Your starting XI

[outspoken]

I know Dundalk is over a week away and we have waterford still to come In Pre season but having seen TC play so many different formations and players in pre season we have all had a good chance to see how we are set up ahead of the big kick off so my question is what team would you like to see start in Dundalk and what team do you think TC will start.

My team (4-5-1)
Hunt
Sullivan, Flynn, Morris, Powell,
Ben Mohammed, Rice, Salmo, O'Connor, Deady
Sully

I don't see Cousins team being too far stray from that just depends on the shape, he seems to like the 4-2-3-1 but went a bit different last night with Salmo sitting deep and Ricer playing further forward. Impossible To know what hel do

[Longfordian]

I haven't seen any of the games so far, hoping to go to Dundalk though. So..whatever you lads agree on is grand. Play that Sully lad and the red haired lad too though.

[Darklordsbane]

You haven't missed anything, they are playing very badly, they keep giving the ball away, useless passing, apart from maybe 4 or 5 good quality passes each game, from the games that I have seen they have been very poor, dead ball deliveries have been crap
I know it's pre season but if they don't get it together very soon it will be a very long season.
I'm sure the dark red glasses wearers will disagree but I don't care, you can blame the pitches and that we haven't had the full strength team on the pitch at the same time yet, but we should be better this year than last, I can't wait to see it

[Martinho II]

Extratime dont have the full town subs that came on or the full amount of peno takers.

Can anyone elaborate who came on as sub and who scored the penos so I can get crackin on the stats compiling!

[hollocaine]

Going by the Extratime updates, the subs used were Gorman, Cowan and Shannon.

[DRDoc]

Gorman came on at half time (for Salmon?)

Cowan came on in second half for Shaw I think

Shannon came on second half also

[Pendil]

Penalty scorers in order were Gorman, Deady, Shaw, Rice, O'Connor. Subs were Gorman for Salmon, Cowan for O'Sullivan and Shannon for Ben Mohamed.

[outspoken]

You haven't missed anything, they are playing very badly, they keep giving the ball away, useless passing, apart from maybe 4 or 5 good quality passes each game, from the games that I have seen they have been very poor, dead ball deliveries have been crap
I know it's pre season but if they don't get it together very soon it will be a very long season.
I'm sure the dark red glasses wearers will disagree but I don't care, you can blame the pitches and that we haven't had the full strength team on the pitch at the same time yet, but we should be better this year than last, I can't wait to see it

Disagree on your dead ball comments, lorcan Shannon in particular has improved his corners drastically although our wingers still can't seem to put in a good cross in open play. A lot of you here saying sully and Shaw need to play together and I totally agree but we can only play 1 up front against Dundalk and Shaw is lost on the wing (despite his 2 goals last night he kept drifting inside and it really didn't work having him out there) but Sully was totally iscolated on his own so it's a lose lose situation when you play only 1 up front. Give me a point now.

[Keen2win]

Haven't been to any games either, but hopefully the defensive issues come good. Lots of experience there so here's hoping!!

Will anyone be driving from Dublin and back after the Dundalk game, or should someone in my situation be looking at taking the train?

[outspoken]

Very poor performance yet again last night, yes it's pre-season and yes tony is trying out different formations, players etc and yes the conditions have been poor when we've played but I've not come away from 1 per-season game thinking we played well today and we can give Dundalk or rovers any sort of game.

Positives from last night - Paul Hunt put in his best display of pre-season, would have been more like 4 goals rather than 2 for waterford without Hunty. Skinner came on for second half and was totally sh1te again, very poor for the first goal.

At the back we tried to play out but kept landing ourselves in trouble, Flynn nearly hung Hunt with 2 outrageous back passes while Rossiter was out of position time after time and looks totally unfit, at fault for the second goal and was on his hands and knees after it. I know he hasn't played much but he's in no condition to start the campaign and considering Jamie's injury thats a massive problem.

In midfield, TC has been trying out Ricee playing ahead of Salmo and it just doesnt work, the lads work best as a pair side by side.

Lorcan Shannon's set pieces have been superb in pre-season and caused the first goal to be scored last night.

Sully and Shaw are still best together up front and sully looked particularly sharp last night so that's all the positives but overall we made so many mistakes that Finn or Towell will gobble up and I can't see anything other than a heavy beating. Hope im wrong

[Darklordsbane]

As I have said earlier yes playing badly but the only good thing that I see with they way it is at the moment, is, it's almost all self imposed errors, that can be fixed and the sooner the better

[hollocaine]

Was surprised at Rossiter's poor physical condition at the Shels friendly. Especially for a guy coming to us from a professional set up.

At least, Pat Sully can play RB in Jamie's absence. Tyrrell looking like he'll be Flynn's partner in the centre on Friday.

Impressed by Shannon in pre season. He's looking determined to nail down a starting place. Can see TC going with Shannon-Rice-Salmon-O'Connor as the middle 4 for the start. Don/ABM as impact subs.

We've the toughest opening two games than anyone. It'll only be after the first series of matches that we know where we really stand. This 'Cousins Out' nonsense that was started up by some of ye just a few weeks into last season won't be welcome. Patience will be required by us all.

[outspoken]

There's no doubt that we can't be judging anyone or anything till after we've played the likes of Bray and Limerick and settled in at This level but at the same time the last thing we want to do is ''an athlone'' and leave far much to do after only a round of games played so TC will be under huge pressure to deliver this season but with expectations no higher than just surviving then he should be fine, last season as you said Hollocaine expectations were extremely high and as a results a lot of us hit the panic button early doors.

[Martinho II]

what happened to Jamie Mulhall lads? I am so much out of the loop these days with not being able to attend preseason at all!

[outspoken]

what happened to Jamie Mulhall lads? I am so much out of the loop these days with not being able to attend preseason at all!

Heard someone say last night he strained ligaments in his knee and might be back for the rovers game. See how true that is I suppose

[DRDoc]

Was surprised at Rossiter's poor physical condition at the Shels friendly. Especially for a guy coming to us from a professional set up.

At least, Pat Sully can play RB in Jamie's absence. Tyrrell looking like he'll be Flynn's partner in the centre on Friday.
.

I would be very worried if Tyrell is first choice at centre back

Agree on Rossitor

[Mister X]

Think TC will go 4-2-3-1 anyway but very hard to know who will be the front man, shaws a better target man imo but then sully has the finish
Hunt
Sullivan, Flynn, Morris, Deady,
Rice, Salmo,
Ben Mohammed,O'Connor, Don
Shaw or Sully

[outspoken]

Think TC will go 4-2-3-1 anyway but very hard to know who will be the front man, shaws a better target man imo but then sully has the finish
Hunt
Sullivan, Flynn, Morris, Deady,
Rice, Salmo,
Ben Mohammed,O'Connor, Don
Shaw or Sully

Sullys first touch and link up play is better than anyone's in that team so he simply has to start up front without even mentioning his ability to score goals.

DRDoc while I personally prefer Tyrell at left back to centre half he put his best display in since returning from injury in waterford on Friday so if he is selected for Dundalk im sure hel put in a good display but when you take all of the pre season games into account I think Tom Morris should be the one to partner Flynn should Sullivan start at right full like we all expect.

[Mister X]

DRDoc while I personally prefer Tyrell at left back to centre half he put his best display in since returning from injury in waterford on Friday so if he is selected for Dundalk im sure hel put in a good display but when you take all of the pre season games into account I think Tom Morris should be the one to partner Flynn should Sullivan start at right full like we all expect.

Tyrell has only played in 3 of the pre season matches after coming back form his injury, 45 min v ucd, drogheda 120min and 45min in waterford i think, dunno if hed be able to stick the pace in dundalk, what do you think? morris had played well so id be happy with either to be fair

[outspoken]

Tyrell has only played in 3 of the pre season matches after coming back form his injury, 45 min v ucd, drogheda 120min and 45min in waterford i think, dunno if hed be able to stick the pace in dundalk, what do you think? morris had played well so id be happy with either to be fair

Good point about tyrell's fitness, Id go for Morris he's good in both boxes.