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Having seen both Dundalk and cork now, I think its safe to say once Dundalk learn to score they should have a canter to the league.
Rovers are much much nearer to cork than last year, both in terms of better players at Rovers and less impressive from cork. And who knows what Waterford are gonna do this year!
Opposition fans knock us after every game, that is nothing new. We've played all of the rest of the top 5, plus Sligo, and we're 3 point clear with Waterford. They don't give out league titles in March, but I'm sure we'd have taken that at the start of the season. Anyway, this league is never easy to win and it's very rarely straight-forward, but it must be our target. I do think that we haven't played very well since the beginning of the season, but you could look two ways. Personally, I think there's a lot more in this squad and we'll see that come through over the next few games. If we don't get maximum points for the remaining fixtures in round 1 I'll be right in your camp.Quote:
Originally Posted by placid casual
To be fair you would have said that after the 2-1 win we had in Tallaght last year as well early doors. Gap has closed a bit mind you. No way it stays as wide as it was last year.Quote:
Originally Posted by placid casual
I don't think there is much to choose between Dundalk Cork and Rovers.
Nil nil in Tallaght against Dundalk us missing Finn , Clarke and Kavanagh (Dundalk were missing some as well).
A 1 nil loss away from home in Cork.
The next 4 matches are really important, if we are still only 2 behind Dundalk after the first series of Matches that wold be a big improvement on last season.
Cork may be further ahead but not out of sight...
Maybe I'm deluded....time will tell :)
Quote:
Originally Posted by sbgawa
A (blinkered) eternal optimist maybe.
You can keep believing, right up to the point that Stuey Byrne tips Rovers for the league title - that's when you know all hope has gone
Worthy winners, but was fearful we'd be left to rue missed chances as Rovers looked to put pressure on us towards the end. Delighted for McLaughlin, a solid performance at centre-back. On another day O'Brien could have seen red for his tackle on McCormack but it was more of a "strong yellow" and a sending off would have been soft. Have seen them given, though.
A draw was a completely fair result last night, Dundalk may have passed it about nice at times, but certainly didn't do enough to win the match, Pats stuck with us and battled hard for the point.Quote:
Originally Posted by PartySaint
After a slow start, I suppose 4 points from two games v Cork at home and Pats away isn't bad, still no goals conceded but we need to start scoring more regularly.
We can have no complaints with the result last night.
I said we'd win the league back in 2010 and was told I was a blinkered optimist :)Quote:
Originally Posted by Ezeikial
I would not be surprised to hear that you said that every seasonQuote:
Originally Posted by sbgawa
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ezeikial
I think I've suggested it 17 times :) but then I'm getting a little old in the tooth and I might have misremembered
The expression is "long in the tooth", so yes it seems like you are misremebering...Quote:
Originally Posted by sbgawa
If I only had a tooth left to be long in.
And what makes it so far fetched? We did draw with you while missing 3 of the best players in the league which suggests there's nothing between the teams so if you consider yourselves to be title condenders that puts us right up there also.Quote:
Originally Posted by Ezeikial
Nice to see you're maintaining your keen interest in us though
I think that Rovers are getting there next year will be the Brad lads 3rd in charge providing we progress to the level the club are happy with and hopefully with the vast majority of players we have now. I think this team may need another season.
Stephen BradleyQuote:
Originally Posted by RathfarnhamHoop
Relax a little.Quote:
Originally Posted by RathfarnhamHoop
Rovers played the top two in recent weeks and took 1 point from a possible 6. That's not league winning form
Lads you have to take EZ s obsession with rovers as a compliment ....the little folk are always interested in what the big boys are up too. :)
Rovers are a huge club, having a great season. They even have as many points as Limerick.
Tis just a blip on the radar EL P. Don't u go getting all bitter and twisted as well. You should def be enjoying things at the moment.
I'm in great form, don't see why you would think otherwise.Quote:
Originally Posted by sbgawa
Good to hear. It's important to enjoy the good times.
And drawing with Bray at home is?Quote:
Originally Posted by Ezeikial
Ye gotta luv the Shamrock fans default response. Clubs are either obsessed, jealous or bitter. Or a combination of all three. :p
Normally I don't think that but this Ezeikial lad is 100% obsessed, posts more about Rovers than Dundalk on here I'd sayQuote:
Originally Posted by redobit
Certainly not, that draw and the one against Rovers is not title winning form.Quote:
Originally Posted by RathfarnhamHoop
Do you see the irony of you posing questions to me and then whinging when I give you the courtesy of a response?Quote:
Originally Posted by RathfarnhamHoop
Completely true. The rumour is bradser stole his girlfriend :) gotta be an explanation.Quote:
Originally Posted by RathfarnhamHoop
So nobody's winning the title then...Quote:
Originally Posted by Ezeikial
The questions were rhetorical, no winging here(i find your obsession with everything Rovers, especially Bradley, quite amusing actually) , you actually brought up Rovers before I asked any questions(as per usual), nope can't see any irony there.
I don't think it's fair for you to take Bradser's personal life into it - he just doesn't seem to be a lothario type. Based on one of his many infamous quotes, he might have enough problems in that department alreadyQuote:
Originally Posted by sbgawa
Quote:
'My wife won't be happy but I'll go over the game tonight till all hours'
http://www.the42.ie/dundalk-shamrock...69508-Feb2018/
The fact you actually remembered that/had it saved/looked it up is fairly pathetic.Quote:
Originally Posted by Ezeikial
Quote:
Originally Posted by RathfarnhamHoop
I suspect that same two teams who have battled for the title in 2017, 2016, 2015, and 2014 will do so again
Despite having some quality players, there is no indication of Rovers being able to seriously challenge - 1 point from 6 available in those recent games supports this
If you re-read the thread you may see that I replied to a comment that sbgawa made comparing Rovers with Cork & Dundalk (post #124 / #125) - I did not actually bring up Rovers at all!Quote:
Originally Posted by RathfarnhamHoop
If you ask a question (rhetorical or otherwise) or post a comment, please don't be surprised if someone responds (especially the person you aimed it at). If you just want to applaud each other and pay homage to Bradser (should it have a capital or lowercase B ?) the Hoops forum is probably the safest bet.
I have this bookmarked - it makes for hours of fascinating entertainmentQuote:
Originally Posted by RathfarnhamHoop
http://lmgtfy.com/?q=Farcial+Bradser+quotes
Ah EZ come on if anyone including me throws out a reference to Rovers your in like Flynn, it used to bother me but now I just expect it.
You do seem strangely interested in Bradser , I'd say in his second full season as a manager he is putting a decent stamp on the team and what the non Rovers fans don't see is the work he does in the Academy with the kids and that is where the long term future of the club is.
Even St Stephen Kenny took a few years to win a trophy.
You could be right it could be the same two teams again but having seen Cork and Dundalk I think Cork look the stronger team having said that its only one match each.
sgbawa is constantly trying to shut down any discussion on here regarding his beloved Rovers and Bradley. If you mention either you are obsessed. Its tiresome. Its a discussion forum, people come here to discuss LOI topics other than just those about thier own clubs.
Tiresome is the lack of actual debate rather than just negative abuse, I enjoy discussion, hence my comments above about short time in the job and the work he does around the club to try to explain to non rovers fans why he gets the support he does. He's also on a budget that is less than either Cork or Dundalk..
I'd actually love a constructive debate , above I said I thought Cork looked the stronger of last years top two, what was your opinion of Rovers on Monday compared to our last trip to Cork?
I thought Sadlier was the best player for you guys on the pitch by a mile, what did you think of Kavanagh or Car?
Thought you were very poor. Said as much earlier in the thread. i think Bradley is holding back an otherwise talented squad.
I thought we were the better team in the first half and looked the likelier to score (the Irish Times agreed with me so its not just my blinkers :) ) , you guys were far better in the second half and gave us a lot more trouble than Dundalk hence my thinking that you are looking stronger of last years top two.
I don't agree with you on Bradser holding us back but I've seen all of our matches and our performance in Cork particularly in second half was weak compared to other games.
Not sure I could agree with calling us very poor, we lost 1 nil away from home to the Champions to a penalty compared to a 4-1 loss last year but that's my perspective.
We were the better team up to the peno, which came from corks second attack of the night. Cork started the second half better and got a chance or two from us being sloppy at the back. Not many chances for either team in the game.All the teams at the top will drop a good few points this year.
I would argue it was poor finishing on our part that kept it to 1-0. 3 or 4-0 could have easily happened on another night.
McNamee and Sadlier had very good games and created loads for our attackers.
Cummins didn't get much shrift from the ref either as he had centre halves hanging off him all night but we still did enough to win.
As for Bradley, I don't think hes a very good manager. Hes lost 20 of 55 league games since taking over from Fenlon. Caulfield has lost 20 of 137 games. We lost just 5 games in his first season and have never lost more than 5 in a season under him. When he took us over we had just finished 6th for the second straight season and were going nowhere. I don't think hes taken you forward which I think we have seen from Caufield and Kenny and even Shields at Derry under difficult circumstances.
Since 2014 these are Rovers points tallies. 62,58,62,54. The gap to the league winners in that same span is 12, 20, 15, 22. You were 15 off Dundalk last year. You aren't getting closer to the top two despite Bradleys comments that he thinks you are. Maybe this year is different, the table is still forming but as has been pointed out you are level on points with Limerick, and have taken just 1 point from your two games with the top two teams.
But e keep hearing about this youth project in Tallaght, its ok for Rovers to fall short while they develop players. Admirable I guess. Lets look at Mondays teams:
McNulty 37 McCarthy 19 Barry 25 McLoughlin 21 Griffin 23 McCormack 27 Morrissey 26 Sadlier 23 McNamee 26 Sheppard 27 Cummins 30
Horgan 21 O'Brien 32 Grace 25 Gilchrist 23 Byrne 24 Bone 19 Miele 23 Finn 30 Burke 24 Kavanagh 24 Carr 24
Both field the same amount of teenagers. Cork Citys Average Age is 25.8. Shamrock Rovers is 24.45. We have the edge in experience but take Nults out and our average falls to just 24.7. Who are these players ye are developing? Kevin Horgan certainly isn't one of them. We both have four players under 24 Perhaps thats an arbitrary point, and you have a lot of 24 year olds who in a year or two will be the core of a good side potentially, but by the time that happens Dundlk and Cork City will have continued to replenish our squads from youth/externally. Regardless I don't see this as a UCD level of development which is what the media wants us to believe. Maybe its all about Aaron Bolger? Hes played 26 minutes this season in a 6-0 win over Bray so hes not exactly holding the team back with his development.
Caulfield has undoubtedly developed Sean Maguire, Kevin O'Connor and Brian Lenihan, takingthree unheralded players and turning them into some of the best players in the league. Maguire may have been a star at Waterford but that was a long time previous and many had given up on him. You could also argue he turned Gearoid Morrissey into one of the best players in the league. Twice. Has made Karl Sheppard the most effective wide player in the league. Took a clumsy Mark McNulty and turned him into arguably the best keeper in the league (though we credit Biscuits for that).
Kenny has taken a series of underrated/unheraled players and turned them into the best players in the country.
So Bradley isn't improving Rovers in the league, or against the best teams, or even winning cups and so far we haven't really seen him take a player and improve them (Miele was massively rated a couple of years ago and now everyone has sort of forgotten about him) so what exactly is it that makes Rovers fans think hes doing a good job?
I don't understand what Bradleys success are and I don't understand how Bradley isn't under pressure to deliver more given the fact that the top clubs most likely have relatively comparable resources available, perhaps with Dundalk having the edge through Europe/Investment but I hope he remains in charge for a long time.
We had at least 3 absolutely clear cut chances that were disappointing not to be scored, from Cummins and McNamee. Few half chances outside that.Quote:
Originally Posted by Asterix
I was surprised at how little rovers offered in attack against a very inexperienced back line. I was convinced yed score a few but the likes of Burke Miele and Carr offered very little.
I expected rovers to be stronger than they were, but I do think ye're a stronger team than last year overall. Our finishing was disappointing, but after a nervy first half hour it was a good performance.
We are def stronger but didn't produce enough on Monday, that being said kavanagh was unlucky not to score and Luke hit the bar amongst other chances. Asterix is right points will be dropped this year by all to a greater extent than last year.
It’s very welcome if you are willing to move with a discussion away from accusations of obsession, bitterness, jealousy and other barbsQuote:
Originally Posted by sbgawa
On the Stephen Bradley subject, the truth is that it is hard to ignore him as a fascinating League of Ireland personality. He is the manager of the largest League of Ireland club in Dublin, and consequently is guaranteed a captive audience from the Dublin-centric sports journos. But he just can't help himself with some of his bizarre comments - he is like a moth to a flame in terms of what he has to say and leaves himself open to ridicule. Many Rovers fans I have spoken to would prefer if he could learn to be more measured in what he says. If he is learning in this regard, it seems to be very slowly.
My personal belief is that he is tactically naïve and is directly responsible for much of the indiscipline that has attracted so many red cards last season.
While you mention the Academy and imply that this is critical to the future well-being of the club – the reality is that there is no guarantee of success or a return on investment here. Irrespective of that, winning an under 13 cup or under 15 league will be of little use to Bradley’s long-term job security, unless he makes it happen at senior level.
In 2015 Rovers finished with 65 points and 12 points off the league winners – In 2016 Bradley led Rovers to 55 points and a whopping 22 points off the top. If 2017 was his first full season, Bradley failed to narrow the gap to the top and actually gathered less points than in either of the previous season.
Any comparison with Stephen Kenny is way off the mark – he took Dundalk to 2nd place in his first season on a shoestring budget and then won the first of 3 in a row in his second season. John Caulfield is another interesting contrast – where he took Cork from nowhere to league challengers before capturing the cup and then league & cup.
With the talent available in the squad, Rovers should be serious challengers for the title this season. In my opinion Stephen Bradley is the main reason why this challenge is unlikely to transpire