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So back to pre season in just over a week and so far the squad is:
Conor O Donnell
Ali Abass
Robbie Williams
Tony Whitehead
Abdel Boumaira
Sean Russell
Shane Duggan
Darragh Rainsford
Prince Agyemang
Paul O Conor
Dean Clarke
With 9 days to go til they have to be back and not much quality left in this country we really need to pull something out if we are to be any better than last season.
Happy Christmas to you all lads. :snowman:Quote:
Originally Posted by bluewhitearmy
This last season actually broke me (and a lot of others that I've been going to games with for years) and to say I'm hesitant about this year would be an understatement. Out of the many many years I've been going to games, there was one point this season in Thomond Park where I just looked around and thought, I can't justify paying money to come in to this! There is so much uncertainty about the new ground, the squad and such little buzz about the place that I really couldn't blame a lot of people staying away until they see something to be excited about. The above squad is not it!
Have heard we are talking to a few from last years squad (Oji, Hughes, Tracy ...etc.) and that Patterson is/ was miles away in terms of agreeing money because of how much he'd want for moving down (and the difference in Sterling and Euro currency too)
All in all, I'm hopeful a few deals will be pushed through in the next week, because even trying to attract other players using the current squad is difficult to say the least! We need one marquee signing to start pulling others back in, and Oji would be top of my wishlist too. Here's to renewed optimism and a relatively successful 2015
If we play with the two keepers and a bank of six with Tony and Robbie sitting behind them we might pick up some tough points. :good:Quote:
Originally Posted by bluewhitearmy
Theres a few of the above wouldnt be good enough for junior soccer?darragh rainsford and tony whitehead are two that have been given a chance and havent proved up too much.they are young but not great.russell and clarke could be two more.nobody has approached jason hughes since the season ended but i wouldnt rate him.heard that from an experienced football man in limerick today.god only knows what kind of team will be there by march.
Any news on Nzuzi and Shane O'Connor?
Our club policy of waiting til after christmas s to try and sign players have left us in a position where if we don't pull off something massive like the Patterson thing then there is barely any quality out there. And this was the plan Russell was only given his budget a week or two ago and has talked to journalists about waiting til nearer the season to get people cheaper, all well and good if people weren't signing all the quality in the country as they were. Same old excuses always from people that support this type of nonsense then I got the usual "its only December" recently at that stage I think it was 3 weeks til pre season and we had 5 players signed. It was only December for the likes of Sligo,Longford and Bohs too and they had huge chunks of their squads finished.
I'm not completely giving up hope but if they don't pull off the something big we need to have a squad with any hope of improving on last season then I hope Pat O Sullivan keeps his mouth shut about support or a lack of cos like last season if its the same this one on the pitch there will be no-one to blame but him and the people he has in charge of the club. How can people be in any way excited how can we attract new fans the way things are just over a week to pre season we have I think its 10 players signed some of whom should be nowhere near a LOI premier team and we have no ground the place we are supposed to be moving to that needs to be ready by the end of February hasn't even been started yet going into January.
Last season was our best in over 20 years, I have confidence they will be competitive again and not worrying about the announced squad list at this stage.
Confidence based on what?Quote:
Originally Posted by fieldofmarkets
I'm not saying you are wrong and they wont have a decent team like I said I haven't given up all hope yet but unless you work for the club or know someone that does and know exactly what is going on then I'd love to know what you are basing this confidence on cos there has been nothing at all to be excited or confident about yet.
Last season was poison you can dress it up anyway you want about our best position in 20 years for 2/3s of the season the football was a disgrace and hardly anyone saw the results or cared about where we finished by the time we finished where we did cos the season was over by then. The crowds near the end of the season tell you all you need to know about how much of a success the season that brought us our best finish in 20 years was.
Even if we keep Sam Oji which I believe we will at this stage what is there in this country left to put around him unless we do pull off something like a Patterson?
Say we keep whats left of last years squad this is what we would have:
Conor O Donnell
Ali Abass
Shane O Connor*
Robbie Williams
Sam Oji*
Mick Leahy*
Tony Whitehead
Patrick Nzuzi*
Abdel Boumaira
Sean Russell
Shane Duggan
Darragh Rainsford
Prince Agyemang
Paul O Conor
Jason Hughes*
Shane Tracy*
Ian Turner*
Dean Clarke
Thats what we would have then we would still need to replace Gaffney,Lee J and Folan. We would still need more in every part of the pitch except in goals cos we will probably just go with those 2 we would still need a massive injection of quality to be the same standard of last season let alone better. And that is if we keep them Shane O Connor has been off on trials I have no idea how they went Nzuzi turned down what he was offered and heard nothing since Ian Turner played for the PFAI team today Jason Hughes turned down what he was offered and is still in talks and up to a week before Christmas Shane Tracy hadn't heard a thing from the club. Pat can talk about a pathway for the youth all he wants but if that pathway is for people the standard of Darragh Rainsford we are in big trouble we have no young lads good enough at the club.
When Rovers sign Ched Evans we'll probably be able to unload Danny North to you, problem solved.
Ye should just concentrate on Ched and let Patterson come this way.Quote:
Originally Posted by Charlie Darwin
Fair enough comment BWA, based on the published list i could get all kinds of relegation worries, but i am just thinking we didn't look great either of the last 2 Christmases but still finished 7th and 6th, so l am giving the guys running the show the benefit at this stage. I am not involved or have any inside knowledge.
Not having a go at you for being positive I wish I could be was just wondering where it came from.Quote:
Originally Posted by fieldofmarkets
We were in the same position last 2 seasons but season before last it was ok cos Taylor wasn't bringing anyone in from the league anyway and last season we were in this position and we were absolutely terrible up until summer window and even then I think we finished in a false position at 6th.. Hopefully you are the one proven right.
That squad would need serious improvements. That's a 11/10/9th level team right now.
Alan McNally has announced he is leaving Drogs would be a very good partner for Sam.
And he played under Russell at UCDD.
Far too obvious and sensible a signing to actually happen is it?!
I await the arrival of Ken Oman.Quote:
Originally Posted by Lim till i die
Oman might be old and slow but he's still a multiple-title winning defender. I wouldn't sneer at him.
And Djimi Traore is a champions league winner. Plenty of crap players have won things Oman was decent before but has been poor a while now.Quote:
Originally Posted by Charlie Darwin
He was better than decent, he was one of the best in the league for years. He's slipped now and has injury problems but Liam Buckley's not a mug.
He isn't and he is getting rid of Oman after one season it seems.Quote:
Originally Posted by Charlie Darwin
Are you going to turn down every player who wasn't offered a contract by his previous club? Oman might end up sticking around there if Hoare goes.
You seemed to be making a point that Buckley signing him was a sign of him being good I simply pointed out that he failed at Pats and now they want rid of him. If they keep him it will be a last resort I'd imagine they have already they have Hoare ahead of him they tried to sign Folan they are trying to sign McEleney.Quote:
Originally Posted by Charlie Darwin
Oman is fine for a team whos aim is to just stay up or finish mid table, while that is where we will end up our aim according to the club is to push on from finishing 6th last season and I don't think Oman is a signing for a top 4 or 5 team at the minute. I'd take Derek Foran ahead of Oman no problem and he isn't wanted by his previous club either.
Fair enough, I think you're being a bit too selective considering most of the league is already signed up though.
Which is why I am gonna be unhappy with most of our signings from now til start of the season I reckon and once again our clubs genius plan of doing nothing really til after christmas is gonna cost us.Quote:
Originally Posted by Charlie Darwin
Despite the fact that he's slow and fairly well past it, it's not even Ken Omans' fault that most Limerick fans would be wary of Ken Oman.
25 league appearances in the last two seasons??
You can be guaranteed the second he penned a contract with Limerick his knees would fall off.
See also: Dominic Foley, Mick Leahy, Joey Ndo and a few too many more whos names escape
Should be great sport at pre season training on the 7th with not even half a squad put together.
Shane O Connor can be added to the outs list. Signed for Cobh.
Let's hope it's for personal rather than footballing reasons...Quote:
Originally Posted by Jofspring
I know it's off thread but I see that Stephen O'Flynn is playing up north for Crusaders. How many clubs has he played for since he retired?
Lost one of our best players from end of last season to the team that finished bottom of the first division. Anyone still confident?
And before anything comes out saying he wanted to stay close to home its bull he was on trial in England and Scotland recently and was happy to go there. There is no excusing losing a player to Cobh.
Honestly I must seem so negative but anyone at all tell me what there is to be positive about at the club at the minute?
Craig Curran signed for Ross County in the SPL and has scored today on his debut.
Institute, and now Crusaders. Was playing for Harps in friendly competitions with a view to signing for the first team, only for the deal to fall through because of his retirement. Can't play in Republic anymore but can play as an amateur in the North.Quote:
Originally Posted by donnrua
I'd drive up and collect him tomorrow if we could have him back.
Rumour has it that Shane Duggan has now asked to be allowed leave.
Wouldn't be at all surprised.Quote:
Originally Posted by bluewhitearmy
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jofspring
Wouldn't blame him in the slightest has been filled with lies since before he got here.
Jaysus if thats true about shane duggan?you can say good luck to any kind of a good season.nobody seems to know whats going on at the minute.all a bit of a shambolic start to pre-season.
if this is true, can only think of Shane returning to Cork, With Morrissey having gone to Cambridge.
Talk is Cork and Galway interested. Is all just rumour at the minute and we would have to allow him to leave but not great if it is true having a captain that doesn't even want to be at at the club.