Finn Harps

[Sonic]

I suppose yee tools would be happy with a nil all draw against Finn Harps even though they are misiing both their first team strikers.if so looking good for yee :o

[Cosmo]

Can we have Andy back then please? ;)

[franz]

Were you at the match cop on?
Have you ever played football competitively?
What you left dublin for an away match?
Have you been to a home game lately? :confused: :confused: :confused:

[De Town]

Can we have Andy back then please? ;)
Yeah, if we can have Fabio??!!

[Maz]

I agree, last season Dublin city (who were relegated) scored more than us. We still havent got someone who is gonna put the ball in the back of the net consistantly. Myler may just prove us wrong but infairness at the moment he is not doing the job. As far as Dessie goes, well hes a lazy so and so but yet he can turn it on when he tries!!

[De Town]

As far as Dessie goes, well hes a lazy so and so but yet he can turn it on when he tries!!
Everyone knows he can do it but he just couldnt be ars.ed at the moment :mad: :mad: :mad:

[franz]

Yes its hard for any team to score it took some English pros a long time to get off the mark and get a scoring rhythm going. Physical support is sometimes better than verbal (written). I believe myler will rise as the year goes on.

[Sonic]

Yes Franz, I have (and continue to play) football competitively (although not very well). What exactly is your point ???

I am sick to death of our dire scoring record. Last season was abysmal (one of the worst scoring records in the league.) This season alone, we should have put 5 or 6 in against Rovers. We should have done the same against Bray at home !!!
But we didn't - and thankfully we didn't live to regret it.

My question to you is - What should we reasonably be expecting from our strikers ??? A goal each every second game - is that asking for too much??

Am I asking for too much? Our defenders score nearly as much as our strikers! (and don't give me any rubbish about guys being on the bench - if they were any good, they wouldn't be on the bench in the first place.)


What is the problem I hear you ask.Now if you listen I'll tell you.TACTICS!TACTICS!TACTICS!

If Matthews is going to persist playing the long ball up to strikers of 5 ft 8(Dont even mention that waste of space Keegan) then Im afraid he is wasting his time.We clearly see it doesnt work.Why can't our manager see it?

I agree with you Cop on in that a clear out should happen.Keegan is just so USELESS!Some on this forum dont like Lavine or Avril as you call him because he doesnt score.Who else out of our strikers do that is the problem he is the best of a bad lot imo.He wins his headers 90% of the time and is a perfect foil for a goalscorer who Matthews belived Myler was going to be.


Another problem with Matthews is his fixation of having Baker on the team.He is clearly not interested in LTFC.Shels is where he really wants to be.Im not interested Maz in someone who plays when he feels like it and i hope you aren't either. :mad: :ball:

[Ronnie]

Sonic would you give it a rest - look since Sean Francis came to the Town Eric stopped scoring. Last year Dessis Baker scored 15 goals, now he frustrates me as much as anyone, but do you really think Eric is the answer? We went through this last season, strikers not scoring, but I don't believe thats the Managers fault - can the manager be blamed for the sitter Eric missed against Glentoran or for Dessie trying to chip the keeper from 35 yards when he had two men inside on the counter in the same game?

[Sonic]

can the manager be blamed for the sitter Eric missed against Glentoran or for Dessie trying to chip the keeper from 35 yards when he had two men inside on the counter in the same game?

Of course the manager can be blamed.If he is the manager of the team it is his job make sure there are bodies in the box when we counter attack.The problem with Matthews is he was a defender as a player and because he has a defenders mentality its that reason why concede few but also score few.I mean we defend in mass numbers for free kicks and corner kicks and when the ball falls in to digger or barrys possession its wait 5 seconds and hoof it.

Another thing i cant understand about you pro matthews fans is when every time he is critisised you blame the players.When things are going well and we win a cup its "matthews the king" yet when we are doing poorly its the players.I think ill go back to maxpowers famous DOUBLE STANDARDS phrase!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :ball:

[Maz]

not interested Maz in someone who plays when he feels like it and i hope you aren't either. :mad: :ball:

No as i said he needs to be left in the stand for a few weeks and his attitude needs changing BUT he has the talent we know he has!

[Xlex]

Well Sonic.

I said to Barry Ferguson that as long as you keep them out at one end all you have to do is nick one and you've won the game. And he agreed.

Matthews was a defender. And he has the defense fairly solid. No dispute. Some of the chances we miss are never tactical mistakes, their poorly taken. Whether we don't practice or not I don't know...

Was it tactical that Shane Barrett missed that golden opportunity against Glentoran and made a complete waste of two half chances last Monday night? Read the blow by blow account on the Finn Harps Forum regarding the chances and their Keeper. Wasn't Waterfords Keeper in inspired form. Didn't Williams make two top saves against us?

The only thing beating us is a lack of killer in the last third. It's not the defence, it's not midfield... it's our front line.

[dancinpants]

I agree, last season Dublin city (who were relegated) scored more than us!

Aye and we made everybodies 'goals for' column look prolific - 23 in 36 anybody? :eek:.

[Wiseguy]

IMO we are not doing a whole lot wrong.There is certainly room for improvement where we could keep the ball a bit better and we defo need to be much more ruthless.Matthews needs to try a different combination up front and i think it should be Lavine and Barrett.If Shane gets a couple of goals under his belt he could go on to score a few.It would also be great to have someone like Baker and Myler on the bench feeling that they have a point to prove ( which they do ).We always create chances no matter who we are playing we just seem to have a tendancy of putting teams under pressure and letting them off the hook by not scoring.Shels were shocking against us and were there for the taking and we failed to do so.This has to change.

[Sonic]

Well Sonic.

I said to Barry Ferguson that as long as you keep them out at one end all you have to do is nick one and you've won the game. And he agreed.

Matthews was a defender. And he has the defense fairly solid. No dispute. Some of the chances we miss are never tactical mistakes, their poorly taken. Whether we don't practice or not I don't know...

Was it tactical that Shane Barrett missed that golden opportunity against Glentoran and made a complete waste of two half chances last Monday night? Read the blow by blow account on the Finn Harps Forum regarding the chances and their Keeper. Wasn't Waterfords Keeper in inspired form. Didn't Williams make two top saves against us?

The only thing beating us is a lack of killer in the last third. It's not the defence, it's not midfield... it's our front line.

You are completely disregarding my point.It is not the defence i am blaming it the tactics.The supply of ball to the front men is PATHETIC!!!The sooner ye lads open your eyes and realise that the better.You can hardly expect any of our strikers to score if the ball is lobbed 10 ft into the air at every attack.When we do get opportunities to cross the ball into the box its more often than not too pacy and we end up giving the ball away.Dont try to do the david beckham just get it in the box. Too often Dessie kirbs prunty etc are trying to get the perfect cross.We have shown with Paisleys goals our potential aerial prowess at set pieces.All that needs is workj and practise.Dessie should f**k off back to shels cause he has no committment whatsoever.

[Sonic]

i think it should be Lavine and Barrett.If Shane gets a couple of goals under his belt he could go on to score a few.It would also be great to have someone like Baker and Myler on the bench feeling that they have a point to prove ( which they do )


Spot on with the two chosen strikers.At the moment with Dessies lack of commitment Id nearly have Keegan in ahead of him in the pecking order as bad as he is.The team should be:
Digger(without the hoof)
O connor(as a more attacking force)
Paisley(doing fine)
Ferguson(again stop the hoof ball)
Dillon(Doing ok so far)
Martin(I think its time to try him on the wing)
Davy(have rarely seen and i think he deserves a chance)
Deano(The only player showing his true potential all season)
Prunty(Better deliveries and he will be good)
Lavine(as wise guy said time for a change up front)
Barrett (see above) :ball:

[Ronnie]

Another thing i cant understand about you pro matthews fans is when every time he is critisised you blame the players.When things are going well and we win a cup its "matthews the king" yet when we are doing poorly its the players.I think ill go back to maxpowers famous DOUBLE STANDARDS phrase!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :ball:[/QUOTE]

My prolem with you Sonic is that as a Town fan who has been watching long enough, you don't rate a manager who has won 3 out of 6 trophies! If we win he gets the credit if we lose he takes stick, but within reason - calling for the guys head after a bad performance is rubbish. Last season we got dumped out of Europe and dispiritingly so, the two late goals only put a false sheen on the result, but what happened after that, something like 13 games unbeaten in all competitions.

What about all the big games we've won late on - the players belief in themselves which must come from the management has got to have played a major role in that.

Anyway, as a fan all we want is success and we've had it by the bucketload in the last two years, and if you can't enjoy that then thats your loss.

[monkey magic]

sonic, what exactly are you saying is wrong with our tactics, which are, as i understand them: keep it tight as the back, use the wings where possible and deliver the first time ball into the strikers(and i dont mean hoofball) from there on its upto the men up front. you seen to crave a kevin keegan like team with little disclipne, a blatand disregard for defending and a gung ho attitude to attacking, the reason avril isnt in the team is cos hes shown no respect to the management regarding his attitude to training, and when he is there he's simply not delivering. simple as.

[Sonic]

Once again, my analysis is spot on !!



Yes cop on once again your knowledge of this game is mind-boggling :rolleyes: . For the majority of the season the supply has been crap.In games where the supply has been half decent we have got good to fair results simople as.If Alan and the team continue the tactics from our recent game with shels there is no reason why we cant beat any1 but im afraid cop on for the most part we have been hoofing.STICK TO THE TACTICS V SHELS MATTHEWS PLZ!!!!!!!!!! :ball:

[Sonic]

Come on now, no-one in their right mind would do that ! Do you honestly believe Matthews instructs the players to kick away possession like that ????

You see Cop on being an Alan Matthews CRITIC means I have the pleasure of watching the mans every move.When Digger or whoever gets the ball in defence kick it way Alan is standing there with his arms folded with not a care in the world.Hardly the actions of a man who is dissappointed with what is going on out there. Now whn a manager is not happy with what is going on on the field of play they let their players know so. In this instance Matthews doesn't ie he is happy with it Now this next comment is FACT!!!When Kenny/ Lawlor were here Digger wasn't doing that half as often to never.

You see I was like you in Matthews first season was saying how could anyone say inside the dressing room to hoof it up as quick as you can until I heard it from the man himself from the sideline!!!!!

[Dillo]

Expecting nothing other than three points tonight against Harps. Hopefully the lads can put in a great performance and travel to Wales in confident mood. C'mon de town!