As Gunther sees it...

I think it was pretty clear that Gunther's team selection for Bray
would reflect his anger at the players who let him down against Bohs. From what I could gather from reports from last Sunday's game- and I may be wrong- he seemed to be angry with Devine
for his performance against Bohs but of course he played yesterday. Let's forget Hartigan but was Carey to blame V Bohs
as dropping him yesterday suggested? Were City good yesterday
or are Bray just out-of-form? Let's leave aside Gunther for the moment and focus on who's not fit to wear the shirt. What Players should take the blame for the shameful debacle of
Jan 20?

The game versus Bohs was a shambles, because too many players did not try. Ollie, CP, Napier, Coughlan and Bucks all tried and looked as if they were trying. Devine wasn't great for the second goal, but was not too bad otherwise. The most demoralising thing about this game was the fact that so many looked as if they simply did not care. We know that Murphy can only use 3 subs, but he does not seem capable of lifting the team when they need it. I rarely see Murphy having a go at anyone on the field. We know he cannot be on the field himself, but can Murphy be blamed for the performance? He is the manager and the buck stops with him! :(

But let's not concentrate on the Bohs match. Let's just hope that the Bray game showed that some lessons were learned, and decisive action was taken..... ;)

Quote:

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Originally posted by oddboy
the buck stops with him!

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Surely it stops with Anthony :p

Eventhough we haven't been playing well recently the Bohs game was a once off & probably better we lost 3-0 as opposed to 1-0 (remember the last goal was conceeded while O'Grady was hobbling around the pitch) to wake the team up.

I think some of the young players have just being looking abit tired lately e.g Carey, Colin P, Bennet. That we little alternatives in some positions doesn't help.

Bray were bad, city were competitive & skippy showed his class (ability to hold the ball or pass when required).

I wouldn't blame any one player for the Bohs debacle, it was just a really crappy team performance. As for Sundays line up, I felt that it was only a matter of time before Carey was dropped. No disrespect to the guy, but he seems a little tired in recent weeks and a few games on the bench will do him a world of good. I would say the same about Bennet, but he had a blinder in Bray. Great to see Flynn get an aul run though. He probably did more in his 3-4 mins than some of other other 'strikers' did all season.

Devine
Greg.......Napier.........Coughlan.........Horgan

Colin 1........Grady..........Bucks.........Cahill

Mulligan.............Flynn

subs. Carey,Bennet,Morley, Mooney,Mulconroy.

In an ideal world that is!!!

Right now I'd put out...

Devine
Halloran Napier Coughlan Hoggie
O'Brien Bennett Grady Cahill
Morley/Mulligan Flynn

Subs: CPOB, Morley/Mulligan, Carey, O'Rourke, Mooney
Squad: Mulconroy, Lordan, Daly, Bucks.
Just in case: Welch, Caulfield.

What we need is competition up front - if forwards are not performing and thus we cannot score, Murphy can spring from the bench (it's worked wonders for Alex Ferguson). Say Morley and Mulligan start up front - they know that they must perform because O'Flynn and O'Brien are waiting in the wings. I doubt if a consistent strikeforce will emerge at this stage, but that may not be a bad thing.

I have to say that the only way forward for City up front is to find the new Morley & Johnny C. Even Murphy himself noticed it.

How many times have city been all over teams for a certain period of a match and not captialised? It happens to City all the time, even against the likes of FC Koln when the ball was throw into their box conutless times, giving their keeper a scare but the lethal touch just wasn't there.

A solid partnership is required, one where the two players understand where the other is going to be, not the old city fault of running to the front post when the cross comes in.

Flynn and Colin P have not been given any form chance yet. Although Skippy and Colin P do show promise.