Tony Cousins to stay till 2013.

[Martinho II]

I just received a text alert to say that Tony Cousin's services have being secured for the 2013 season.

[Olander]

How on earth did Longford manage to fend off the internet in him to get him to renew his contract?

[Longfordian]

Yes, securing his services might be a bit dramatic there. Meh, wasn't fully in favour of keeping him but stability isn't a bad thing. He really needs to get us up next season now however. If we keep our best players there shouldn't be any reason why we can't go up.

[gufc2000]

Yes, securing his services might be a bit dramatic there. Meh, wasn't fully in favour of keeping him but stability isn't a bad thing. He really needs to get us up next season now however. If we keep our best players there shouldn't be any reason why we can't go up.
With Limerick out of the equation, it should be less predictable. Either Waterford or Dundalk will be in contention, and Finn Harps probably won't be far off either. Just a question of what other sides actually end up in the Division

[Acornvilla]

earrah balls, kirbs retires and Tony stays, tbh two things I would have rathered not happen. meh, meh I say

[Macy]

The target was the playoffs for this season, and we made them easy. Would be harsh not to give him another chance, despite how things kinda petered out. And to be honest, I'm still not sure whether we really over achieved first half of the season, or imploded second half. We built the lead mainly on the back of Limerick and Waterford being slow out of the gate and taking points off each other.

We still don't know who we'll be up against next season, or their respective budgets. I'd be loathe to say promotion or bust, as there's just too many variables. We could be up against someone paying way more than us, a la Limerick, and then in the play offs who knows who we'll be playing, especially whoever is coming down from the premier. It's just a nightmare league to get out of - one down and a playoff is really crap for the 1st.

[sadloserkid]

We built the lead mainly on the back of Limerick and Waterford being slow out of the gate and taking points off each other.

Not at all relevant to the overall discussion here but we didn't take a solitary point of Waterford all season.

[outspoken]

Interesting tweets from Gary Dempsey this morning as he suggests the FAI are asking the big premier teams to enter reserve teams into the first division. If that happens we will never get out of this graveyard

[Macy]

Not at all relevant to the overall discussion here but we didn't take a solitary point of Waterford all season.
Alright, rephrase it - Limerick kept dropping points against Waterford, and Waterford were dropping points against Wexford. Because it matters. The point remains, it was more Limerick and Waterford dropping surprising points, than us doing anything amazing. We were picking up points where we would be expected to.

[bluewhitearmy]

Interesting tweets from Gary Dempsey this morning as he suggests the FAI are asking the big premier teams to enter reserve teams into the first division. If that happens we will never get out of this graveyard


Why would that make a difference? They wouldnt be allowed to be promoted.

[outspoken]

I know that but the league is bad enough without putting reserve teams into it. We can hardly draw 500 people for a play-off tie WTF is it gona be like playing against reserve teams? The end is near for the first division in my eyes.

[Acornvilla]

The pull of salthill devon is much bigger than that of Shamrock Rovers reserves alright

[bluewhitearmy]

I know that but the league is bad enough without putting reserve teams into it. We can hardly draw 500 people for a play-off tie WTF is it gona be like playing against reserve teams? The end is near for the first division in my eyes.


Didn't realise you were talking about the standard of the league you just said ye will never get out of it.

Being honest can the standard really get any worse? I would think anyone that goes to see ye play Mervue,Wexford and Salthill will go see ye play reserves really not like their was anyone bar the Limerick Galacticos to draw neutrals to games this year :tongue:

[Mr A]

Can it get much worse? Yes. Yes it can.

The question is whether the clubs can survive that.

[Macy]

Can it get much worse? Yes. Yes it can.

The question is whether the clubs can survive that.
Delaney and co shouldn't survive it anyway - an admission that it'll be a 6 or 7 first; a totally devalued first which will look like the A league; or they'll have to go single division.

[nigel-harps1954]

If they had any cop on whatsoever, they'd simply lower the cost of playing in the division.

[gufc2000]

Exactly, €19k to enter the First Division. No club should be losing money before the season starts. The entrance fee should match the minimum prize money i.e. whoever comes last in the First Division should at least get their entrance fee back. If prize money is €5k for whoever comes last in the FD, then that should be the max entrance fee. Only the clubs who are at the top of the Prem that have crowds of 2000-3000 can realistically afford €19k to register.

[bluewhitearmy]

Can it get much worse? Yes. Yes it can.

The question is whether the clubs can survive that.


How though the thing is an absolute joke what could make it worse?

In the case of the reserves are they any worse then playing Mervue or Salthill not at all imo.

[outspoken]

Lets just say all the reserve teams finished ahead of the likes of Longford, Harps etc would promotion go to the highest ranked senior side? You could have a team finishing 5th or 6th or whatever in the league and still be promoted? That's just ridiculous it will never work.

[Charlie Darwin]

Do you really think the sixth best team in the First Division could win a playoff against the bottom side in the Premier? It's not going to happen. The reserve sides will be used to blood players who would otherwise be stuck in the U19s or not getting games at all - they're not going to be poaching players from Longford or Athlone or whoever.

[prince20]

Lets just say all the reserve teams finished ahead of the likes of Longford, Harps etc would promotion go to the highest ranked senior side? You could have a team finishing 5th or 6th or whatever in the league and still be promoted? That's just ridiculous it will never work.

Sure thats how we got into this mess. Did Salthill or Mervue win the A championship? They still got promoted

[Longfordian]

Another consideration is that the likes of Longford and Athlone get plenty of players from the reserve sides of Premier Division clubs. If the Premier clubs hold on to those players because they need a stronger reserve side it becomes that much harder to put together a decent squad without paying higher wages.

[Patrick Dunne]

If one of the clubs with reserve teams was in the bottom third of the Premier Division, there could be huge possible conflicts of interest.

The results of a clubs reserve team could help influence the fate/opposition of their first team. Players could end up picking up injuries and suspensions against reserve teams, and serving them against the first teams (could also apply to cup competitions).

An example (in theory) : Dundalk reserves vs Waterford, final match of First Division season.

[Lim till i die]

Did Salthill or Mervue win the A championship? They still got promoted

Via playoffs which they won fair and square.

[outspoken]

The A championship should never have been scrapped it was the only link we had between so called non league and loi. If the A championship was still there now it would be much much easier to draft up the likes of FC Carlow but now they are further away from joining the LOI than ever before, it really is a dark place at the moment.

[gufc2000]

Sure thats how we got into this mess. Did Salthill or Mervue win the A championship? They still got promoted
As little respect as I have for Salthill they are there on merit in terms of results on the field of play. They got to the A Championship Final the year they went up. Shamrock Rovers beat them 1-0 in the final I think. Mervue beat Kildare County over 2 legs.

[jamiec6284]

aussie has announced his retirement today due to injury

[Longfordian]

Good player, shame he had so many injuries when with us. Best of luck to him in whatever he does now.

[outspoken]

Always had the potential to win a game on his own it's a shame injuries stopped him.

[Cabs88]

Back on topic, wouldn't be Cousins' biggest fan, I think there are considerable question marks over him tactically and I doubt there were a que of teams looking for him.. BUT what I will say, its no harm having a manager sorted early in terms of continuity and player recruitment so perhaps he might learn from some of his mistakes this year and press on next. let's hope so.