Premier League Survival [Archive] - Page 2

gufcfan

11/02/2008, 12:33 AM

Thought Galway United looked very good going forward against us on Friday night but very poor in defence especially on crosses

The first goal yee got was good but shockin defendin on our part.

It is only the start of pre-season games.

I would not read too much into anything at this point. I think defensively GUFC will be stronger this year.

As mentioned on www.galwayunitedfc.net (http://www.galwayunitedfc.net) GUFC started this team against sligo last year

----------------Brinias-----------------

--James---Charles---Nooitmeer---Reilly--

--Cooke---Lester-----Murphy---O'Brien-

----------Moran----Armstrong---------

Compare this with our (probable) first choice team for the start of this season.

----------------Rogers-----------------

Keane--Nooitmeer--Fitzgerald--McCulloch

O'Shea----Deegan-----Russell----O'Brien

------------O'Flynn---Glynn------------

We have a significantly stronger squad of players now I believe. Fingers crossed we wont have any crises, injury wise, but we have a fair amount of competition for places, so the squad should be able to sustain whatever is thrown at it.

Dave77

11/02/2008, 1:53 AM

Watching all your messages i think the premier will be good to watch this season, no one will def win it (drogs, city, bohs, derry, will be all hoping for it), and looks like no 100% def for going down, mind you i think sligo and UCD will struggle

GavinZac

11/02/2008, 2:32 AM

With any luck UCD will begin their plummet to the A Championship this year. No place for development clubs in a senior league given most proper clubs would want academies and scholarships of their own.

Cobh will also go down. The other spot will be interesting.

Mr A

11/02/2008, 8:30 AM

While the reduction back to 10 teams seems like a pretty bad idea, it certainly does make for a fascinating season. I think anyone outside of Pats, Bohs, Cork and Drogheda could end up in the relegation battle, although Derry and Shamrock Rovers are very unlikely to feature in it.

As for the remainder:

Galway United got stronger as last season went on and look to have brought in a few decent players. I also hear their training is vastly better than last year. On the other hand I'm unsure about Cousins as a manager and am not sure where the goals will come from, but they should be ok.

Sligo Rovers have had a good few years but I can't escape the feeling that they could be a bit fragile this year. Cook has done well since being appointed, but at Southport he seemed to be a bit of a disaster when things started to go against him.

UCD seem to have lost a few of their better players, but who knows what they will unearth in the close season? Their demise is more often heralded than real, but as things stand they look like being in for a tough year.

Bray look to have signed quite well, adding to some good players they had last year. I think they should be fine, but could get sucked into the relegation scrap.

Cobh were excellent last year and deserved to win the division, but little seems to have happened since then. I think they'll be good for quite a few draws, especially at home, but without some additions I'm not sure they can make a significant impact.

Harps got stronger and stronger as last year progressed and easily accounted for Waterford United in the playoff. Have gone completely full time and made some decent signings, but certain areas still look weak, especially right midfield. With a good start could cause surprises, but if last year's beginning is repeated it could be a long year.

The Lilywhites

11/02/2008, 8:41 AM

10. Galway
11. UCD
12. Cobh

Having seen Harps last year, they will surprise most people and could easily finish sixth.

jebus

11/02/2008, 10:27 AM

10. Galway
11. UCD
12. Cobh

Having seen Harps last year, they will surprise most people and could easily finish sixth.

I'd go with all that

DmanDmythDledge

11/02/2008, 11:20 AM

No place for development clubs in a senior league given most proper clubs would want academies and scholarships of their own.
You have to be the worst WUM on this site.

Titan

11/02/2008, 11:29 AM

Its going to be tighter than a ducks ****. Apart from saying that I think the following clubs will be 'in the mix'

Ourselves
Cobh
Bray
Galway
Harps

Jerry The Saint

11/02/2008, 11:36 AM

Bray have taken out Relegation Insurance by making Osam assistant manager to Gormley so you can stop including them in these lists.

gufct

11/02/2008, 11:42 AM

We have only played 2 pre-season games already so its early to judge the players but we are stronger and way way fitter already this season see here http://www.galwayunitedfc.ie/news-features/feargal-geraghty-fitness-guru.html. .The new players all looked good last friday night especially O'Shea and Leech and when we get our central midfield pairing and starting front 2 sorted we should be ok.

We played 2 games over the weekend plus 2 futsall games using over 30 Players including four trialists and Wes,Keano & Greg were missing so our squad is looking way stronger in depth and we might surprise a few dont forget we only lost 3 of our last 13 games last season.

Maroon 7

11/02/2008, 12:05 PM

Think half the table could end up battling relegation seeing as 3 go down.

Think Galway will be alright. Deegan, O'Shea and McCulloch are all improvements on what they had last season in those positions. Leech will probably chip in up front. Rouse will only be number 2 keeper anyway and they have Alan Keane fit this time. He made a difference for them when he came in towards the end of last season. Plus Galway survived last year despite a terrible home record. I can't see it being as bad again this year.

Think Sligo will be alright although not sure they'll be as good as last season so they could be dragged into it a fight at least. Think UCD might be caught out this year. Maybe Cobh to join them with the last place to be between Harps and Bray. Likely that all those teams will be knocking somewhere around the bottom half of the table though so it should be some scrap.

gilberto_eire

11/02/2008, 1:09 PM

The more Galway fans post on the subject, the more I want them to be relegated.

3 teams are going down, the whole bottom half of the table will be in the mix.

Cobh and Harps could surprise a few people, and take points, and UCD are old hands at surviving.

Bray look strong to me too.

Exactly how I feel about Harps. Their cockiness is setting them up for a huge fall. I'm going to sit back and watch:)Scored against our fringe players, final game of 2007.

So for arguing back that we don't think we'll get relegated we're been cocky?.
Thats quite sad really, id be happier to see ye'r clubs go down for your responses there!!.

Our team is far stronger then last year when we were unlucky not to pick up a few more points

we have added two VERY good young players(O'Shea and Deegan), a striker who while still young has been to quite a few clubs(Leech, i was'nt happy with this one either but if you seen the way he took his goal the last night he seems to have a great footballing brain on him>>>> first goal http://youtube.com/watch?v=bGeiIP0ktS8), McCulloch seems competent but nothing too special(but still better then Wes and Reilly who we had there last year), and Rouse who hopefully is'nt ever needed to start.

We did'nt lose one player from last year's squad we wanted to keep, how many other clubs at this end can say that?.

The thing is can TC organise them, i said before he was great for spotting players and would make a top scout, but he does'nt seem capable of organising a team efficently, hopefully he can prove me wrong this year!

micls

11/02/2008, 1:15 PM

So for arguing back that we don't think we'll get relegated we're been cocky?.
No. Every club thinks they won't be relegated.

It's the comments like there's no hope we'll be in the mix that make ye cockier than the others. 5-6 clubs will be in the mix.

Our team is far stronger then last year when we were unlucky not to pick up a few more points

I think far is a bit of overestimation. You have to compare relatively, the teams around ye ahve also strengthened.

Unlucky?? How? Well any more than every other club

We did'nt lose one player from last year's squad we wanted to keep, how many other clubs at this end can say that?.
Cobh? Harps?

Not sure tbh

The thing is can TC organise them, i said before he was great for spotting players and would make a top scout, but he does'nt seem capable of organising a team efficently, hopefully he can prove me wrong this year!

And organisation( a strength of the likes of Mahon at UCD imo) can be the difference between staying up and going down, couple of goals from set pieces etc.

I'm not claiming ye will be relegated but I'd be surprised if ye are not in the relegation battle.

Schumi

11/02/2008, 1:29 PM

So for arguing back that we don't think we'll get relegated we're been cocky?.It made us arrogant last year. :D

gilberto_eire

11/02/2008, 1:33 PM

No. Every club thinks they won't be relegated.

It's the comments like there's no hope we'll be in the mix that make ye cockier than the others. 5-6 clubs will be in the mix.

I think far is a bit of overestimation. You have to compare relatively, the teams around ye ahve also strengthened.

Unlucky?? How? Well any more than every other club

Cobh? Harps?

Not sure tbh

And organisation( a strength of the likes of Mahon at UCD imo) can be the difference between staying up and going down, couple of goals from set pieces etc.

I'm not claiming ye will be relegated but I'd be surprised if ye are not in the relegation battle.

Unlucky= I know every team gets unlucky, but Murphs peno miss with the last kick of the game against Longford cost us 2 points, along with Rovers late(LATE) equaliser in terryland to claim a point. There was many other instances but i think in regards to them we were VERY unlucky those 4 points would have us snapping at Derrys heels and nobody seems to be mentioning them at all!!.

You would'nt expect a club getting promoted to be losing players, i was referring to clubs who remained in the division!!.

From what ive seen of this years squad id personally expect them to be closer to Derry/Sligo then UCD/Bray. If we did go down it will be from the 3rd relegation spot and not the bottom two!!.

What i find cocky is the fans of the newly promoted teams thinking there to hit the ground running, there going to struggle, one of them might sneak it, but one of the two is a certainty to go back down imo!!

micls

11/02/2008, 1:42 PM

Unlucky= I know every team gets unlucky, but Murphs peno miss with the last kick of the game against Longford cost us 2 points,
Thats not unlicky, that's bottling it.

along with Rovers late(LATE) equaliser in terryland to claim a point.
Again I wouldnt consider this unlucky, but poor concentration and organisation towards the end of the game.

Exactly the kind of goals that would get you relegated

There was many other instances but i think in regards to them we were VERY unlucky those 4 points would have us snapping at Derrys heels and nobody seems to be mentioning them at all!!.

Im sure Longford and Waterford and Derry have similar stories.

Am I right in saying Longford would have finished level with ye were it not for the points deducation?

Everyone claims to be unlucky at some stage, and it always seems it happens more to your team, but it all evens itself out over the course of a season imo

No ones mentioning Derry as they finished 2nd the year before last with close to the same team........last year was a freak year for them based on motivation and bad management imo.

The manager who got them 2 seonds with a close enough team to this is back. They shouldnt be anywhere near being relegated.Player for player they are far superior to anyone outside the top 6

You would'nt expect a club getting promoted to be losing players, i was referring to clubs who remained in the division!!.
But these teams have also added players. You cant just ignore the first division teams...they're the ones ye will be trying to guarantee you finish ahead of

If we did go down it will be from the 3rd relegation spot and not the bottom two!!.
I'd agree with you but it doesnt really matter if its third last or second last though does it?

I could be completely wrong but I fancy Bray to finish ahead of ye

What i find cocky is the fans of the newly promoted teams thinking there to hit the ground running, there going to struggle, one of them might sneak it, but one of the two is a certainty to go back down imo!!

But none of them are claiming they wont be in the relegation scrap.

Of course they're optimistic about their chances, there'd be no point otherwise

GavinZac

11/02/2008, 2:08 PM

You have to be the worst WUM on this site.

Er, is it WUMing when I disagree with you? I'd have thought my utter bile toward UCD was fairly consistant at this stage, WUM'ing would be just trying to get a rise.

UCD served their purpose as a 'breeding ground' for Dublin talent nicely back when half of the ELOI were basically talented pub teams. As professionalism increases, the need for what is essentially a youth academy to be present in the premier division of the national league will/has dissipated. Goodbye UCD, thanks for the awful, awful memories.

Demoshield

11/02/2008, 2:20 PM

Sligo Rovers have had a good few years but I can't escape the feeling that they could be a bit fragile this year. Cook has done well since being appointed, but at Southport he seemed to be a bit of a disaster when things started to go against him.

If he knew what league Sligo played in it might be a help!
According to this http://www.sligorovers.com/content/view/467/1/
he thinks he's in the IPL & would like to finish 6th in it , as it is a very hard league!!!!

Titan

11/02/2008, 2:59 PM

UCD served their purpose as a 'breeding ground' for Dublin talent nicely back when half of ELOI players were basically talented pub teams. As professionalism increases, the need for what is essentially a youth academy to be present in the premier division of the national league will/has dissipated. Goodbye UCD, thanks for the awful, awful memories.[/QUOTE]

YAWN:D

Little knowledge is a dangerous thing!

And as Mick Cooke would say.

Stop bleating about them and go and relegate them on the pitch.

I'd love it if we stayed up LOVE IT!:)

Rovers1

11/02/2008, 3:07 PM

If he knew what league Sligo played in it might be a help!
According to this http://www.sligorovers.com/content/view/467/1/
he thinks he's in the IPL & would like to finish 6th in it , as it is a very hard league!!!!

:D...hes a bit confused alright. He calls Drogheda "Dro-g-e-da" instead of "Dro-h-e-da"... :D

we'll finish round 6th if weve a fit Alan Moore and maybe 3-4 more signings, alot depends on Faz too, if he really wants to play with Rovers...cant see him staying till next season though :(

micls

11/02/2008, 3:09 PM

we'll finish round 6th if weve a fit Alan Moore

:D

Can rule that out then

Rovers1

11/02/2008, 3:16 PM

:D

Can rule that out then

:( he played in a friendly for us saturday....every time he stopped, or went down to fix his boots, we all feared the worst!

pineapple stu

11/02/2008, 4:27 PM

Unlucky= I know every team gets unlucky, but Murphs peno miss with the last kick of the game against Longford cost us 2 points, along with Rovers late(LATE) equaliser in terryland to claim a point. There was many other instances but i think in regards to them we were VERY unlucky those 4 points would have us snapping at Derrys heels and nobody seems to be mentioning them at all!!.
Are you for real? Are you suggesting you were the only club to have had bad luck last year?

You don't mention, for example, your very fortuituous draw in Belfield when you scored early on as we were still rearranging our defence from suffering an injury in the warm up and when you then equalised in injury time. There's one of your four points gone.

Luck evens itself out over the season. You can't pick two incidents and say that you'll be luckier this year.

Sam_Heggy

11/02/2008, 4:38 PM

Are you for real? Are you suggesting you were the only club to have had bad luck last year?

You don't mention, for example, your very fortuituous draw in Belfield when you scored early on as we were still rearranging our defence from suffering an injury in the warm up and when you then equalised in injury time. There's one of your four points gone.

Luck evens itself out over the season. You can't pick two incidents and say that you'll be luckier this year.

Or Longford getting deducted 6 points and saving teams from relegation in the process ;)

pineapple stu

11/02/2008, 5:04 PM

Or us being safe with seven games to go and focussing on the Cup semi!

gilberto_eire

11/02/2008, 5:21 PM

Are you for real? Are you suggesting you were the only club to have had bad luck last year?

You don't mention, for example, your very fortuituous draw in Belfield when you scored early on as we were still rearranging our defence from suffering an injury in the warm up and when you then equalised in injury time. There's one of your four points gone.

Luck evens itself out over the season. You can't pick two incidents and say that you'll be luckier this year.

Do you think that was all the bad luck we had?. I could have named tonnes of instances but felt those two were ''extra'' unlucky

Maroon 7

11/02/2008, 5:33 PM

Or us being safe with seven games to go and focussing on the Cup semi!

And if you believe that....

DmanDmythDledge

11/02/2008, 6:06 PM

Er, is it WUMing when I disagree with you? I'd have thought my utter bile toward UCD was fairly consistant at this stage, WUM'ing would be just trying to get a rise.

UCD served their purpose as a 'breeding ground' for Dublin talent nicely back when half of the ELOI were basically talented pub teams. As professionalism increases, the need for what is essentially a youth academy to be present in the premier division of the national league will/has dissipated. Goodbye UCD, thanks for the awful, awful memories.
Thought you meant that UCD didn't have a youth academy/scholarship.

Still a bad wum because you can't get a rise as you sound like a broken record at this stage.

micls

11/02/2008, 6:09 PM

Still a bad wum because you can't get a rise as you sound like a broken record at this stage.

The point being, he's not trying to get a rise. Believe me, those are his actual beliefs...which I disagree with to an extent btw

sullanefc

11/02/2008, 7:14 PM

The point being, he's not trying to get a rise. Believe me, those are his actual beliefs...which I disagree with to an extent btw

I agree with him. I don't care who goes down so long as one of them is UCD.

Con-Con

11/02/2008, 7:50 PM

8.Galway 0r Rovers
9.Bray
10.Harps
11.UCD
12.Cobh

It'll be something like this but I think Galway and Rovers will be safe with three games to spare.

sadloserkid

11/02/2008, 8:01 PM

3 from Harps, Cobh, UCD (I'd choose those three if pushed), Galway and Bray.

dublinwanderer

11/02/2008, 8:23 PM

bottom:

7th: Bray
8th: Sligo
9th: Galway
10th: Harps
11th: UCD
12th: Cobh

luka

12/02/2008, 8:58 AM

I wouldn't go underestimating Cobh Ramblers lads. My bet is they'll stay up, along with Harps. You all seem to be to quick to write them off and that's what they like.

micls

12/02/2008, 3:58 PM

I wouldn't go underestimating Cobh Ramblers lads. My bet is they'll stay up, along with Harps. You all seem to be to quick to write them off and that's what they like.

And what 3 will both Harps and Cobh finish ahead of?

sligoman

12/02/2008, 8:37 PM

So for arguing back that we don't think we'll get relegated we're been cocky?.
Thats quite sad really, id be happier to see ye'r clubs go down for your responses there!!.I was on about Harps, not Galway.
Unlucky= I know every team gets unlucky, but Murphs peno miss with the last kick of the game against Longford cost us 2 points, along with Rovers late(LATE) equaliser in terryland to claim a point. There was many other instances but i think in regards to them we were VERY unlucky those 4 points would have us snapping at Derrys heels and nobody seems to be mentioning them at all!!.Every team has unlucky stories to tell, good teams find the reason for being unlucky[bad defending, not trying for the full 90 etc.] instead of just blaming it on luck. Luck doesn't cause you to lose games.
If we did go down it will be from the 3rd relegation spot and not the bottom two!!.Doesn't really matter where you finish in the bottom 3, you're still in the First Division either way.
What i find cocky is the fans of the newly promoted teams thinking there to hit the ground runningRemind you of anyone last season? My god it was fun watching those fans crash back down to earth after their first game, in Terryland(there's a hint for you);)