Do we overestimate how good the LOI Prem Division is a wee bit?
I've lurked a bit before posting this but I've seen some posts on here getting a bit prickly when some people say LOI isn't as strong blah blah. I respect the passion but i think some folks on here then over correct.
While the league has come on, I also think the Conference League has created a skewed progress picture a little. Conference League has had semi pro teams going deep in to qualifying rounds. Respectfully the standard to get to group stage isn't exactly always the highest usually.
If we compare Europa league win percentages for say 2015/15 to 2020/21 (6 seasons before conference league), then 21/22 (6 seasons since Conference league started) the win percentages for LOI clubs in Europa league are near identical. They are about 35% each. So it doesnt look like theres been mad progress when you go outside Conference League. Sure, it hasn't gotten worse, but its not big progress.
Then people here bristle at "LOI PD is League 2 standard" type comments. I get the frustration because they usually come from GAA or EPL fanboys trolling, but realistically, thats not that inaccurate. Financially at least. If you look at financial breakdown for League 2, likes of Rovers and Bohs, the top 2 earners in the legaue, would only be around mid to lower level in League 2. MK Dons made 60% more in a comparable period vs Rovers and Bohs while in League 2.
Look, we've made great strides. Attendance and investment are getting better and better. The increasing numbers of young players coming through LOI clubs and moving on to bigger teams/leagues is very encouraging.
But I think we don't always have a balanced perspective. I think this season has been a bit of a reality check about where we are. We can't just presume we'll always get 1 or 2 teams in to group stage of Conference League. We can't just assume other leagues and teams we used to do well against aren't also getting better, and better quickly e.g Larne up North look like the only team on the island who might make it to Conference League this year and were unlucky not to progress in Europa League.
Our top league is going right direction, but we're not strong enough yet to make meaningful progress in Tier1 or Tier 2 UEFA competitions and won't be for a long time. We're not strong enough yet to bank on a couple of our teams making it to Conference League year in year out yet. We're certainly not "English Championship level" yet as I've seen some more excitable LOI folks on Reddit say (seriously lads c'mon).