It seems like just yesterday that Scouser’s sweet volley nestled in the back of the Ballybough end net, or only yesterday when Glen Fitz brought us back from the dead in a deserted Lansdowne. However, a month from now, another epic adventure will be underway. Champions League campaign 2005-06 beckons for The Reds…

Next Friday’s draw is by no means mouth-watering; however it will be anticipated with bated breath by many down Tolka way. Will we be granted a cheap and cheerful trip to the town of Total Networks Solution (Yes, that was an attempt at a joke!) or will The Oval be the next destination for us on our seemingly endless European Odyssey? Will Charleroi be swamped by Reds men again on their way to Luxembourg or will we be treated to such cosmopolitan paradises as Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Faroe Islands, Armenia, Belarus or Albania? There is also the possibility that will we get the opportunity to gain some revenge over the best Malta has to offer, or the chance to show the Intertoto Cup Big Club in Phibsboro how it’s done as regards Estonian opposition! However, for all the ifs, buts and maybes, one thing is for sure……whether its’ Llansantffraid or Levadia Talinn, Redsmen will be there in numbers.

We came within a whisker of reaching the Holy Grail last year, so obviously the aim for this year has to be to make that one extra stride over that finishing line to the group stages, which is so near but yet so far at the same time. Are we being realistic though? Was last year a flash in the pan? A fluke? Were it not for that horrendous own goal in Reykjavik, our campaign would have ended before it even started. Nonetheless, while we were blessed to get past KR, no one can take away from arguably the two greatest performances ever by a Shels side, in the two legs against the cocky Croats. While we shouldn’t require such displays of that magnitude in the 1 st round, we cannot take the opening round for granted either. We’ve already been shown up by Northern Irish opposition this season, and everyone knows the potential banana skins that Eastern Europe can pose. Nonetheless, progress to the 2 nd round will be widely expected, especially with us being seeded this time around. Then, it’s different gravy altogether!

The fact that Hajduk WERE the lowest seeds in the 2nd round says it all. We will be underdogs, but being underdogs suits us. While the 2nd round will be a mammoth task, many of our potential opponents are well beatable. On our day, we are more than capable of taking on the likes of Celtic and Anderlecht never mind DVSC Debrecen of Hungary. Added to that, we have gained some valuable experience on the foot of last years adventure. Most of our team now have plenty of European football behind them. On the other hand, pessimists would argue that we’ve lost the surprise factor and the big boys such will be wary of us this time around and won’t take us for granted again. Whichever way you look at it, the potential of our squad speaks for itself. Never before have we had such an abundance of talent at our disposal. We have great strength in depth, which we didn’t have last season, in both midfield and up front. While last year, good pros but average footballers such as Tommy Morgan and Ger Ista-Mac were our replacement options, this season we are spoilt for choice.

However, despite our collection of the EL’s finest stars, we have underperformed considerably this season. Why? Is it that we haven’t gelled? Is it that we’ve been unlucky? Is it that we’ve lost the hunger? Maybe it’s that we’re too cocky? Whatever is the reason, the fact is we haven’t played to our potential. That is undeniable. If we are to replicate our success of last season, both domestically and in Europe, we’ll need to up the ante big time. Lets’ start playing the ball on the deck. Lets’ start giving it to the artists that are Wes and Ndo and let them weave their magic. Lets’ give our strikers the service they deserve. Lets’ show a little more discipline. If we can do that, another epic adventure could be in store for us all this summer. Live the dream….