LOI Fixtures May 26th +

[White Horse]

Surprised at some of the Dundalk comments. We are blunt up front because of Fagans form, but JJ and Markey were tearing strips off some of the dundalk lads at times.
Both Dundalk goals stemmed from Pats mistakes and not as a result of any great Dundalk play. FTR...Dundalk were better but got some luck too.

We are in trouble and also getting no luck/breaks. We'll be fine though.

I thought Markey was excellent at times and Pats has sone great passages of play. I could easily have seen a Pats equaliser, particularly in the period after O'Donnell went off and Pats dominated midfield.

I thought they lacked a bit a patience at that point and left themselves too open to counter attacks when possession was lost (which happened too often).

Pats belief seems to evaporate after the McMillan goal.

It's difficult to see a side that plays as well as Pats going down, but this is not the year to be down the bottom end of the table.

[JC_GUFC]

Is there anyone who thinks their team is going to get relegated?!

Strange not seeing someone marooned off the bottom.

Less of that!!

I think because everyone has a reasonable points total everyone has seen a few matches where their team have played well so are just thinking "if we play like that we won't go down"

From a Galway perspective we've still only lost 6 games so if we can just score more goals I think we'll be ok. Defensively we look more solid that last season.
If I were to guess now I would say Drogheda, Harps and maybe Bohs. I think if Sligo lose Sadlier ye could be in big trouble. Pat's should have the players to get out of it but as I've said all season you just wonder do the players who won the league only a few years ago have the fight for a relegation battle? Also they look poor at the back.
I have to say Harps back to back wins have me a bit worried. They started the season well but then had dropped to the bottom but are now out of it again. Safe to say every week things are going to change.

[Dalymountrower]

The bottom ten teams are all capable of beating each other, and are all equally inconsistent.
The stand out team playing Bohs this year was Pats and the worst team by a mile was Harps.
, Harps have won both games v Pats.

[TonyD]

The bottom ten teams are all capable of beating each other, and are all equally inconsistent.
The stand out team playing Bohs this year was Pats and the worst team by a mile was Harps.
, Harps have won both games v Pats.

Exactly. We were so good against Bohs, but we haven't really replicated that since. The two results against Harps were really killer for us. Two wins there and the table would look very different. The only consolation this morning as we sit at the bottom of the pile is that it's still so tight. Couple of good results can change things dramatically.

[oriel]

We are having the most incredible season. I don't know if we are the best LOI team ever but you'd be hard pressed to find a more dominant side. We're trying to work out when we would win the league if we win all our games and Dundalk/Bray won the rest and I think we would win it sometime in early September (Rovers in Tallaght or Dundalk at home) assuming we play all league games scheduled by then (Europe will change that of course). We need 37 more points. Win next week and that drops to 31. With the form Dundalk Bray Derry Rovers and Bray are showing its not unrealistic to think we could bdo it in August. Oh and Limerick exist as a thing Rovers fans.

While I'm here. Stephen Bradley is amazing and I hope he and his 45 points from his first 33 games stick around a loooooooong time

Possibly you might need to win multiple trophies first, steady on kiddo !

[pineapple stu]

One thing that's strange about Pat's demise - even allowing for the fact that two wins in a row and they're fourth or whatever - is that there seems to be no hint that Buckley is under pressure? Pat's have been going backwards the past few years; partly that's budget I think, but partly the budget is because they're going backwards (CL -> EL -> no Europe at all)

[nigel-harps1954]

It's funny, all the teams at the bottom seem really up and down. It's anyone guess who is going to go down.

For us, we've been horrendous at times. Completely brutal. But then, at other times, we're playing decent football, scoring goals, and winning important games. Injuries haven't helped us this season, but now we're getting back to a full squad slowly, I'm confident that we'll be fine come the end of the season.

[brendy_éire]

Draw fair result in Utd park- strange thinking Derry beat us 4-0 earlier this year as they were tame tonight tbh. But a solid point and another clean sheet for us (which is a big improvement).

Dreadful game of football. Drogheda worked really well at closing us down, basically leaving us with little option but to pass across the pitch, looking for an opening which never came.
Drogheda had a few chances in the second half too, could have nicked it.

I'm more and more convinced that, in away games, our only aim is to not lose. We just don't take risks. That would be all well and good, going away and getting draws, if we were winning at home, but we're not.
We're now nine games unbeaten, seven of which were draws. Says it all really.

[wonder88]

Changing a manager during the season is a gamble, but sometimes worth taking. Sligo have got a better return I would say than Limerick( the delay in Limerick's case may be a factor). In Buckley's case I think the Pats team was really Sporting Fingal transferred to Inichore, so that team has come to the end of its life cycle. Conan Byrne was a sub last night I think, so did any other Fingal player start?
Worrying to read in today's press that Pats have not submitted a Strategic Plan to the FAI. How can clubs be helped if they do not know themselves where they want to go. Saw Trevor Crolly with Bohs last night, would he be on short list if they decide to replace Buckley?

[RathfarnhamHoop]

Will be surprised if we still have him at the end of the season. As ollie would say on set pieces we need to WORK WORK WORK :)

I could be wrong but I believe he still has a year and a half on his contract so at least we'll get a fee though if anyone from the rovers board is reading this a 5 year contract for him and multi million quid release clause would be nice. Haha as if
But on last night sounds like bar a moment of madness, poor set piece defence and Bradley not quite knowing what to say before matches yet there were a good few positives to take from it and when you remember that this is a young squad, young backroom team, a change of style, stuff like someone saying we've got 45 from 33 under Bradley that's not too bad, not rovers level good but not bad and can be built on. There's been a marked improvement in the team since round one and a similar improvement in round three would probably see us in Europe next year which I'll take, then just keep the squad together, add a few and push on next year.
Also I'd like to go on record that although rovers and Cork are fairly big rivals I'm happy it's them winning the league this year because they do everything right off and on the pitch it seems and honestly some dundalk fans (a minority I'm sure) have been growing more and more unbearable every year so nice to know they won't match our four in a row

[micls]

I genuinely think Bradley is holding that Rovers team back. There seemed to be quality all over the pitch, but no structure, no plan, no basics like defending set plays etc. Some rovers players last night worked their asses off to keep Shep and Seani quiet, but to concede 3 from set plays must be gutting for them. With proper direction there's huge potential in that team, and Clarke is a star, but they'll go nowhere with the complete lack of any sort of discipline they showed.

[sbgawa]

Yeah we will get a decent fee for clarke and there are a good few coming behind him. Hopefully we can stiffen up the defence.

[Charlie Darwin]

I genuinely think Bradley is holding that Rovers team back. There seemed to be quality all over the pitch, but no structure, no plan, no basics like defending set plays etc. Some rovers players last night worked their asses off to keep Shep and Seani quiet, but to concede 3 from set plays must be gutting for them. With proper direction there's huge potential in that team, and Clarke is a star, but they'll go nowhere with the complete lack of any sort of discipline they showed.
It's a similar squad to the one four-times league winner Pat Fenlon couldn't get the best from. Players have to look at themselves too. Coaching staff are culpable for not being able to defend set pieces but so are players, and the coaches aren't asking five players to get sent off in 15 games.

[micls]

It's a similar squad to the one four-times league winner Pat Fenlon couldn't get the best from. Players have to look at themselves too. Coaching staff are culpable for not being able to defend set pieces but so are players, and the coaches aren't asking five players to get sent off in 15 games.

Sure and if it were a few players acting the idiot, you'd just blame the players. But it seems to be the whole team, that's a team culture thing and for me that's a management and coaching issue. The entire team thought taunting the city fans was the best course of action after the goal, after a week of your manager and players commenting about how City aren't that good. Like, that's a whole other level of stupidity, handing over the motivation like that. It led to the entire stadium on their feet for city, despite just going 1 down and absolutely drove our players on. That comes from the top down.

I'm not saying the players are blameless, but a manager with a more sensible head on his shoulders would have to make a difference to the discipline issue I'd imagine

[sbgawa]

I dunno. Progress is Def happening last 4 games other than cork was beating dundalk galway and bohs and losing in derry thanks to awful ref / linesman. Top of my head I think 5 of the starters were there last year it does take time. I think bradley wI'll deliver but even JC didnt wi the league in his first year in charge :)

[RathfarnhamHoop]

Sure and if it were a few players acting the idiot, you'd just blame the players. But it seems to be the whole team, that's a team culture thing and for me that's a management and coaching issue. The entire team thought taunting the city fans was the best course of action after the goal, after a week of your manager and players commenting about how City aren't that good. Like, that's a whole other level of stupidity, handing over the motivation like that. It led to the entire stadium on their feet for city, despite just going 1 down and absolutely drove our players on. That comes from the top down.

I'm not saying the players are blameless, but a manager with a more sensible head on his shoulders would have to make a difference to the discipline issue I'd imagine

To be honest, I love that they did that, a bitta passion and pride that's been lacking pretty much since MON. The thing about Bradley is he's inexperienced, he needs a level head as his assistant I think, someone who's been there done that as a coach. But the thing about rover is, I remember talking to a former rovers player who won quite a bit with rovers and it was after pat had been sacked and we were going through who could get the job and the thing he said was you need balls to manage rovers and you also need to play football or else you won't succeed because the fans demand a lot more at rovers than other places. Bradley seems to tick both those boxes just needs to get a bit of experience and I'm sure he'll improve, you can actually see areas where he's improved already this season.

[Charlie Darwin]

Sure and if it were a few players acting the idiot, you'd just blame the players. But it seems to be the whole team, that's a team culture thing and for me that's a management and coaching issue. The entire team thought taunting the city fans was the best course of action after the goal, after a week of your manager and players commenting about how City aren't that good. Like, that's a whole other level of stupidity, handing over the motivation like that. It led to the entire stadium on their feet for city, despite just going 1 down and absolutely drove our players on. That comes from the top down.

I'm not saying the players are blameless, but a manager with a more sensible head on his shoulders would have to make a difference to the discipline issue I'd imagine
I don't know if anyone said City weren't good, just that they were beatable. Which they were up to the red card. I mean congratulations on the record but other teams don't have to blow smoke up your holes either. The shushing thing was nonsense, no idea what they thought they would achieve.

[brendy_éire]

I dunno. Progress is Def happening last 4 games other than cork was beating dundalk galway and bohs and losing in derry thanks to awful ref / linesman.

The decision in Maginn was correct, ball went out of play. Rovers were just quite poor that day.

[micls]

I don't know if anyone said City weren't good, just that they were beatable. Which they were up to the red card. I mean congratulations on the record but other teams don't have to blow smoke up your holes either. The shushing thing was nonsense, no idea what they thought they would achieve.

Bradley's stop Maguire and you stop city rubbish was just huge ammunition again for the rest of the team. When you imply its a one man team, and claim you battered them, you're saying they're not very good. I don't expect any manager to come out complimenting us. Theres a big difference between that and the route Bradley went though. JC wouldn't even had to have given a team talk this week I'd say.

[Ezeikial]

. I don't know if we are the best LOI team ever


Possibly you might need to win multiple trophies first, steady on kiddo !

Even the self-confessed master of hubris is hardly claiming this accolade for a team that have not yet won a league title.

[ger121]

Is there anyone who thinks their team is going to get relegated?!

3 teams are going to go but everyone down there seems to be capable of doing something. Strange not seeing someone marooned off the bottom.

Depends what week you asked me. This week, we could push for Top 4. Next week if we lose, certs for the drop. So completely rational like all Football Supporters.

[patrickccfc]

To be honest, I love that they did that, a bitta passion and pride that's been lacking pretty much since MON.

I found it embarrassing to be honest. To me it makes you out to be inferior to the opposition. Now it wasn't as bad as when Sligo did it, the whole team apart from the keeper jumped on each other, but I wouldn't like our lads to be doing such a thing.

[RathfarnhamHoop]

I found it embarrassing to be honest. To me it makes you out to be inferior to the opposition. Now it wasn't as bad as when Sligo did it, the whole team apart from the keeper jumped on each other, but I wouldn't like our lads to be doing such a thing.

I don't necessarily agree with the actual shushing more what it shows, that there is a bitta fire in the bellies of the players. Like twigg sliding in front of the bohs fans, a bit stupid but shows that there's passion.

[Ezeikial]

... a bit stupid but shows that there's passion.
Maybe this explains the number of red cards this season

[Dalymountrower]

I found it embarrassing to be honest. To me it makes you out to be inferior to the opposition. Now it wasn't as bad as when Sligo did it, the whole team apart from the keeper jumped on each other, but I wouldn't like our lads to be doing such a thing.
You must have been mortified so when Shepherd did pretty much the same in Dalymount last month.

[RathfarnhamHoop]

Maybe this explains the number of red cards this season

probably does, the lads just need to learn how to channel it, bit like a bunch of young Rooneys is how i see it, once they learn theyll be better for it. I've just seen so many players come to rovers and not give a **** the last few seasons its refreshing to see players that do.

[sbgawa]

Agree completely at least we have guys who give it 100% effort now. Maybe just dial it back to 99% ��

[patrickccfc]

You must have been mortified so when Shepherd did pretty much the same in Dalymount last month.

It wasn't as over the top, but yeah I didn't really like that either.

[Ezeikial]

Some Bradley supporters (is there really such a thing?) claim that he is a young manager who is learning as he goes.


Cork City defender Ryan Delaney has admitted his teammates were determined to prove Stephen Bradley wrong after the Shamrock Rovers boss claimed the Leesiders aren’t as good as champions Dundalk.
http://www.sseairtricityleague.ie/news/delaney-admits-bradley-inspired-cork-players-/id-602-

He seems to be a very slow learner, as he keeps making the same type of mistakes with his pre-match comments to the media

[sbgawa]

I prefer it when players interact with the crowd. I reckon shep had a go at the bohs supporters as a response to being abused for once playing for rovers. The player fan relationship positive and negative is one of the great things about our league.

[oriel]

Even the self-confessed master of hubris is hardly claiming this accolade for a team that have not yet won a league title.

Originally Posted by El-Pietro
I don't know if we are the best LOI team ever

Classic after 2am post by El P, maybe he was a little 'tired and emotional' after the Rovers match. I have to say it brightened up my day reading that this am, not even at the half way stage, I`ve no doubt Cork will win the league, but superb comment all the same.

[sbgawa]

Double post

[El-Pietro]

Waterford are very poor.

[nigel-harps1954]

Watched a dodgy Facebook live stream of the second half of Waterford v Cobh. Couple of big chances missed by both teams there. Seemed a decent crowd down there though.

Things very tight at the top in the First Division now after that 0-0 draw. Big chance missed by Cobh though at home.

[TonyD]

Depends what week you asked me. This week, we could push for Top 4. Next week if we lose, certs for the drop. So completely rational like all Football Supporters.

Thing is, this season both are probably equally plausible. After drawing away to Derry and Bray And beating Drogheda I thought we were on the way up, then we take 1 point from the next 9.

[RathfarnhamHoop]

Some Bradley supporters (is there really such a thing?) claim that he is a young manager who is learning as he goes.


http://www.sseairtricityleague.ie/news/delaney-admits-bradley-inspired-cork-players-/id-602-

He seems to be a very slow learner, as he keeps making the same type of mistakes with his pre-match comments to the media

Doing one mistake twice doesnt mean he hasn't learnt anyting

[Jd2793]

Waterford should have had 1 by half time were a lot better in the first half I thought. Lost their way a bit 2nd lacked ideas in the final 3rd. few good chances for both as said above near the end draw probably a fair result

[El-Pietro]

Originally Posted by El-Pietro
I don't know if we are the best LOI team ever

Classic after 2am post by El P, maybe he was a little 'tired and emotional' after the Rovers match. I have to say it brightened up my day reading that this am, not even at the half way stage, I`ve no doubt Cork will win the league, but superb comment all the same.

To be fair, I said "I don't know if we are the best", the bigger point I was trying to make is our dominance compared to everyone else. I'd love to know what the biggest leading margins over second, thrid etc have been in history, maybe as % of total points. I'm too lazy to go through the various leagues though.

[Ezeikial]

Doing one mistake twice doesnt mean he hasn't learnt anyting

http://img.picturequotes.com/2/6/5577/its-not-a-mistake-to-make-a-mistake-but-its-a-mistake-to-repeat-the-same-mistake-quote-1.jpg

[Longfordian]

Hmm barely win a game that isn't fixed all season, keep the manager. Win 5-0, sack the manager. Strange timing though I'm guessing it was done before tonight. I always liked AM but it just hasn't been good enough this season.

Ollie Horgan was at the match, does he fancy a return to the First?! In all seriousness I'm not sure why he'd be going out of his way to take in the game? Is he after a player or two, I'm not sure any of the 22 would be much addition.

[RathfarnhamHoop]

I don't think you're getting it Ezeikial. Nobody is saying that he's not making mistakes just that he's making less as the season goes on

[nigel-harps1954]

Ollie Horgan was at the match, does he fancy a return to the First?! In all seriousness I'm not sure why he'd be going out of his way to take in the game? Is he after a player or two, I'm not sure any of the 22 would be much addition.

I had wondered about why he was there alright, but he was after Enda Curran and Stephen Walsh before the season start to the best of my knowledge, so maybe their circumstances have changed?

[Longfordian]

Could be. Perhaps we're looking to shed some high earners as we won't be going up and our crowds and sponsorship will likely be through the floor. I wouldn't blame the club for taking action and it may be why Mathews has gone.

[oriel]

To be fair, I said "I don't know if we are the best", the bigger point I was trying to make is our dominance compared to everyone else. I'd love to know what the biggest leading margins over second, thrid etc have been in history, maybe as % of total points. I'm too lazy to go through the various leagues though.

Even coming out with a comment like that not even half way through a season is mental, Cork will almost certainly win the league (is this the first since 2005 I think ?) and fair play if they do, they are night and day ahead of everyone at the moment this season, but no one cares about leading margins mid season, the barometer of success is what's in the trophy cabinet.

Any league title won by any club is decent, it takes guts and huge application, hats off stuff from the players to the backroom staff to the guy who opens the stadium, everyone plays their part, backing it up is the difficult part. Get your league trophy first, then analyse how that was won and compare to any previous winner, that's for an end of season review, not for the end of May.

[pineapple stu]

PSG had 31 points to spare last year; that's the record afaik.

Celtic had 30 points left over this year and so only just fell short

[placid casual]

Normally it takes a full season for league winning fans to be getting a bit full of themselves, but carkies are not even waiting that long.
They have won 1 cup in 4 seasons under caulfield, with the long held view that he was a major reason for holding them back. Dundalk have gone backwards, due to losing players, and probably a loss of hunger, or even advancing age. The rest of the teams are evenly matched so win one week and lose the next.
But one season in the sun for cork does not make them St Tropez supermodels, just culchies with a farmers tan.

[Crosshead]

Anyone with a "long held view" that he was holding us back wasn't watching us much.

This is a guy who brought us from mid-table to within 45 minutes of the title in his first season. I'm convinced if we'd held onto Horgan we'd have won the title in 2014.

He's built year on year towards this point and was denied a league title sooner only because his time coincided with the rise of one of the best teams the league has ever seen.

[El-Pietro]

Anyone with a "long held view" that he was holding us back wasn't watching us much.

This is a guy who brought us from mid-table to within 45 minutes of the title in his first season. I'm convinced if we'd held onto Horgan we'd have won the title in 2014.

He's built year on year towards this point and was denied a league title sooner only because his time coincided with the rise of one of the best teams the league has ever seen.
Or Lenihan.

[sulywaterfordfc]

Worrying to read in today's press that Pats have not submitted a Strategic Plan to the FAI. How can clubs be helped if they do not know themselves where they want to go.

Wasn't it well noted before Christmas Pats and another club rejected/refused the FAI's €5,000 grant for a five year Strategic Plan? Don't see that as too worrying, Pats were right in there stance. Purely because it was a shambolic offer by the FAI following the millions earned in prize money last year, to in turn offer just a pathetic €100,000 in total between LOI clubs. It was a stance to prove a point moreso then not caring about the league or clubs future.

In all honesty, do the FAI even have a strategic five year plan in place for the league. Highly doubtful giving there is yet to be confirmation on next years format. Giving how late this years format was changed, FAI look like they're lacking a plan let alone clubs.

[pineapple stu]

Don't agree Pat's were right in their stance tbh. Daft stuff from them. Yes, the clubs needs more than a strategic plan, but it's certainly no harm to have one, and the way they went about everything was stupid. (Derry too)

Wonder who the other clubs are?