Ronan Finn

[Poor Student]

What age is Finn? When did he join us? (I know when he made his senior debut). If Dicker and Quigley can get into the Irish U-21s, then with his kind of form I don't see why he shouldn't be in there. Only an arbitrary relegation could hamper his progress from the looks of things.

[DmanDmythDledge]

He's 18. He was signed on a scholarship around this time last season and was part of the U-21 team since he signed. I think he played for Artane Boys schoolboys. He definitely has the talent for an U-21 call-up in the future, but I wonder why he didn't make the recent U-18 squad which was restricted to home-based players?

[drummerboy]

Ronan played for St Kevin's Boys. He's a great prospect. I can't believe he has never been recognised by any of the Irish representative teams.

[pineapple stu]

A bit in the Irish Times about him today (padding in the match report basically) - Mahon saying he was a great prospect and that we're trying to find the right balance of games for him, or some such. Basically doing what Moyes did to Rooney.

[Colie]

A bit in the Irish Times about him today (padding in the match report basically) - Mahon saying he was a great prospect and that we're trying to find the right balance of games for him, or some such. Basically doing what Moyes did to Rooney.And then we'll lose him after a year as usual, :mad: just like Rooney!

[Poor Student]

And then we'll lose him after a year as usual, :mad: just like Rooney!

The thing is, as long as he's with us two years and under the age of 24, someone has to pay for him and I doubt anyone but Drogheda would be able to meet the fee.

[Naitch]

Ronan starting playing for Artane-Beaumont FC then moved to St Kevins Boys when he was about 11 or 12.

[CollegeTillIDie]

And then we'll lose him after a year as usual, :mad: just like Rooney!

Anybody comes up with a six figure sum is welcome , otherwise FarQ off! :D

[pineapple stu]

And then we'll lose him after a year as usual, :mad: just like Rooney!
If we get the same as Everton did for Rooney, I'd be happy! :)

(I'm assuming you're not talking about Mark Rooney...)

Poor Student's right - so long as we don't want him to leave, we can have him until he's 24 of else get a guaranteed transfer payment.

[Burnsie]

is he originally from donegal or am i confusing him with someone else?

he was about the only player worthy of the title during that bohs game, though i wasn't around for the cup match. seems to have a good mix of tenacity and flair.. though i wouldn't be surprised to see him pick up a few cards the way he flies into tackles, even if he's only a wee man

[jorge]

How does the scholarship thing work?

[pineapple stu]

We sign players. Part of the deal is they get offered a fully-paid (by the club) scholarship at the college. The players go to lectures and go to training. Nothing much more to it than that.

I don't know if players tend to approach us or the other way around or a mixture of both. Most players seem to come from underage football, but a fair few come from other eL clubs and some from England.

[DmanDmythDledge]

is he originally from donegal or am i confusing him with someone else?
He's from Dublin.

[drummerboy]

Young Ronan's a dub ok. What the scholarship players get paid is just a token payment, just about cover his bus fare over to Belfield from Artane.

[Colie]

Young Ronan's a dub ok. What the scholarship players get paid is just a token payment, just about cover his bus fare over to Belfield from Artane.
Don't they get over around €150 p/w? That said, it probably cost about €70 to p/w to go back & forth across the city these days.

[John83]

Don't they get over around €150 p/w? That said, it probably cost about €70 to p/w to go back & forth across the city these days.
About €100 p/w I think.

[DmanDmythDledge]

Anyone have any idea when his contract is up? I think he could be gone at that stage and maybe even sooner.

[drummerboy]

Think he is on the 2nd of a 3 year scholarship. But he is loving it

[Student Mullet]

He's an absolute class player.
What strikes me most is how keen he is, he runs after absolutley everything and everyone.

[Poor Student]

Think he is on the 2nd of a 3 year scholarship. But he is loving it

We're loving it too. He's got both the skill and the effective football brain. Quite rare for such a young lad. We're effectively adapting the whole formation to maximise his skills, says a lot for him. He has to get into the U-21 squad soon.

[pineapple stu]

Oooh oooh - can I join the love in too?!

I'm loving it three. :)

[thegit]

yeah and he scored two goals against a midfielder who was playing in goal, how could he be even mentioned in the same sentence as Rooney. He's a good lively player but he's yet to do it week in week out he's in his honey moon period where he's trying to break into the first team. Like i said i don't doubt he's a good player but time will tell.

[Schumi]

He's not the finished article yet, you mean? :D

[thegit]

yeh i remember the same talk about Dicker who's now warming your bench. and i reckon if you had another desent keeper Quigley would be picking the splinters out to, what happened to Hurley he was amazing for you last year to it looks like the confidence has gone out of the team. Fickle bunch you students ... I do think the managment has alot to answer for at UCD you should be alot higher up the table than you are. I was at the Bohs game in belfield and Mahon was slating the players from the kick off ..... apart from his son of course who happened to be your weakest link. It was funny to watch him loosing it with everyone bar him .

[Bald Student]

yeh i remember the same talk about Dicker who's now warming your bench. and i reckon if you had another desent keeper Quigley would be picking the splinters out to, what happened to Hurley he was amazing for you last year to it looks like the confidence has gone out of the team. Fickle bunch you students ... I do think the managment has alot to answer for at UCD you should be alot higher up the table than you are. I was at the Bohs game in belfield and Mahon was slating the players from the kick off ..... apart from his son of course who happened to be your weakest link. It was funny to watch him loosing it with everyone bar him .That's true of any team, 'if you had a better keeper you'd have a better keeper'. Quigley's saved 2 penalties in a row and (dispite his bloopers) is a good keeper.

Gary Dicker's not warming the bench, he's played most of our games (I sure one of the lads has the statistics). He didn't play against Derry but the sky has hardly fallen in on him.

[thegit]

Quigley made some real bloopers this year and if there was a half decent replacment he would have got a chance. As a neutral I've been to quiet a few UCD home games and how you can say Dicker Quigley and Hurley are the same players this year as they where last year is a joke. I know the UCD fans sit in the stand but if you actually stand behind the dug out, you would hear the abuse these lads get of Mahon in only there second year in senior football. There young lads learning there game and now there confidence is knocked the team is suffering for it. Thats just my two pence on the subject and next year if the same managment is there i'd say young Finn will go through the same ordeal.

[pineapple stu]

Ah now.

We have Paul Crowley, Stephen Hurley, Podge McWalter, Ronan Finn, Kieran Harte, Gary Dicker, Tony McDonnell, Derek Doyle and Pat Kavanagh all battling for four midfield slots. They're all good players. It's inevitable not everyone's going to get a game. Gary Dicker has played every one of our last 15/20 games, so is hardly "warming the bench" because he didn't play once.

I think you're overreacting slightly here.

[DmanDmythDledge]

I don't know how you can argue that Quigley and Dicker have suffered due to poor management as they have both won U-21 honours while at UCD.

[Bald Student]

Ah now.

We have Paul Crowley, Stephen Hurley, Podge McWalter, Ronan Finn, Kieran Harte, Gary Dicker, Tony McDonnell, Derek Doyle and Pat Kavanagh all battling for four midfield slots. They're all good players. It's inevitable not everyone's going to get a game. Gary Dicker has played every one of our last 15/20 games, so is hardly "warming the bench" because he didn't play once.

I think you're overreacting slightly here.Five midfield slots, I can't remember when we last played 2 strikers.

[DmanDmythDledge]

Five midfield slots, I can't remember when we last played 2 strikers.
Limerick first half. And Finn would be more of a striker than a midfielder in the role he plays in.

[pineapple stu]

So what you're saying is that we're actually being very accommodating towards out midfielders?

We played two strikers against that team that had no keeper. I think it was us going for all-out attack.

[thegit]

Fairenough but Dicker was in and out this year with Cawley ( who left cause of a bust up )and Hurley who i taught was amazing last year has also been in and out. Do you think either Quigley and Dicker ( who I believe also had a bust up earlier in the year ) wouldn't have got a call up if they played for someone else ? Personally i think players do well at UCD for a year or two the most then if there good enough for the next step they need full time football, Al Mahon who plays right full should have been replaced long ago but he gets away with it, if it was any of the players above they'd have been benched I think Tony Mc get away with alot for you aswell.

[pineapple stu]

Tony Mac who was nominated for PFAI Player of the Year last year?

[thegit]

Did he win ? was he ever going to win ? ehhh no i think is the answer.;)

Come on he's no player he just gets in the way of the opposition, he scores
a few headers which you would expect due to the lenght of him. I just think
his distribution of the ball is v poor.