PFAI Team of the Year

[nigel-harps1954]

First Division list released this week and makes for some interesting reading.

GK - Graham Doyle - Wexford
D - Gary Delaney - Wexford
D - Tomas Boyle - UCD
D - Evan Osam - Shelbourne
D - Damien McNulty - Finn Harps
M - Robbie Benson - UCD
M - Andy Mulligan - Wexford Youths
M - Gary O'Neill - UCD
F - Ryan Swan - UCD
F - Dylan McGlade - Shelbourne
F - Danny Furlong - Wexford


Breakdown:

UCD - 3rd in the league - FOUR
Wexford - 1st - FOUR
Shelbourne - 4th - TWO
Harps - 2nd - ONE


Now, without blowing the trumpet of a few players, sounding bitter, or disrespecting those picked, I'm left scratching my head as to how a goalkeeper with 15 clean sheets in 27 matches is overlooked, and the best defence in the division only has one player in the team of the year. I'd agree with most of the team though, but there's a couple of questionable inclusions.

For me, team of the year:

Ciaran Gallagher (Harps)
Damien McNulty (Harps)
Gary Delaney (Wexford)
Tomas Boyle (UCD)
Ciaran Coll (Harps)
Andy Mulligan (Wexford)
Robbie Benson (UCD)
Raymond Foy (Harps)
Danny Furlong (Wexford)
Ryan Swan (UCD)
Dylan McGlade (Shelbourne)

[Darklordsbane]

any sign of a Premier team of the year or is it too early

[Olander]

Now, without blowing the trumpet of a few players, sounding bitter, or disrespecting those picked, I'm left scratching my head as to how a goalkeeper with 15 clean sheets in 27 matches is overlooked, and the best defence in the division only has one player in the team of the year. I'd agree with most of the team though, but there's a couple of questionable inclusions.
Last year Graham Doyle got on the team of the year despite Wexford Youths conceding 16 more goals than Longford Town. Ourselves and Shelbourne also conceded a lot less also.

[Mr A]

Stoopid footballers know nothing about football.

[PartySaint]

How is Evan Osam getting on? Good to see him make the team of the year, would like to see him at Pats just for the surname alone.

[Nah Nah Nah Nah]

PFAI Team of the Year
Goalkeeper: Michael Schlingermann (Drogheda United)
Defenders: Sean Gannon, Andy Boyle, Brian Gartland and Dane Massey (all Dundalk)
Midfielders: Daryl Horgan (Dundalk), Stephen O’Donnell (Dundalk,) James Chambers (St Patrick’s Athletic), Richie Towell (Dundalk), Brandon Miele (Shamrock Rovers)
Striker: Mark O’Sullivan (Cork City)

http://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2015/1022/736760-seven-dundalk-stars-in/

[oriel]

Interesting choice on the GK, is he even in the top 5? I would have gone for McNulty again, due to some poor games I've seen Rogers play. Mark O'Sullivan did well during the summer when Cork were limited there, he's a player I always like, seems to have a great attitude too. Actually there wasn't a single striker that you could say 'set the league alight' this season. Chambers has good games, not sure he is that consistent though, also all of our back 4? Gannon was slow to start the season but he did finish strong, Gartland has missed fair few games too.

Good chance for Dundalk to finally win the main award.

[IsMiseSean]

I don't see what Mark O'Sullivan has done all season that was better than Jake Keegan's performances for Galway this season. But I'm probably a little bias...

[White Horse]

I don't see what Mark O'Sullivan has done all season that was better than Jake Keegan's performances for Galway this season. But I'm probably a little bias...

I don't think you are.

He is probably in the team because of the very good goal he scored against Bohs.

O'Sullivan has been otherwise very ordinary all season.

[KeepersBall]

In fairness Schlingermann has been the stand out 'keeper this season. Has done some dodgy things, but which 'keeper doesn't. Overall done far more good things than bad, and it sums up our season when the 'keeper has been by a long way our best player.

[White Horse]

In fairness Schlingermann has been the stand out 'keeper this season.

I thought Cherrie has done very well at Bray since coming back to the league. However, Schlingermann has played the whole season and has done very well anytime I've seen him play.

[Jofspring]

Thought last season O'Sullivan was outstanding but didn't think he has had the same impact this year. Would probably have had McMillan in a head of him. I know it's easy to score when you have a team playing well behind you but any time I've seen him he has taken his chances brilliantly.

For ourselves I'd give a hat tip to Lynch, he has had a big part in our turnaround. Turner Faherty, Duggan and Paul O'Connor all done very well over the last few months but not enough over the whole season to get in there obviously.

Felt Paudie O'Connor deserves a mention for young player of the year. Granted he was a part of one of the worst runs by a LOI team he still looked head and shoulders above any other player we had and for the first half of the season was probably the only one that could hold his head high. Was 17 years of age for most of that also.

[Charlie Darwin]

I don't see what Mark O'Sullivan has done all season that was better than Jake Keegan's performances for Galway this season. But I'm probably a little bias...
Votes are cast a couple of months before the end of the season, when MOS was having a spell of good form and that will always influence players more than someone who's been consistent but their best spell came earlier in the year. Plus, Cork have a lot of players and players often vote for their mates.

[Mr A]

I thought players could not vote for anyone at their own club.

[Dodge]

Votes are cast a couple of months before the end of the season,

They've been done in the last 3 weeks I think


I thought players could not vote for anyone at their own club.

They can't.

Wouldn't get worked about them. O'Sullivan isn't a great striker but I could imagine defenders don't like playing against him so vote for him. The only great striker left in the league (Fagan) was injured for most of it and there isn't much to separate the rest. Shields or Buckley could have replaced Chambers but he has been Pats most consistent performer all season.

Schlingermann has definitely stood out for Drogheda this season. he's conceded more than any other keeper but genuinely he's been brilliant in both games against Pats and still conceded 2.

[Ezeikial]

These awards often throw up strange nominations and inevitably as fans we base our opinions significantly on how opposition players have preformed against our own team.

As a goalkeeper in a struggling team, Schlingerman clearly had plenty of opportunity to impress in contrast to say McNulty or Rogers.

Chambers in particular is an odd choice. He has looked overweight and unfit on most of the occasions I have seen him live this season.

Mark O'Sullivan is a hardworking player, but there are probably at least 6 players who have a better claim to the nomination

[Dalymountrower]

Chambers is a lazy spoofer of a player who I suspect keeps the weight on as an excuse for his total lack of pace.
A joke nomination from a joke "organisation"

[Dodge]

It's his 3rd time being voted into the team. And he's probably deserved all of them

[Charlie Darwin]

Chambers clearly isn't overweight.

[Longfordian]

Pat Flynn made me laugh yet again with his thoughts

http://twitter.com/pajoflynn/status/657207716444807168

[Ezeikial]

Chambers clearly isn't overweight.

Only if you use Danny North as the benchmark

[Martinho II]

Pat Flynn made me laugh yet again with his thoughts

http://twitter.com/pajoflynn/status/657207716444807168

there should be an award for tweet of the year! Flynner is in the wrong career i am afraid!

[outspoken]

Chambers is quality. He's lost an awful lot of weight in the last 12 months