Aertel season preview...

[pineapple stu]

Has us down for the play-offs...

Ah well, always like proving people wrong!

MARK O'NEILL-CUMMINS' EIRCOM LG PREVIEW
Before a ball is kicked this season, many people are already tipping Shelbourne to reclaim their title in November and it's easy to see why.

They clearly had the best players last season and have managed to hold onto them.

In addition, they have signed three of the best players in their respective positions in the Bohemians trio of Glen Crowe, Colin Hawkins and Bobby Ryan.

Shels also have another Champions' League campaign to look forward to and should go as far, if not further, than last summer.

Cork will push Shels all the way in 2005. New manager Damien Richardson has lost Stephen O'Flynn to Derry but has held on to the rest of his star players and a strong title challenge is likely.

Of the rest, Drogheda look most likely to push for honours. Paul Doolin has a new look squad, featuring Dan Connor, Shane Robinson and Simon Webb and a top three finish is within their reach.

Bohemians boss Gareth Farrelly has remained optimistic despite all the departures from Dalymount but realistically, it looks like a long hard season ahead. Dessie Byrne's arrival from St Pat's was his main signing of the close season.

Elsewhere, Waterford boss Alan Reynolds has brought in ex-UCD strikers Seán Finn and Willie Doyle and will look to them to find the net.

St Pat's signed Stephen Caffrey from Bohs and Barry Ryan from Dublin City.

Longford have also been busy in the transfer market with Tom Mohan and Andy Myler among the new faces.

Derry have brought in Brian Cash from Nottingham Forest along with one time
Drogheda star Barry Molloy in addition to Stephen O'Flynn.

Shamrock Rovers, who need to get their house sorted before they can reclaim their place among the elite, have made a number of signings including Jason Gavin, Will McDonagh and Brian McGovern.

Of the promoted teams Bray, on paper, are set for a quick return to the First
Division. (You can see now why Pat Devlin thinks one league of 22 clubs is
a good idea, not just for Bray but for all the 'yo yo' teams).

Finn Harps, with hot-shot Kevin McHugh leading from the front and UCD, who have signed Damien Dupuy from Galway, should do well in the Prem Division but College may need a play-off to stay up.


Predictions:

Champions: SHELBOURNE

UEFA Cup: CORK CITY

Intertoto Cup: DROGHEDA UNITED

Play off: UCD

Relegated: BRAY WANDERERS

[Poor Student]

Granted the opposition has been pretty poor but we've looked better than Bray and Harps in the pre-season. I think we're going to finish ahead of them and at least one of Waterford, Pats, Shams and Derry. It's going to do their confidence far worse than it is ours to be near the bottom. We have a good settled core in the team. Quigley (experienced tested backup in Gallagher), the whole back 4, Tony Mac, Micko and Robbie Martin. We have a nice mix of youth, McWalter, Dicker, Brophy, Paul '4 goals in 70 mins' Byrne, Anto Murphy. Plus I am looking forward to see how Dupuy does. Worst comes to worst I can't see us going below Bray. Our start is vital though. Our last two years our start was diabolical in the Premier. If we can start off well and come to our usual finish we may suprise a few people. We all know that these who predict probably never watch our club and make the usual assumptions about us.

[pineapple stu]

The Mirror's a bit more optimistic!

"UCD were promoted back to the Premier Division at the first time of asking, but have lost two of their most influential players, Seán Finn and Willie Doyle. With only one team being relegated and one facing a play-off this season, the Students should be safe, but a top three spot may be beyond them."



They pick out Robbie Martin as our key man, and Darren Quigley as one to watch. Their probable XI is a bit skew-ways though...

----------------------------Quigley---------------------------------
--McAuley---Kenna------------------------------McNally------Mahon
--O'Donnell--Aidan (sic - presume Anto) Murphy---McDonnell----Dicker
-------------Dupuy------------------------------Martin

So they've yet to learn their left from their right!

Process of elimination from their squad has subs as -

Gannon
Foley
Purcell (think he's gone?)
Podge
Adrian Murphy

[John83]

I notice none of those previews have anything to say about Bohs, even though they've lost about 10 players. They have to be in trouble?

[pineapple stu]

Well, the Mirror one was just about us! They reckon Bohs will be doing well to match last season's third place. Hard to disagree really.

[CollegeTillIDie]

Perhaps the selection of opponents in the pre-season friendlies is a psychological ploy. After all winning is a habit and we have gotten into this habit already in friendlies. So therefore perhaps it will continue on into the League.

[Aberdonian Stu]

Bobby Robson tried something like that before Euro 88.

He got the England team to play Ailesbury of what was then the Beazer Homes League in order to get them into the habit of scoring and winning.

England won 8-0, Beardsley scroing four.

They went on to lose all three of their games in Euro 88.

So it mightn't necessarily be a good idea.

[pineapple stu]

True, but they also played a Sicily XI before the '90 World Cup, winning (I think) 10-2. One of the Sicily goals was straight from kick-off, when Steve McMahon dribbled the length of the pitch for an own goal to show there was still a nice side to sport or something! Didn't do them any harm for the tournament proper!

[CollegeTillIDie]

Bobby Robson tried something like that before Euro 88.

He got the England team to play Ailesbury of what was then the Beazer Homes League in order to get them into the habit of scoring and winning.

England won 8-0, Beardsley scroing four.

They went on to lose all three of their games in Euro 88.

So it mightn't necessarily be a good idea.

With respect Irish First Division sides would be technically superior to non-League English opposition not to mention the narrower talent gap!

[pineapple stu]

Another preview - Sindo this time.

"If new signing Damien Dupuy can make the same impact in the Premier as in the First Division, Pete Mahon's men might escape relegation. It's a big 'if'"

Fortunately, they have Bray, Harps, Longford, Rovers, Pat's (to a degree), us and Waterford down as relegation candidates. So it's a top half finish for us!

[De Town]

Fortunately, they have Bray, Harps, Longford, Rovers, Pat's (to a degree), us and Waterford down as relegation candidates. So it's a top half finish for us!

They're having a laugh

[pineapple stu]

From the FAI alleged website...

Having won promotion back to the Premier Division at the first time of asking, UCD manager Pete Mahon is hoping his side can shake off their reputation as a “yo-yo” team and become a permanent fixture in the top flight.

Having taken charge of the side for the final months of their last tenure in the Premier Division, Mahon knows exactly what the majority of his squad are capable of in the top division.

In fact, their points total in their relegation year (2003) would have been enough to ensure survival in any other year of the ten-team Premier Division experiment.

“I think we’ll do well,” said Mahon, “I would say that in no particular order the top five will be Shelbourne, Longford, Drogheda, Cork and Bohemians.

“After that, I think everyone is even and I would hope that we’re at the top of that second division of clubs. I don’t think we will struggle and our aim has to be to avoid ever being down at the wrong end.

“Of course, you never know what will happen. Last season, Waterford got off to a flyer but we’ll just concentrate on our own game.”

Mahon has added two strikers to his squad for this season, Damien Dupuy and Adrian Murphy, and he thinks both will make a big impact.

“We haven’t been able to play Damien yet because he’s injured but he should play on Saturday. I think he will be a big signing and Adrian has already shown how good he is.

“We have a good squad. We’ve got a nucleus of experienced players and a few younger players like Darren Quigley and Gary Dicker who are now Ireland Under 19 internationals.”

In: Damien Dupuy (Galway United), Adrian Murphy (Athlone Town)

Out: Pat Sullivan (Drogheda United), Sean Finn, Willie Doyle (both Waterford United), Philip Hughes (Monaghan United).




Didn't know we had a reputation as a yo-yo team! Nine seasons in the top flight ruined by one muppet...doesn't sound like a yo-yo team to me!

Nice to see Mahon's going for the tried and trusted "Yeah, we'll be mid-table" ploy again this season! Worked last year!


Naturally, no First Division previews, and the Premier ones are in four parts, uploaded over four days with the teams split completely at random...

[Poor Student]

Nice to see Mahon's going for the tried and trusted "Yeah, we'll be mid-table" ploy again this season! Worked last year!

So we can expect a last day shootout with Shels for the title?

[pineapple stu]

The Star's turn today...

Pretty much the same Pete Mahon's comments as on the FAI website (not surprising, as it's the FAI preview), but they pick out Gary Dicker as one to watch. Mentions the fact that Mahon's lost six league games in 18 months too. Paul Byrne apparently has been on standby for the Ireland U-19s recently.

Penultimate paragraph is encouraging! "As the manager says: 'We were talking about Europe and Gary Dicker said we'll be in the InterToto Cup next season. With that kind of attitude, we can't go wrong.'"

[pineapple stu]

Another preview from Aertel...

Soccer News
EIRCOM LEAGUE CLUB PROFILES: UCD
Boss Pete Mahon began last season insisting there were no expectations of promotion from his Students. Rebuilding and consolidation were the operative words.

In reality, College challenged from the start, swapping top spot with Finn Harps all the way before settling for runners-up.

In so doing, UCD scored 67 goals in 33 games, more than any club in either division. If bouncing straight back up to the top flight was considered an overachievement, more of the same will surely be needed if they are to avoid a relegation scrap.

The fact that Mahon hasn't moved to strengthen his defence must be a worry as they come up against the best strike forces in the country.

The versatile Pat Sullivan's loss to Drogheda will be particularly felt while Sean Finn and Willie Doyle have left for Waterford.

On the plus side, Belfield Park should be the place to be for goals galore as Mahon has brought in striker Damien Dupuy, Galway's joint-topscorer last season, along with the exciting potential of Adrian Murphy from Athlone Town.




Seems to be a bit formulaic really. Don't agree with the bit about our defence - it's a Premier Division quality defence, as the Cup run and the 16 games at the end of 2003 when Mahon took over (best defence in the league by four goals in that period, and since strengthened by Quigley, Kenna, Gannon andAlan Mahon's return from injury) proved. Only Harps (by one goal) had a better defence than us, but this is overlooked.

But I'd say a few Pat's fans will laugh at "Belfield Park should be the place to be for goals galore"!