What's left to say?

[UCD_4_Life]

Eleven games, one win, a draw and nine defeats.

I was optimistic that we may be able to mount a come-back, we beat Bohs after all but after yet another loss, regardless of the performance in losing, will mean that we will go down.

What we need to be doing now is making sure that we can keep the current squad together so as we can come back up next season. Lord knows we can't end up like Dundalk.

The thing is we were finally starting to get more fans to the ground and more than just casual fans too. There were more and more people with jerseys and people that you saw most weeks. I'm just so depressed that our growth is going to be stunted so badly when things were finally beginning to look up.

The board's ambition is also really questionable. After last season we should have been pushing on for Europe but instead we as good as released our three best players and didn't sign anybody and I can only assume that money isn't available because if there was then Doolo would have signed one or two of the 650 players that were released by English clubs at the start of June. If this total lack of ambition from the club continues then I may stop going to games for the time being because to be honest I don't like going anymore. The performances aren't very good at all and I haven't believed during a match that we were going to win since Bray in the League Cup and the only other games that I thought we had a chance in was Bohs on the first day. Drogheda was just terrible and I didn't think we had a prayer in the games where we actually did get points either.

We're eight points behind Longford having played a game more and I'd be more than suprised if we had those eight points by the start of August by which time De Town will probably have another fifteen anyway.

[@ndy]

who'd be a ucd fan?

[tiktok]

your problem seems to be scoring goals, you've not conceeded that much, and whatever about any thing else, paul doolin always has the back four and midfield well marshalled when it comes to getting behind the ball. you've lost a few key players this season, but it seems to be up front where the problem lies. for once the closeness in the league is costing you, last season, strong showings early by three or four teams at the top of the table had left a few teams adrift, this season ucd are the only ones not to grab points here and there. i think it probably will cost you this season, no-one was expecting waterford to be so strong, and drogs and longford are picking up points at home, if not away.

[UCD_4_Life]

Originally posted by @ndy
who'd be a ucd fan?

Who rigs every Oscar Night?

[tiktok]

Originally posted by UCD_4_Life
Who rigs every Oscar Night?

Harvey Weinstein from Miramax is a UCD fan?

[pineapple stu]

We appear buggered alright - just when we were moving somewhere...

Our defence is still among the best of the league - doesn't show in the goals against column because they're so overworked - but we just can't do anything giong forward. We seem to have lost the ability to take the ball down and pass it around. During the Cork game, the ball came to Hugh Davey a couple of times in acres of space and he just headed it blindly back up the field - and he's been one of our best players this season!

The injuries haven't helped - Mahon, Finn, Pat Burke - but I think our problems are deeper than that. In our first 25 games under Doolin, we scored in 24. What's gone on since then???

I'd imagine we'll get a couple of scholarship heads in over the break, but how good is anyone's guess. But in the next seven games up to the half-way stage, we have Drogheda, Longford and Derry at home, all of whom are shaky at best away. If we can get 9 points from that, we'll be back in with a shout. But that's a massive if...

[pineapple stu]

Also, things seem to be going against us lately - blatant penalties turned down in the last minute against Cork and Pat's which, if converted, would have given us an extra three points. That'd be only 5 off the pace - much better, even if not great. Jammy deflected goal a minute after equalising in Longford, jammy scrambled goal in Derry, etc., etc.

[Schumi]

It'll take a miracle to keep us up at this stage. It's not so much the gap that concerns me as the fact that we don't look like getting enough points to get us anywhere. It's easy to say that our strikers aren't doing the business but they get very little service. We don't have enough of the ball to be able to put teams under sustained pressure and give us the opportunity to create some chances and it gives the defence too much to do.

[drummer boy]

i have to agree it would take a miracle. but im sorry to say that i wouldn be sad to see ye go. ye never invest in any players yer support is crap apart from 10 or 12 loyal supporters and i know our support isnt the best either but its still much better than ucds.
the only new players ye get a from scholarships and ye seem to let most of them go. two i know of is stephen lynch and patrick mulvihull who scored twice against bohs last night.

[@ndy]

Originally posted by drummer boy
patrick mulvihull scored twice against bohs last night.

[@ndy]

Originally posted by Schumi
we don't look like getting enough points to get us anywhere.

We just beat Bohs and lost 1-0 away to Cork City.

[pineapple stu]

Originally posted by drummer boy
ye never invest in any players

What a ridiculous comment! Investing in new players doesn't have to mean going out and breaking the bank for a big name signing - if bringing young players home and giving them first team football and a college education isn't investing in players, I don't know what is!

[drummer boy]

but sure they are all crap and the ones that are good ye sell. i dont mean spending big money but like bringing in players who never made it in england. if you want to get somewhere you need experienced players.

[Aberdonian Stu]

Cawley and Davey

Eh two players who we went out and got from England that are good (especially the former) and didn't make it.

[pineapple stu]

Originally posted by drummer boy
but sure they are all crap and the ones that are good ye sell. i dont mean spending big money but like bringing in players who never made it in england. if you want to get somewhere you need experienced players.

Sure you'll never win anything with kids, will you!

We've brought in Brian Mooney, Paul Doolin, Derek Swan, Peter Hanrahan, Richie Purdy and Robbie Griffin over the past couple of years. The players we have are class, but inexperience can be a problem, as you point out. But it doesn't need wholesale purchases to sort it out - just a couple.

Reason we're so short this year is because we've lost 4 of our most experienced players - Bazza and Clive had been us for years, Richie Purdy has league medals and Robbie Doyle has been in England. The way our team is structured is perfectly feasible, and is the best way to go about things given our budget, but we do get left prone to exoduses (or exodi) like that.

If we can survive the next year or two (that's IF), the new players will gain experience, aided by Doolo, Robbie Griffin and anynoe else we bring back, and we'll be up there again.