Town 2025

[MoydowMonty]

A slog that match was. Best thing I can say is at least it's another clean sheet. On to Treaty next week

[LTFC]

Poor game, best chance fell to Harps but neither side really able to create chances.

[outspoken]

Probably the two weakest teams in the division. Certainly in terms of creativity

[MoydowMonty]

So sounds like Athlone are ****ed with their 5 lads gone. That was a dangerous game they were playing and it sounds like its come to pass.

If more wind up getting released I'd happily take Hand, Feeney, Lennon and a few others if they could be tempted.

And if we don't break the 3 uear winless run against them in the next game after all this, then call it off

[outspoken]

Wouldn't take Hand or any of the lads who jumped ship, I would take Tetteh, Aaron Connollym Dean Williams and maybe Kyle Robinson. Lennon and Feeney very good shouts too.

[MoydowMonty]

I couldn't give a s**te about who jumped ship. Players don't make enough money to turn down signing for rivals. And it's the club's fault for announcing Hand had signed for 2024 only to pretend that never happened (which I still feel they owe an explanation to fans for, but I've long accepted that's obviously never happening). He's not amazing or anything but always found him to be consistent. He's gotten to 3 playoffs in his career so far. And we still don't know who our best centre back pairing is so I'd have him back

O'Connor and Hery would be fine but I wouldn't go rushing out to get them. Wixy I'd be leaving altogether

[outspoken]

It's not about the fact they jumped ship, Hand was sent off 3 times last season, he's prone to errors, the other lads who went to Athlone had no impact. Hery's work rate and physical condition is not good to say the least. These are players who helped us to finish 9th last season, they won't add much imo.

[De Town]

On paper, Athlone have a significantly better and more experienced squad than us, but their results this season so far tell me that these players might not all we thought they were. In saying that, it's likely a basket case of a club on the inside and probably hard to perform to their best with all that's going on behind the scenes. Definitely a few there that would likely improve us (slightly anyway) but would agree with leaving the likes of Hand and Hery alone.

It seems they let go of lads who aren't PFAI members (very naïve of them to sign for Athlone without being members tbh). I wonder are the rest of the squad all members, therefore harder to shift on at the drop of a hat like they've done with these 5.

As for this weekend, Treaty in good form of late, a point would do nicely but can't be confident having seen us the last 2 weeks. Toothless would be too kind a word to use to describe us.

[outspoken]

On paper, Athlone have a significantly better and more experienced squad than us, but their results this season so far tell me that these players might not all we thought they were. In saying that, it's likely a basket case of a club on the inside and probably hard to perform to their best with all that's going on behind the scenes. Definitely a few there that would likely improve us (slightly anyway) but would agree with leaving the likes of Hand and Hery alone.

It seems they let go of lads who aren't PFAI members (very naïve of them to sign for Athlone without being members tbh). I wonder are the rest of the squad all members, therefore harder to shift on at the drop of a hat like they've done with these 5.

As for this weekend, Treaty in good form of late, a point would do nicely but can't be confident having seen us the last 2 weeks. Toothless would be too kind a word to use to describe us.

Athlone do have some players on pro contracts.

[Martinho II]

Athlone do have some players on pro contracts.

Thats their problem they dont even have solid enough foundations to have players on pro contracts. A basket of a club.

[TownManForever]

Only lads with pro contracts can be members of the PFAI. The 5 lads who left were all getting cash expenses. PFAI can’t help them regardless as they’re not employees.

[MoydowMonty]

Desperate tonight.
Wayne needs to start telling them to take shots. It's like they're afraid to shoot. If only that was our only worry

[outspoken]

Big win for Wexford tonight, you'd really fear for us now, although we have been their bogey side in recent years. Haven't watched tonight's game so don't want to say too much but no matter what way you slice it, we shouldn't be losing 5-1. 4-0 in Bray and 5-0 in Cobh were equally as bad. Can't be having that many results in a season.

[TownManForever]

Save yourself the hassle. Don’t watch it.

[De Town]

Only lads with pro contracts can be members of the PFAI. The 5 lads who left were all getting cash expenses. PFAI can’t help them regardless as they’re not employees.

Wilson & McDaid in particular were peculiar (for want of a better word) cases. Leaving full time contracts in the PD to come to the FD. Always looked suspicious, and Dan McDonnell alluded to it a few weeks back on the LOI Central pod without naming names of players and clubs.

[outspoken]

Wilson & McDaid in particular were peculiar (for want of a better word) cases. Leaving full time contracts in the PD to come to the FD. Always looked suspicious, and Dan McDonnell alluded to it a few weeks back on the LOI Central pod without naming names of players and clubs.

I wouldn't mind but McDaid looked in horrific condition when we played them

[MoydowMonty]

Well the nicest thing I can say is that I predicted it would be 3-0 and I'm thankful it was only 2 after the red card.

I don't know what has happened to that fight we showed in the first round of games. A bit of goodwill had been built up there. But it just seems so empty now. Unlike Duffer I'm delighted the break is here now, just to stop the rot for a couple of weeks

[LTFC]

Castlebar Celtic away in the cup. Stevie Gavin is the Celtic manager. Now that is a blast from the past. Stevie was with us for a few seasons early 2000s.

Obviously we have been having a difficult season but I think thats a game Town fans might travel to in good numbers, and I dont think we ever played them in a competitive game before.

[outspoken]

Castlebar Celtic away in the cup. Stevie Gavin is the Celtic manager. Now that is a blast from the past. Stevie was with us for a few seasons early 2000s.

Obviously we have been having a difficult season but I think thats a game Town fans might travel to in good numbers, and I dont think we ever played them in a competitive game before.

100%, hopefully it's a Saturday afternoon or something. Had a quick glance at their squad, no names jumping out at me but did notice they've a really nice age profile, lots of players in early twenties but plenty around 28 or so, not too many real old timers. They are mid season so will be fit. Obviously the Mayo league is no where near the standard of LSL, I'd not have fancied us against a crumlin or the likes but even at that this could be a real banana skin for us.

[Martinho II]

Castlebar Celtic away in the cup. Stevie Gavin is the Celtic manager. Now that is a blast from the past. Stevie was with us for a few seasons early 2000s.

Obviously we have been having a difficult season but I think thats a game Town fans might travel to in good numbers, and I dont think we ever played them in a competitive game before.

This is the 2nd time we have played Castlebar Celtic. We first met in the League Cup Group stage in 92/93 season when we beat them 5-0 at home. Dermot Keely was the manager back then.

[Longfordian]

Fond memories of Stevie. That Stephen Kenny promotion winning team was the one that got me regularly going out there. Keith O'Connor, Richie Parsons, Shay Zellor and co.

[Martinho II]

Fond memories of Stevie. That Stephen Kenny promotion winning team was the one that got me regularly going out there. Keith O'Connor, Richie Parsons, Shay Zellor and co.

Yeah same with me also. Different times back then. Hopefully some day we will get those days again but I highly doubt it!

[MoydowMonty]

No harm to have had that 2 week break. But this is not the game I'd have wanted after that time off. Whatever the score is, I just hope it's respectable

[MoydowMonty]

I'm gonna go on a rant here cuz I'm pi**ed off.

Obviously it's nice that we robbed a point at the end off a Cobh team who were all over us. But I've never walked out feeling so deflated after a 90th min goal than I did tonight.

I can't understand how he's only making 2 subs in that match (he only made the 3rd sub because of an injury so it was forced). That last 20-25 mins or so was crying out for more fresh legs. We had lads who were on yellow's, other lads clearly tired and other lads not doing good enough. People in the main stand were desperate for Manny or someone to come on. How could he have watched that 2nd half and thought we were doing enough with what we had?? I've never wanted a substitution more in my life, no one was even warming up. It was like the subs themselves knew they weren't getting on.

I don't know if he was trying to make a point or something. But that snatched draw was absolutely not down to a tactical masterclass. It was a hail mary ball crossed in that wasn't dealt with and we got a head on it. Our 2nd shot on target all game. That result should not excuse the performance and his decisions, and I hope the people who were ready to boo at the end but left happy instead remember that. It was a pi** poor 2nd half, and a complete joke that he only made 2 subs willingly.

If you at least empty the bench, have a right go and still lose the game, then at least you played your hand and can say you gave it a proper try. That should have been a loss tonight. There would have been boos at FT were it not for Campbell's goal. And in my opinion there still should have been. This is far from the first time that subs haven't been made quick enough/ at all when they were badly needed. But this was the worst case of it. Bench should have been long emptied before injury time. Getting fed up of this now

[MoydowMonty]

Might as well finish my rant, referee was a joke as well. Totally blind for a lot of things. And there was an incident where Campbell stood in front of the keeper holding the ball and he got booked for it. They're getting worse every week

[outspoken]

P*ss poor performance. Took little joy in the equaliser in all honesty

[MoydowMonty]

Am angry. Am angry Tony

[De Town]

Maybe I'm in the minority here, but I think the above criticism is a little harsh. We have a squad full of players who are not good enough for the level they're playing at, simple as that. If we went bust in the morning and all of our squad were available for other FD teams to sign, I'd be confident in saying that a majority of them would not pick up another LOI club.

However, in most games that I've seen, the effort has been there. We've taken a couple of pastings along the way, but generally, we work hard, battle well and stay in games, even if results usually don't go our way. I'd safely say we're the least talented squad in the league and we were playing against a team on Saturday that was full of lads who either won the FD at a canter last year or were playing regular Premier Division football last year. Yes, we may have rode our luck at times, and Harry had to make a few good saves, but again, we stayed in the game and got a bit of luck at the end to get a great point against one of the best teams in the league.

Groves is certainly no Guardiola in the making, but all in all, I think he's doing ok with the hand he's dealt here. We're crap, no denying that. But we're still not bottom, although for how long I don't know. But I think overall, they deserve some sort of credit for keeping going when it'd be easier to down tools to be honest.

[MoydowMonty]

Maybe there's other matches where I'd agree with what you said. But that Cobh games was taking the pi**. That game was absolutely crying out for subs. We weren't exactly bateing down the door for an equaliser with what we had on the pitch at the time. I swear someone had to die before a sub would ever get made. When we were 4 down against Treaty and getting sh*t on, I don't think subs were made until it was too late too.

Manny should be getting played too. I'm not saying he's going to be amazing or anything. But he's played maybe a fifth of the minutes that Murtagh has and scored just as many goals, including the only game he got started in. Murtagh isn't bad at all, but I don't understand the insistence that he's Groves' main man.

[De Town]

Manny wouldn't move to warm himself, that's his main issue. His work-rate is brutal, even when coming on as a sub when opposition would be tiring, his effort at closing down etc. is shocking. I do think there's a bit of talent in there, but he needs a rocket up the hole every time he steps on the pitch. I find him so frustrating to watch. I could be wrong but I'd say Murtagh plays so much more than him because you're at least guaranteed he will run himself into the ground.

[MoydowMonty]

Sure none of them were warming up. And normally I'd be raging at that but me and a friend both accepted after 85 that he wasn't gonna make more subs. Because this sh1te has been going on for weeks.

I find that fair harsh on Manny I've never found him to be lazy whenever he came on. He also might actually take a shot when he's in a half decent position unlke most that squad

[outspoken]

Murtagh is actually a decent little player we always look fair more threatening with him on the pitch, he runs his socks off and holds it up well off the scraps he's working with. I think Groves has pretty much said himself in interviews that Manny knows exactly what he needs to do if he wants to play more games, whether that's a suggestion that work rate isn't there in training or not I don't know but Murtagh is definitely our best striker

[MoydowMonty]

Whether he's a better player or not, we're effectively bottom right now. Our joint top scorers have 3 goals each, and one of them has played a fraction of the time the other has. I want to see him play, fans want to see him play. I'd be worried he gets fed up and decides to leave, cuz that would just sour things even further.

I wasn't too happy when Warfield didn't get much game time and he left in 2022, but I accepted that we had players up front who were obviously better (Magerusan, Whitmarsh, Adeyamo, Verdon) and we were making a playoff run. There's no playoff run happening here. If there's anything that could shine a light on this season and gives us something to really latch on to, it's a young Longford lad getting games and scoring. And the numbers have shown he potentially can. And getting 1-10 mins off the bench isn't worth a sh1te to anyone

[outspoken]

He's probably started roughly 3 games in 3 seasons under two different managers, there has to be a reason for that. I am personally far more miffed that Murtagh isn't starting every week.

[MoydowMonty]

When Adeyamo was scoring last year it was grand, but people forget that he was often lazy, not chasing down when he should have, and often had a bad attitude. But he was the only one who knew where the net was.

Manny has 3 goals and seemingly only played 241 mins, so not even 3 full games worth of gametime. If he's capable of putting it in the net more regularly, he should be playing. I'm not saying Murtagh is bad, he's not. He has definitely improved from February, but I don't see how the manager sees him as the be all and end. We're a point off bottom and he's been our front man for most of it, time to try something else

[outspoken]

Adeyemo got fierce abuse from supporters last year, could never understand it, he's miles better than anything we have now