To be fair Killian Brennan has been one of the best players in this league for the guts of a decade. He's on the downside of his career but he isn't helped by defenders who can#t pass the ball playing behind him
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To be fair Killian Brennan has been one of the best players in this league for the guts of a decade. He's on the downside of his career but he isn't helped by defenders who can#t pass the ball playing behind him
Just the
3 league titles
3 FAI Cups
5 League Cups
1 Setanta Cup
and Player of the years awards for Brennan,
The horror of having someone like that in your team...
God no. No reason to think Bucko is going to part company with Pats is there ? For all that the team has a soft centre for the last couple of years, I'd still have Buckley over Fenlon any day.Quote:
Originally Posted by PartySaint
It's part of the new investment - Ray Wilson bringing in people with business experience to bring the club forward. New CEO will be announced soon.Quote:
Originally Posted by Nesta99
His tactics have generally been alright. It seems the motivation is a real problem. We lost the battle against Dundalk and Cork - whatever about being up against more talented players, they were just beaten for effort.Quote:
Originally Posted by Ezeikial
does dfx know?Quote:
Originally Posted by Charlie Darwin
No doubt Brennan has achieved plenty in the past, although his attitude has always been questionable. It was hardly an absence of technical skills that stymied a cross-channel careerQuote:
Originally Posted by PartySaint
As his ability fades, his negative attributes seem to be even more apparent. The contrast with Stephen O'Donnell in terms of character, leadership and positive influence on his team could hardly be greater.
Seem to remember Pats fans complaining plenty about Fahey in his last year despite all his medals.
Will be interesting to see how things at Rovers go once the new CEO and board comes on stream at end of May.
For last 5 seasons Rovers haven't competed , have spent over a million in cash , much of the fan base has become disillusioned - the one constant over that period was/is the make up of the board , so with that changing methinks things will also change on the park
Also a lazy bugger at times though, wouldnt you agree?:DQuote:
Originally Posted by Dodge
No, I wouldn'tQuote:
Originally Posted by bennocelt
He hasn't won that much ;)Quote:
Originally Posted by Charlie Darwin
And I never complained about him or Brennan :)
Has it?Quote:
Originally Posted by Ezeikial
He has a winners attitude if you ask me. He has been sent off a few times against Dundalk so I can see why you guys would think he has a bad attitude but in the biggest game between Pats and Dundalk in the last few years, it was O'Donnell who lost his cool and got sent off.
He's a good bet for a red card against Dundalk. For some reason he can't control his temper against us but it's great entertainment.Quote:
Originally Posted by PartySaint
In the last five years ye have spent over 1million (the Europa money I assume) while also running up a 400k rolling debt.Quote:
Originally Posted by Calcio Jack
Ye now have a 1.5 million loan to start paying baying back on top of the 400K. Crowds are down and there is a real opportunity of now Europe.
It will be very hard for a new board to change things on the park with those figures tying their hands?
Not sure where you're getting the rolling debt figure of €400k from. However we are about to take on debt of €1.5m interest free and if not repayed 50% of club ownership reverts to lender who is a club stalwart so no real issue there.Quote:
Originally Posted by redobit
Personally I'm very happy with the forthcoming changes which will bring on board individuals with top class business experience and success who will drive the club forward commercially which is a way better plan than remaining as is - sure time will tell
Fair call in relation to Stephen O'Donnell getting sent off back in 2013 - I felt he let his side down that day. Aside from that red card (and his bizarre penalty attempt against Bohs that same season) his attitude, leadership and professionalism has been outstanding. If you conducted a poll among Dundalk fans he would probable emerge as the most important / most effective player for Dundalk over the Kenny eraQuote:
Originally Posted by PartySaint
In relation to Killian Brennan, it is touching to see the loyalty of St Pats fans to a gifted yet erratic and temperamental player who is regularly out of control (especially in recent seasons against Dundalk). Perhaps the level of his current impotence at Shamrock Rovers inspires this sentimentality?
I'm not sure what the issue is here. Both players are among the league's elite, but they're at various stages of their career.
Brennan has often been lauded by his managers as a model professional. So has O'Donnell.
For a few obvious reasons Killian Brennan isn't the most popular player with Dundalk fans. Part of this is undoubtedly his essential role with Pats as league challengers seasons past. That he has regularly seen red v Dundalk has turned him from a quality player to a bit of a cartoon villain. Since his move to Rovers he is nowhere near as influential a player as he was at Pats. Whether this is to do with the move to Rovers coincidentally coinciding with a general down turn in his career or that he is mirroring his club and teams general form remains to be seen. Pats fans are obviously still fond of him as a former key player - if he rattled in a hat-rick in Tallaght after Pats being 0-2 up and celebrated as he undoubtedly would there would unlikely be a whisper if he was criticised on here by Pats fans. Brennan/O'Donnell, Both are important players to current and former clubs' relative success, O'Donnell imo is more important to Dundalk still than Brennan is to Rovers. Both have been occasionally rash on the pitch, Brennan certainly seems the much more volatile. As club captain, there has been no greater leader among the players and as an ambassador for Dundalk FC. As captain of the Champions id dare suggest he is the most influential player currently league wide in terms of inspiration to a team.
Brennan is a fabulous player. He has rarely been at his best while playing against Dundalk which may colour the opinions of Dundalk fans. However, I've seen him in enough other games to know his quality.
As Nesta99 says above, there are many reasons for his current slump. I wouldn't bet on it lasting too long though.
He's 32 and has been playing at the top for well over a decade. I wouldn't imagine he can recapture his peak performances (Bohs 2008, Pats 2013). I've said for a while now O'Donnell is the best player in the league
Shields for me.Quote:
Originally Posted by Dodge
Can't agree there. O'Donnell is well ahead of Shields. He does the good defensive tasks that Shields does but he offers much more in attack. I also think that if Shields is pressed quickly when he gets the ball that he has a tendency to panic whereas you never see O'Donnell panic on the ball.Quote:
Originally Posted by El-Pietro
O'Donnell is miles better than Shields.Quote:
Originally Posted by El-Pietro
For me two influential players for Pats league win were Russell and Bisto Flood(when he came in). Minus those two and I think Dundalk would have pipped them. Cillian Brennan and Bohs under Fenlon should have won that first title that Michael O Neill won with Shamrock Rovers, would Bohs fans agree?
Also a sign of a good player is how much they perform/improve a less talented squad if they move, Fletcher and Johnny Evans would be an example at WBA this season. Not sure how far behind Cillian is Connor Powell in terms of honours and PFAI awards. Other recent award winners are Mark Quigley and Jay McGuinness.
Really bad luck for Luke Byrne, he looked promising when he first came in for Bohs, and hope he makes a full recovery.
I can only go on what I've seen, but they look a lot weaker without Shields than they do without O'Donnell.
O'Donnell started 12 league games last season and still made the PFAI team of the year- by the time of the vote that would have been 8 or 9. Two thirds of a crocked SOD > Shields. And I love Chris Shields.
Both fine players with great seasons but Bolger won the Pats player of the year and Brennan won the league player of the year.Quote:
Originally Posted by wonder88
Russell was there in 2012 too but the difference for Pats in 2013 was Brennan and Conan Byrne. They brought the team on hugely
It'll be good to get Roddy Jr back in the league so these debates over who the best player is can end once and for all.
Clouded judgement, i get that:)Quote:
Originally Posted by Dodge
He never did make it in the UK, that's good enough for me. Big fish small pond (muddy pond at that)
Disagree with that.Quote:
Originally Posted by El-Pietro
Take even the FAI cup final. I thought cork were getting in top up too the sean gannon injury. Kenny switched shiels to RB and skip came on then after and controlled the game from the start of the 2nd half on.
The boys are right. When shiels is pressed quickly he panics and loses the ball. Also he struggles to pass the ball more than a couple of metres.
I agree that O'Donnell is the better player and the best in the league, but I don't agree with your description of Shields. He is not as composed as O'Donnell but he rarely losses the ball when pressed, less than the majority of LOI midfielders.Quote:
Originally Posted by jinxy lilywhite
As for struggling to pass the ball 2 meters, I think we all know that's rubbish
Watching the Rovers-Dundalk match the other night It was noticeable how shields was the heartbeat of the team. O'donnell was fine but didn't have as much impact before he had to go off.
As for comparing O'Donnell to Brennan- do me a favour. O'Donnell had a lot of competition in the Rovers midfield when he was at Rovers so didn't play as often as he liked
Brennan is an indication of how far away Rovers have fallen, on the road to success.
The most impressive part of that was he was clearly injured. He struggled to move and still controlled midfield against CorkQuote:
Originally Posted by jinxy lilywhite
No surprise to see Cork invest heavily in midfield this season
Liam Miller was so traumatised by the experience he emigrated.Quote:
Originally Posted by Dodge
Was at Turners X last year when Cork battered Pats. Brennan was trying to take possession from Mark O'Sullivan maybe 25 yards from goal and just gave up utterly and flopped to the ground. Unhindered, O'Sullivan trotted on to score. I know you can't judge a player on one moment but that one encapsulated all that has held Brennan back for me.
We got battered that first half aswell Pats a complete no show 2nd half wouldn't mind a repeat scoreline of that tonight
He was as uninterested on Monday. Obviously a player who needs to be motivated and that's not something that comes easily for him playing for a club he doesn't like.Quote:
Originally Posted by sadloserkid
Yeah I'd agree with that. That was particularly poor. The guy has all the talent in the world, but moments like that are definitely a negative on him.Quote:
Originally Posted by sadloserkid
You are possibly forming that opinion on the excellent display he gave away to Cork last April. I think from where he was in 2012, Shields is probably the most improved midfielder in the league.Quote:
Originally Posted by El-Pietro
He can have a few poor games though and his touch at times lets him down, you get impressions he needs to be fully concentrating in every single match for 90 mins, overall though he has been excellent since the middle of 2013.
I would O'Donnell as the best MF in the league though. Finn is showing signs that he will be that player maybe next season. Miele was also very good last season and worth a mention. Bolger is effective at what he does.
Shields is obviously one of the least talented players in the Dundalk team and probably the least talented midfielder in most games he plays. But he's maximised his talent through hard work. Guys like Massey and Boyle would fit into the same category.