I love your hatred for Myler.Quote:
Originally Posted by The Bowler
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I love your hatred for Myler.Quote:
Originally Posted by The Bowler
Agree with all of the above - I hope we stick with him as pre-injury there was no doubt that he was looking like developing into a fantastic talent - personally I think if he could get back to that he’d hugely broaden our options as he has pace to burn , fantastic ( ironically) physicality and skill plus would free Lyons to play on his natural right side - but he needs to get there soonQuote:
Originally Posted by ontheotherhand
Good result for Dundalk in the Showgrounds…
Maybe so, but honest question for Pats fans, and I know we had this Hoban v Doyle thing pre-season, I wonder are they reasonably happy with him, he's 34 now that's a fair old age to be on a 3 year contract plus has he really delivered?
For me Hoban all day long, his display on Fri v Bohs was superb, good goal too clear MOTM, now I am not discounting Doyle mind, good player of course but I`m just making the point maybe he has not made the impact Pats fans had hoped for and for his wages?
As long as he isnt just going through the motions nearing the end of his playing career, is fit, then 34 isnt a done and dusted player. From listening to Pats fans he has being doing a bit of a Hoban by dropping deep to try and make things happen. Not playing to his strengths or with player selection that will get him scoring goals. While Hoban has 7 under the belt, last night was the first time that I feel he was played in to the game in a way that make him the most dangerous and we reaped the reward.
When you take penalty goals away from both Doyle and Hoban, they‘ve both scored the same number of goals this season. Doyle's reportedly one of the fitter players in the squad and works his socks off every game to be fair. As mentioned pats need to play to his strengths more though. His assist last night was excellent
I expected Doyle to be a better out an out goalscorer and worse of an all-round footballer than he has been. His assist for Burns last night was inch-perfect but kind of sums up his season so far in that his general play has been impressive but we're struggling to get him into particularly dangerous areas to score himself. You can see his movement is quality as well so I do think it's more a service issue than any fault of his own, he just isn't a target man and spends much of the game having hopeful balls flung up to him that he hasn't much of a chance with.
We look so much a better side with Ben McCormack in it rather than a forward shoe-horned into midfield instead, and I think Doyle can reap the benefits of this if Clancy sticks with him/gets another body or two in midfield in the window. Just look at his goal vs Drogheda as an example, possibly offside or not it's the kind of service he just hasn't been getting enough of this season.
Can't really speak for Hoban, outside of highlights the only time I've seen him this season is in Richmond against us and that is possibly the worst I've seen him play and he rightly got hooked for (I think) McMillan. Pats fans seem a bit divided on Doyle but I think he's been far from our biggest issue and will likely look much better with a more functioning midfield behind him.
Bohs playing Sligo and Pats next two matches.
Question for Bohs fans If those matches don't go well and Bohs are well off Europe is there a chance of a heave against 008 or is he immune from preesure?
Who is out there to step in would be the question. It’s a tough gig at Bohs , how many rebuilds has he done at this stage. Where the euro money go ? They must have got over a million last season or will it only arrive after this years final.
Fair summary guys, was just interested to get the mood of Pats fans, and def if you can keep fit, 34 shouldn't be an issue, still think he did well get 3 years. He may yet outscore Hoban, and others this season but I was expecting him to have score a lot more by now.Quote:
Originally Posted by Jack B
Possibly guilty of Rovers goggles here but i think Long gets way to much credit from a lazy media for all his "rebuilds" he has a decent budget and a good feed of players from St Kevins and also Kevins lads returning from England. Its not like he has rebuilt squads to challenge for the title let alone win anything. SOD at Pats last year 2nd in league and wins the cup in first year with a budget not wildly bigger.Quote:
Originally Posted by D24Saint
Hopefully Bohs stick with Long, the current Bohs board dont seem to pushed about winning anything so he is probably invulnerable.
Stephen Rice became the favourite for the Rovers job when there was a chance Bradley was leaving. I guess that now any job available in the league, he will be on top of the shortlist.Quote:
Originally Posted by D24Saint
Personally, in the race for third, I see Pats and Dundalk are well ahead of Bohs (haven't seen too much of Sligo, so don't know). I don't think Bohs will be close coming end of the season, and the race for Europe won't be like the last few years where it seemed nobody could push on from the middle pack.
Bohs have talent for sure but seems like a very unbalanced squad in terms of being top-heavy with talent and a complete lack of experience. They lost a lot of their senior players from last year (plus their near-exclusive goal threat). I think it was always going to be a hard season for them. Where the fault lies (if any) about the unbalanced squad, I don't know. Maybe it's longs fault or the boards, or maybe that's just the cycle of football.
I think the Eoin Doyle we got is certainly different to the one we thought. His overall contribution is excellent but I’d like to see him score a few more. He has a great attitude as he plugs away and doesn’t moan even on a bad night. We are in good shape for third or fourth and that’s the most that can be asked of the current team.Quote:
Originally Posted by oriel
I would swap Doyle for almost any other starting striker in the league tbh.Quote:
Originally Posted by oriel
He has only scored against UCD Harps and Drogs and having him up top is like playing with 10 men as he is too slow to start any sort of meaningful press against the center backs, add in to that his age and the big wages he is probably on I think he has been a complete disaster.
A miserable experience at Tolka Park. I've been going there since the mid 70s, but this was the first time I was asked (not just me obviously, but all away fans) to take a long detour in the opposite direction of the ground so that (presumably) both sets of supporters wouldn't mingle on Richmond Road. I made it in about ten minutes, but anyone with mobility issues or wheelchair users could expect the trek to take twenty minutes. Drogs fans were also held back at the final whistle for a further fifteen minutes. (I know Drogheda implement this at some home games too). Utter madness and completely unnecessary. What do people think this is? Celtic v Rangers? All this patent nonsense achieves is to infuriate and alienate fans.
Also at Tolka, away fans now have to stand behind the goal where the seats have been taken out and no covering exists. (Fine on a nice early summer day last Friday but not an enticing prospect in October).
Plus: no programmes on sale for away fans (at least I didn't see any) and an inaudible PA system.
On the pitch, a miserable game where Drogheda managed one goal attempt in the entire ninety-plus minutes.
However, as mentioned above, the weather was very pleasant.
I have some sympathy for him at times as he's not a target man and has spent a lot of games having long balls lumped up to him . He works hard but as you say his lack of pace is an issue , and for the wages he's probably on i would have preferred someone younger and hungrier , like Aidan Keena for example.Quote:
Originally Posted by PartySaint
Agreed, not a pleasant ground to visit, despite having such fond memories of the place. We weren't made to detour around Richmond Road, but I've don't remember the last time I've been so thoroughly searched going into a ground by lads booming warnings about denied entry/thrown out of the grounds for various offences. Not exactly welcoming. Once in, they did offer to let us into the main stand as one of the lads we were with was in crutches, TBF. Being held in for a Dundalk-level of time after the final whistle seemed pretty needless too.Quote:
Originally Posted by Straightstory
We all know our facilities generally aren't great at a lot of grounds, but we need to treat people at bit better at least.
I agree 100% about this holding people back stuff, Derry fans were allowed leave the match on Friday straight away against Rovers.
Although it generally can be a call made by the Gardai rather than the club
Its has yet to be determined what remaining behind for 'several minutes' actually amounts to!Quote:
Originally Posted by brendy_éire