Best start to a season

**Professor K** · 01/05/2017, 4:38 PM

Here's the best ever starts to a League of Ireland season.

Cork are the first top flight team to win their opening 11 games (or all of their first round of fixtures) in 51 years.

**SkStu** · 01/05/2017, 6:45 PM

Puts their achievement into context there. Very impressive start. Would be amazing if they went on to break the Bohs record. Almost 100 years apart.

**SeanDrog** · 02/05/2017, 6:06 AM

No denying the facts. The impressive thing for me is how they have just methodically approached and won each game - no drama, no fuss, Just got on with the job in hand.

But .... I just feel there is more in this title race to come ... feel it in me bones.

**El-Pietro** · 02/05/2017, 8:36 AM

The Sean Maguire situation is what the season will hang on, not he is our only player, but we are built around him and taking him out of the side will be a set back. It will take a while to figure out how to play without him. Though if we keep up our current form/results until the end of June (almost impossible) then it might not matter.

**oriel** · 02/05/2017, 10:15 AM

Good point on Maguire, it wont just be his goals missed, more his bringing the attacking threat that Cork have into play. His role is not uncommon to what McMillan was at in the height of our Euro run last season, back to goal at times and constantly bringing players into play with quick passing. Cork might end up having him for all of 2017, the purchasing club will have to decide, will their offer be worth having him all of their pre season and to be good to go for day 1 for 2017/18 season, or follow recent examples, pay nothing and have him available from 1st Jan.

**sadloserkid** · 02/05/2017, 10:52 AM

Heard at the Cork game yesterday that he has a lowish release clause. I've no idea if that is rumour or fact but it could be significant (if true).

**osarusan** · 02/05/2017, 11:15 AM

Sligo in 1936-37!

Those were the days, when you could win 11 in a row (half of the season) and then take an 8-2 beating.

**osarusan** · 02/05/2017, 11:17 AM

And Rovers in 55-56. They won the first 11 games of the season (again, half, which means they'd already beaten every other team in the division) but when they were finally beaten by Bohs, they were in 2nd place?

**ArFella** · 02/05/2017, 11:21 AM

Originally Posted by osarusan

And Rovers in 55-56. They won the first 11 games of the season (again, half, which means they'd already beaten every other team in the division) but when they were finally beaten by Bohs, they were in 2nd place?

I think the League Pos. field indicates where they were at the end of the season rather than when their streak ended.

**osarusan** · 02/05/2017, 11:34 AM

Originally Posted by ArFella

I think the League Pos. field indicates where they were at the end of the season rather than when their streak ended.

Yes of course, that makes much more sense!

**PartySaint** · 02/05/2017, 11:36 AM

Originally Posted by Professor K

Here's the best ever starts to a League of Ireland season.

Cork are the first top flight team to win their opening 11 games (or all of their first round of fixtures) in 51 years.

That 1923 Bohs team must have been fairly ****ed off, so close to a perfect season. Way to ruin Christmas Shels

**Mr A** · 02/05/2017, 11:45 AM

The mad ones there are the massive runs that ended in comprehensive defeat. Imagine going 11 wins in a row and then losing 8-2!

**Backs Harps to win 8-2 on Friday night**

**El-Pietro** · 02/05/2017, 11:51 AM

Originally Posted by oriel

Good point on Maguire, it wont just be his goals missed, more his bringing the attacking threat that Cork have into play. His role is not uncommon to what McMillan was at in the height of our Euro run last season, back to goal at times and constantly bringing players into play with quick passing. Cork might end up having him for all of 2017, the purchasing club will have to decide, will their offer be worth having him all of their pre season and to be good to go for day 1 for 2017/18 season, or follow recent examples, pay nothing and have him available from 1st Jan.

More than that he creates so much space for us because defenders are preoccupied with him. On Friday there was a point where he was in front of the shed in the corner and there were four Bray players closer to him than any other defender on the pitch. Three surrounding him and a fourth just standing off.
That opens up room for Sheppard and Buckley to pop in and score.
Brays approach to dealing with him this weekend was the same as most teams have done all season. Kick him. There was a spell in the first half where he was halved about three times in a row right down the middle of the pitch. Ref gace the free every time but no cards. Sean was incredibly frustrated with the ref. If people keep doing that he will get hurt eventually.

Originally Posted by sadloserkid

Heard at the Cork game yesterday that he has a lowish release clause. I've no idea if that is rumour or fact but it could be significant (if true).

That is fact. €150k. There is some discussion around whether we would also be entitled to the equivalent to the transfer compensation we'd get at the end of the season which for Preston would be around 150-200k. It seems that we would get that too, so suddenly hes going to cost Preston 300k rather than 150k and that might give them pause. I think he wants to stay but the money he'd get from Preston would be multiples of what he can get here, and with all these tackles hes got to be thinking he might not be in a position to take an offer at the end of the season because of potential injury.

**oriel** · 02/05/2017, 12:30 PM

Why would any club be entitled to any compensation if a players contract is up? Release clause, I get that during his contract.

Also he or any Irish player would be mad to turn down the wages that a championship side could offer, they could easily expect this to be increased 4 times over per week. Minimum.

UK clubs don't generally like paying over that 150k mark for players from LOI, then again they run the risk of losing out to a rival if they are not prepared to stump up.

**El-Pietro** · 02/05/2017, 1:01 PM

Originally Posted by oriel

Why would any club be entitled to any compensation if a players contract is up? Release clause, I get that during his contract.

Surprised me, but that suggestion came from a City fan who is extremely knowledgeable on LOI contracts and football contracts in general. He has been heavily involved in all of our transfers in recent years.

Also he or any Irish player would be mad to turn down the wages that a championship side could offer, they could easily expect this to be increased 4 times over per week. Minimum.

I was going to say that I didn't think he'd get that much more but then I looked at the figures. Hes one of, if not the best paid player in Ireland right now. I'd imagine hes on somewhere around 1500 basic right now. Maybe as much as 2k per week with goal bonuses etc factored in. He didn't stay just because he loves John Caulfield. You'd guess that he might get 5k sterling in England. That comes to just under €6,000 a week. So somewhere between 3 and 4 times his basic salary right away, and then he will be getting paid for the full year. Thats an extra 10-12 weeks a year. The only thing in his favour here is European bonuses but thats not going to make up enough of a difference.

If they gave him £5,000 a week for 3 years which you'd imagine isn't too crazy an idea, thats €936,000 (52 weeks, 3 years - maybe it comes to a little bit less than that as his contract ends before the end of the full third calendar year). Brexit could hurt the currency exchange but even still. Thats life changing money for a 23 year old (his birthday was yesterday I think), and especially so for an Irish footballer.

UK clubs don't generally like paying over that 150k mark for players from LOI, then again they run the risk of losing out to a rival if they are not prepared to stump up.

Surprised me, but that suggestion came from a City fan who is extremely knowledgeable on LOI contracts and football contracts in general. He has been heavily involved in all of our transfers in recent years.
It will come down to this I think. Will they look at that 150-300k and say... we can wait and see. Madness when you look at the salary package they'd be giving him, and what it would cost to get a player with a similar record from within the English lower leagues.
They have signed a couple of players from us in the past, Graham Cummins and Alan Browne. Cummins did not work out for them, Browne is still young and has a lot of games under his belt but hes not in the first team right now. Maybe that will make them a little cautious, but Horgan and Boyle seem to be off a very good start so that will help persuade them.

**oriel** · 02/05/2017, 1:31 PM

Yeah no way any Irish club can compete once a championship club enters the fray, Towell is reported to be on 7k stg a week for sitting in the stand. League 1 sides could prob offer twice what the best LOI sides could manage, and that would be compared to the their top earner. Maguire would easily command 5k stg + per week, and as you say that's 52 weeks a year. Money talks at the end of the day.

The money on offer over there even at these leagues is huge, I think I read before, for the FA Cup 3rd stage (pre xmas round), the min a club gets just for getting to that stage is 80k stg, not too far off what our league winners get from FAI for winning the league !

**redobit** · 03/05/2017, 9:34 AM

Originally Posted by oriel

Yeah no way any Irish club can compete once a championship club enters the fray, Towell is reported to be on 7k stg a week for sitting in the stand. League 1 sides could prob offer twice what the best LOI sides could manage, and that would be compared to the their top earner. Maguire would easily command 5k stg + per week, and as you say that's 52 weeks a year. Money talks at the end of the day.

The money on offer over there even at these leagues is huge, I think I read before, for the FA Cup 3rd stage (pre xmas round), the min a club gets just for getting to that stage is 80k stg, not too far off what our league winners get from FAI for winning the league !

The Championship is the wealthiest non-top flight football division in the world and the seventh richest division in Europe. Serious cash involved with these clubs and a very healthy living to be made for any Irish lads who can't make the PL grade.

**El-Pietro** · 03/05/2017, 9:52 AM

Originally Posted by oriel

Why would any club be entitled to any compensation if a players contract is up?

I forgot to answer this. Hes 23 so we would get training compensation. We wouldn't get anything if he were 24.

**Charlie Darwin** · 04/05/2017, 2:01 PM

Originally Posted by El-Pietro

More than that he creates so much space for us because defenders are preoccupied with him. On Friday there was a point where he was in front of the shed in the corner and there were four Bray players closer to him than any other defender on the pitch. Three surrounding him and a fourth just standing off.
That opens up room for Sheppard and Buckley to pop in and score.
Brays approach to dealing with him this weekend was the same as most teams have done all season. Kick him. There was a spell in the first half where he was halved about three times in a row right down the middle of the pitch. Ref gace the free every time but no cards. Sean was incredibly frustrated with the ref. If people keep doing that he will get hurt eventually.

That is fact. €150k. There is some discussion around whether we would also be entitled to the equivalent to the transfer compensation we'd get at the end of the season which for Preston would be around 150-200k. It seems that we would get that too, so suddenly hes going to cost Preston 300k rather than 150k and that might give them pause. I think he wants to stay but the money he'd get from Preston would be multiples of what he can get here, and with all these tackles hes got to be thinking he might not be in a position to take an offer at the end of the season because of potential injury.

If only Cork weren't so committed to their policy of never committing a foul, otherwise maybe he could fight back.