Team next year...

**pineapple stu** · 18/12/2004, 4:45 PM

Yes, it's another of those pointless pre-season threads...but sure, why not?

Doyle, Finn and Batman are gone; it looks like Sully will be going as well, though at least we stand to gain 10k-15k from the transfer (on the basis that we seem to have turned down 5k). From the U-21s, Gannon and Byrne stand out, but then the likes of Kierans, Gallagher, Kelly, Foley, Dicker, O'Brien and Brophy could make more of an impact next season.

Obviously can't legislate for any new signings (such as Heffernan - any news on him lately?), but at the moment, what team are we going to have next year and what positions do we need filled?

I'd go with...

Quigley
Mahon
Kenna
McNally
McAuley
Gannon
McDonnell
Murphy
O'Donnell
Byrne
Martin

Subs
Gallagher
Foley
Dicker
McWalter
Brophy

Anto Murphy has been playing in Seán Finn's position for the last six games, so it seems like Mahon has him in as Finn's replacement. The defence is the exact same, which is very encouraging. The bench isn't the strongest, but at least all have first-team experience. Beyond those five, though, there's only the likes of Paul Whelan, Darren O'Brien and Colm Kierans, as anyone else from the U-21s who played for the first-team last year has since left or is likely to have left at the end of the season (Pat Burke, John Gaffney, Lloyd Colfer, Tadhg Purcell).

So we need to uncover a full-back and a winger as priority. Gannon's the only cover at full-back, and Podge is the only real cover on the wing at the moment... Course, I'm sure Pete Mahon has this all figured out ages ago!

**CollegeTillIDie** · 18/12/2004, 4:55 PM

Originally Posted by pineapple stu

Yes, it's another of those pointless pre-season threads...but sure, why not?

Doyle, Finn and Batman are gone; it looks like Sully will be going as well, though at least we stand to gain 10k-15k from the transfer (on the basis that we seem to have turned down 5k). From the U-21s, Gannon and Byrne stand out, but then the likes of Kierans, Gallagher, Kelly, Foley, Dicker, O'Brien and Brophy could make more of an impact next season.

Obviously can't legislate for any new signings (such as Heffernan - any news on him lately?), but at the moment, what team are we going to have next year and what positions do we need filled?

I'd go with...

Quigley
Mahon
Kenna
McNally
McAuley
Gannon
McDonnell
Murphy
O'Donnell
Byrne
Martin

Subs
Gallagher
Foley
Dicker
McWalter
Brophy

Anto Murphy has been playing in Seán Finn's position for the last six games, so it seems like Mahon has him in as Finn's replacement. The defence is the exact same, which is very encouraging. The bench isn't the strongest, but at least all have first-team experience. Beyond those five, though, there's only the likes of Paul Whelan, Darren O'Brien and Colm Kierans, as anyone else from the U-21s who played for the first-team last year has since left or is likely to have left at the end of the season (Pat Burke, John Gaffney, Lloyd Colfer, Tadhg Purcell).

So we need to uncover a full-back and a winger as priority. Gannon's the only cover at full-back, and Podge is the only real cover on the wing at the moment... Course, I'm sure Pete Mahon has this all figured out ages ago!

We could have fielded that side last season which is encouraging.
It is a pity about some of the departures right enough, but then again we are that kind of a club. We develop them and let them go on to others. I am disappointed with losing Batman cause he played well for us anytime I saw him. You never know what Eddie Wallace will unearth from schoolboy football for 2005. Some of them might already be signed.