rest of us are now relying on them fcuking up royally with this windfall if we're to get anywhere near them.
Up our game!? We can't even do that now, so being €7m behind them as well is gonna make that impossible. What are people thinking congratulating them and wishing them well? I don't get it. This is a team that is in a different stratosphere to most in the league now, who are going for 3 in a row, won the Cup last year, and now have an unrivalled warchest. I've said it a million times and I still don't get get, why do some Irish fans of rival team wish others well when it comes to Europe, it has to be a purely Irish thing. Coefficient? Yeah, I might want them to win the odd game to keep that up. But to win €7m?? I just don't get the logic. This has a direct affect on our team in this league. If people don't think it does well then I give up. As Gaz said, this eclipses what the Homeless made financially. Very worrying for the rest of us. If they make the Champions League, we may as well all pack up and go home.
I can see them getting Fagan next season now, we should be signing him to a 2 year deal now
can't force him to sign it.Quote:
Originally Posted by Donohoe'd and Dusted
Fagan will be offered the longest contract, and the most money, we can afford. his last deal was 2 years. That's a given.
Hahahaha!
Yes, let's go hide under a rock, sure we'll never be able to compete with them!
A club who just a few years ago were on their uppers with a team in the play-offs, who got their shit together and punched way above their weight, getting a bit of luck here and there on the way.
I don't want Dundalk to get all this glory and money - I'm only happy because it shows the potential for clubs who get their act together. So it shows what St Patrick's Athletic can achieve but it also exposes how much we've been lacking. We've been in Europe 9 of the last 10 years. We can't say we haven't given ourselves enough opportunities. Yet some fans see Europe as a distraction from the 'real' business of domestic games. Well f*ck that shit.
The key to the long term sustainability of this club is success in Europe and that means winning games against higher ranked teams. Winning the League is great for the honours list and great for amazing nights out and the craic. But it's temporary and does nothing to get the kind of finance that will improve our facilities or help to safeguard against future crises. Just because Rovers f*cked it up doesn't mean we would.
They had 5 former Pats players in their squad last night and of them only Rogers was ever a key player for us. That shows the margins in quality between them and us (or anyone else in the league) are not insurmountable in the medium term, and what they've achieved could be achieved by other teams if they get the rub of the green - it was touch and go against the Icelanders, don't forget.
The prize money is unheard of but how are they going to spend it? Even if they signed what they thought was the best player in every position (like Drogs or Shels did) the difference in quality between players at the top clubs is minimal now.
What Dundalk done last night was great for the league, they will now have the finances to dominate for years that's for sure but I'm a firm believer that one big wave lifts all ships, the extra co-officiant gained from this will benefit teams, European games becoming regular in Ireland will benefit the league in general
Fair play to them
Dundalk added 0.05 to our score last night. They've added less than Cork for example.Quote:
Originally Posted by decokh
Whatever reason you have for supporting Dundalk (or other clubs), do't let coefficient be one
It's like talking to the wall Dodge. People saying it lifts our coefficient, grand, but as you pointed out, not to the extent that people think. And give it a rest that they got the rub of the green, a bit of luck staying up and then went on to dominate so good luck to them. They had huge amounts of money pumped into them. There was no plucky underdog story. If they were in the same financial situation they were when they nearly went down (and bust) they wouldn't have won the league the year after. I'm not saying they didn't work their nuts off to get there, but it was stacked in their favour when the money piled in. You'd swear it was the bucket collection that was the reason they became successful.So that leaves the rest of the reasons. And there is NONE that benefit Pats. Ultimately that's all I care about. Again I'll say it, this Dundalk team are WAY ahead of the Homeless team that qualified. The Homeless ended up with around €1.4m, Dundalk have secured €7m as a minimum.
Let that sink in. That's all profit. That's not only a different league, it's a different sport altogether!! An Irish club will go through €1.4m in no time as we've seen, but €7m?? How far do people want to see them going? Qualifying for the Champions League and the extra €12m that goes with that? Come on, some fans are all for supporting an Irish team, how far does that stretch to? I'd like to know that answer.
Only in Ireland. Ask Utd fans about whether they want City to do well, or Celtic and Rangers fans, Real and Barça.
Headbangers.
There's no guarantee that Dundalk will dominate for years to come. Granted they've a far better chance of dominating than anyone else but a number of things could go wrong for them:
1) They start spending silly money on player contracts offering bigger money and longer contracts to keep current players and get new ones. They'll end up with a bigger squad full of players who don't have to try too hard because they can't be sacked.
2) Stephen Kenny gets an offer he can't refuse, maybe from a Championship club. He'll probably bring most of the coaching staff with him. They replace him with Fenlon. All their money disappears in year 1 with no success.
3) Their better players move abroad. Championship clubs earn the best part of €4m a year from Sky before they kick a ball so Dundalk's money is no guarantee that they can offer contracts as good as some English clubs. Also if Kenny does go he's likely to bring a few players with him.
4) They sign players from other LOI clubs who just don't fit in to their way of doing things causing rifts in the squad.
They also have to invest money into their pitch and their stadium. At least if they use some of it on that they'll have something to show for it when it all goes wrong.
Needless to say I don't agree - but that's still a good post!Quote:
Originally Posted by Palmerstown Saint
And yes, the whole co-efficient thing is overblown - Irish clubs rising from our current standing of 41 of 54 can actually have a detrimental effect on our co-efficient (being put into later rounds, we don't get the points from winning the earlier 'easier' ones). But I still like decokh's point about one big wave and fair play etc. etc.
By the way, how much did Dundalk have pumped into them? I honestly don't know.
Dundalk are not world beaters but are the fittest team in the league, are highly organised and super motivated. Everyone one of them has a job, knows his job and does his job. I was up there last night and after a nervy start Dundalk were the better team. The win was no fluke. Player for player they are not much better than us. However ff ever there was a team where the sum is greater than the parts then Dundalk is it
Last nights Dundalk team vs our team that started at Wexford.
Rogers Clarke
Gannon O'Brien
Massey Bermo
Barrett Hoare
Boyle Dennehy
Sheilds Treacy
O'Donnell Kelly
Finn Timlin
Horgan Dennehy
Mountenay Conan
McMillan Christy
I'd definitely only take Finn, O'Donnell and Horgan. Might look at one or two others.
Dundalk's success is all down to Kenny. He lost Hoban's 20 goals, then he lost Towell and still managed to replace then with Davy McMillan who has suddenly become a goal machine. That is some achievement.
Gannon, Boyle and Shields would certainly get onto our team atm. Only Fagan, Bermo, Clarke and possibly Hoare would be starters for me from a combined Pats/Dundalk team.
Same thought was going through my head last night. Would be very surprised if they don't go for him, and equally surprised if they don' get him. Not good at all.Quote:
Originally Posted by Donohoe'd and Dusted
Only bermo and Christy would get into a combined team. Hoare might and none of the others would get near it.
Clarke's better than Rogers but they're the only 3. Darren Dennehy/Hoare are better than Barrett too but Gartland and Boyle would be the CB pairing.Quote:
Originally Posted by Super Noel Mernagh
Naturally we are all going to have a view on who is better than who. The point I'm trying to make is that really player for player there is not much in it.
Dundalk have real leadership in O'Donnell who was head and shoulders above everyone else against Bate. They also have game changers in Horgan and Finn.
However the real difference seems to be in what is happening off the pitch. Who can honestly say that they were bothered when the likes of Gannon, McMillan, Rogers and Meenan left Pats?