This Coming Season

**bluewhitearmy** · 21/01/2016, 5:46 PM

Originally Posted by NeverFeltBetter

UCD of course, Drogheda, Shels not far behind and Roddy, always good for a promotion push when the mood takes him, potentially making Waterford very tricky opposition. It's all possibilities - hence the "could have four" - and maybe Limerick's stadium, full-time squad, training facilities etc will insure a return. But I don't see any kind of cakewalk occurring.

Didn't mean for that to look like I was being cheeky was a genuine question. I think it will be us and UCD fighting it out for top spot but unless they have some hidden gems or people really stepping up from last season I don't see Shels or Waterford having the quality to be in there and Drogs haven't added anyone I would be overly worried about just yet. While it won't be a cakewalk I think if we do not win the league with the budget and squad I think we will end up with then Martin Russell has some serious questions over his quality as a manager.

**NeverFeltBetter** · 21/01/2016, 6:53 PM

I think I'm just wary of Drogheda on the overall basis of last season. f they were managed competently and got the squad issues/morale/nonsense in hand, they'd probably be on our level, or just behind.

**NeverFeltBetter** · 21/01/2016, 7:30 PM

You know, whenever I think of opponents this coming season Athlone just seem to fall out of my head. How are they shaping up? I know 2015 was a bit of a disappointment, winding up on the wrong side of that big top 4/bottom 4 gap.

**Jofspring** · 21/01/2016, 8:12 PM

Athlone fans have said they have heard it will be an extremely young squad. They most likely won't be up to much this season.

**Martinho II** · 22/01/2016, 4:19 PM

Athlone Town have lost Philly Gorman to Waterford Utd which is a massive loss to them. Sean Byrne I think was them as well last year and has gone to Waterford also. It will take a few years of hard graft for Athlone to get back up I am afraid!

**Lim till i die** · 22/01/2016, 10:53 PM

About this manager.

I've backed him to the hilt cos he wasn't given a fair shake but this pre season has me saying "typical limerick".

Keith Ward told to hit the road according to sauces. I don't know who we have lined up that's better than him but going by the lie of the land I would suggest it's no one.

Is he afraid to spend incase it puts pressure on?

Make no mistake folks, if this season is ****ed up it will be, incredibly, the pinnacle of limerick **** ups.

**Johnnie C** · 23/01/2016, 10:07 PM

Any news on venue, ko time v Cobh Wanderers next Saturday ?

**gael353** · 23/01/2016, 11:05 PM

Two weeks to bring in players. Our season could be over first two weeks if he fupps up with his signings.

**bluewhitearmy** · 24/01/2016, 3:27 PM

Originally Posted by Johnnie C

Any news on venue, ko time v Cobh Wanderers next Saturday ?

One of the Cobh lads said its on in Pike no time mentioned though.

**bluewhitearmy** · 24/01/2016, 3:35 PM

On the squad we still have a lot of time tbf to Russell but I just find it very hard to understand why we wouldn't just sign someone like Keith Ward who would be one of the top players in the division when we so clearly had the chance and this is one of 3 or 4 players I know of that have made contact or had contact made on their behalf about signing for the club. Hearing Ward is talking to another club now in the premier.

Also if people thought Sean Russell was getting special treatment last season how will they feel if he is signed ahead of Ward to play the same position? No offence to the lad I wouldn't mind seeing him back and I definitely wouldn't want him to get any stick but Ward is a far better player.

**osarusan** · 24/01/2016, 4:36 PM

Maybe Ward was just a money thing? Can't imagine he'd be cheap and maybe Russell would rather use the money differently.

**Jofspring** · 24/01/2016, 5:12 PM

Ya possible they could be lining up a defender and a striker and feel the money could be used better there.

**bluewhitearmy** · 24/01/2016, 9:46 PM

They never discussed money. Plus with the budget we have and the squad currently signed if we dont have money left for at least 4 players someone is getting hugely overpaid.

**bluewhitearmy** · 25/01/2016, 2:24 PM

Starting to get less and less confident the more teams like Waterford and Cobh make decent signings we desperately need another 4 or 5 in. Hopefully its just nerves coming from how heavy favourites we have been made not used to it as a Limerick fan.

**Jofspring** · 25/01/2016, 5:52 PM

I'll put it this way, if we were signing the players they are and they were signing the players we have we'd say we haven't a hope of keeping up.

We have a pretty strong squad with a mix of 19's coming in. It's something we need to start doing more often too and get lads used to playing at a better level. We need a few more signings but not too much.

**bluewhitearmy** · 25/01/2016, 6:12 PM

Originally Posted by Jofspring

I'll put it this way, if we were signing the players they are and they were signing the players we have we'd say we haven't a hope of keeping up.

We have a pretty strong squad with a mix of 19's coming in. It's something we need to start doing more often too and get lads used to playing at a better level. We need a few more signings but not too much.

We have a pretty strong 11 at the minute but of the 11 we have who are the back ups that you would trust to come in and do a job for a long period of time?

Freddy Hall - Tommy Holland
Shaun Kelly - Liam McCartan
Paudie O Connor - Tony Whitehead
Robbie Williams - Killian Brouder
Shane Tracy - Colm Murphy
Paul O Conor - Clyde O Connell
Shane Duggan
Lee J Lynch
Chris Mullhall - Ross Mann
John O Flynn - Garbhan Coughlan - Keith Mawdsley
Stephen Kenny

Thats almost everyone that has been training with us and is still there listed above who on the right would you trust to come in and do a job in any way similar to who they are replacing long term? Keep in mind Brouder and O Connell are still only 17 I just found out recently and Stephen Kenny and Ross Mann haven't even signed. We have the best starting 11 in the league but take it as a whole squad and its nowhere near. I know more will more than likely come in and I am just getting in a panic because its weird to see us as such strong favourites but I just wish we had our squad done now.

Just to be clear too I am not saying any of the young lads on the right are no good or anything but if we are going to be pushing for a league we definitely need 3 or 4 experienced heads as back up aswell.

**Jofspring** · 25/01/2016, 6:28 PM

I'd fancy Holland to do a job in goals. We can move some players around like Paul O'Connor can fill in centre half and right full. Paudie was only 17 playing last year so Brouder could step up if really needed. He isn't going to be up against the same quality as Paudie was last year. I reckon we will sign another centre half and a winger/striker. We have gone for quality not quantity and id imagine a lot of other squads will have quantity but not real quality. We will most like have the fittest team in the league with most training full time.

So far I don't think I have seen a single player announced by another club that I'd say I'm raging they got and we didn't. At a push maybe Rob Lehane. Wexford Youths won the league last year with less experience and quality than what we currently have.

Ideally you have 13 or 14 excellent players, 11 outfield and 3 good subs. You use youth outside of that.

**Lim till i die** · 25/01/2016, 6:35 PM

I see 9 good players, 8 of them outfield.

The slight panic is there from some of us because we have one go at getting this right and getting out of the first division. Don't get out this year and that's the club done for another twenty years.

There's no point in blending youth for the sake of it either, they have to be good enough.

**bluewhitearmy** · 25/01/2016, 6:37 PM

Originally Posted by Jofspring

I'd fancy Holland to do a job in goals. We can move some players around like Paul O'Connor can fill in centre half and right full. Paudie was only 17 playing last year so Brouder could step up if really needed. He isn't going to be up against the same quality as Paudie was last year. I reckon we will sign another centre half and a winger/striker. We have gone for quality not quantity and id imagine a lot of other squads will have quantity but not real quality. We will most like have the fittest team in the league with most training full time.

So far I don't think I have seen a single player announced by another club that I'd say I'm raging they got and we didn't. At a push maybe Rob Lehane. Wexford Youths won the league last year with less experience and quality than what we currently have.

Ideally you have 13 or 14 excellent players, 11 outfield and 3 good subs. You use youth outside of that.

There isn't really anyone signed with another team I would want for our starting 11 either I just worry about how young some of what we have to replace people with are its a lot of pressure on a 17 or 18 year old if we are in the middle of a title run in. I think we need a centre back, centre mid a winger and a striker personally cos if we were to say move Paul O Conor if we needed to who comes in to midfield?

Would love to see something like Oji, Russell, Ward and a striker come in but not sure if money would allow for all of them..

**4tothefloor** · 25/01/2016, 9:09 PM

We're one or two injuries away from disaster with that squad - what happens if say John O'Flynn and Lee Jay get injured? If we're still ok in that scenario, the rest of the division must be septic. I'm disappointed to be honest, we should be covering all angles and making sure we get out of this division at the first attempt. Last season if say Vinny Faherty was having a poor game there was sweet FA on the bench to bring on instead - looks like we're repeating this trick again this season. Madness. Decent first 11 yea, squad over all looks lightweight. I've seen far too many seasons in the first division to be comfortable with the squad I'm looking at anyway. Hope I'm wrong.

Also another argument - I've always been of the opinion that a few decent new signings put bums on seats. They get the fans excited, create a buzz and if they do the business on the pitch it usually means the team is successful and the gates go up. Why not make a couple of quality new signings, and if the league is going to be this procession, have a crack off the cups as well? I'd imagine if we were top of the league and looking like champions we'd be getting decent crowds at the Markets Field - those signings would pay for themselves.