Halfway Point

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Originally Posted by Charlie Darwin

Why? McGuinness for McMillan didn't look like too bad of a trade, Quigley a loss but some good players brought in in midfield. If the squad is too weak, why didn't the club strengthen more? I thought the budget was up?

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http://foot.ie/threads/176537-2013-Predictions/page4

Pretty much as I had outlined there for for you again Charlie.
However Elding's goals seem to have dried up, in the league at least and he is far too easily wound up considering his experience in the game.

A lot to expect North to reproduce his form of early last season but therein lies our only chance as I see it.

We are scoring very few from set pieces as well since McGuinness left. McMillan is a decent replacement but McGuinness was flawless for us in nearly every game last year. You can't replace that imo. Big character in the dressing room as well as on the pitch when backs were to the wall.

Baraclough tried to strengthen more apparently. Budget may have been up slightly but there is a dearth of quality in this country and not always easy to get the right lads from England. I would question one or two of the players he did bring in.

Our wingers are cat. Boco was another loss for us. That bit of guile you need in midfield is gone that we had with Ryan and then Quigley. There's a lot of small factors adding up to a poorer product on the field. Just watching us against Bohs on Saturday you couldn't but see that we have gone backwards. Not all the managers fault but he has to shoulder some of the blame.

Haha, I knew I had questioned somebody playing down Sligo's chances but I didn't realise it was you!

On McGuinness, correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't last season a bit of an anomaly in terms of how he was scoring goals? I don't remember him being as prolific before. I'd have thought Peers was still your main man in terms of set-piece goals, and his injury problems have hurt you more. I would love to have Peers at Rovers, and with his tendency to get sent off needlessly he'd fit right in with the club ethos.

I haven't seen much of Sligo this season, but the impression I've gotten from watching them in Tallaght and the games on TV, as well as reports from other games, is that Baraclough has imposed more of a direct game on the side which, given the gains under Cook and the (deceptively) comfortable run to the title last season, doesn't suit the calibre of player you have at your disposal. I watched the Limerick game on TV and wondered whether I was watching the same group of players who won the title last year. Same against Cork, where I thought a fairly mediocre side outclassed you all game.

All credit to Baraclough for coming in late and winning the title last year, but my impression is that he's taken a winning formula and butchered it.

I also believe Rogers is a jokeshop goalkeeper for a top team. He can always be relied upon to gift the opposition goals in big games.

Rogers? I don't think there's a better keeper then him in the league. Has made very few mistakes for us.

I don't think McGuinness has been that big a loss for us. We've still conceded very few goals this season.

Missing a spark from midfield though. Richie Ryan has never been replaced but he was always going to be pretty impossible to replace.

Boco though only played well for us last season in the month before he was trying to sort out another move.

Raf getting injured was a huge blow as him and Elding were linking us really well.

We really should have beaten Bray, Limerick and Bohs but haven't been taking our chances the way we were earlier on

Pats first 11 is certainly stronger then ours at moment though

Rogers has cost you heavily against Pats this season and another game around the same time I can't recall. I think you got a bum deal trading him for Clarke.

Boco is probably due to join you again in July? Then back to Cook in the winter, as is his routine.

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Originally Posted by Charlie Darwin

Rogers has cost you heavily against Pats this season and another game around the same time I can't recall. I think you got a bum deal trading him for Clarke.

Boco is probably due to join you again in July? Then back to Cook in the winter, as is his routine.

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Rogers is 10 times the keeper Clarke is

As things stand I wouldn't rule out relegation for us. We're level with Bray, unlikely to finish bottom but Bohs could still catch us.

looks like salthill wont make it till the end of the season. Most players expected to leave the club during the next transfer window, with the club unable to pay the players expenses. salthill will attempt to use the squad from the u19 league but a large portion of these players are also looking to move on too.

Not really related to anything but Pascal Millien scored for Haiti in a 2-2 draw with Italy. He doesn't seem to have ever got much of a run for Sligo. Could he possibly provide the goals that have been so hard to come by for them? Is he just a bit crap?

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Originally Posted by Nah Nah Nah Nah

Rogers is 10 times the keeper Clarke is

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IGgRh83WJbc

I'm not even going to bother going onto youtube looking for Clarkes many mistakes

Premier Division Team of the Year: Gary Rogers (Sligo Rovers); Ger O’Brien (St Patrick’s Athletic), Jason McGuinness (Sligo Rovers), Gavin Peers (Sligo Rovers), Ian Bermingham (St Patrick’s Athletic); Sean O’Connor (St Patrick’s Athletic), Ronan Finn (Shamrock Rovers), James Chambers (St Patrick’s Athletic), Stephen McLaughlin (Derry City); Mark Quigley (Sligo Rovers), Danny North (Sligo Rovers

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Originally Posted by passinginterest

Not really related to anything but Pascal Millien scored for Haiti in a 2-2 draw with Italy. He doesn't seem to have ever got much of a run for Sligo. Could he possibly provide the goals that have been so hard to come by for them? Is he just a bit crap?

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I'd say the latter really. He's looked good sometimes coming off the bench but has never really done much whenever he's started for us.

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Originally Posted by Nah Nah Nah Nah

I'm not even going to bother going onto youtube looking for Clarkes many mistakes

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I'm sure there are many but I've never seen him do anything like that. Granted there are no great keepers anywhere in the league.

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Originally Posted by Charlie Darwin

I'm sure there are many but I've never seen him do anything like that. Granted there are no great keepers anywhere in the league.

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Complete howler from a Ger O'Brien backpass which cost us our only home defeat this season so far v Dundalk, and there was the rush of blood to give away the peno against Derry in the cup final too. Lots of Pats fans wanted him out of the team after the Dundalk game, in fairness he's been solid enough since then.

Another howler by Clarke at the weekend

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Originally Posted by Nah Nah Nah Nah

Another howler by Clarke at the weekend

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I assumed that was a significant deflection at the time. However, any deflection was minimal. He was completely flat footed.

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Originally Posted by Terry

looks like salthill wont make it till the end of the season. Most players expected to leave the club during the next transfer window, with the club unable to pay the players expenses. salthill will attempt to use the squad from the u19 league but a large portion of these players are also looking to move on too.

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I wouldn't expect them to pull out mid-season, but I was saying that they might have trouble keeping any sort of squad. Playing LOI football is a big commitment for players. Lads would know there are only in there because of the mass exodus and only to see out the season.

In relation to the First, as I argued a month or so ago about Mervue's promotion chances, the division is far too erratic to predict.

Longford, whilst still in the clear, are now only six points ahead, with only four points separating the five chasing teams. Longford, whilst clearly the best team so far, have been winning the vast majority of their games by one goal. Of course, before anybody points out the obvious that that's all they need, it does suggest they are not signifcantly ahead of the other teams, and eventually the type of games they have been winning will become draws or occasional losses. Nothing against Longford - that's just the reality of football. They may yet go on and win the division, but it is no way near as cut and dried as most everyone on here seems to think.

Of the chasing pack, Waterford United appear to be finally getting their act together, and have made a couple of decent signings in recent weeks. They may also get a bump from whoever their new manager will be, but they have been so erratic also that nothing is certain. Athlone have done well in recent weeks, but they too are erratic - losing at home to ten men Waterford and Bluebell, and then beating division leaders Longford. Again, its impossible to predict how they will perfform in the second half of the season. Wexford are the real Jeckyll and Hyde of the division: outstanding at home, but utterly awful away (except against Waterford!). If they start picking up the occasional away win, they could yet surprise people, but I have a nagging doubt that they can do this. Mervue appear to be slowing a little, having won only one league game since hammering Waterford six weeks ago. That said, I still think they're as good as near everyone else, including Harps, who themselves are in a poor run of form. I diubt this will last though, and expect them to get back to winning ways.

In short, the only pattern is that there is very little discernable pattern. In the last series of games before the break the results were so unpredictable that it should serve as a reminder that this division is absolutely wide open. If Longford win it, I wouldn't be surprised. equally though, I wouldn't be surprised if they finished fifth. Same goes for them all. I'm biased towards waterford, but do expect them to have a better second half of the season than first due to a better squad and the improvement since Paul O'Brien resigned. If Athlone can bring in a few, and if Longford keep Sullivan fit, then I expect them three to be the likely ones to fight it out, but even that is a prediction I'm not too comfortable with.

Delighted where we are at this point in the season. I knew when we went for King Kenny we would be nowhere near a relegation battle as the man is a winner and a 100% pro. I am surprised where we are in the league at the moment. I don't feel we are over achieving and who knows over the next 5 games will be pivotal for us if we can sustain a challenge. Shrewd signings like O'Donnell, Towell, Rossiter, Boyle, Massey & Sullivan. Peter cherrie is showing his class as the best keeper in the league and SK is improving players like Hoban, Mountney & Stephen Mcdonnell. our squad need strengthening I think and I doubt we can do that but what a season so far. I also get a slight sense of smugness over Waterfords position in the first after their silly complaints about rafter last season

Our home form has cost us big time and will probably be the main reason why City will not improve on last season in terms of our final league position.

We've been far from solid at the back at times for me.

That's because everybody loves being in Cork so much they up their game when they play there.