What an off season - now the actual season

[danthesaint]

Without been smart with Derry and Cork gone we only have 1 place to climb really!!Granted Fingal should be strong enough for at least mid-table and Pats cant be as bad as last year but think we have added enough to still finish ahead of them and reckon we could be stronger than yous aswell which would give us 3rd but sure look in bout 8 or 9 weeks after the first programme of games we should have a fair idea!!Do you think ye are stronger this year than ye were at this time last year??{serious question.not trying to be smart again!!}

not that we are stronger, we look like we give a fook this season, last year we didnt, if we played in the league as we did in europe, we wouldnt have been as low.
this season we look up for it, judging by some of the tackles i have seen in pre-season, i thought we made linfield look gick on friday altho it was a 2nd string team from team, but either way, they should have been match fit, we created a few chances and probably should have won, only issue i would have is the back 4, but hopefully they will gel, with a few more games under their belt. we only ask for effort, not expecting miracles, heres to a good season.

[jinxy lilywhite]

my 2 cents
1 Bohs
2 Rovers
3 Dundalk
4 Fingal
5 SLigo
6 Pats
7 Drogheda
8 UCD
9 Galway
10 Bray

Really all depends on the start we get. Last season we had a poor start and for the 1st half of the season we where playing catch up. Our opening 2 games are Bray away and drogheda at home and hope we can get 6 pts from those 2 games and it gives us great confidence going to rovers then.
It is going to be very tight this season and i reckon there will not be a 20 pint difference between 3rd and 9th. it really will be tight and i am quitely confident with the squad we have assembled that we are the best of the rest.

[marinobohs]

my 2 cents
1 Bohs
2 Rovers
3 Dundalk
4 Fingal
5 SLigo
6 Pats
7 Drogheda
8 UCD
9 Galway
10 Bray

Really all depends on the start we get. Last season we had a poor start and for the 1st half of the season we where playing catch up. Our opening 2 games are Bray away and drogheda at home and hope we can get 6 pts from those 2 games and it gives us great confidence going to rovers then.
It is going to be very tight this season and i reckon there will not be a 20 pint difference between 3rd and 9th. it really will be tight and i am quitely confident with the squad we have assembled that we are the best of the rest.

Think the "good start" factor applies to all clubs. I would see both Dundalk and Sligo doing better than Fingal simply because I think at home they are far more difficult opponents. To do well in the league you need a good home record and I think Oriel and the Showies are far more difficult places to go than Santry.
I expect UCD to play a better brand of football than they did when last in the Prem but, again goalscoring may prove difficult for them. Galway are difficult as the Seanie show is rarely predictable (although his teams do have a tendency to make europe). I expect Pats to do better than last season but in all honesty they were the greatest underachievers in the league (based on budget).I dont think the players they have brought in are League winning standard but both Mahon and Gill are capable of doing well off a small budget so should be top half. I can see Drogs and Bray in the basement positions.

At least it will be fun to be back talking about on field matters and watching as our "well thought out" predictions collapse due to injury and/or some "artistic" (ie made up/mad) ref decisions ;). The time of year when we all start out with (usually misguided) hope and expectation before reality comes to town.

Best of luck to all for the new season.

[passinginterest]

First Division has to be between Waterford, Derry and Shels. Shels will be as hard to beat as ever and I think they'll be there abouts all season, Waterford have a strong side but they'll miss the players they've lost and I have a feeling they might just miss out on the title, Derry have kept a lot of proven premier division players and have a strong pool of younger players so they should be champions, it won't be easy though. Below that Harps look stronger this year and Monaghan have been improving consistantly, Cork will probably struggle a bit in the first half of the season, but they'll strenghten in the transfer window and should be well in the top half by the end. Limerick, Longford, Youths and Athlone will be fairly evenly matched and will be around the same level as Harps, Monaghan and Cork, the final order among them could really go any way, a good start could be all important for the likes of Youths and Monaghan. Mervue and Salthill could really struggle and I'd be surpised to see either team picking up too many wins.

Derry
Waterford
Shels
Harps
Monaghan
Cork
Limerick
Youths
Longford
Athlone
Mervue
Salthill

[shep]

1.Bohs
2.Shamrock Rovers
3.Dundalk
4.St Pats
5.Sporting Fingal
6.Sligo Rovers
7.U.C.D
8.Drogheda United
9.Galway United
10.Bray Wanderers

[davidatrb]

1. Rovers
2. Bohs
3. Dundalk
4. Sligo
5. Pats
6. Galway
7. Fingal
8. Drogheda
9. UCD
10. Bray

1. Derry
2. Shels
3. Waterford
4. Limerick
5. Harps
6. Monaghan
7. Cork
8. Longford
9. Athlone
10. Wexford
11. Mervue
12. Salthill

[1st time post]

You mean Shels? or UCD?

Meant to quote Oriel there and was asking bout Dundalks squad.My league predictions would be...

Premier
1.Bohs
2.Shamrock
3.Sligo Rovers
4.Pats
5.Fingal
6.Dundalk
7.Drogs
8.Galway
9.UCD
10.Bray

First Division looks tricky but will go with Derry and Waterford fighting it out for title and Monaghan and Limerick to surprise people.

[Louth4sam]

1. Bohs
2. Rovers
3. Pats
4. Dundalk
5. Sligo
6. Fingal
7. Drogs
8. Galway
9. UCD
10. Bray

1. Waterford
2. Derry
3. Shels
4. Longford
5. Limerick
6. Monaghan
7. Harps
8. Foras
9. Athlone
10. Wexford
11. Mervue
12. Salthill

[neutrino]

1. Shamrock Rovers
2. Bohs
3. Pats
4. Sligo
5. Dundalk
6. Fingal
7. Drogs
8. UCD
9. Galway
10. Bray

1. Shels
2. Waterford
3. Derry
4. Limerick
5. Harps
6. Longford
7. Athlone
8. Wexford
9. Monaghan
10. Foras
11. Mervue
12. Salthill

[Aaron]

Premier

1. Shamrock Rvs
2. Bohs
3. Fingal
4. Dundalk
5. Pat's
6. Galway
7. Sligo
8. Drogheda
9. UCD
10. Bray

First

1. Derry City
2. Shelbourne
3. Waterford
4. Finn Harps
5. Monaghan Utd
6. Limerick
7. Cork
8. Longford
9. Athlone
10. Wexford
11. Salthill
12. Mervue

Shels to go up via play-off

Dundalk for the cup

Shamrock Rvs for the league cup

Bohs for the Setanta

[harps1954]

1. Bohs
2. Rovers
3. Dundalk
4. Pats
5. Sligo
6. Fingal
7. Drogs
8. UCD
9. Galway
10. Bray

1. Shels
2. Waterford
3. Derry
4. Monaghan
5. Harps
6. Limerick
7. Cork Foras
8. Athlone
9. Longford
10. Wexford
11. Mervue
12. Salthill

[shep]

1.Bohs
2.Shamrock Rovers
3.Dundalk
4.St Pats
5.Sporting Fingal
6.Sligo Rovers
7.U.C.D
8.Drogheda United
9.Galway United
10.Bray Wanderers

1st Division
1.Derry City
2.Shels
3.Waterford
4.Cork City
5.Finn Harps
6.Longford
7.Limerick
8.Monaghan
9.Wexford
10.Athlone
11.Salthill
12.Mervue

Forgot Division 1 yesterday!!!

[Acornvilla]

we seem to be coming everywhere between 4th (were not that good yet) to 9th(not a hope in hell we will be that low!)

[TheBoss]

Premier Division
1. Bohemians
2. Shamrock Rovers
3. Dundalk
4. Sporting Fingal
5. St. Patrick's Athletic
6. Sligo Rovers
7. Galway United
8. Drogheda United
9. UCD
10. Bray Wanderers

First Division
1. Derry City
2. Shelbourne
3. Waterford United
4. Monaghan United
5. Longford Town
6. Cork City FORAS Co-Op
7. Limerick
8. Finn Harps
9. Athlone Town
10. Wexford Youths
11. Mervue United
12. Salthill Devon

[The Observer]

For me i cant see beyond a third title in a row for Bohs, though this would be purely on the basis that they retain the services of Fenlon for the entire season & their finances hold up for that time also. If this is the case i can see them winning it by a margin in excess of last seasons. I think Rovers will come good after a mixed start whilst O'Neill finds his preferred starting X1 & formation & will most likely finish runners up, after that i think Sligo Dundalk & possibly St Pats will have a go at 3rd, Fingal i genuinely dont know what to expect from, they could easily take to the PD & challenge for the runners up spot, likewise they could also struggle to a mid table finish when faced with betetr opposition week in week out than that faced in the FD, anyway i'll go for...

1. Bohs
2. Rovers
3. Sligo
4. Pats
5. Fingal
6. Dundalk
7. UCD
8. Galway
9. Drogheda
10. Bray

[Tallaght Saint]

1. Bohemians
2. Shamrock Rovers
3. Sporting Fingal
4. St Patrick's Athletic
5. Sligo Rovers
6. Dundalk
7. UCD
8. Drogheda United
9. Galway United
10. Bray Wanderers

[Rasputin]

I cant see anyone winning the league bar Bohs (as long as they stay afloat for the season). People are tipping a neck and neck race with Bohs and Shams but tbh I think Bohs will cruise it. Second place has got to be Shams, by far and away the second best squad in the country. Then it gets tricky, its between us Pats and Dundalk for third IMO. I watched Pats against Linfield and wasnt too impressed tbh, I thought they looked poor but I have no doubt they will be an improvement on last season, most notably because they got rid of that spoofer in Mc Kenna and got Mahon and Gill in, wiley old heads. I see Dundalk doing well this season, also because they got rid of that king of Spoofers Connor and brought in some tidy signings but then again they dont have the goals of Turner to suppliment them this season. We are alot stronger this season and why I think we should do so much better is not only is our squad deeper but we are also not crippled with injuries like we were for the first half of last season which destroyed us. If we had the form we had in the second half of last season throughout we would have got Europe no doubt. After them I would have to say Sporting Franchise, I think a comfortable mid table but I cant see them competing week in week out against the big boys and getting in the top 4 and aswell there is question marks over their financial foothold? Then I would have to call UCD and Drogs, UCD should never be underestimated and are solid and likewise with Drogheda I think they will be solid too and if they can replicate their form of the latter half of last season then religation shouldnt be worried about. Then it comes to Bray and Galway, this is a tough call because Bray always seem to unearth some young quality prodigy in the course of a season and Gormley is no fool how ever I think they will struggle especially in defence with a young team and no Skippy in goals for them anymore. As for Galway I think this is the time that Connor will be finally outed as one of the most over rated managers in the league, he doesnt have the massive budgets he is used to working with and is operating on a skeleton budget. The signings they have made havent been exactly inspiring and IMO they will ne lucky to avoid the drop. Losing Foster was a massive blow to them, if he wasnt with them last season they would have been half the team.

1. Bohemians
2. Shamrock Rovers
3. Dundalk
4. Sligo Rovers
5. St Patricks Athletic
6. Sporting Franchise
7. Drogheda United
8. UCD
9. Bray Wanderers
10. Galway United

[Rasputin]

As for the first division, it should be very interesting indeed, more interesting than the Premier this season IMO.

1. Derry City
2. Waterford United
3. Shelbourne
4. Finn Harps
5. Monaghan United
6. Limerick
7. Cork (insert name here)
8. Longford
9. Athlone
10. Wexford Youths
11. Mervue United
12. Salthill Devon

Heres me hoping though that Harps get promoted, I miss the away trip to the fey and this season I am not looking forward to going to the Pale literally every away game bar Galway. The best away trips are those outside of the Pale IMO.

[Martinho II]

1. Bohs

4. Longford
5. Limerick
6. Monaghan
7. Harps
8. Foras
9. Athlone
10. Wexford
11. Mervue
12. Salthill

fair play louth4sam you have the best prediction for us yet! has it got somethin to do with TC playin for ye before?

[Acornvilla]

just seen the ad on rte promoting the opening live game of the year between bohs and sfingal. was qite well made and built up i must say :) nice to see and it was on at a good time when lots of people would be watching rte (right before 'the simpsons')

[Louth4sam]

fair play louth4sam you have the best prediction for us yet! has it got somethin to do with TC playin for ye before?

Nah, I think you have made some really good signings and in Glynn and Hynes you could have a really good partnership. Obviously the top three will be Shels, Waterford and Derry but Longford will be the best of the rest.

[Jicked]

1. Rovers
2. Bohs
3. Dundalk
4. Sligo
5. Pats
6. Fingal
7. UCD
8. Drogheda
9. Galway Utd
10. Bray Wanderers

[ifk101]

Premier Division
1. Bohs
2. Shamrock Rovers
3. Fingal
4. Dundalk
5. Pats
6. Sligo
7. UCD
8. Drogheda
9. Galway
10. Bray

First Division
1. Derry
2. Waterford
3. Cork
4. Monaghan
5. Shels
6. Limerick
7. Harps
8. Longford
9. Wexford
10. Athlone
11. Mervue United
12. Salthill Devon

[Acornvilla]

Premier Division
1. Bohs
2. Shamrock Rovers
3. Fingal
4. Dundalk
5. Sligo
6. Pats
7. Drogheda
8. UCD
9. Galway
10. Bray

First Division
1. Derry
2. Waterford
3. Shels
4. Monaghan
5. Limerick
6. Longford
7. Harps
8. Cork
9. Athlone
10. Wexford
11. Salthill Devon
12. Mervue United


anyone between 3th and 8th could swap positins in the 1st devision

[gustavo]

Premier Division
1. Bohs
2. Shamrock
3. Rovers
4. Fingal
5. Dundalk
6. Pats
7. Galway
8. Drogs
9. UCD
10. Bray

[Jofspring]

Premier:

1. Shamrock Rovers
2. Bohemians
3. Sligo Rovers
4. Sporting Fingal
5. Dundalk
6. St. Pats
7. Drogheda
8. Galway
9. UCD
10. Bray

First:

1. Derry
2. Waterford
3. Limerick
4. Shels
5. Monaghan
6. Harps
7. Cork
8. Longford
9. Athlone
10. Wexford
11. Mervue
12. Salthill

Hard to say how the first divsion is going to go. Most teams have strenghtened very well, from 1st place right down to about 6th is all up for grabs. Most teams in the division are capable of dropping points against each other.

[Aaron]

Premier

1. Shamrock Rvs
2. Bohs
3. Fingal
4. Dundalk
5. Pat's
6. Galway
7. Sligo
8. Drogheda
9. UCD
10. Bray

First

1. Derry City
2. Shelbourne
3. Waterford
4. Finn Harps
5. Monaghan Utd
6. Limerick
7. Cork
8. Longford
9. Athlone
10. Wexford
11. Salthill
12. Mervue

Shels to go up via play-off

Dundalk for the cup

Shamrock Rvs for the league cup

Bohs for the Setanta

So how did our predictions fare? Got both league winners right anyway and Bohs for Setanta right. Looks like I underestimated Sligo in the Premier and Monaghan in the First. Over-estimated Finn Harps also

[legendz]

Premier:

1. Shamrock Rovers
2. Bohemians
3. Sligo Rovers
4. Sporting Fingal
5. Dundalk
6. St. Pats
7. Drogheda
8. Galway
9. UCD
10. Bray

First:

1. Derry
2. Waterford
3. Limerick
4. Shels
5. Monaghan
6. Harps
7. Cork
8. Longford
9. Athlone
10. Wexford
11. Mervue
12. Salthill

Hard to say how the first divsion is going to go. Most teams have strenghtened very well, from 1st place right down to about 6th is all up for grabs. Most teams in the division are capable of dropping points against each other.
Well done on getting the top 4 in the Premier and the top 2 in Division One spot on!

[MMVIII]

Feels like the longest off season ever. Can't wait for this season to kick off. Have a feeling something special could happen for us, but I've thought this most seasons and have always been wrong so :D

Shams and Bohs will slug it out at the top and I can't see anybody really challengeing them tbh. After that I really dont know. You have ourselves, Fingal, Pats, Dundalk all with similiar squads, strength wise, and these positions could go anyway. Should be fairly tight here, although I have a feeling Fingal might flop a bit. That leaves Galway, UCD, Drogs and Bray. Gonna guess at Galway to finish bottom, followed by Drogs, Bray then UCD. Altough, I really don't know a lot about any of these squads.

1- Bohemians
2- Shamrock Rovers
3- Sligo Rovers
4- St Pats
5- Fingal
6- Dundalk
7- UCD
8- Bray
9- Drogs
10- UCD

On to the First division which will be really exciting next season IMO. I honestly can see Waterford winning it and tbh, I hope they do. Harps and Monaghan could be real dark horses next season and then not forgetting Derry and Shels who will be up there. Don't know a lot about the rest really.

1- Waterford
2- Derry
3- Shels
4- Finn Harps
5- Monaghan
6- Limerick
7- Longford
8- Wexford Youths
9- Athlone
10- Cork City Foras Co-op
11- Mervue
12- Salthill

Cannot ****ing wait for this season.

Jaysus, I was fairly close with most of my predictions. Couldn't be happier to see I was right about us. Over estimated Harps in the FD and I was right about Mons being darkhorses, despite putting them behind Harps. Underestimated Foras.

[srfc1928]

So how did our predictions fare? Got both league winners right anyway and Bohs for Setanta right. Looks like I underestimated Sligo in the Premier and Monaghan in the First. Over-estimated Finn Harps also
Not the worst predictions, but galway ahead of us was a strange one.

[pineapple stu]

Based on the In and Out thread and pre-season friendlies, I'll go with -

1 Bohs
2 Rovers (agree with Dodge on Twigg, but even without him, they should still be too good for third)
3 Feckall
4 Sligo
5 Dundalk
6 Pat's
7 UCD
8 Drogheda
9 Bray
10 Galway

The First [...] Let's randomly predict -

1 Derry
2 Waterford
3 Monaghan
4 Shels
5 Harps
6 Longford
7 Cork
8 Athlone
9 Limerick
10 Wexford
11 Salthill
12 Mervue

Maybe a bit harsh on Limerick there, and the two Galway sides are much of a muchness.

All that is pending the obvious implosion and asterisk possibilities, of course.
Not too shabby. Top four in the First Division spot on. Barring inverting Drogs and Galway, I wasn't more than one place out with any of the Premier sides.

Some of the more humorous predictions though -


I predict a record amount of * in the league tables
Yup; zero is a record for the past decade anyway (although the purists will, I'm sure, count Wexford v Salthill as an asterisk)


Bohs [...] should do very well in Europe, would be great if they got [...] Welsh opposition just to show what a gulf in class there is.
Quite the gulf, I'm sure we can agree.


we seem to be coming everywhere between 4th (were not that good yet) to 9th(not a hope in hell we will be that low!)
This just in by webcam -
http://www.parterre.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/hell_freezes_over.png

[passinginterest]

I think Galway James definitely wins the prize for most unfortunate prediction of the season. Ouch.

Multi-quote won't work on this stupid machine but I wasn't too far off with my predictions.

I think a lot of us underestimated Twigg's ability to score as many goals this season.

[Jofspring]

Well done on getting the top 4 in the Premier and the top 2 in Division One spot on!

Happy with that. Just a pity i was wrong about Limerick FC.

[Rasputin]

I dont see the quality players coming in for Sligo to suggest what most of their fans on here are saying (avg of 3rd spot), why do you think you can improve 3 places on last year ? - very confident or cocky. Now I think you`ll be challenging for the top 4, but I seriously think you`re under estimating the other teams quality around you.
:D:D:D

[Schumi]

1. Bohs
2. Rovers
3. Sligo
4. Dundalk
5. Fingal
6. Pats
7. Drogheda
8. UCD
9. Galway
10. Bray

Not too bad. Only the two Louth teams being considerably worse than I expected and goal difference at the top went wrong.

[John83]

So how did our predictions fare? Got both league winners right anyway and Bohs for Setanta right. Looks like I underestimated Sligo in the Premier and Monaghan in the First. Over-estimated Finn Harps also
So close... damned Rovers fans and their lack of superweapons.

Bohs will surge into the lead before realising that a football club can't be build on dreams alone when it turns out that they've already sold their midfield to four different clubs and a property developer who wants to build a shopping centre on Anto Murphy. Shams will chase them all the way like a needy ex-girlfriend who doesn't believe it's over, crying bitter little tears when no one notices or appreciates all the effort that went into their new stadium. UCD B, by which I mean Fingal, will win the league after a tactical nuclear strike during a Bohs-Rovers game results in 16 points deductions for both clubs, Ronan Finn and Conan Byrne combining to make football of such pure beauty that it makes Paul Doolin weep as he realises that he's wasted his life building teams which kick teams until they're too bruised to chase the long balls to his lone striker any more. Dundalk will settle for finishing ahead of Drogheda, who will finish the season playing their home games in a debtor's prison. Pats will miss out on Europe in spite of a three point and 30 goal lead going into the last day when their opponents realise that the way to beat Conor Kenna is to play the ball on the ground in spite of him being three foot two. They'll bitterly ruing the fact that Paul Byrne wasn't able to add to the ninteen goals he scored in the cumulative total of sixteen minutes and twenty two seconds he was fit over the season. Galway will finish last, but win an MTV award for the music video of their season set to Rogue Trader's The Price We Pay. Bray will get relegated after losing their playoff to a resurgent Monaghan, but are saved when Sligo go to the wall after it turns out they haven't paid any tax since the foundation of the state. Finally, the SCP will be evaluated, and the Premier title awarded to Athlone.

[Schumi]

So close... damned Rovers fans and their lack of superweapons.

Umbrellas not enough?

[sligored]

Id generally agree with SeanDrog about the groups he has divided the teams into, except for me Sligo will be one of the stronger teams in "group 2". Can't see anyone challenging Rovers or Bohs for the league, but the race for the remaining european spot could be interesting. I expect Fingal to do well this season, but having said that I expected Dundalk to do well last season and while they may not have done too bad they didn't set the league alight, maybe bad judgment on my part though. Sligo and Pats have seemed to assemble decent squads and either could finish 3rd given a bit of luck IMO, then down in "group 3" it could be a struggle, can't see any of them 4 doing great this year but at least it may provide entertainment down the bottom.

Prediction:
1. Rovers
2. Bohs
3. Sligo
4. Pats
5. Fingal
6. Dundalk
7. Galway
8. Drogheda
9. UCD
10. Bray

this seems to be the best prediction...pity kildare lad is not around any more to bask in the glory

[peadar1987]

this seems to be the best prediction...pity kildare lad is not around any more to bask in the glory

Did something happen to him, or has he just stopped posting?

[sligored]

think he just stopped posting

[SkStu]

this seemed as good a place as any to post this picture - gave me a laugh!!

http://comeheretome.files.wordpress.com/2010/10/16_a.jpg

from:
http://comeheretome.wordpress.com/2010/10/30/they-think-its-all-over-it-actually-is/

[Kildare Lad]

this seems to be the best prediction...pity kildare lad is not around any more to bask in the glory

Boom.

I'm Back.

And pretty delighted with that prediction too wasnt too far off!

[pineapple stu]

Have you just spent the last six months hoping to be missed?!

[Kildare Lad]

Pretty much yeah.

Ah not really though, just kind of fell out of touch with the LoI after Kildare County dropped out but am going to my first match since (Waterford v Mons) tonight so thought I'd pop back on and happened to see that post!