Europa league qualifier - dons vs NSI Runavik

[manc_don]

Be interesting to see if it was squad rotation or some get dropped altogether. Would be classic DM to drop Wright after scoring. The guy scores a good goal after some decent play, that’s what we should be trying to encourage. Seems like McGinn is possibly unlikely to feature due to injury, but that’s our only major doubt (apart from those already out). 

 

Anyway, this lot got pumped by hibs not that long ago so we really should have enough in the locker to see them off with a professional performance. Hopefully it’s just not boring as watching paint dry. Their form is a bit patchy of late, despite their 5-1 demolition of Barry town in the last round.

 

Out

bed

work

work

2-0 dons, Main and hedges 

[Madbadteacher]

Oot

Work

Work

Work

1-0 Dons Considine

[hercule poirot]

Should win this at a stroll.

Hope Wright gets a start and isn't mismanaged a la Shankland who went elsewhere and proved to be an excellent striker. Looking forward to it and have 43£ in my PP account which will all be going on a home win.

[Jute]

This mob could be one of the worst teams we have faced in Europe and as said elsewhere as long as we approach this is a professional manner we should be winning this comfortably. Agree with those saying Wright should keep his place but with Main making an appearance on Sunday I expect us to revert to 1 up front again and Wright likely to be the one who drops out. 
 

Oot

Work then 10 second commute to couch

Red TV

Flat

4-0 Main Hedges Watkins and Taylor.

[hercule poirot]

4-0 should be about right.

Edit to add: This is the first day pubs in town will be open, so will be whatsapping around to see fa's dein fit.

Edited August 24, 2020 by hercule poirot

[Ten Caat]

40 minutes ago, hercule poirot said:

Should win this at a stroll.

Hope Wright gets a start and isn't mismanaged a la Shankland who went elsewhere and proved to be an excellent striker. Looking forward to it and have 43£ in my PP account which will all be going on a home win.

Shankland admits himself he was overweight during his time with us and only after we released him did he realise he had to knuckle down and work harder if he was going to make a career for himself in football. So far, all he has proved is that he can excel in the Championship. He's still unproven in the Premier league and it will take till at least Xmas before we can make a proper evaluation.

Wright will play well for us on occasion but with Main now fit, Watkins in on loan, both Cosgrove and Edmondson (unless we find a way of terminating the agreement) due to come back Octoberish and Anderson available if necessary...….he's going to really find a sustained patch of form that he's never shown at any time previous in his career with us to remain in contention for a spot even on the bench.

And yes we should win comfortably. A loss would be  a sacking offence no matter the length and value remaining on McInnes' contract

[SeeBass]

Are they semi-professional?  Lad up front scored a hat-trick against Barry Town United.  He's Faroese All Time Top Scorer with nearly 200 goals.  Remember Skonto Riga and Bohemians home results which still haunt me to this day.  Even Sigma Olomouc is a dagger to my heart but as I said to Robert Wicks today if we don't make second round qualifying we deserve to be banned from European competition for at least a decade.  

[tup1]

We should stick with roughly the same lineup and get fired into them from the start, 3-0 at half time and we can start resting players for the more important game at the weekend.

[tom_widdows]

Their European football record is as follows
Played - 27
Won - 3 (All Home)
Drawn - 2 (All Home)
Lost - 22 
Goals for - 20 (15 home, 5 Away)
Goals Against - 75 (32 Home, 43 Away)

This is the first season they have made it to the next round of any european competition and to date they have never kept a clean sheet away from home conceiding on average 3 goals. Based on that perhaps Barry Town could have turned it around if it had been a 2 leg tie.

However this is the Dons we are talking about so come Thursday.....

[RicoS321]

Aye, it's like playing inverurie locos. We should be tanking them. I expect daugava Riga were worse, but that would be assisted by the fact they bet against themselves to win the game.

[SeeBass]

Rico, what Daugava Riga bet against themselves when we played them??  Never heard that before!!  I knew one had folded a year after our tie.  

[Jute]

35 minutes ago, SeeBass said:

Rico, what Daugava Riga bet against themselves when we played them??  Never heard that before!!  I knew one had folded a year after our tie.  

Was part of an organised match fixing investigation in Latvia. Link to article on the investigation below.

https://www.vice.com/en_uk/article/d7myvk/match-fixing-and-money-laundering-the-bitter-demise-of-latvian-football

[tup1]

Probably a good money spinner for them to get involved in the match fixing. Their wages would be next to nothing so no surprise.

However, we have/had the same issue in lower league Scottish football.

Not dodgy in the slightest

 

[RicoS321]

53 minutes ago, tup1 said:

Probably a good money spinner for them to get involved in the match fixing. Their wages would be next to nothing so no surprise.

However, we have/had the same issue in lower league Scottish football.

Not dodgy in the slightest

 

Exactly. There's no way that Devlin could last until the 68th minute of a fitba game.

[tup1]

Morton have been involved more than once, did they not have 4 players put £5k each on Airdrie to win the league in about 2004, when they were miles clear at the top?

One of whom was Alex Williams, who later served time in jail for drug dealing.

[RicoS321]

I don't remember that. Interesting, will have to check that one out. It seems like it'd be a bit more of an Airdrie thing to do rather than a Morton thing. Although I've always hated Aridrie.

[manc_don]

On 25/08/2020 at 10:13, RicoS321 said:

Aye, it's like playing inverurie locos. We should be tanking them. I expect daugava Riga were worse, but that would be assisted by the fact they bet against themselves to win the game.

They were truly brutal. Would be hard pressed to find a team worse than them.  Regardless of the fact that they bet against themselves, I’m quite sure they were still that shite.

[tup1]

FC Chikura were pretty shit too.

When we tanked them last season I thought we looked brilliant and would be in for a great year of football.

Turns out they were total dross and just made us look good.

 

[BigAl]

38 minutes ago, tup1 said:

FC Chikura were pretty shit too.

When we tanked them last season I thought we looked brilliant and would be in for a great year of football.

Turns out they were total dross and just made us look good.

 

I remember thinking exactly the same

By fuck were we wrong or what

[SeeBass]

Do I dare bring up how we struggled for a win at home to Sporting Circle Fola Esch in 2016???  Really don't know what to expect for tomorrow night.  Prefer seeing us up against teams we aren't expected to beat as I think it makes for a better game.  Thought we did really well back in day to hold Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk (first European game), Lokomotiv Moscow, Bayern Munich to a draw and FC Copenhagen win does speak for itself.  Personally our three drawn matches at Home with FK Shkendija, HNK Rijeka, Kairat Almaty have been my favourite campaign witnessed 'Live' as it felt as though we'd had a group stage type experience given quality of opposition faced.  Mind if Danny Rogers hadn't made that important late save round post where Macedonian tie was concerned wouldn't have seen two very decent comebacks against Croats and Kazakh's.  Think going 2-0 and 1-0 down respectively and salvaging something on evening really meant a lot to me considering effort we make to attend from Scottish Borders.   

Loved how Groningen, Maribor, Siroki Brijeg, Burnley couldn't beat one at Pittodrie.  Thought we deserved the victories against Apollon Limassol and Rovaniemen Palloseura but glad we didn't hammer the Cypriot and Finnish sides as I felt they were pretty competent. 

Only real game I have beef with is Sigma Olomouc.  That sort of result you'd expect from Bayern Munch coming to town but not a Czech Republic outfit.  Not sure I'll ever get over it.         

I think Valur in 1993 during Cup Winners Cup journey was our initial introduction into European escapades. 

[RedStarTorphins]

3 hours ago, BigAl said:

I remember thinking exactly the same

By fuck were we wrong or what

They made Jon Gallagher look like the new Gordon Strachan.

To quote you “by fuck were we wrong or what”

[BigAl]

34 minutes ago, RedStarTorphins said:

They made Jon Gallagher look like the new Gordon Strachan.

To quote you “by fuck were we wrong or what”

Dinnae min, I'd just about forgotten him.

And then as if that wasn't bad enough Mr SeeBass brings up the stuff of nightmares, Sigma "fucking" Olomouc

 

1 hour ago, SeeBass said:

Do I dare bring up how we struggled for a win at home to Sporting Circle Fola Esch in 2016???  Really don't know what to expect for tomorrow night.  Prefer seeing us up against teams we aren't expected to beat as I think it makes for a better game.  Thought we did really well back in day to hold Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk (first European game), Lokomotiv Moscow, Bayern Munich to a draw and FC Copenhagen win does speak for itself.  Personally our three drawn matches at Home with FK Shkendija, HNK Rijeka, Kairat Almaty have been my favourite campaign witnessed 'Live' as it felt as though we'd had a group stage type experience given quality of opposition faced.  Mind if Danny Rogers hadn't made that important late save round post where Macedonian tie was concerned wouldn't have seen two very decent comebacks against Croats and Kazakh's.  Think going 2-0 and 1-0 down respectively and salvaging something on evening really meant a lot to me considering effort we make to attend from Scottish Borders.   

Loved how Groningen, Maribor, Siroki Brijeg, Burnley couldn't beat one at Pittodrie.  Thought we deserved the victories against Apollon Limassol and Rovaniemen Palloseura but glad we didn't hammer the Cypriot and Finnish sides as I felt they were pretty competent. 

Only real game I have beef with is Sigma Olomouc.  That sort of result you'd expect from Bayern Munch coming to town but not a Czech Republic outfit.  Not sure I'll ever get over it.         

I think Valur in 1993 during Cup Winners Cup journey was our initial introduction into European escapades. 

 

Nurse, my blood pressure tablets please 

[Panda]

McGinn a doubt

Bryson injured 

Ojo suspended

Considine & McKenna back.

[manc_don]

1 hour ago, Panda said:

McGinn a doubt

Bryson injured 

Ojo suspended

Considine & McKenna back.

Not good news if mcginn doesn’t make it, although if there was a game (on paper) that he could miss, this would be it.

[Jute]

Considine being back means we can move Hayes away from left back into a more forward position which will allow him to hopefully to influence the game a bit more. Assuming Main will start up front so our defence’s punts......I mean skilful long passes will have a target.