The Rush to fourth place

[Shinkicker]

With the top three well ahead the race for fourth place is an eye-catcher. Currently Pats have it and they are a bit inconsistent as are Sligo, Bohs have just won back to back and Shels are showing a bit of form. Who do you think will get the lucrative fourth spot?

[ontheotherhand]

Haven't seen enough of bohs new signings to say whether they can do it so I'll go with Pats but wouldn't be surprised to see Keena fire Sligo to it. Sticking with Pats tho. Reckon Doyle will finish the season strong.

[Kiki Balboa]

I think Pats have the most capability to string a few results together and would be the favourites for me. Always unsure about Sligo.... They are also prone to some pretty poor runs and dropping a far few points. Bohs is a near-new team... Don't know what to expect. Shels.... Not sure... Hard to beat but I don't think they would win enough games.


I wonder if 4th place will even matter for Europe. More so than any other year, it seems wide open. The top two ( which normally represent at least one team in the final) are not as far ahead as in other years. Both could lose if they had tricky away ties.

[EatYerGreens]

I wouldn't say that 3rd place is safe for either Derry or Dundalk currently. Especially Derry, who go through periods of struggling to get wins.

[joey B]

Pats and Sligo must be favourites because they’ve the 2 best goal scorers between the 4 teams,hard to see Bohs being any better than they have been with the players they’ve lost and I don’t think Shels squad has the experience of the others to challenge…

[D24Saint]

I’d be confident (a new sensation this season) that we can get fourth. The recent improvements to the squad should get us over the line. We need a few more goals in the team , hopefully Tunde can find his scoring boots.

[pateen]

With the top three well ahead the race for fourth place is an eye-catcher. Currently Pats have it and they are a bit inconsistent as are Sligo, Bohs have just won back to back and Shels are showing a bit of form. Who do you think will get the lucrative fourth spot?

Whats lucrative about it. No Euro place and poor money in general, is there something else I'm missing?

[sidewayspasser]

It's only lucrative if one of the top three wins the cup, which happens more often than not. Then it gives you a Euro place.

[pateen]

Ah yes, thats true

[joey B]

Long overdue someone finishing 4th and get denied by the 9th place team winning the cup!!!

[Nesta99]

I wouldn't say that 3rd place is safe for either Derry or Dundalk currently.

Fully agree with this. Both sides struggling one way or another, Dundalk's away form and Derrys inconsistency. So far its sounding like St Pats have made signings that could make a big difference. Goals for are pretty much in line with the top 3 but no harm in strengthen attacking options. Goals conceded is behind Rovers and Dundalk enough for it to make sense to bolster defence. As mentioned in another thread that rumours about Dundalk in Dundalk should taken with a pinch of salt, one of them is that Dundalk made an enquiry about Cotter but Rovers didnt want a player to go to a challenger. It makes sense even if just a rumour and moot point now but supposedly we were interested in Cotter. Had looked to sign him before but he opted for Rovers and if we are losing a defender and needed to shuffle the pack Cotter was a decent option. It helps St Pats and the could well finish above Derry and Dundalk but are too far adrift for a title charge - it could influence things in the race for Europe so possibly a shrewd move by Rovers as well as St Pats.

If Dundalk can improve away form then we will stay where we are, if we let away form creep in to home form, lose players whether through injury or being recalled then 4th is certainly possible, maybe probable. Any side in the top 7 that strings 3 or 4 straight wins together would well in the mix.

[nigel-harps1954]

Long overdue someone finishing 4th and get denied by the 9th place team winning the cup!!!

Don't see UCD winning the cup unfortunately

[EatYerGreens]

Long overdue someone finishing 4th and get denied by the 9th place team winning the cup!!!

Or even a team from the First Division (e.g. Bray Wanderers, Sporting Fingal).

[total hoofball]

No chance of Shels finishing 4th with our current squad, we'll be 6th at absolute best most likely we'll finish 7th. I think if we had ambitions of finishing top 4 we would have by now added 3 or 4 proven players to make a push, we've only replaced two departing squad players with a young winger with no senior experience and a backup goalkeeper

I think it will finish 1) Rovers 2) Derry 3) Dundalk 4) St. Pats

[EatYerGreens]

No chance of Shels finishing 4th with our current squad, we'll be 6th at absolute best most likely we'll finish 7th. I think if we had ambitions of finishing top 4 we would have by now added 3 or 4 proven players to make a push, we've only replaced two departing squad players with a young winger with no senior experience and a backup goalkeeper

I think it will finish 1) Rovers 2) Derry 3) Dundalk 4) St. Pats

I think 1) Rovers 2) Dundalk 3) Derry/Pats 4) Pats/Derry

Derry really should finish 3rd with everything in their favour for that at the moment, but they seem prone to putting together shocking runs of form. I just don't think they're consistent enough to finsih above Dundalk - especially if they don't win their remaining games against Dundalk.

[placid casual]

If Pico Lopes is out for the rest of the season it presents a great opportunity for dundalk or derry to reel in Rovers and win the league. We are woejus at the back and with Byrnes continued absence look laboured further forward. The mood of the team looks low at the moment and doubts could start to creep in especially if Pico is not there to push the team on.

[nigel-harps1954]

Still mathematically possible for Harps to nip into fourth ;)

[EatYerGreens]

Still mathematically possible for Harps to nip into fourth ;)

I'd be pretty confident you'll finish fourth next season. Just not in the PD.

[nigel-harps1954]

I'd be pretty confident you'll finish fourth next season. Just not in the PD.

Europa Group stage?

[Dermobohs]

I don’t think either Dundalk or Derry have been that impressive really, could both fade but without the euro distractions perhaps derrys buying power( they may get Connolly, which would hurt Dundalk) will see them move on second spot, leaving an interesting tussle between three for the fourth spot.
Of course, fourth may not guarantee diddly, depends greatly on the cup.

[TonyD]

I wouldn't say that 3rd place is safe for either Derry or Dundalk currently. Especially Derry, who go through periods of struggling to get wins.

I haven’t given up on the top 3 yet, though it’s a bit of a tall order. We have the new signings, plus Jamie Lennon and Paddy Barrett back, which should make us a good deal stronger. There’s been nothing between ourselves and Dundalk in the games this season, even though we haven’t beaten them. Derry gave us a real spanking at Richmond, but have fallen off a bit of a cliff since then. It’s not beyond the bounds of possibility that we can go on a run and one or both of them will drop some points, Still all to play for in my view.

[ger121]

I’d be very confident of 4th for us. 4th from bottom that is.

[Shinkicker]

Interesting weekend ahead. Shels v Pats
Sligo v Bohs
If Pats lose and Sligo or Bohs win, it will be one point gap and a game in hand. With Sligo and Pat's out of the cup their only route to Europe is top 3 and the fact they seemed to suffer fatigue following the Euro games this could be a tough time for them and an opportunity for others to catch Pats.

[legendz]

After last night's performance, it is better for the league that Pat's are in Europe next year. I think there can be confidence in Rovers, Dundalk and Pat's performing in Europe.

[TonyD]

After last night's performance, it is better for the league that Pat's are in Europe next year. I think there can be confidence in Rovers, Dundalk and Pat's performing in Europe.

We’ve let a lot of points get away from us in the league, but I’d be hopeful of a strong finish with the additions in the transfer window, and with Barrett and Lennon back. Plus the boost from the euro performances should help. I’d be wary of Shels on Sunday though, given what happened last week v Waterford.