Surely Derry should be confident of at least a runners up medal in such a weak league after all the investment in players?Quote:
Originally Posted by DCWA
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Surely Derry should be confident of at least a runners up medal in such a weak league after all the investment in players?Quote:
Originally Posted by DCWA
I think "in such a weak league" might hit the nail on the head.
I know every year we're talking about the weakest league ever, but in this case Dundalk have lost a fair few key players and haven't replaced all. Pat's have to replace Jaros, although Doyle is a good signing up front. Sligo and Bohs haven't replaced Kenny and Kelly yet. Derry have signed solid and proven LoI players. That alone should have them favourites for a top two spot, though reality often isn't as simple and you just don't know who's coming through underage ranks or what signing from an England U21 team might turn out to be quite good.
You know by now that I don't buy the weak league narrative stu but let's pretend it is because who has the time? So it's a weak league but I can't grant you that Derry have signed only "solid and proven LoI" players. They've signed two of the best players the league has seen in the past decade even when it was obviously much stronger (when Rovers weren't winning it). They also have some fantastic players there already and went on a serious run of form under Higgins.
They should be challenging with the investment they've made. For a Derry fan who firmly believes there are no good sides in a weak league to say he isn't confident of second place after taking the pick of players from one of the best sides the league has seen is a bit much even for pre-season.
OK - I think we're close to agreement there really. "Solid and proven" was intended as a compliment to the players they've signed. I agree Derry have done well in pre-season dealings which is why I reckon they'll be top two, but the fact that Pat's/Bohs/Sligo/Dundalk all seem weaker (at the moment, with time for signings) is another reason I reckon Derry will be top two.
Ah ok. See id have Dave Webster as the archetypal "solid and proven" level of LoI player whereas Duffy and McEleney would be in the "ah ffs they are going home to play for their local team with a good manager and an already decent crop of young talent? ****** that's mildly terrifying" category of LoI player.Quote:
Originally Posted by pineapple stu
It's all "Premier Division quality" when you're stuck in the First as long as we've been :p
But no more! Looking forward to seeing UCD this year and a few players in particular. Good to see Evan Osam playing. Didn't know he was a med student as well.Quote:
Originally Posted by pineapple stu
Maybe you are right to be fair, I was highly impressed with Pat’s last year and think on that basis we still had a fair bit to make up on them, obviously O’Donnell has left and I haven’t followed their business particularly closely so maybe my thinking is now outdated.Quote:
Originally Posted by ontheotherhand
Strong talk about Kelly obviously I never heard anything about Hoban and he is not a player I’d have been keen on at all.Quote:
Originally Posted by ToberonaTornado
Kelly is known to be keen on moving abroad so I’d be surprised if he did sign now but not completely out of the equation yet.
There was also some talk about us signing Matt(?) Smith from Pat’s but that has died down too.
On a personal note if we can’t get Kelly there is no other LOI striker I’d be mad about signing and would like to see us looking further afield.
Hands off Dave Webster. He's practically a Donegal man now.Quote:
Originally Posted by ontheotherhand
Who is going to finish ahead of them? Pats would probably be best bet, but on paper they are a long way off current Derry quality.Quote:
Originally Posted by pineapple stu
Top 2 is pretty much sealed already in my view, then again Derry may not fully click until next season, money doesn't always mean success but they should be strong enough for top 2. On money spent I think Dundalk's wage bill must have been 2-3M last season and came 6th ! (mind you two of them were Abibi and Sonni)
Hopefully 2022 is the final year of that, word locally is that StatSports want to look at getting grass pitch in, to have better chance of using their UK contacts for loan players from higher standard clubs.Quote:
Originally Posted by Jd2793
Always amazes me, as bad as the pitch is in Oriel Park, Derry's is actually same if not worse, was in a terrible state last August when I saw it upfront. Not a fan of either / any to be fair.
I agree about Derry’s pitch. Going by seeing on screen only, but I remember watching Pats/Derry last season there and I thought the pitch was awful. By contrast, the first time I saw it on TV when Pats played there (might even have been the first game on it ?) I thought it looked half decent for an artificial pitch, and much better than Oriel. Must have declined a lot in those few years.Quote:
Originally Posted by oriel
Derrys pitch is marginally better than Oriel. Both are atrocious. Have walked out on both of them, they are rock hard. I'd take a knee deep in muck Finn Park over both of them.
I think there is more a sense of hope with Dundalk fans that we can do a bit of a 2013 job than expectation. Feeling like there have been good signings, young and hungry, mixed with lads we know - some have a poit to prove after last season and others that they made the right choice in moving with SO'D. To say the squad now is 'very poor' is equally as curious and sounds like wishful thinking! Anything can happen with a goal scorer is firing and hopefully Hoban will be in that form, solid spine with 2 actual goalkeepers to start.Quote:
Originally Posted by patsdad
We will find in in due course but I'd be happy with solid mid/upper table finish (4th would be a good performance), anything better is a bonus and take a few scalps on the way -Pats by 4 would be amusing, Derry and Rovers of course - far more important to beat the Sligo, Bohs, Harps etc. Have a go in the cup too maybe. Need to stay relatively injury free. Also to gel well quickly which i think is possible with a good group of players that have played together, previously at Dundalk and some at Wales. Generally the 'in the knows' are saying the squad is taking shape well and they are already looking handy together but training isnt always the best guide.
Pats may have finished 2nd but their points total would have barely been enough to finish 3rd most seasons so I wouldnt be getting too caught in them being the 2nd best side, they did win the cup but if Bohs had won a penalty shoot out would that have made them better than Pats?
Basically 2-6 is still interchangeable, I think Pats largely underachieved under O'Donnell if you look at the money they were spending at the start of 2020 season I'd have hoped they would be closer to Rovers at this stage. For me when you look at resources they have worked with in their career so far I'd have far more faith in Clancy than O'Donnell long term but the chances are Pats drop a place or two even if they get the same amount of points & it will be considered a regression
On the subject of the relative state of dundalks & derrys pitches I heard from a Rovers player last year that they hate playing on OP pitch, and players are left out based on the pitch, but love playing on the derry pitch-I think it's because Rovers have a training pitch similar to Derry surface so are more used to it, I guess.
It will be interesting to see how Jack Scott gets on. Never heard of the chap tbh but seems to have a decent background between playing for Wolves U-23’s & Northern Ireland’s underage teams. Now for the final piece of the puzzle a goal tending type player.
A very wise Pats fan once told me that background was largely irrelvant, you'll have to wait and see how he goes for your team. :)Quote:
Originally Posted by D24Saint
toucheQuote:
Originally Posted by sadloserkid
Its a great pity to see clubs converting to astro pitches. They appear to be harder on the players and a lot of knee injuries appear to happen on them.
I suppose it can be argued that a lot of clubs use astro as their training pitches but I would prefer a return to grass pitches.
A modern well constructed grass pitch should be durable and relatively easy to maintain.
The new Dalymount pitch is to be astro I believe.
Dalymount as astro does sound like sacrilege to be fair.
Must say have always thought Derrys to be better than Oriel but either way astro pitches are all bad and I hope changes in that direction will be reversed in the years ahead.
Dalymount most definitely will not be astro . It is getting the same pitch type as Aviva/Croke park a grass pitch with artificial grass woven through it to the best of my knowledgeQuote:
Originally Posted by pineapple stu
That’s also what I heard from a Bohs source, who I would trust as well placed to know. I’d have no hesitation in banning the Oriel/Brandywell type pitches, though I understand the financial motive for clubs going that route. They seem to be becoming prevalent up North as well.Quote:
Originally Posted by ashbournebohs
Has Alessio Abibi actually left Dundalk?
Lads I have refereed on lots of artificial pitches and I can honestly say that none are better than others, and to be fair I've never been on a bad one, now I only reffed LSL and schoolboy games on them so I'm not saying top level loi players aren't affected by them, but I think a lot of peoples impressions are down to RTE's ****e camera work, when you are in the middle of one they all look the same and equal for all. Except for when Dundalk only water one end.
Deffo gone.Quote:
Originally Posted by Demesne Lad
Kevin Mulligan confirmed what was already known in a piece he wrote in the Argus last week:
https://www.independent.ie/regionals...-41229507.htmlQuote:
Italian born, Abibi, who was capped at underage level by Albania and who made 20 appearances for Dundalk after signing last January, has returned to Italy and is understood to be on the lookout for a new club.
Sorry for any confusion - yeah when i posted GK i meant Georgie Kelly.Quote:
Originally Posted by 2 Year Contract
I mean only a few years ago we used to get excited coz a lad once played u16s for a league one side and went on to play Sunday league tier in England. There’s been many players come over from biggish English clubs and not work out. Can’t judge these guys till they play a few games.Quote:
Originally Posted by D24Saint
There's no financial incentive to Derry City FC in having the artificial surface. Shortly after it was laid, Conal Byrne said it was the best surface he's played on. The difference from then to now is that when it is dry, I haven't seen the club water it since the very first few games of use, apparently the council's H&S put a stop to that! When it's raining, the pitch is a joy to play on. For a 'summer' league, they shouldn't be used.Quote:
Originally Posted by TonyD
The pitch in Oriel after it was re-laid was excellent, then the UEFA tests happened. There is all sorts of tests that need to be conducted, ball bounce, spin etc and the result was a load more of the black pellets were put on the pitch which actually made it play worse and looks terrible. Hopefully the rumours are true and we're back to grass in the next couple of years.Quote:
Originally Posted by lofty9
Blackburn Have a few injuries in the position but James Brown on the bench tonight, getting a look in with first team anyway
Some people were saying that was a bad move for himQuote:
Originally Posted by Bunny Kelly
https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp...icks-athletic/
Signing a CB from Ross County.
ye just short a keeper now any word on a signing there?Quote:
Originally Posted by D24Saint
http://t1.gstatic.com/licensed-image...uz1qnpN7U2VSkYQuote:
Originally Posted by Jd2793
There was talk we had someone on trial but all's gone quiet on that front. Seems like Grivosti and Adam O'Reilly (maybe Matty Smith also though it seems unlikely) will round out the outfield squad* so it's all on getting a keeper now. Always a gamble going outside the league but let's hope it's more Jaros than Abibi.Quote:
Originally Posted by Jd2793
* Although I wouldn't say no to another midfielder as well as O'Reilly personally
I reckon we must have someone in place at this stage and are having to wait for them to arrive. I’d prefer to see them soon enough and to start training with the rest of the squad. I’ve heard a few rumours but nothing solid.Quote:
Originally Posted by Jd2793
Seems like a bit of a risk paying a fee and giving him a two year contract considering his recent injury record.