So.....

[Aaron]

..its the halfway point of the season, whats everyone's thoughts on how its gone so far

Best Team?

Worst Team?

Suprise Package?

Underacheivers?

Best Player so far?

Cant really look past ourselves or Bohs as the best teams IMO? Gone as expected so far. Bray are probably the worst team we have played this season IMO. They were awful last night. Not suprised to see them where they are tbh.

The suprise package this year is Galway. Made a good start when I was expecting them to be fighting relegation. Underacheivers has to be St Pat's. Jeky'll and Hyde team this year. Beat Bohs 3-1 convincingly but could go out and get beat easily by a bottom half team

Best player, hard to say really. There hasnt really been a stand out player in my eyes. Jason Byrne as top scorer would probably get it because of that. No-one has really struck fear into us when we have played them IMO

Discuss

[thischarmingman]

Bray are probably the worst team we have played this season IMO. They were awful last night. Not suprised to see them where they are tbh.

I wasn't at last night's game but the two best performances I've seen against us this season were Cork's first 20/30 minutes at Turner's Cross, and Bray's second half at the Carlisle Grounds; all the more impressive as they took a hammering in the first half and could have been 2 or 3 down.

I think Alan Matthews is (re)proving himself to be a great manager doing very well with what he has in Drogheda and after the start to the season they had, it's fitting that he marks the mid-way point of the campaign by lifting his team off the foot of the table.

Sligo should be doing better- although they have been hampered by a small squad, injuries and suspensions, my sympathy is limited by Cook's decision to put two subs on the bench recently instead of promoting a few of the younger players. They have enough talent and creativity to ensure they won't go down but I did think they'd do better.

Happy with our own recent performances in that we've been picking up points against teams that, with all due respect, you have to be beating if you expect to be competing at the top end of the table. I still think Bohs will win as I think we lack the consistancy and have no "Plan B" but I am glad to see us gathering momentum. Defeats to Dundalk and Sligo at home could come back to haunt us though.

[tiktok]

Best Team?

Worst Team?

Suprise Package?

Underacheivers?

Best Player so far?

Not much to pick between Bohs and Derry for me this season, though the table doesn't lie.
I think Bray probably are the worst since Drogs started pulling themselves together.
Drogheda are the suprise package for me, though they'd be well adrift at this stage; have to mention Rovers, a few astute buys in the transfer window in a couple of positions and they could do something.
Sligo are underachieving
Twigg/Jason Byrne are grabbing the headlines

[Ezeikial]

After 7 long years watching graveyard football, I have been really disappointed with the poor quality that I have seen so far.

Bohs have easily been the best team we have played this season, although I have not yet seen Derry play (look forward to their visit to Oriel Park which will round out the second series).

Cork disappointed me, especially last night, and to a lessor extend on their 'smash and grab' win in Oriel.

The worst performance by some distance was from Bray in our 3-0 home win, who were a shadow of the team that we played in the first series at the Carlisle Grounds. Mind you, Dundalk have played a lot of rubbish this season, mixed with some recent promising performances.

The 'surprise package' would be either Galway or Drogheda. Galway for the super start to the season, but this is tempered by the fact that they have not maintained this and are in danger of falling into the play-off area. Drogheda, and especially Alan Mathews, deserve great credit for the turnaround in fortunes and results over the last two months. When you consider that they had only 3 points from their first 10 games and have now taken 12 in their last 7 games (only game they lost was away to Bohs, to an injuy time winner), the improvement is amazing.

Underachievers? Well this really depends on your level of expectation. When this was asked pre-season, there were almost as many who predicted Dundalk would be 'surprise package' as 'underachievers'. St Pats are the clear underachievers on the basis of finishing runners-up last year, and seem to have a split personality: one of the better teams I saw in their 2-0 win over Dundalk in Richmond in the 1st series, and then appalling in the infamous 'Dave Rogers' match in Dundalk (despite winning!). Their recent demolition of Bohs underlines that on any given day, any of the 10 teams can beat each other.

Best Player? Best performance I've seen is probably from Billy Dennehy, with Michael Daly and Chris Turner being excellent for Dundalk all season. Several of the Bohs team have been impressive - Jason McGuinness, Killian Brennan, and Jason Byrne in particular.

[Hairy Bowsie]

..its the halfway point of the season, whats everyone's thoughts on how its gone so far

*I think it's been terrible, worst season ever for the LoI and i'll give you my reasons. RTE are spelling stuff wrong on the teletext. The number of Ads in the Monaghan programme is over the quota. The Turnstyle in Flancare park rusty and you really have to give it a shunt to get through it. Finn Harps? There isn't even a place called Finn in Donegal, how am i suppose to know where to go to? Some of Wexford "Youths" players are clearly in their late 20's, i don't know about the rest of you but in Dublin, people in their 20's are no longer classed as youths. The terrace in the Morton stadium, is too steep, how anyone hasn't fallen over and died, i'll never know? In Waterford, i quiet clearly asked for a cheese burger but only recieved a hamburger and to make matters worse, i was charged for a cheese burger, i'd like to know how Waterford got a licence with carry on like this? Last week on MNS Dave Barry got Dessie Baker mixed up with his brother, Richie, are RTE even trying, do they even care?

*This post is brought to you by Hairy Bowsie c/o the drama queens on Foot.ie

[Sam_Heggy]

[QUOTE=Hairy Bowsie;1180942Finn Harps? There isn't even a place called Finn in Donegal, how am i suppose to know where to go to? [/QUOTE]

River Finn

You forgot to mention "pebble gate" in there too, the unplayable pitch.

[Hairy Bowsie]

River Finn

You forgot to mention "pebble gate" in there too, the unplayable pitch.

No i'm only dealing with the serious issues here

[Dundalkjames]

Best Team? Bohs

Worst Team? Bray

Suprise Package? Drogheda

Underacheivers? Dundalk, St Pats

Best Player so far? Super Michael Daly

[centre mid]

Bray are probably the worst team we have played this season IMO. They were awful last night. Not suprised to see them where they are tbh.

I think Bray probably are the worst since Drogs started pulling themselves together.

The worst performance by some distance was from Bray in our 3-0 home win, who were a shadow of the team that we played in the first series at the Carlisle Grounds.

Worst Team? Bray

Jasus lads dont hold back, tbh I couldnt argue with any of that, we played some good football without getting rewards early in the season but the form is very poor at the moment and it doesnt look good. Only comfort is its very tight and if you lose one game your probably bottom. The break has come at a good time.

[superfrank]

The one thing about us is we are atrocious away from home. We have played some very good stuff this year at home and put in some good performances but we are woefully inconsistent and, as usual since Eddie took over, we struggle against the teams closer to our level, like Dundalk (a draw and a loss) and Drogs (a draw and two losses).

The break has come at a good time for us with a few injuries and suspensions but I don't see how we're going to change things. AFAIK, we can't bring may players in.

I can only go on what I've seen and I'd say Cork were the best side we played against, Sligo were the worst and Drogs were the surprise.

[sheao]

..its the halfway point of the season, whats everyone's thoughts on how its gone so far

Best Team? Derry

Worst Team? Bray

Suprise Package? Drogheda

Underacheivers? : Dundalk

Best Player so far? : Jason Byrne

[sligoman]

[pedantic]It's not actually the halfway point yet you know...[/pedantic]

[hoop4life]

Best Team? bohs and derry with derry a better footballing side

Worst Team? probably bray

Suprise Package? shams have had a very good start

Underacheivers? has to be sligo and pats with their excellent seasons last season

Best Player so far? gary twigg and also mcglynn ran the show for derry against sligo in the showgrounds when they played him in the middle of the pitch. done nothing out wide in the second half

[Gaillimh Al]

Best Team? Derry City in full flow

Worst Team? Bray when outside Bray

Surprise Package? Galway at start, Drogheda in last few weeks.

Underachievers? St Pats

Best Player so far? Jason Byrne. 14 goals in 14 games. Can't ask for more. Special mention - Sligo's Raf Cretaro.

Worst game seen? Dundalk 1-0 Galway United.......easily erased from memory banks.

Best game seen? Sligo 2-1 Cork(aet)....can't beat dramatic Cup ties.

Worst pitch? Oriel Park.....its not football, rip it up. Just my opinion.

Best pitch? Turners Cross......a proper football field and ground.

Hope for remainder of season? Four way battle for the title, remainder tightly bunched for dramatic finale. That the league table contains no asterisks at the end of November....unlikely I'm afraid.

[MickNolan]

The one thing about us is we are atrocious away from home.

Youse played some good stuff when youse bet us in Tallaght..

[MickNolan]

Best Team? Derry

Worst Team? Bray

Suprise Package? Probably Us(Shamrock Rovers)

Underacheivers?Sligo

Best Player so far?Jay O'Shea :P

[SunderlandBohs]

Best Team: Derry City (purely on entertainment)
Surprise package: Galway Utd
Best Player: Jason Byrne (Bohs)
Best Young Player: Jay O'Shea (Galway)
Best Signing: Gary Twigg (Rovers)
Best Manager: Alan Mathews (Drogheda)
Best Game: Bohs 2-0 Rovers

Worst Team: Bray Wanderers
Underarchivers: Dundalk
Most Overated Player: Graham Carey (Bohs)
Worst Signing: George O'Callaghan (Dundalk)
Worst Manager: Eddie Gromley (Bray)
Worst Game: Bohs 0-1 Cork City

[shep]

Best Team: Bohs(Sorry Derry,but it wasnt a good showing in Brandywell against us)
Surprise package: Drogheda United
Best Player: Jason Byrne (Bohs)
Best Young Player: Michael Daly(Dundalk)
Best Signing: Gary Twigg (Rovers)
Best Manager: Alan Mathews (Drogheda)
Best Game: Sligo 1 Dundalk 3(obviously from a night out in Sligo after point of view)
Worst Team: Bray Wanderers
Underarchivers: St Pats
Most Overated Player: George O Callaghan
Worst Signing: Dave Rogers (Dundalk)
Worst Manager: Eddie Gromley (Bray)
Worst Game: Dundalk 0 Sligo 2(shocking stuff from us on the night)

[Theskinloyal]

Best Team? Kildare County

Worst Team? Bohs

Suprise Package? Crumlin United

Underacheivers? : Mayfield United

Best Player so far? : Eric Lavine

[Martinho II]

Best Team? Shelbourne
Worst Team?Kildare Co

Suprise Package? Monaghan Utd

Underacheivers? : ourselves

Best Player so far? : striker for waterford utd willie john kiely
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