Who can realistically win the league?

[Nigel Irritable]

So Shels beat Cork fairly comfortably again. They have eleven points on both Cork and Bohs. Drogheda are within two points but have played two more games. Who can realistically take the league from Shels, assuming their isn't an amazing collapse?

Cork look a good side but they keep losing the big games against the other top sides. Today was just the latest example. Drogs are closest and but might be lacking the kind of quality squad they would need to keep up the pressure. Bohs probably have the best players of the three on paper but things don't seem to be going well for them at all.

I have a sneaking suspicion that it will be easier for Bohs to get their act together than for Cork or Drogs to find an extra gear. What about the rest of you?

[iceman]

Realistically , I cant see Drogs winning it.

They are a good side but I would expect Shels to win it and a scrap between Cork City and Drogs for second place , they meet in United Park on the second last series of fixtures. This game will probably decide the fate of these clubs.

Having seen Bohs last night I dont think they have what it takes...they were at sixes and sevens and could'nt capitalize on the fact that they had an extra man for the last 20mins.

[brendy_éire]

Much as I hate to say it, can't see past Shels.
Dorgheda are doing well and best of luck to them, but I somehow can't see them keeping up with the pace.
Cork are finished, and as for Bohs, watching them at the Brandy last week, can't say them look at all like a League winning side.

[tiktok]

Much as I hate to say it, can't see past Shels.

Have to agree with that.
They were under strength and supposedly tired on Saturday, they still managed to be professional and grind out a result. We've all been going on about how they've not played well this season (Europe aside), to be fair, it's true, but they've still only lost two and been the most consistent team.

I reckon they could walk it in the end

[Martinho II]

shels will easily win it now! noone will compete with them at all!

my prediction for end of season predictions is as follows:

1.shels
2.cork
3.drogs
4.bohs
5.waterford
6.longford (back in form)
7.shams
8.derry
9.pats
10.franchise city

shels will dominate the league for the next few seasons like shams in the mid 80s.

[Sheridan]

shels will easily win it now! noone will compete with them at all!

my prediction for end of season predictions is as follows:

1.shels
2.cork
3.drogs
4.bohs
5.waterford
6.longford (back in form)
7.shams
8.derry
9.pats
10.franchise city

shels will dominate the league for the next few seasons like shams in the mid 80s.
How can Franchise City finish second AND tenth?? :confused:

[A face]

How can Franchise City finish second AND tenth?? :confused:

Come off the stage .... why would City (Cork) be called fanchise city ??

[Sheridan]

Come off the stage .... why would City (Cork) be called fanchise city ??
Because Cork IS Franchise City. How many clubs over the years? Whenever one goes bust, another is invited to take its place because "the league needs a club in Cork." Which is fair enough, but the very definition of a franchise.

How people can criticise Dublin City on this score and ignore that fact is beyond me.

[patsh]

I think your new manager is affecting your judgement already Sheridan.....:rolleyes:

As regards the title, City won't finish second, maybe not even in the top three. $h£l$ are streets ahead of us, and nearly everyone really. I think Drogs will hold on the 2nd, and I think Bohs will get a run together to get them into 3rd. We have played the top two in two weeks, and are well off the pace....:(

[LFC in Exile]

What's really funny about the result on Saturday was thinking about the small number of City fans who were banging on about how if Shels beat Depor that they could go on to dominate the eL for years etc etc. Looks like that's going to happen anyway , irrespective of a big Euro payday. :)

[ccfcgirl]

Shels are defiantly the best team in the league good to see drog doing so well

[Macy]

Shels are going to walk it now. Cork went on about Shels bottle, but forgot to hold on to their own.

As for second place, a lot depends on who Bohs get in, and how soon, as to whether it'll be a straight 2 way fight between Drogs and Cork or whether Bohs can come back into it (for all the talk about how shít they've been, they're still not that far off the pace).

[max power]

shels will easily win it now! noone will compete with them at all!

my prediction for end of season predictions is as follows:

1.shels
2.cork
3.drogs
4.bohs
5.waterford
6.longford (back in form)
7.shams
8.derry
9.pats
10.franchise city

shels will dominate the league for the next few seasons like shams in the mid 80s.

marty i'd put bohs above drogs and us above blahford, apart from that...spot on.

pat fenlon just seems to have the nack of signing great players, bohs can pay high wages too, but i just think fenlons signings over the past 18 months are far ahead of kennys ( when he was there) at bohs.

apart from alan moore, glen fitzpatrick has been the signing of the season for me.

[WeAreRovers]

Because Cork IS Franchise City. How many clubs over the years? Whenever one goes bust, another is invited to take its place because "the league needs a club in Cork." Which is fair enough, but the very definition of a franchise.

How people can criticise Dublin City on this score and ignore that fact is beyond me.

How dare you Sheridan. Cork City FC are 20 years old this year. With all that tradition and heritage how can you have the cheek to criticise them. :rolleyes:

KOH

PS Shels have already won the League.

[max power]

yeah i'm looking forward to the 21st next year :D

[A face]

How dare you Sheridan. Cork City FC are 20 years old this year. With all that tradition and heritage how can you have the cheek to criticise them. :rolleyes: .

Whatever ..... man, it is so fúckin' lame coming out with this all the time. I mean take Rovers ..... all that history and what did it get them, Miltown a dream and Tallaght an even bigger one, bottom half of the table and fans dwiddling away all the time. Hate saying it .... but you're comments count for fúck all really.

[tiktok]

Whenever one goes bust, another is invited to take its place because "the league needs a club in Cork." Which is fair enough, but the very definition of a franchise.

Complete opposite to you so, because there's no way Dublin needed another club. ;)

[Macy]

Complete opposite to you so, because there's no way Dublin needed another club. ;)
Cork City were elected to the league as well.

[WeAreRovers]

Hate saying it .... but you're comments count for fúck all really.

Glad to hear it, I'd hate to think I touched a nerve. :D

KOH

[Sheridan]

Sheridan, hate to point out the obvious but you brought it up. No City fan mentioned Dublin City or franchising and you suddenly make it sound like there's some issue. Also, you don't even make any attempt to back your club, your sole point is 'hey everyone look, I think another club did it too'... Big swing, I mean ManU ar only Newton Heath in disguise if you want to get down to it, but who cares (apart from yourself that is)?
I'm not having a dig at Cork, I'm just pointing out that this franchise tag fits them better than it does us. This is absolutely incontrovertible, and yet people (and yes, I've heard it from CCFC fans too) still toss around this "franchise" thing as though it were something unique to Dublin City.

Believe me, if this kind of unoriginal sh*t was being directed constantly, without interruption and from all quarters towards your team, you'd lose your patience pretty quickly too. Most of the arguments people trot out against Dublin City FC are basically groundless pretexts for the hate fetishism of so many eL fans. It's sad really.

[WeAreRovers]

Most of the arguments people trot out against Dublin City FC are basically groundless pretexts for the hate fetishism of so many eL fans. It's sad really.

Insert the name of your own club instead of Dublin City and the man is correct. I have to admit to the odd bout of "hate fetishism" myself but it's always aimed at CCFC (1984) and the Gypos. ;)

KOH

[ambaiste]

Glad to hear it, I'd hate to think I touched a nerve. :D

KOH

thanks for confirming that - Rovers really are the 'liverpool' of the EL - we used to be great you know, even had our own ground, really, honest, my grandad told me....

[A face]

even had our own ground, really, honest, my grandad told me....

And he would have been right .... its a car park, aint that right WAR, and admit it. You dont really hate CCFC, you're just a little jealous :D

[Dr.Nightdub]

yeah i'm looking forward to the 21st next year :D

The 21st year of CCFC or the 21st senior football club in Cork, which? :p


Most of the arguments people trot out against Dublin City FC are basically groundless pretexts for the hate fetishism of so many eL fans. It's sad really.

What are you complaining about, being hated is proof that you've made it to the big time. When you're relegated, we'll go back to ignoring your existence and my, won't you miss our little hate-fests then? :p

[Sheridan]

What are you complaining about, being hated is proof that you've made it to the big time. When you're relegated, we'll go back to ignoring your existence and my, won't you miss our little hate-fests then? :p
Whatever, Doc. Seriously, this "CHF" stuff and so forth was funny for about five minutes in 2001, now it just joins the countless other cheap and tedious jibes that help make some of you look like sneering old women. The stuff that goes on between yourselves and Cork just makes me cringe.

There are plenty of people and phenomena in this country (and many others) that deserve contempt. Why would anyone become that embittered about football? Some of you don't even seem to like your own clubs that much! Shels fans are probably the most positive I've encountered, which is why I don't give them the stick they get everywhere else.

[southside bohs]

Bohs are the only team imo that can catch and will catch shels. Against drogheda on friday we started to play like we did when we won the league and how we did'nt beat drogheda is beyond me.

If howlett can get us playing like that week in week out then i hope he gets the job cause we dominated drogheda and they were too negative.

After seeing cork on saturday i can say they have no chance of winning it. Theres me thinking cork were attacking and that their team were the best irish club after beating malmo and nec :confused: Ye were ****e, all you could resort to was hitting the ball long, at least shels have learned to bring their composure from europe into the league.

Shels are the best team in ireland but bohs could still get them.

bohs :eek:
shels ;)
drogheda
cork
waterford
rovers :D
longford
derry
dublin city
Pats :(

[Longfordian]

For what its worth;

1. Shels
2. Cork
3. Bohs
4. Drogs
5. Longford (why not..)
6. Waterford
7. Rovers
8. Derry
9. Pats
10.Dublin City

Rovers, Derry, Waterford and ourselves will be close together but im being optimistic. Shels have it won already

[liamon]

...
There are plenty of people and phenomena in this country (and many others) that deserve contempt. Why would anyone become that embittered about football? Some of you don't even seem to like your own clubs that much! ....
Oh my God! Footbal fans displaying irrational dislike of other teams in their league. :eek: How shocking. :rolleyes:
Isn't that half the fun of going to live games - winding up the other set of fans with inane chants and mocking them over their history. Get used to it. Or get relegated. Whichever suits you best.

[WindmillWarrior]

5. Longford (why not..)


Why not? Because you are sh*te!

[WeAreRovers]

And he would have been right .... its a car park, aint that right WAR, and admit it. You dont really hate CCFC, you're just a little jealous :D

100% correct, I'm riven with jealousy. When I first saw Rovers in Milltown Cork City were 6 years away from being formed. As I said I'm being eaten up by an irrational jealousy of all things Corkie - a 20 year old club that has won less in that time than an up **** creek, homeless Rovers and doesn't own it's own ground. :rolleyes:

KOH

[Longfordian]

Why not? Because you are sh*te!

Careful now we still have to play ye twice more, could do untold damage to your title dreams :) Another 5-0 would be nice...

[Sheridan]

Oh my God! Footbal fans displaying irrational dislike of other teams in their league. :eek: How shocking. :rolleyes:
Isn't that half the fun of going to live games - winding up the other set of fans with inane chants and mocking them over their history. Get used to it. Or get relegated. Whichever suits you best.
I suppose it depends how far up the evolutionary ladder you are. If you're a simian buffoon who still finds the same "jokes" amusing after they've been driven into the ground for a few years, or spends more time trawling around for an excuse to develop a new grudge or take offence at something than you do supporting your team, there's not really anything I can do to help you.

[A face]

100% correct, I'm riven with jealousy. When I first saw Rovers in Milltown Cork City were 6 years away from being formed. As I said I'm being eaten up by an irrational jealousy of all things Corkie - a 20 year old club that has won less in that time than an up **** creek, homeless Rovers and doesn't own it's own ground. :rolleyes:

KOH

WAR .... you shouldn't let it get to ya man ..... maybe sometime soon you'll "be as big as ye were in the past" ....... keep wishing, it is only round the corner.

[liamon]

I suppose it depends ..., there's not really anything I can do to help you.
I take it you've opted for relegation then?

[WindmillWarrior]

"Careful now we still have to play ye twice more, could do untold damage to your title dreams"

You mean our 2nd place dreams :)
But yeah I hate games against your lot, especially at United Park. We seem to do ok-ish in Legoland but at home its always a strange atmosphere and an even strangerer(!) performance. We haven't beaten you at home since we were promoted 3 seasons ago! Time for that to change next time though!

[Dr.Nightdub]

I suppose it depends how far up the evolutionary ladder you are.

Sheridan, we're football fans, our place in life is in the primordial sludge. Leave the sociology to the likes of Nick Hornby, our role in life is to despise everyone else bar our own team. Your role in life in to be universally despised. Take consolation from the fact that Seery's achievements do elicit a certain level of grudging respect, even while we hold your head underwater :p