Biggest game of the season...Who starts?

[outspoken]

Hasn't been a new game thread on here for a while but this is without doubt the biggest game of the season. Lose or even draw and I would suggest it's all over for us. A few decisions for cousins to make with Don and Kev likely to return.

Persoanally I think the first change that should be made is Skinner coming in for Coulter. Wexford are going to throw so many long balls at us and we can't afford a keeper who is glued to his line and afraid to communicate like Coulter has been in the last few games. However I don't see cousins making this change as he's always proven to be stubborn even when a decision he's made is clearly the wrong one.

I'm extremely interested to know why Tristan hasn't even been on the bench of late, he was our best defender in the games he played despite his age while our so called captain has been atrocious. Yann has looked decent since coming in and the only other decision will be whether he sticks with Rhys or goes for Flynn. Flynn has had an awful season but I think his experience and heading ability could be key in this game, I'd go with him, that's no slight or Rhys I just feel Flynn would be more suited to this style of match.

In midfield Gannon and Hughes can not start together. The new French player needs to start and given Gannon's ability at picking a pass over the top I'd start him ahead of Hughes if Kevin O'Connor doesn't start that is. O'Connor and this new French guy could actually be the answer to our problems In midfield.

Up front as well as Don has been playing in recent games Sully Andy Dsane were excellent in Tallaght and should start together again. Don, Duffy and Rhys off the bench would be explosive to say the least.

No more injury excuses, no suspensions. A full squad to chose from. Cousins has always said once this happened we would start to pick up results, let's see if that's the case. It's do or die.

[L.T.F.C.]

To be honest, Kevin O'Connor and Gaius Makouta, the new French midfielder, should 100% start together in midfield. Kev will do the passing, and Gaius will do the killing.

[sparkey]

If we are beaten in Wexford, is there any chance that the board will then relieve Cousins of his duties and bring a new manager in for the last series of games, so as to get used to the squad and make plans for next year in the First Division. Or is that too forward thinking and logical for our board to consider.

[outspoken]

If we are beaten in Wexford, is there any chance that the board will then relieve Cousins of his duties and bring a new manager in for the last series of games, so as to get used to the squad and make plans for next year in the First Division. Or is that too forward thinking and logical for our board to consider.

Think it's clear that we are stuck with him for the season now and there's a theory among some fans starting to be spoke about that even if we are relegated he might not go. Think about it he's won the first division before and he claims to be good with young players (he's not at all), plus his links to players abroad and at rovers. He will use them lines to try and keep his job. Then again I could be totally wrong and they could sack him or he might walk after tonight but I doubt it. Anyway I think we will do it tonight. We've loads of pace and power up front with Don Dsane Sully and Duffy. Keeping them out at the other end will again be our problem but with Flynn back and Yann playing well we have more options. Big night for the club. Cmon de town.

[Darklordsbane]

You seem very sure of yourself that Flynn will be playing do you know the team if so post it. I doubt Flynn will play Cousins never makes only 1 change

[outspoken]

Never said anywhere he will start I said cousins has options in that position now with Flynn, Rhys and Yann. Personally I'd bring Flynn in as I said in the opening post but I'm not sure that cousins will. Not sure what player he was referring to in his interview last week when he said they didn't show enough desire to defend the corner but you'd imagine who ever that was will be dropped given those comments

[Darklordsbane]

Never said anywhere he will start I said cousins has options in that position now with Flynn, Rhys and Yann. Personally I'd bring Flynn in as I said in the opening post but I'm not sure that cousins will. Not sure what player he was referring to in his interview last week when he said they didn't show enough desire to defend the corner but you'd imagine who ever that was will be dropped given those comments

Sorry I missed read Flynn back as being back in the team my bad

[Town Legend]

That's it, I'm done. Unless there is a major overhaul done in the off season I will not be gracing CCS next year.

[outspoken]

That's it, I'm done. Unless there is a major overhaul done in the off season I will not be gracing CCS next year.

You called it in pre-season, sorry for doubting you. A lot of us younger supporters highlighted all these issues at the club last season but everyone was blinded by the 6th place finish. All that done was paper over the many deep cracks on and off the pitch. I have a feeling you won't be the only one staying away. Be lucky to get 50 people out there Monday

[De Town]

That was a ****ing joke last night. Considering that every man and his dog knew that last night's game was do or die for the club, the lack of ****s given by most on the pitch was nothing short of disgraceful. I can excuse a lack of quality, and my god do we have a lack of quality in that squad, but I simply cannot excuse a lack of effort.

Davy and Eddie tried up top, but the standard of service they were receiving was almost non existent. We're lacking strength all over the pitch but it's the midfield that's getting to me the most. Mark Hughes and Philip Gannon must know some bad tales about Tony Cousins that they're keeping quiet for him, as that's the only reason I can think of as to why they're still playing almost every week. Kevin O'Connor's legs are gone but as soon as he came on last night he at least put his foot in and tried to make things happen. Gannon and Hughes have been ****e all season, have barely made a tackle between them all season, have barely scored a goal, have barely got an assist and yet here we are in the final series of games and they're STILL starting most weeks. The new French lad Makouta did well when he came on in Tallaght last week and was surely worth a shot from the start last night because he can't be any worse than those two clowns starting ahead of him.

Don Cowan is a fraud. He's done **** all since we got promoted except be injured or be ****e when he is playing. Kaleem Simon is too weak, can do one thing great during a game but it's usually followed by 3 things that are not so great. Big Yann is a danger. Havo is a good lad but isn't good enough for this level, whether it be at full back or centre half. Powell is a spoofer. No addition. Jamie has ability but every last drop of confidence has been drained from him over the last 2 seasons. Coulter isn't exactly an upgrade on Skinner. I could go on, but there's probably no point.

This season has been a shambles since the beginning. Almost everything from top to bottom has been handled poorly, and unsurprisingly, it's going to end up with us back where we deserve to be in the graveyard. I respect and appreciate what Tony Cousins has done for the club since his arrival. We were not in a healthy state when he came in and he had built us up to be on a solid footing both on and off the pitch over the last number of years. However, his refusal to walk away this season will leave a bitter taste, and has possibly ruined his own managerial reputation for good to boot. Getting rid of him halfway through the season would have been a costly exercise for the club in the short term, but looking back I'm sure they might reconsider their decision to stick by him if given another chance to make the call.

I'm just glad we won on the opening day.

[outspoken]

That was a ****ing joke last night. Considering that every man and his dog knew that last night's game was do or die for the club, the lack of ****s given by most on the pitch was nothing short of disgraceful. I can excuse a lack of quality, and my god do we have a lack of quality in that squad, but I simply cannot excuse a lack of effort.

Davy and Eddie tried up top, but the standard of service they were receiving was almost non existent. We're lacking strength all over the pitch but it's the midfield that's getting to me the most. Mark Hughes and Philip Gannon must know some bad tales about Tony Cousins that they're keeping quiet for him, as that's the only reason I can think of as to why they're still playing almost every week. Kevin O'Connor's legs are gone but as soon as he came on last night he at least put his foot in and tried to make things happen. Gannon and Hughes have been ****e all season, have barely made a tackle between them all season, have barely scored a goal, have barely got an assist and yet here we are in the final series of games and they're STILL starting most weeks. The new French lad Makouta did well when he came on in Tallaght last week and was surely worth a shot from the start last night because he can't be any worse than those two clowns starting ahead of him.

Don Cowan is a fraud. He's done **** all since we got promoted except be injured or be ****e when he is playing. Kaleem Simon is too weak, can do one thing great during a game but it's usually followed by 3 things that are not so great. Big Yann is a danger. Havo is a good lad but isn't good enough for this level, whether it be at full back or centre half. Powell is a spoofer. No addition. Jamie has ability but every last drop of confidence has been drained from him over the last 2 seasons. Coulter isn't exactly an upgrade on Skinner. I could go on, but there's probably no point.

This season has been a shambles since the beginning. Almost everything from top to bottom has been handled poorly, and unsurprisingly, it's going to end up with us back where we deserve to be in the graveyard. I respect and appreciate what Tony Cousins has done for the club since his arrival. We were not in a healthy state when he came in and he had built us up to be on a solid footing both on and off the pitch over the last number of years. However, his refusal to walk away this season will leave a bitter taste, and has possibly ruined his own managerial reputation for good to boot. Getting rid of him halfway through the season would have been a costly exercise for the club in the short term, but looking back I'm sure they might reconsider their decision to stick by him if given another chance to make the call.

I'm just glad we won on the opening day.

Well said

[Town Legend]

The reason why Gannon and Hughes are starting is cos they are yes men. Cousins doesn't like a presence in the dressing room that might undermine his lack of tactics. Hence why I think Rice and Salmon were moved on. For the second half of last season and all this season for the first time in my life I didn't feel like going out to the CCS cos I was not enjoying it. And I can tell you, I've been around when Cleary and O'Connor were in charge so what does that tell you about the last 18 months.

It's always somewhere in the back of my mind what I would do if the club went out of the league. I dreaded the thought of it. Now, after all this I wouldn't be bothered.

To to finish off, it would not surprise me if Munnelly pulled the plug. He hasn't been around in months which is odd. I've also heard he was not happy that Cousins was kept on this season. Will be a very interesting off season.

[Longfordian]

Cousins has resigned. Just announced.

[outspoken]

The reason why Gannon and Hughes are starting is cos they are yes men. Cousins doesn't like a presence in the dressing room that might undermine his lack of tactics. Hence why I think Rice and Salmon were moved on. For the second half of last season and all this season for the first time in my life I didn't feel like going out to the CCS cos I was not enjoying it. And I can tell you, I've been around when Cleary and O'Connor were in charge so what does that tell you about the last 18 months.

It's always somewhere in the back of my mind what I would do if the club went out of the league. I dreaded the thought of it. Now, after all this I wouldn't be bothered.

To to finish off, it would not surprise me if Munnelly pulled the plug. He hasn't been around in months which is odd. I've also heard he was not happy that Cousins was kept on this season. Will be a very interesting off season.

I feel exactly the same as you. It's horrible isn't it.

[outspoken]

Cousins has resigned. Just announced.

Too little to late. Club didn't have the bottle to sack him months ago. Least we can build for next season now and try do what Limerick have

[Longfordian]

Yeah that's about all we can hope for now. Try and bring back a bit of positivity and build for next year. Anyone got any thoughts on who the new man should be?

[Rocky77]

I don't know who's out there. Couldn't see Nutsy wanting it, even to the end of the season. Alan Mathews seems like an easy short-term fix.

Beyond that, I'd like a young manager who might have some new ideas. I'd like to see Vinny given another shot - I know he wants to be a No. 1 at some point but Dundalk at the moment is a tough set-up to walk away from.

[Longfordian]

Yeah if Vinny wanted it I'd give him a shot. He's bound to have learned a lot since his last spell but I can't see him leaving Dundalk for another while.

[Martinho II]

trevor croly or liam kelly perhaps.. think the club should change their opening line to GLAD instead of SAD. It was a shambles last nite. Noone blocking the long throws or blocking the corners. too many unforced errors. lack of passion. lack of common sense. then the players standing around for five minutes doing nothin before youths came onto the pitch.

I am so glad and happy Cousins is gone. Look he had his time and we thank him for keeping us up last year but the club were inept in making the change earlier this season and they have to accept blame for this.

Now with Cousins gone keep Cronin till end of season and accept relegation and then concentrate on gettin a quality manager and have a clean sweep of the club staff and players. Maybe with Cousins gone maybe the split between our fans might repair itself and Section O might resume its previous greatness but it will take a lot of work from both sides including the club.

[Longfordian]

I'm not sure what's going to be gained from keeping Gary Cronin in charge for the rest of the season if we can get someone in place who can improve things in the long run. Tony Cousins was saying himself on Shannonside that he felt the players need some fresh ideas and a fresh outlook and I don't think Gary is going to provide that.

[Town Legend]

It wouldn't surprise me if the board opted to keep Cronin in charge until at least the end of the season. Its the cheap option for them and that's all that matters. Personally I'd rather get in our new manager so he can try with these last few games to get things right and make sure we're right up there in the promotion hunt next season.

[Longfordian]

If we can get the right man in now we should but I'm not sure who's out there that would take it and who we can afford. Alan Mathews said he'd be interested when he was asked on Shannonside but I think personally I'd prefer a younger, possibly more motivated manager. Returning to a previous club rarely works out and there were plenty of people who weren't big fans of his when he was here so he wouldn't be a universally popular choice.

[Darklordsbane]

What about Wayne Groves until the end of the season he couldn't be any worse that what we had to put up with and he might get them playing some football I don't know how he is doing with the under 19's but I have heard some good reports

[sparkey]

If we could get him, Trevor Crolly would be a good fit for us. He is good working with young players and has contacts with LSL clubs and is well though of by players I know within the loi.

[outspoken]

I agree with the comments above, I can see Cronnin taking us to the end of the season because it won't cost the club anything. He's a lovely guy who you'd love to see do well but personally I think the entire back room should be changed at the end of the season, I'm sure a new manager coming in will want to do that anyway, get his own people in.

As for who the new man should be I would give my right arm to get Crolly in. He transformed the schoolboy and youths structures at rovers. We all know we have a massive reliance on signing Dublin based players so if he could do some work with the underage structure we may start to see a few players actually come through I mean the 19's are doing well this season and if we are relegated with games to spare I'd love to see them get a run out.

As for Mathews, I think we need not only a good manager but someone who will unify the fan base, get everyone back on side supporting the club and he would certainly bring back a lot of lapsed supporters given the success he brought us last time. Is he the best man for the job? No Croly is but he could certaintly do a job and wouldn't cost half as much as the likes of Fenlon or Croly.

I think even a win tomorrow is worthless, we are gone in my opinion so the club may as well take their time. Talk to every available candidate and see what they would require budget wise next season and what their plans for the club are. We need to get this appointment right as we didn't in 07 when Mathews left and it resulted in years in the graveyard.

[Darklordsbane]

I can't believe some of you think de town should just go through the motions until the end of the season, there are still 30 points to play for, I believe fight until it's impossible to stay up,
I think Cronin should look at who started when we played well when we drew recently with Galway and Sligo and ****** that team out of it before starting them if they don't perform drop them and start other players who care
we have the last 16 of the cup next week against Cork followed by the league against Cork we might nick a result in the cup but probably won't get 2 results, a cup win unless I'm mistaken put De Town in the quarter final that would give some of us something to smile about
just my opinion doesn't amount to a pile of beans but I can dream

[L.T.F.C.]

Get Cronin out quick and the whole lot of them.

Croly, as I said before would be my man for the minute. Its not completely finished - we can still do something with this.

[outspoken]

Get Cronin out quick and the whole lot of them.

Croly, as I said before would be my man for the minute. Its not completely finished - we can still do something with this.

Presuming cousins did walk it cost the club nothing. They are going to sack the backroom staff and have to pay them off. A new manger coming in and saying sorry lads I've me own boys is the only way theyl go

[outspoken]

Serious effort from the lads tonight. Gary not afraid to try little things like throwing Yann up front at the end and going 3 at the back. We tried to play and attack at all times. Really enjoyed it despite the result. Gowan Gary

[Martinho II]

Serious effort from the lads tonight. Gary not afraid to try little things like throwing Yann up front at the end and going 3 at the back. We tried to play and attack at all times. Really enjoyed it despite the result. Gowan Gary

for the first time in ages I really enjoyed the game. I think the spirit is back and we were unlucky not to get a draw. that shot that hit the post in 1st half and the lob in the 2nd half were my favourites.