So confirmed we are getting an extra couple of weeks to prepare for our entry into this tournament and will be seeded for our second round tie.

 

Obviously a little early to discuss our chances of reaching the group stages again as require to see who our potential opponents are and also what players actually come and go from the club in the coming weeks.

 

Anyone got any preference for a location for our second round opponents 

Is there any indication of whether or not we will be at home for the first leg or second leg? Or it is all decided by whether we're an odd or even number team out of the draw?

 

Think I am right in saying that seeded team gets home tie first.

Of course I could be wrong in which case obviously it is the other way about

Are we seeded?

 

Cheers Al. I've just booked my annual leave based entirely on your post so if it goes tits up because of dud advice from you Mrs Tyrant will be raging. 

Are we seeded?

 

Cheers Al. I've just booked my annual leave based entirely on your post so if it goes tits up because of dud advice from you Mrs Tyrant will be raging. 

 

There's a 50% chance Mrs Tyrant will be raging.  We don't know where we play first leg until the draw.  They pick a seeded ball and then an un-seeded ball and put them both in to another bowl.  A quick shuffle then they take one out and whichever team that is will play at home first.

Draw is next monday.  2nd round games 13th and 20th so one month from now we are playing a team in Europa League.

 

We dont know the manager situation - lost McGinn, Taylor and on the verge of losing Hayes.  The preparation is not the best especially if we get team well into its season.

 

Anything can happen it seems to me and it depends on the outcome of 1st round ties and seeding of those teams that get through although I could be wrong. Hibs were at home last years 1st leg v Brondby but I doubt they were seeded?

 

This year there seems to be a huge disparity between coefficients. We are on 6.756 or whatever but Galatasaray are on 58.0.

 

In addition, lots of teams in round two potentially look good trip but strong.  When you calculate that we have played Groningen, Rijeka and Ventspils its not guaranteed to get rubbish in 2nd round:

 

Kairat Almaty CC: 5.550

Osijek CC: 5.550

Sarajevo CC: 5.300

KR CC: 5.175

IFK Norrköping CC: 4.945

Milsami Orhei CC: 4.900

Bnei Yehuda CC: 4.875

Lyngby CC: 4.800

Nõmme Kalju CC: 4.800

Željezni?ar Sarajevo CC: 4.800

Botev Plovdiv CC: 4.675

Olimpija Ljubljana CC: 4.625

Valletta CC: 4.550

Vaduz CC: 4.450

Jagiellonia Bia?ystok CC: 4.450

Levski Sofia CC: 4.425

CSKA Sofia CC: 4.175

Stjarnan CC: 4.175

Haugesund CC: 4.165

Domžale CC: 4.125

Ordabasy CC: 4.050

Levadia Tallinn CC: 4.050

Dinamo Brest CC: 3.975

Östersund CC: 3.945

Ferencváros CC: 3.900

Crusaders CC: 3.900

Rabotni?ki CC: 3.875

Shirak CC: 3.775

Brann CC: 3.665

Dacia Chi?in?u CC: 3.650

Mladost Podgorica CC: 3.550

Zira CC: 3.550

Just a reminder AFC will know at 1.30pm or so whom they might play in 2nd round. Given big differences in quality between seeded and unseeded chances are we will have a fair guess who the potential opponent will be.

Can our opponents actually BE FROM EUROPE this time please?

 

Just a reminder AFC will know at 1.30pm or so whom they might play in 2nd round. Given big differences in quality between seeded and unseeded chances are we will have a fair guess who the potential opponent will be.

 

Quite looking forward to the draw.  Might help with potential signings too if we get a big draw (not that we want that)

Can our opponents actually BE FROM EUROPE this time please?

 

 

Surely it's easier for you to get to the further East the draw is?

Linfield/San marino team v Celtic (Champions league) . I am sure all of you know what that means.

Linfield/San marino team v Celtic (Champions league) . I am sure all of you know what that means.

 

Linfield/San marino team v Celtic (Champions league) . I am sure all of you know what that means.

 

The match in Belfast is on the day they march to celebrate the Battle of the Boyne.

St. Johnston v Trakai (Lithuania)

Rangers v Progress Niederkorn (Lux)

 

 

Surely a bye for the Luxembourg team.

 

That team they have been drawn against isn't eligible to play in Europe.

Fucks sake another potential Kazakhstan trip 

Kazakhstan or Bosnia. Home in first leg.

Ordabasy Shymkent play near Uzbekistan - Tashkent - its nowhere near Almaty (600km away). 

 

We should be defeating teams like this - Siroki Brijeg finished 7th in Bosnian league (they won cup) and Ordabasy finished 4th in Kazakstan.

 

Logistically, travel wise it's a bad draw.

 

Rangers will play AEL Limassol if they get through. Forget that they are rubbish because they are not.  Limassol is a good team with top fans.

 

 

 

 

Somehow Tribute Act manage to get drawn against a team from Cyprus or Gibraltar if they get passed the team from Luxembourg.

Somehow Tribute Act manage to get drawn against a team from Cyprus or Gibraltar if they get passed the team from Luxembourg.

 

Sevco V team from Luxembourg is an interesting tie.

Two teams that have NEVER won a game in European competition

 

FC Ordabasy have never made it past the 2nd qualifying round. They have also to date, not won a home Europa League match - two 0-0 draws, one 3-3 draw, one 2-1 defeat.

 

Away record read: W1-0, D2-2, L2-1, L3-0

 

NK Široki Brijeg have also never made it past the 2nd qualifying round (europa League) and were put out of the Champions league by Hearts back in 2006 (3-0 on Aggregate).

 

Europa league record is P22 W6, D5, L11.

 

Going on past form I think its a coin toss to see which one gets through.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Excellent, a potential trip to the neighbours of the Red Army Mostar 

 

I'd be very tempted for that one

We had a very very near miss with Shkendija.  Very close to getting them again.

 

It's 50/50 with those two teams.  When you consider we have played Groningen and Rijeka in past in 2nd round it's not a bad draw in terms of quality of teams, just logistically it's a nightmare since we will have 2 weeks to organise travel 6th 2nd leg QR1 and 20th 2nd leg QR2.

 

You can drive to Mostar from Split in Croatia in no time and there are lots of buses from Split.  Maybe 3hrs on the bus.  You could do for the day from Split easy and return same day.

 

Lived and worked in Kazakhstan 7 of the past 15 years. Shymkent is a very poor city, close to the Uzbek border, it has a reputation amongst other Kazakhs for crime and dishonesty. It will be a nightmare for the team, temperature in the evening may still be above 30 deg C. No decent hotels, mid season in Kazakhstan.

For anyone thinking of travelling, best option probably via Almaty. Not sure how the flights line up but will probably mean an overnight there.

The good news is that UK citizens can stay for 14 days without a visa.

Lived and worked in Kazakhstan 7 of the past 15 years. Shymkent is a very poor city, close to the Uzbek border, it has a reputation amongst other Kazakhs for crime and dishonesty. It will be a nightmare for the team, temperature in the evening may still be above 30 deg C. No decent hotels, mid season in Kazakhstan.

For anyone thinking of travelling, best option probably via Almaty. Not sure how the flights line up but will probably mean an overnight there.

The good news is that UK citizens can stay for 14 days without a visa.

 

£690 return at the moment via Tashkent.

£690 return at the moment via Tashkent.

 

But can you get an Uzbek visa in time?