Europa Conference League 2021-22: the Road to Tirana, Albania

[Saoirse]

Three of the remaining British/Irish sides play tomorrow. At 5.45pm Linfield play Fola Esch in the Conference League, with the winners over two legs going through to play the losers of Kairat Almaty vs Alashkert in the Playoff. They therefore have as good a chance as they're likely to get of being the first Northern Irish team ever to reach a European group stage. At the same time, Bohemians face PAOK, but as well as this being a much tougher tie even a win would see them face Hibernian or Rijeka. Then at 8pm, Rangers play Malmo in the Champions League. The winners will go on to play Olympiakos or Ludogorets for a place in the Group Stage, while the losers will play the winners of that Kairat Almaty vs Alashkert tie for a place in the Europa League.

 

[Goobers]

Any news on television coverage ?

 

[Saoirse]

Any news on television coverage ?

Not yet, but Premier Sports is the most likely to pick this up at short notice. Group stage onwards is all on BT.

 

[Donki]

we need to be smart, what's easier this season a top four in the PL or a cup where really anything could happen... unfortunately I am not smart so I have no idea.

 

[thekneaf]

Coefficients mean we need to give this tournament a go

 

[Goobers]

Coefficients mean we need to give this tournament a go

We should be aiming to win this absolutely. Taking the piss out of it is a very small club mentality. Personally I think we end up facing Jose's Roma in the final in Albania ....

 

[Saoirse]

We should be aiming to win this absolutely. Taking the piss out of it is a very small club mentality. Personally I think we end up facing Jose's Roma in the final in Albania ....

Meanwhile I'm banking on a Jose masterclass to go out to Molde/Trabzonspor in the Playoff!

 

[Goobers]

Meanwhile I'm banking on a Jose masterclass to go out to Molde/Trabzonspor in the Playoff!

ha ha ha ha . Touche

 

[Donki]

If we get Larne Town I advise you get up to date with your vaccine shots, and take notes from the film "The Hills Have Eyes". It is truely a shit hole, best of luck .

 

[journeyman]

It’ll surely be the Portuguese side - and that’s actually a fairly tough draw for Europa Conference League group stage qualification… not a banker anyway.

 

[Bofrok]

Any news on television coverage ?

According to https://www.live-footballontv.com/ BT Sport 2 are showing one of the play-off games but the match is TBC at the moment.

 

[isaac94]

According to https://www.live-footballontv.com/ BT Sport 2 are showing one of the play-off games but the match is TBC at the moment.

Considering we are the only English side in the comp, guessing its us

 

[easley91]

My cousin is the Larne manager; would be fucking class to see them play Spurs!

Feed them some lasagne pre-match please.

 

[Conando]

Feed them some lasagne pre-match please.

I would really like to hope that won’t be necessary; I know we’re Spurs, but Jesus.

 

[Saoirse]

Upsets in the ties involving both the Irish sides tonight! Linfield, with a real chance of making the group, have lost 2-1 at home to Fola Esch of Luxembourg - they definitely need a turnaround. But a famous European night for Bohemians at Lansdowne Road as they beat PAOK 2-1

 

[PrettyColors]

It’ll surely be the Portuguese side - and that’s actually a fairly tough draw for Europa Conference League group stage qualification… not a banker anyway.

Actually slightly bricking that one tbh. We’d be facing a settled team that’s a fully formed, competitive side. Portugal isn’t a bad league, they go toe to toe with Benfica and Porto so won’t be awed by our stadium, etc.

We obviously have much more talent but it’s basically Nuno’s first game in charge, the Kane situation might be a huge distraction at that point, and we’ll have a new system and possibly new players to bed in. As well as a lot of key squad members coming back from Euros late.

I could see it getting very dodgy if we aren’t careful

 

[Bluto Blutarsky]

Coefficients mean we need to give this tournament a go

Just winning a trophy means we need to give this tournament a go. This is one we can win, and no excuses for not trying to win.

 

[Saoirse]

Actually slightly bricking that one tbh. We’d be facing a settled team that’s a fully formed, competitive side. Portugal isn’t a bad league, they go toe to toe with Benfica and Porto so won’t be awed by our stadium, etc.

We obviously have much more talent but it’s basically Nuno’s first game in charge, the Kane situation might be a huge distraction at that point, and we’ll have a new system and possibly new players to bed in. As well as a lot of key squad members coming back from Euros late.

I could see it getting very dodgy if we aren’t careful

Indeed. Definitely a chance of complacency too. Really not the draw we'd have wanted given the large amount of total dross we could have picked out.

 

[Neon_Knight_]

Just winning a trophy means we need to give this tournament a go. This is one we can win, and no excuses for not trying to win.

It would belong next to the Audi Cup in our trophy cabinet...hardly a major trophy. Winning it could help to create a winning mentality and give us confidence going into any subsequent cup finals (assuming we haven't already won the 2022 League Cup and/or FA Cup).

 

[Saoirse]

It would belong next to the Audi Cup in our trophy cabinet...hardly a major trophy. Winning it could help to create a winning mentality and give us confidence going into any subsequent cup finals (assuming we haven't already won the 2022 League Cup and/or FA Cup).

To be honest I think those two sentences are contradictory. By correctly pointing out it could help create that mentality and confidence, you know it isn't at all like the Audi Cup.