Close Season/Pre-Season Rumours

[Lim till i die]

There's a few things to consider about candidates from the UK.

The manager.

1. I'd imagine if you're not at the top table the money over there isn't fantastic anyway. Like is Baraclough earning much less at Sligo than he was at Scunthorpe??
2. The potential stature increase. Like say you're an English boss and you're tipping away doing a great job at Rotherham. Now obviously Rotherham is a much bigger club than Limerick but if you were to do the same good job at Limerick you could potentially find yourself in Europe. Pox a long ranger in Belgrade (:p) and you find your staure increased massively by comparison. Would Michael O'Neill have got the Northern Ireland job off the back of guiding Brechin to theupper end of the Scottish First Division??

The club.

1. Players - Limerick probably need two centre halfs, a left back, two wingers and a striker. I wouldn't say no to a couple of Gary Twigg types.*
2. Profile - As nigel says in theory a big name could attract a couple of hundred extra fans which in theory could lead to a grand a week extra for the budget/the bosses arse pocket. Hard to quantify and maybe a dangerous road to be going down.

There's negatives as well of course. He probably isn't familiar with the culture/standard and the club isn't familiar with his personal circumstances for example.




*if we got a couple we could play them as two stopper centre halfs.

[outspoken]

I've always wanted McGee to join hes a clinical goal scorer but he hates Longford and will never join

[Charlie Darwin]

If Limerick get Phil Brown in I'd anticipate a huge spike in anti-orange racism in the greater Cork area, a cause Brown has been keen to note is just as bad as other forms of racism.

[Lim till i die]

Blue, Orange, stadium that's far too big for us.

Basically as a club we looked at formulas for sustained footballing success on this island.

Introducing:




*drumroll*





The Linfield Model.

[PartySaint]

Like is Baraclough earning much less at Sligo than he was at Scunthorpe??


I'd imagine he is, in the 2010/11 season when he was there Scunthorpe had an average attendance of 6,200. I'd say a good 4,000 of them were season tickets holders

[Jofspring]

Is there many top players still available?

Sligo, St.Pats, Derry City and Shamrock Rovers have signed up most of their best players from last year with a few additions which means there isn't much else floating around. Any stand out players still to sign on for anyone?

[patrickccfc]

Any stand out players still to sign on for anyone?
dan murray.. take him if ye want:D

[Jofspring]

dan murray.. take him if ye want:D

He would stand out alright, when he left for dust by anyone with pace.

Pity we didn't try get the other Murray from ye :p

[Charlie Darwin]

Is there many top players still available?

Sligo, St.Pats, Derry City and Shamrock Rovers have signed up most of their best players from last year with a few additions which means there isn't much else floating around. Any stand out players still to sign on for anyone?
Kerrea Gilbert.

[nigel-harps1954]

Posted on Limerick facebook page that they've interviewed 10 potential managers and an announcement to be made by Friday.

[El-Pietro]

Vinny Sullivan is still available... player of the season...

[PartySaint]

Kieran Marty Waters still hasn't signed for anyone has he?

[marinobohs]

Posted on Limerick facebook page that they've interviewed 10 potential managers and an announcement to be made by Friday. ,,,,,,,to appoint them all :D

[cornflakes]

Kieran Marty Waters still hasn't signed for anyone has he?

Staying with Bray according to Captain2007 (http://foot.ie/threads/174321-Any-Rumours-on-players?p=1647607&viewfull=1#post1647607)

[sadloserkid]

,,,,,,,to appoint them all :D

They get a game each and once a month we'll have a Big Brother style public vote to ween them out one at a time until only one remains. The club will make a fortune off the text messages, it'll pay for itself.

[Dodge]

Any stand out players still to sign on for anyone?

Could still make the guts of a good premier side from the likes of Evan/Dave McMillen, Chris Sheilds, kevin Dawson, Vinny Faherty, Raf Cretaro and dozens more that aren't signed up yet

[Nah Nah Nah Nah]

Ventre probably the most high profile player not signed yet

[GCdfc]

Could still make the guts of a good premier side from the likes of Evan/Dave McMillen, Chris Sheilds, kevin Dawson, Vinny Faherty, Raf Cretaro and dozens more that aren't signed up yet

I certainly wouldn't include Chris Shields in any good premier side. Lacks the right attitude and ability.

[Hulsey]

I certainly wouldn't include Chris Shields in any good premier side. Lacks the right attitude and ability.

I'd take him back any day. Don't know if his attitude changed with you but when he was at Bray never gave less than 100% and was one of our most consistent performers

[GCdfc]

I'd take him back any day. Don't know if his attitude changed with you but when he was at Bray never gave less than 100% and was one of our most consistent performers

I had great hope from him given his displays with Bray but he was utter ****e with us.

[Guinney]

I'd agree that I wouldn't include Shields in any good LOI team. He is a limited player. But I have to say even though I wouldn't rate him highly he did give it his all on the pitch in most matches. I don't know much about off the pitch so can't comment on that.

[Dodge]

I had great hope from him given his displays with Bray but he was utter ****e with us.

So was Bolger and you won't find a Pats fan who isn't delighted he's staying with us for 2013. Sometimes players just don't fit certain styles/teams/managers

I think Shields is a vastly underrated player

[GCdfc]

So was Bolger and you won't find a Pats fan who isn't delighted he's staying with us for 2013. Sometimes players just don't fit certain styles/teams/managers

Quite true. Bolger never performed with us in a good team.



I think Shields is a vastly underrated player

Maybe so but if he is anything like he was last season I hope never to see him in a Dundalk jersey again.

[peadar1987]

What exactly was wrong with him?

At Bray he was prone to the odd misplaced pass, but charged around like a crazy person, won a lot of headers (which in the side of midgets we had was very valuable!), and put pressure on the opposition, won a lot of ball for the team in the centre of the park, and was also useful as a bit of a battering ram up front for the 96% of the season when Gary Shaw would be injured.

I think he benefited a lot from having a very cool head beside him in Gary Dempsey, and also flair players on the wings like Paddy Kavanagh, Gary McCabe and John Mulroy, meaning it wasn't his job to create things or control the pace of the game, and he could stick to what he was very good at. I'd have him back in a heartbeat anyway, if only for his last-second goal against Mons in the relegation playoff.

[White Horse]

What exactly was wrong with him?

He couldn't control the ball and kept losing possession. Oriel Park is quite wide and we tried to play with width, so losing the ball, misplacing passes, or failing to control the ball was a constant problem. He does a lot of chasing around but concedes a lot of free kicks while doing it.

However, I thought he started to fit in much better as the season went on and he did a good job filling in at centre half. I'm not as down on him as some Dundalk fans.

[jinxy lilywhite]

chris shields problem apart from that he looks like Tin Tin, it is that he loses the ball far too easily and runs around like a head less chicken. i wouldnt mind if he was good at winning the ball back but in my opinion he is and will never be fit enough to wear the captains armband of our club or even the white shirt.

granted only 3 or 4 of last seasons squad are of a standard to wear a dfc shirt.

[Partizan]

Newry City will be playing in Mid Ulster B Intermediate League next season so there will be 7 teams in the First next season.

[White Horse]

Newry City will be playing in Mid Ulster B Intermediate League next season so there will be 7 teams in the First next season.

Have Waterford confirmed that they are going to contest the 1st division next season?

[patrickccfc]

Any stand out players still to sign on for anyone?
Beckham looking for a new challenge:call:

[patrickccfc]

Newry City will be playing in Mid Ulster B Intermediate League next season so there will be 7 teams in the First next season.
didnt think they were gona be in the loi anyway.. hopefully cobh can get back in

[bullit]

.....

However, I thought he started to fit in much better as the season went on and he did a good job filling in at centre half. I'm not as down on him as some Dundalk fans.

I think a lot of Dundalk fans where more Pee'd off with his role as club/team Captain rather than his playing abilities.

Not a bad player imo but defo no leader of a football club/team!!

[oriel]

LMFM tweeted yesterday that Dundalk were linked to Ruaidhri Higgins, he's a very good player, but I would be surprised to see him move to us, maybe with the Kenny link there is something in it.

Mark Farren would have been a great addition, but he's training with Glenavon, cant play until 1 Jan, prob under pre contract. I'd still take him from April, if he was free, but that would probably run into similar problems we had when we took Mickey Collins from the Irish League, ended up he couldnt play until July.

[sadloserkid]

didnt think they were gona be in the loi anyway.. hopefully cobh can get back in

I presume that's what Partizan meant, that Cobh will be in while Waterford will be taking their ball and going home.

[brendy_éire]

Ruaidhri Higgins is under contract here, so doubt he'd be going.

Farren does have a pre-contract with Glenavon. Getting to/from Dundalk may be a problem as he isn't allowed to drive yet.
Ciarán Martyn and Eddie McCallion are both at Glenavon, so that suits him.

[GCdfc]

Farren does have a pre-contract with Glenavon. Getting to/from Dundalk may be a problem as he isn't allowed to drive yet.

As in he doesn't have a license or is banned?

[sadloserkid]

As in he doesn't have a license or is banned?

Guessing here but I'd presume it's related to the brain surgery...

[Partizan]

I presume that's what Partizan meant, that Cobh will be in while Waterford will be taking their ball and going home.

From what I hear Cobh are in no financial position to re-enter and quite frankly you couldn't blame us for 'taking our ball and going home'. How the FAI insist on a seven team FD being sustainable is beyond me.

[brendy_éire]

Guessing here but I'd presume it's related to the brain surgery...

That's it.

[brendy_éire]

We're signing Sean Houston off Bray, so I hear.

Edit:
We have signed him. http://www.londonderrysentinel.co.uk/sport/football/derry-city/derry-city-sign-houston-1-4555650

[Mr A]

Sean Houston I think?

[brendy_éire]

Sean Houston I think?

Aye, Sean, even.
Decent enough signing.

[Nah Nah Nah Nah]

Raf re-signs

http://www.sligorovers.com/latest-news-news-menu-inside-246/1786-cretaro-signs-up-for-2013

[pineapple stu]

Sean Houston I think?
Houstan, I think he spells it.

Bit of an underwhelming signing for Derry, no?

[brendy_éire]

Houstan, I think he spells it.

Bit of an underwhelming signing for Derry, no?

Not really, is it? Trying to build local, and cheap.

[PartySaint]

Houstan, I think he spells it.

Bit of an underwhelming signing for Derry, no?

He looked a very good player every time I seen him last season, could turn out to be a great signing by Devine

[pineapple stu]

I'll plead ignorance on last season, having missed almost all of it!

He had a brief spell at UCD; didn't do much (and didn't have a huge amount of time to do much, in fairness)

I obviously judge players on their time at UCD unless they went off winning medals or playing abroad afterwards. :)

[peadar1987]

I'll plead ignorance on last season, having missed almost all of it!

He had a brief spell at UCD; didn't do much (and didn't have a huge amount of time to do much, in fairness)

I obviously judge players on their time at UCD unless they went off winning medals or playing abroad afterwards. :)

Well he has just signed for Derry

[Sam_Heggy]

Housty is a quality player. He was playing great stuff for us til he was poached off us by UCD.

Can play left back, left mid, centre mid or up front. Great player up front imo, very strong, good hold up play and can score goals.

[redobit]

Well he has just signed for Derry

somewhere in the world there is a seal clapping for ya, well done

[bluewhitearmy]

Any Athlone fans able to tell us what Val Feeney is like? Says he has signed for our 19s but im told they hope to have him in first team.