Relegation Battle

The title race is over, Congrats Cork.

Now we can focus on the really interesting stuff, just over half way through the season and 6 teams look like they'll be battling out until the end to avoid the drop

Looking over the past 5 seasons, on average 30 points would be enough to keep you out of the bottom 3, I think it'll be slightly higher this season as in the past few years some teams might have taken their foot off the gas when they new they wouldn't be caught by the bottom 2

I reckon Bohs on 20 points will be ok, 12 more points should see them safe

Of the rest, my gut feeling tells me Pats will go (unless when do some major business in July)

From what I've seen of the rest I think it'll be Galway and Drogs who go down with us.

Predictions?

I think it'll be higher than that again unless a couple of teams collapse. I wonder what the points total for say 10th has been over the past few seasons at the half way point.
Drogs are the worst team I've seen but they seem to have copped on a bit since their capitulation in Cork and sorted out their defence. Them aside I genuinely don't know who is going down, there doesn't look to be anything between the bottom 5. I think Bohs will be safe because they are just better than the rest and have only recently gotten Corcoran back.

Clubs realise they are in a major battle and will feel they have to stretch the budgets further / not cut them when perhaps ideally whey would. Of course if you do lighten the budget and fall behind the resulting drop in interest may lead to a vicious circle. Backs to the wall situation in a lot of board rooms, never mind the dressing rooms!

The hope would be that the battle royal at the bottom will draw enough interest to keep the clubs on an even keel.

Interesting times on all fronts.

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Originally Posted by El-Pietro

Drogs are the worst team I've seen but they seem to have copped on a bit since their capitulation in Cork and sorted out their defence. Them aside I genuinely don't know who is going down, there doesn't look to be anything between the bottom 5. I think Bohs will be safe....

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Can't say I agree with that, but going on what I've watched. I'd have Harps, Drogheda and Bohs as going down, unless they improve in the transfer window. Wins are vital for staying up, so factoring that in.

Drogheda are brutal, really poor. They picked up a draw against us a couple of weeks ago, although it was arguably our worst performance of the season, but I just can't see them getting many wins.
Bohs are leaking goals like no-one's business, only two clean sheets all season. Hard to win if the opposition always scores at least once.
Harps are just a poor side, but a couple of wins recently shows that they could have something to build on. Real problems with size of their squad though, not managing to fill the bench at times. I doubt the money is there to improve things.

I'm fairly sure Galway will be grand. We've played them three times this season, and they've been alright each time. Even losing to us last week, they look a better side than the others. They will win games.
As for Pats, I'd guess they'll spend a few quid and finish mid-table. They're bound to have some cash lying around, they always seem to.
Sligo is another team you'd imagine will spend a few quid over the summer. Lyttle is bound to have his eye on a few lads in the IL. Sligo played ok against us down there, didn't really look as bad as some of the other sides. Defense is an issue, but they're scoring well enough, which is more than can be said for some of the other sides around them.

Of course, back in my day there was usually a team who'd do the decent thing and go bust before the end of the season, sparing another team in the process. Not sure what the chances of that is this year, though I did hear a rumour about one club at the match last week. Will wait and see.

Can only go on what I've seen. Bohs were decent against us but couldn't score - Dinny is back and they might have the most detestable player in the league back soon which you would think shoudl result in more goals.
Harps I think could go down but they fight for everything, actually played well against us for 70 minutes but didn't have the legs, plustheir heads dropped when we scored our second.
We could have had 15 against Drogheda and thats not an exaggeration. We should have scored 5 alone after we voluntarily went down to 10 for 20 minutes. They just let us walk through time and time again. I haven't seen them seince but they have had some ok results since then. If they hjaveb't really miproved then I would worry for them.
Galway seem naive, and I could see them in trouble.
Pats I think have the quality to get out of there if they fancy it. But it seems like thy just don't care? Raising performances against the likes of Rovers but not really bothering the rest of the time? Sligo possibly to a lesser extent have the quality to get out of there, though there is the very real chance they could lose one or two players in the summer.
Only in the LOI* could you have 4 of the last 6 champions in a relegation battle.

*There is definitely a league somewhere where this has already happened. Probably France or somewhere.

By the way if you think Bohs could be dragged into it then you have to look at Limerick too, especially given the defending on Friday night, Bray and Rovers are probably safe at this point but its not impossible to think they could get dragged down into it.

i think pats will climb the table i cant believe they are down there- bohs are higher up the table than they should be they are quite poor and were really lucky to beat limerick and bray away and galway by the looks of it. Drogheda have a good defence but they dont look like scoring. Saw Galway against cork and they looked impressive...
Limerick are a good side and cant see them getting drawn into it...

Definitely wouldn't be saying Limerick are safe just yet. On form so far we'll be fine, but really only a few wrong set of results from being in the mire.

Have seen Drogs and Bohs play this season. Bohs impressed me more I would say but they lacked a cutting edge in the final third. Drogheda more likely to be in the bottom 3. I'd say them, Pats and Galway would be my predictions.

Bray may implode and get dragged into it as may Limerick.Rovers Derry and Dundalk will battle it out for 2nd to 4th.

What odds a West coast trio, or an East coast trio going down?
While everyone in the bottom six is capable of battling away to the end, I see it being Harps Drogs and one of Bohs Sligo and Galway who drop.

Dundalk, Shamrock Rovers and Cork City for me. Can't see anyone else who will be troubled by them. Bray, of course, are unrelegatable, to completely make up a new word.

Pats keep giving us hope, then disappointing again. (It's the hope that kills ya, not the despair). I still think we have the quality to stay up, but we need to work harder and be more consistent. Three wins all season is appalling stuff.

If it hadn't been for the Finn Harps match a few weeks ago I would have been fairly confident that we'll stay up. But that result and performance was so bad that its made me a lot less confident.

I am not sure why people are thinking that Bray will collapse, no reason to think that they cant do the opposite and strengthen - they are just unfashionable, unrelegatable, and have goals in them with second highest after Cork. They do leak goals too but they are an attacking type side.
Harps are battled hardened at this but injuries to key players i thought would see them fall off but actually picked up a few results.
Bohs are ok and with Akinade due back they should be less goal shy.
If some think Limerick could be pulled in to a relegations scrap then Rovers have to be considered in that position too considering their near identical stats so I dont think so myself.
Sligo should have enough to both strengthen and the new manager getting them playing his way.
Pats just dont seem to have the stomach for it - Buckley is on borrowed time if he cant get a bit more fight out of his side as they have more quality than they are showing results wise - no world beaters but should be mid table. If they stick they are down as week in week out Buckley looks more downbeat as if he has tried everything in his locker.
Drogheda are poor but can eek out the odd result just not scoring but they are not any worse defensively with GA, if you take the hammering that Cork gave considering that Cork are that good then they defensively better than Rovers who yes were well beaten by Cork too but werent considered as hammered.
Galway are a little nieve but performances havent gotten results deserved, defensively are ok so if they can find some goals they could climb the table as a work in progress.
So to have a stab at it Drogheda due to limited resources and no firepower, Pats if the team dont start caring and Galway if they dont find their shooting boots to go too. It will go down to the last day and I dont think anyone will get cut loose.

I think GD is the best indicator at this stage of where teams are at when it is chopping and changing in league position every week with no consistancy of form or results bar Drogheda GD is all very tight to state the obvious.

If rovers are in the scrap for the drop then a team only 5 points ahead of them must also be a risk......I think we both should be safe :)
Limericks new manager is a great boost for them , with his connections he is bound to be able to get in a few decent players from UK maybe on loan or guys being released that he would be aware of. I would expect them to push on and maybe now challenge for a euro spot, probably not as integrating players tends to take time, but they are Def staying up IMO . Drogs, galway and 1 of sligo pats and Harps. . My gut says Pats although they were good against us the other night so who knows really. Edge of seat stuff at end of season, and then next season 9th and 10th get relegated !! (Or some sort of play off maybe)

Seems to be mainly wishful thinking that has people saying Rovers will be in danger of being sucked. People have been saying it since the start of the season and it makes even less sense now than it did then. The top six are all too good + have too many points to get sucked in.

I honestly couldn't call it at this stage. All 6 teams down there can be as equally good one week as they can be bad the next week. It's fascinating stuff where there's pretty much guaranteed to be at least one match between teams down there every weekend.

Of the teams above, Cork (by a mile) and Dundalk were the best, with Derry after that. Bray have been poor both times I've seen them - just from the two games we played against them, I'm baffled that they are that high up the table. Against us and others, Rovers let a lead slip when they shouldn't have (and will do so again). The inexperience of their manager will cost them.

Of us and the teams below us, the main thing is the inconsistency. Every team seems to be really inconsistent and capable of beating or losing to everybody else.

Drogheda were the worst I've seen so far. Sligo were atrocious on the opening day, but seem to have righted themselves somewhat. Galway could be in trouble as they don't score enough. Pats seem to have a few players who don't care enough. Finn Harps need to stop conceding. Bohs maybe the best of what I've seen of the teams below us.

But really, it could be any of the bottom 6 or even 7. A run of 3 or 4 wins or losses could make or break the season, and I couldn't rule any team out when it comes to that happening. It's going to be fascinating, and I just hope we aren't involved.

While we were atrocious the first game of the season, Limerick put in the worst performance of a team against us in The Showgrounds. In a sadistic way I hope it stays as close as it is as it makes for great interest.

Doubt if Pats will be involved, Bucko will work his magic again and they'll be fine

17 games in and he hasn't worked any magic yet.They are involved, they might get out, but they are involved.

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Originally Posted by Charlie Darwin

Seems to be mainly wishful thinking that has people saying Rovers will be in danger of being sucked.

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Most Rovers fans don't really get that, or more to the point why that is the case.

Rovers are way more likely to get a euro spot than relegation