The article on the league in the Irish Times is all about City today and what they have to do about putting together a creditable challange for the league and developing the club.
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The article on the league in the Irish Times is all about City today and what they have to do about putting together a creditable challange for the league and developing the club.
And here it is !
from the Irish Times
[SIZE=3]Dolan faces test in filling gaps at Cork[/SIZE]
Emmet Malone: On Irish Soccer
29/07/03: If the controversy that surrounded Cork City's defeat in Waterford a week earlier tended to obscure any message that might be contained in the 2-1 scoreline then Friday evening's 2-0 FAI Cup defeat by Shelbourne at Turner's Cross can have left Pat Dolan with few doubts about the scale of the task that faces him.
Expectations are high around Cork City and ultimately the club is, as far as its supporters are concerned, supposed to be challenging for the league. But the relative ease with which Pat Fenlon's side subdued their opponents suggests City are still a good away off being in a position to challenge their big rivals from Dublin.
With the exception of the 20-minute spell in the second half Cork looked timid and slightly outclassed in almost every area of the pitch. Up front John O'Flynn and George O'Callaghan looked capable of causing their markers problems while Michael Devine is clearly a capable goalkeeper.
In many other departments, however, the team is missing either quality or experience and while it is great to see young, local players being brought through, too many of Friday's starters looked as though they are still learning their trade.
The extent of the gulf between the two sides was most readily evident on the benches, though, where Fenlon had Tony McCarthy, Richie Baker and Jim Gannon.
Cork also seemed to be handicapped by the roles handed to a couple of key players. For almost the entire game Shelbourne were untroubled by Cork's wide midfielders while Billy Woods, one of the few players in the league who, on his day, could give Owen Heary real problems, was played at left back.
Colin O'Brien, a consistently impressive performer out on the right for Cork a few seasons ago, was required to provide some composure and creativity in central midfield. How badly the home side could have done with an Alan Reynolds to anchor things in the heart of the team or an Ollie Cahill out on the flank but both were lost to Dublin rivals with a tradition of paying their players more handsomely.
Quite why Cork lose out remains a bit of a mystery. With a huge catchment area from which to draw players, fans and commercial support the club would appear to be in a strong position. Certainly when the team is going well Cork, as it has been so far this season, is the best supported club in the country. And there was some evidence at the weekend, not least in the excellent match programme, the club is making progress on the business front.
The question is, however, whether any of that will result in Dolan being able to pay the sort of money required to bring in the players required to provide the team with a more solid backbone.
It is important, of course, that the team not lose its local character and some of those close to the club believe Dolan has played his cards well by being seen to give the locals every chance to prove themselves before publicly conceding he needs to buy.
Recently, though, there have been widespread reports that, after a very quiet start on the transfer front, the former St Patrick's Athletic boss has been in touch with a number of high-profiled players. The extent of his purchasing power looks set, however, to take another while to become apparent.
In the meantime Dolan and everyone else at the club will be anxious the club bounces back from Friday's loss to defeat Derry City this weekend. The southerners have one of the largest support in the league but there is a huge difference between the 1,000 to 1,500 that can be depended upon to show up regardless of how the team is doing and 5,000-plus that would pay into Turner's Cross to see a team that is doing well.
To date Dolan's notorious patter may well have helped to swell those crowds while his record in Inchicore suggests when he starts buying players he will do well with the money given to him. He is never likely, however, to enjoy the freedom at to bring in players in the sort of numbers he was permitted to sign at Richmond Park and there will always be the need to retain a local flavour to the team.
Given the restraints, it seems the league's most successful manager of the last few years is facing his most interesting test yet.
its a fcuking Match-day Magazine you **** malone :DQuote:
Originally posted by patsh
from the Irish Times
[SIZE=3]Dolan faces test in filling gaps at Cork[/SIZE]
Emmet Malone: On Irish Soccer
. And there was some evidence at the weekend, not least in the excellent match programme, the club is making progress on the business front.
It's a pity they don't take notice of the league on a regular basis because when they do, it is usually well written.
Very mature James. It just shows how childish you are. Call him what you want but its a very good article from an outsider which is precise and accurate. Fair play Emmet
Well malone writes a similar article every tuesday...Quote:
Originally posted by niamh
It's a pity they don't take notice of the league on a regular basis because when they do, it is usually well written.
pretty much hits the nail on the head
a good read too.
Well the Irish Times has very good coverage of the eL. Malones weekly column, previews and reports of all the games, latest news, up to date tables and results.Quote:
Originally posted by niamh
It's a pity they don't take notice of the league on a regular basis because when they do, it is usually well written.
They also picked out $hels v City as the tie of the round, hence Malone, their main soccer reporter, at the Cross last Friday.
All of the IT, with the exception of the loony Myers and the paranoid gasbag Waters, is very well written.;)
I'd love to read a Tom Humphreys article on the league..he's class
The times does give it the league good enough coverage and their articles are all different not like the star and those rags that give ya 10 articles all saying the same thing
Think that article hit the nail on the head.
Although I think there are more than 1500 dependables to turn up at the X each week.
As regards to keeping the local flavour to the team I don't think it matters. While it is good to local lads having pride in the jersey, at the end of the day football is a business now and it doesn't matter where the players are from as long as they can do the job for the club
we'll probably find out on fridayQuote:
Originally posted by Eric
Although I think there are more than 1500 dependables to turn up at the X each week.
I think city have moved on from the 1500 core support in recent years & hard to remember the last time got less than 3000 at a league game in the last couple of years. City have also only been doing reasonably well in the last 2 seasons & would clearly fill the cross if were top of the league.
Always funny to hear the media report dublin teams crowds as massive when they get anything approaching 5000.
City are going to have starting spending some cash by next season if they are to build on the goodwill & increased support of recent seasons.
Bohs got a "massive" 8000 last night whereas can only imagine the crowd city would get at the cross if was big enough to take a CL qualifier.
Don't suppose there's any chance of finding that out next season?!Quote:
Originally posted by pete
can only imagine the crowd city would get at the cross if was big enough to take a CL qualifier.
8,000 is all that Dalymount can hold for Euro matches. They have to be all seater.Quote:
Originally posted by pete
Bohs got a "massive" 8000 last night whereas can only imagine the crowd city would get at the cross if was big enough to take a CL qualifier.
yeah, to be fair i think if city was to host a CL qualifier the shed would be closed (as it was against lausanne) so our capacity would be about 6,000 maximum.
I suppose what I was trying to say was there were still plenty of tickets left for the Connaught Street side on sunday afternoon. I'm not knocking Bohs but must have been many occasional Bohs or neutrals there last night.
A few years ago city might have had a big crowd cos of the novelty factor for european games but not anymore since the arrival of the floodlights.
Been saying it for a while now but CCFC need to quickley drop the inferiority complex of the "big" clubs. Hopefully Dolan is getting there...