Martin Russell gone from Limerick

Russell asked for a top 4 budget and was granted it.

Limerick fans would have been very happy with midtable and a good cut off a cup again.

Three years into Martins tenure and the same recurring theme happens in all our losses. You could even look at the way he had UCD playing and it was the same problems. He was given ample opportunity to fix these problems but refused due to his philosophy. Every Limerick regular could see the issues, the board could see the issues. The only people to think it was a harsh sacking are opposition fans.

Too much money is being spent and with three going down he had to go early rather than wait till mid-season and find it was too late.

Martin seems like a nice guy but in modern football you need to be able to adapt your footballing style.

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Originally Posted by Jofspring

The only people to think it was a harsh sacking are opposition fans.

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And even Bohs fans and Harps fans who came to Market's Field this season would probably have a good idea of what the issue was.

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Originally Posted by TonyD

The problem with trying to play from the back is that it's difficult.

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It is difficult.

However, the three teams who have won the last five titles all played out from the back.

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Originally Posted by White Horse

It is difficult.

However, the three teams who have won the last five titles all played out from the back.

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They also knew how to defend.

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Originally Posted by White Horse

It is difficult.

However, the three teams who have won the last five titles all played out from the back.

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I'm sure they all played out from the back when it was on. We have played out from the back at all costs spending most the game going side to side at the back.

I'm not really surprised at the parting of the ways.
What surprised me is that it didn't happen at the end of last season.
Even though Limerick won the 1st Div at a canter the defensive problems were there for all to see.
Whatever about getting away with it in the 1st Div where they scored for fun you have no chance in the Premier Div where the first rule is that you must know how to defend when things are not going so well at the other end.

I think Limerick need to consolidate now & look to staying in the Div. It may not be pretty but hopefully they will survive.
No fancy appointments.
Just get someone in who knows how to get the best from the players at his disposal.
What's vitally important as well is that Limerick fans stick with the team & support them at every chance.

4 clean sheets in 54 premier games. Nuff said.

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Originally Posted by disgruntled

I'm not really surprised at the parting of the ways.
What surprised me is that it didn't happen at the end of last season.
Even though Limerick won the 1st Div at a canter the defensive problems were there for all to see.
Whatever about getting away with it in the 1st Div where they scored for fun you have no chance in the Premier Div where the first rule is that you must know how to defend when things are not going so well at the other end.

I think Limerick need to consolidate now & look to staying in the Div. It may not be pretty but hopefully they will survive.
No fancy appointments.
Just get someone in who knows how to get the best from the players at his disposal.
What's vitally important as well is that Limerick fans stick with the team & support them at every chance.

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I absolutely agree with that. The only shock was he lasted this long.

They'll be fine though. A focus on tightening up the defence will push them clear of any danger.

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Originally Posted by LK37oldskool

4 clean sheets in 54 premier games. Nuff said.

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That's a mad stat.

From the outside though, the timing still seems strange.
It was three clean sheets from 48 before the season started, not any better really. Should that not have been the time to act?

That is the strange thing. He had been the manager for over 2 seasons when he was re-hired in the offseason. Deciding after 6 games (which included 2 wins and 2 losses to teams you would anticipate losing to) that he is not good enough shows the club don't know what they are doing or they have started listening to someone.

I think the club was hoping that Martin would have a different approach this season. The games against Bohs and Harps were the games I believe got him the sack. No change in his approach from when he took over. You can't play in the premier league like you do in the first division. Anyone who watched them last season would have known that playing that style was a recipe for disaster. Martin cannot adapt his team. He sticks ridgely to his philosophy despite the chaos and the results. I believe that with Martin in charge it would have been a relegation battle all season with dwindling crowds.

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Originally Posted by brendy_éire

That's a mad stat.

From the outside though, the timing still seems strange.
It was three clean sheets from 48 before the season started, not any better really. Should that not have been the time to act?

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In the past, he took over a struggling team, and kept them up.

The next season, the budget was not only slashed, but slashed late, and we couldn't sign many players. We were truly hopeless (6 points from 63) but he did bring in some players and we went on that great run. Last season was fantastic obviously, but we were never tested in any way.

So you could argue that until this season, he hasn't had a chance to really have a proper go at the Premier division. But this season he had a proper go, and things were not good at all. Any opposition fans that remember 2 years ago when we passed the ball aimlessly round the back, achieving nothing but trouble for ourselves? Well, we're still at that. And no better at it now than we were then.

He hasn't been pragmatic in any way, he has been uncompromising in sticking to his principles even when it is utterly obvious that the players are not able to do what he wants, and we are still creating nothing and inviting trouble upon ourselves. He isn't able to attract the quality of player that can play that way, and he's not willing to change the way he plays.

I'm a fan but I'm just on the outside looking in. I can't comment on budgets or benchmarks or anything like that. But, definitely, there was a sense that with 3 going down, we could easily fall into that group unless things changed - changed in ways that Russell was unlikely to make.

I don't think we would have been in a relegation fight, but that's not really the point. Point is, if they didn't trust him, why did they hire him. It is also very poor to have hired him only on an expectation that he might change the way he plays.....that would have been irresponsible to him and placed the season at risk for the club. Assuming they trusted him enough to hire him, 6 games of new information is not sufficient to change your mind. Something doesn't seem right.

They have had their head turned you mean ? Glamour appointment coming up to shake f*uk outta the game as we know it here :)

I am going to hope that anyway. Wondering though if there is someone else getting more involved, or maybe just some lads lost the rag with no plan....Could be anything.

He was lucky to have not got the bullet after getting relegated in 2015 but I still think it's an early kneejerk sacking him 6 games in with 8th spot and 7 points. That Limerick squad isn't good enough to avoid looking over their shoulder all season no matter who is in charge.

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Originally Posted by White Horse

It is difficult.

However, the three teams who have won the last five titles all played out from the back.

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Absolutely, and that's a good thing. As I said though, you need good players to be successful that way. Look at how Pats have slipped down the table since the quality of the squad has declined (mind you, we're on the up again now:cool:)

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Originally Posted by total hoofball

He was lucky to have not got the bullet after getting relegated in 2015 but I still think it's an early kneejerk sacking him 6 games in with 8th spot and 7 points. That Limerick squad isn't good enough to avoid looking over their shoulder all season no matter who is in charge.

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And the squad is that way because of Martin Russell.

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Originally Posted by bluewhitearmy

And the squad is that way because of Martin Russell.

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Someone mentioned top 4 budget, spending in same bracket as Dundalk, Cork, Shamrock Rovers and spending more than Derry, Bray, St. Pats?? I wouldn't be convinced by that

I think you's look about where you should be with that squad, but if he's been allowed to sign alot of the lower half of the table fodder in your squad on a Top 4 budget then he shouldn't have even made the start of the season

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Originally Posted by total hoofball

Someone mentioned top 4 budget, spending in same bracket as Dundalk, Cork, Shamrock Rovers and spending more than Derry, Bray, St. Pats?? I wouldn't be convinced by that

I think you's look about where you should be with that squad, but if he's been allowed to sign alot of the lower half of the table fodder in your squad on a Top 4 budget then he shouldn't have even made the start of the season

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We 100% have a bigger budget than Derry and Pats and are very close to the same if not above Bray. Obviously not anywhere near Cork and Dundalk but he had a very very good budget.