European Football Thread

[minionofmidas]

Basically confirming what we already know.. the leagues outside the big five or so in Western Europe continue to get shafted.

Big Six. Portugal counts.

[afleitch]

Basically confirming what we already know.. the leagues outside the big five or so in Western Europe continue to get shafted.

The system for determining places can be unfair as it zooms in one one season and if you'r country performs poorly that season it relects that in the few seasons afterwards. It happened to Scotland last time round I'm pleased we secured two Champions League spots and on recent form, we should hold them.

[Tetro Kornbluth]

Basically confirming what we already know.. the leagues outside the big five or so in Western Europe continue to get shafted.

The system for determining places can be unfair as it zooms in one one season and if you'r country performs poorly that season it relects that in the few seasons afterwards. It happened to Scotland last time round I'm pleased we secured two Champions League spots and on recent form, we should hold them.

Look forward to seeing this as a regular occurance in Rangers' and Celtic's Away Champions league Group Schedule

Scottish Away Matches
Played - 6 Won - 0 Drew - 0 Lost - 6 Points - 0



But I wanted Red Star to win. And Lewis, Portugal is just living of FC Mourinho's former glory once that goes off the UEFA points (alright, co-efficients) then...

[minionofmidas]

Basically confirming what we already know.. the leagues outside the big five or so in Western Europe continue to get shafted.

The system for determining places can be unfair as it zooms in one one season and if you'r country performs poorly that season it relects that in the few seasons afterwards. It happened to Scotland last time round I'm pleased we secured two Champions League spots and on recent form, we should hold them.

Look forward to seeing this as a regular occurance in Rangers' and Celtic's Away Champions league Group Schedule

Scottish Away Matches
Played - 6 Won - 0 Drew - 0 Lost - 6 Points - 0



But I wanted Red Star to win. And Lewis, Portugal is just living of FC Mourinho's former glory once that goes off the UEFA points (alright, co-efficients) then...

And on the fact that there's no difference between fourth and sixth place. Of course, look at Romania's recent jumps... this year's qualification stages show very well that the country doesn't have more than three clubs able of competing... however well those three have recently done.

[Tetro Kornbluth]

Basically confirming what we already know.. the leagues outside the big five or so in Western Europe continue to get shafted.

The system for determining places can be unfair as it zooms in one one season and if you'r country performs poorly that season it relects that in the few seasons afterwards. It happened to Scotland last time round I'm pleased we secured two Champions League spots and on recent form, we should hold them.

Look forward to seeing this as a regular occurance in Rangers' and Celtic's Away Champions league Group Schedule

Scottish Away Matches
Played - 6 Won - 0 Drew - 0 Lost - 6 Points - 0



But I wanted Red Star to win. And Lewis, Portugal is just living of FC Mourinho's former glory once that goes off the UEFA points (alright, co-efficients) then...

And on the fact that there's no difference between fourth and sixth place. Of course, look at Romania's recent jumps... this year's qualification stages show very well that the country doesn't have more than three clubs able of competing... however well those three have recently done.

True but it stagnates progress by all other clubs outside the elite... Before the Champions league was started nearly every second year (especially after the ban on the English clubs) would see a new champion who had never won it before - In that period clubs like Steaua Bucharest and Red Star Belgrade could win the trophy. Since 1997 there hasn't been a single new name on that big earred cup.. Real Madrid three times winners since, Milan twice and almost no winners outside Italy, Spain, England and Bayern Munich (Porto was a one-off..)

[afleitch]

But I wanted Red Star to win. ...

You and half of Glasgow

[Tetro Kornbluth]

But I wanted Red Star to win. ...

You and half of Glasgow

And alot of Ireland too I imagine.

And for the Record, I wanted Spartak Moscow to win too. I have no general fondness for the bigot brothers.

[afleitch]

But I wanted Red Star to win. ...

You and half of Glasgow

And alot of Ireland too I imagine.

And for the Record, I wanted Spartak Moscow to win too. I have no general fondness for the bigot brothers.

I don't think it sets a good example to want a Russian team involved with mafia elements and past threats to lives of players and their families to beat Celtic Besides, Celtic have a clean bill of health on tackling sectarianism with the help of organisations like Nil By Mouth this past decade. Besdies, the agression between themselves and Rangers is no where near like the firewall of agression between Rangers and Aberdeen

[12th Doctor]

NFL Europa was shutdown fellas...


oh, that's not what youre talking about.

[Јas]

Basically confirming what we already know.. the leagues outside the big five or so in Western Europe continue to get shafted.

I don't really think it's right to blame the big leagues for their success. It certainly isn't their fault that... for example, the Irish leagues...are hopeless.

[minionofmidas]

Basically confirming what we already know.. the leagues outside the big five or so in Western Europe continue to get shafted.

I don't really think it's right to blame the big leagues for their success. It certainly isn't their fault that... for example, the Irish leagues...are hopeless.

Nyes. The exact rules on how many clubs can start depending on a country's coefficient were made up after the hierarchy of leagues developped after all.

[Tetro Kornbluth]

Basically confirming what we already know.. the leagues outside the big five or so in Western Europe continue to get shafted.

I don't really think it's right to blame the big leagues for their success. It certainly isn't their fault that... for example, the Irish leagues...are hopeless.

I was really referring to Eastern Europe rather than Ireland.. Ireland's just too damn small to have anything other than a glorified version of twenty-two lads in the park for some Friday night kickabout.

Also what Lewis said was accurate. The Spanish League was awful in the 70s and 80s (Despite having more money than most other leagues.. but not THAT much more money, like now.)

[Јas]

Basically confirming what we already know.. the leagues outside the big five or so in Western Europe continue to get shafted.

I don't really think it's right to blame the big leagues for their success. It certainly isn't their fault that... for example, the Irish leagues...are hopeless.

I was really referring to Eastern Europe rather than Ireland.. Ireland's just too damn small to have anything other than a glorified version of twenty-two lads in the park for some Friday night kickabout.

Also what Lewis said was accurate. The Spanish League was awful in the 70s and 80s (Despite having more money than most other leagues.. but not THAT much more money, like now.)

Well, I don't really buy the argument that it's because we're too small. I actually think that it's due to the complete dominance of the GAA. Consider the number of guys playing week in, week out in Gaelic Football and Hurling.

So long as football is the 3rd (maybe even the 4th sport after rugby) here, then our clubs are likely to remain ultra-marginal in the European context, unless some form of major re-structuring took place...á la the Celtic League in Rugby.

[Tetro Kornbluth]

Basically confirming what we already know.. the leagues outside the big five or so in Western Europe continue to get shafted.

I don't really think it's right to blame the big leagues for their success. It certainly isn't their fault that... for example, the Irish leagues...are hopeless.

I was really referring to Eastern Europe rather than Ireland.. Ireland's just too damn small to have anything other than a glorified version of twenty-two lads in the park for some Friday night kickabout.

Also what Lewis said was accurate. The Spanish League was awful in the 70s and 80s (Despite having more money than most other leagues.. but not THAT much more money, like now.)

Well, I don't really buy the argument that it's because we're too small. I actually think that it's due to the complete dominance of the GAA. Consider the number of guys playing week in, week out in Gaelic Football and Hurling.

So long as football is the 3rd (maybe even the 4th sport after rugby) here, then our clubs are likely to remain ultra-marginal in the European context, unless some form of major re-structuring took place...á la the Celtic League in Rugby.

We also lack (or rather, lacked) a rather big Industrial\Working class city where football could have taken off strongly. In most medium sized Decent-European leagues the big clubs tend to be just one or two big cities - Portugal, Holland, Russia, Romania... etc. (LOL@ At the first person who might suggest Dublin in this thread.) Of course the Gah is an influence, but look at the North where the Gah influence only grow began to grow in the 60s (it's now dominant in the more nationalist counties o\c) hardly a footballing superpower.. Though I guess George Best may beg to differ. The amateurism of the clubs until recently would be much bigger.

Of course now the best the Irish leagues can aim for is perhaps the middle tier of obscurities (or we get a Dublin based Franchise and put into the English league Championship somehow.. but I can't imagine going down very well across the channel...)

[Gustaf]

Any thoughts on the European qualifiers?

I'm pretty ok with Sweden's point against Denmark and very happy about Spain failing to get one.

[Јas]

Any thoughts on the European qualifiers? 

I am, shall we say...less than pleased, with our draw with Slovakia. Shambolic.
And whose fault is it?


No need to check your watch Steve, it's time to go.


Elsewhere, the North were unfortunate against Latvia, they deserved better on the day. Hugely dents their changes at progressing, redeemed somewhat by the Spanish failure against Iceland.

Saw a bit of the England and Scotland games, both did fine against relatively poor opposition. Not sure if anything much can be read into either game.

[Undisguised Sockpuppet]

Real men like NFL. Soccer is for people who can't handle the NFL.

[minionofmidas]

I fell asleep watching Germany-Wales.

[Tetro Kornbluth]

Any thoughts on the European qualifiers? 

I am, shall we say...less than pleased, with our draw with Slovakia. Shambolic.
And whose fault is it?


No need to check your watch Steve, it's time to go.


Elsewhere, the North were unfortunate against Latvia, they deserved better on the day. Hugely dents their changes at progressing, redeemed somewhat by the Spanish failure against Iceland.

Saw a bit of the England and Scotland games, both did fine against relatively poor opposition. Not sure if anything much can be read into either game.

I'm looking forward to the end of year when John Delany tells us once again he'll hire a world class manager.. which means this time it will be John Aldridge. I could have told you all that was going to happen after Kerr left unfortunetly.

[Gustaf]

Any thoughts on the European qualifiers? 

I am, shall we say...less than pleased, with our draw with Slovakia. Shambolic.
And whose fault is it?


No need to check your watch Steve, it's time to go.


Elsewhere, the North were unfortunate against Latvia, they deserved better on the day. Hugely dents their changes at progressing, redeemed somewhat by the Spanish failure against Iceland.

Saw a bit of the England and Scotland games, both did fine against relatively poor opposition. Not sure if anything much can be read into either game.

I've been really rooting for NI, but sadly I doubt they will make it through. They will have to beat Iceland and then get at the very least one tie in the two away games against Spain and Sweden (as well as beating Denmark on their home ground) in order to have any sort of a chance. I still hope Spain will fail to qualify though.

[Tetro Kornbluth]

Not that it was unexpected but still...

[afleitch]

ONE- NIL!!!!!!

[minionofmidas]

ONE- NIL!!!!!!

Yeah, just saw that. Knock those sore losers out, will ya.

[minionofmidas]

England seem to have found their stride just in time as well.

[Јas]

Not that it was unexpected but still...

Time for the FAI to evict Mr. Delaney and his "world class management team".