Weekend Feb 16th/17th Feb

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Originally Posted by Knocklyonhoop

Ref wasn’t an issue tonight. Rovers were poor going forward. A bit better when Watts came on but didn’t create over the 90 to deserve the win. Don’t care who was out, that match day squad should be good enough to beat that Dundalk squad, but on the night, they weren’t.. still, day 1 and will get better.

thought Dundalk were well enough organised sitting back and will feel it was a comfortable point. Presume they’ll get better as players get to know each other / the system but can’t see them finishing close to European spot based on tonight. Accept its day 1 only!

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Thank you! Obviously not all Rovers fans on Foot.ie are paranoid with a victim complex thrown in. Refereeing can be bad enough without seeing something that wasnt there!

Was good to hear that Farrugia did just suffer a shoulder dislocation and it was popped back in within 90mins of the injury - outside that timeframe you could have been looking at surgery to get it back (swelling and blood pooling in the joint socket and its too damn painful, if possible to even pop back, 3 weeks mn out then), if there is no tendon more than ligament tears then he could be back in contact training by the end of the week. Collarbone would have been 4 weeks give or take.

Having not seen the Derry v Drogheda game, if Derry were bailed out a bit by the Hoban goal, well its a bit like last season for the Drogs. They left a lot of points behind last season where they deserved more, this season they need to make good opportunities count. Maybe as p/t they run out of steam in the last 10 or 15 minutes but really S+C is something that even p/t squads can have top notch if the squad buys in and individuals do what they are prescribed. The early Dundalk squads under Kenny were p/t and they kicked off the pro attitude to s+c so can be done. Its one area of GAA that deserves due respect, even at club levels.

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Originally Posted by Dermobohs

Wouldn’t be so quick to judge lander John, was playing on his wrong side I think. Anyway the passing from our whole team was awful not helped but not excused by that muckheap!
Clarke was trying and busy but guilty of giving it away as much as anyone, had a poor first half but finished strong. Was impressed by McManus and Flores gave his usual 100%.
A bad night but relieved to scrape a point.
Connolly HAS to start ahead of Grant who has done zilch since rejoining, should be nowhere near the team.
Devine out.

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The entire Bohs team seemed completely disjointed - further compounded by the early injury to Cornwall. Bohs don't seem to have any leaders on the field - which is a surprise given that a lot of the team are in their late 20s and should be able to impose themselves on the game. Sligo took advantage down the wings with Power and Hartmann. I think Reinkort can be good - but, despite his size, he is not the type of player you bang high balls into - he needs the ball played into his feet so he can hold off the defender and lay it off. Bohs didn't do that after the first five minutes. Grant and Rooney both looked out of sorts and you have to think that Connolly, McManus and Miller have to be considered next weekend. I think its common knowledge that Bohs need at least two more defenders (LiLander did look particularly poor - but its his first game in a new country and the guy does have 15 international caps - so maybe he needs a bit of time). Denham did look good for Sligo and Bohs could do with a similar type of player given how bad things were and what looked like a bad injury to Cornwall. The ref was also *****.

And you have to think that Devine must be on a short leash.

How was Malley's performance? Tracking runners from midfield or caught offside while walking back onside - which version turns up could be key to Sligo's weekly result.

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Originally Posted by Nesta99

Thank you! Obviously not all Rovers fans on Foot.ie are paranoid with a victim complex thrown in. Refereeing can be bad enough without seeing something that wasnt there!

Was good to hear that Farrugia did just suffer a shoulder dislocation and it was popped back in within 90mins of the injury - outside that timeframe you could have been looking at surgery to get it back (swelling and blood pooling in the joint socket and its too damn painful, if possible to even pop back, 3 weeks mn out then), if there is no tendon more than ligament tears then he could be back in contact training by the end of the week. Collarbone would have been 4 weeks give or take.

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Ah the ref was poor but no worse than usual. Just should have been carding Dundalk earlier. He improved as the game went on to be fair. Very one sided in the first half. Allen Lynch, the lino, was awful all night. Same as he was last season. Shouldn't do Rovers games.

But I was impressed by Dundalk given how new the squad is. Really well organized and dangerous when you decided to play a bit. Should have scored on the break. You were as negative as can be but that's to be expected. We should still have enough to break through but we didn't.

Farrugia and Clarke gone in one night. Probably as bad a night at the office as it could have been. Puts to bed any claims that the league is already over anyway. We are very limited without those two. Not having Clarke, Byrne, McEneff, Pico, Grace and Towell ready to start the season will hurt us early doors.

At least Farrugia should be back for Europe. I'd almost put Clarke on ice until then as well.

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Originally Posted by ontheotherhand

Ah the ref was poor but no worse than usual. Just should have been carding Dundalk earlier. He improved as the game went on to be fair. Very one sided in the first half. Allen Lynch, the lino, was awful all night. Same as he was last season. Shouldn't do Rovers games.

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Swings and roundabouts innit.

Yep, bout what expect from ref, could have been dishing out cards to both teams earlier. But Dundalk first two were soft.

I'm not sure the tackle on farrugia is even a free. If it's worthy of a yellow then rovers should probably be grateful they finished with 11 men.

Less said about him trying to get the pen the better ?

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Originally Posted by A N Mouse

Swings and roundabouts innit.

Yep, bout what expect from ref, could have been dishing out cards to both teams earlier. But Dundalk first two were soft.

I'm not sure the tackle on farrugia is even a free. If it's worthy of a yellow then rovers should probably be grateful they finished with 11 men.

Less said about him trying to get the pen the better ?

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Alright geeza. Less said about your "minority" jeering him in the stretcher the better?

Bradshaw pulled him back before the tackle. Soft maybe but it's a yellow. Good tackle after that to be fair but the hand goes up first. Lino was paying better attention than the ref thankfully.

Pleasantly surprised with that result and more so the performance last night by Dundalk. We were def the better side in the first half, second half totally different story, but did hit the post in one of the best moves in the game.

Thought draw was a fair outcome, some big performances with our new and older lads, Scott High on loan from Huddersfield was excellent in MF, Bradshaw another loanee from Lincoln was a bit too physical and was getting a yellow card all night long but he well on his debut also. From the old guard thought Benson was decent and Horgan looked a real live wire.

Rovers as expected went for it but thought we coped fairly well, it was a hard earned point. If we can back this up with a win v Galway, the team might be tempted to aim a tiny bit higher than mid table, but its still a re-build job, one step at a time.

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Originally Posted by Dermobohs

Wouldn’t be so quick to judge lander John, was playing on his wrong side I think.

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He looked like he was playing on his backside, Dermo.
Agree about Connolly. Grant a shadow of his former self. If I hear another person say it is due to match fitness or coming in mid season…
I posted on here at the time, that I was very underwhelmed by the appointment of Devine but said I’d give him the benefit of the doubt. Well he has had that and way beyond. I just don’t think he is up to it tactically. The worry is the club will be painfully slow to do anything about it.

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Originally Posted by Nesta99

How was Malley's performance? Tracking runners from midfield or caught offside while walking back onside - which version turns up could be key to Sligo's weekly result.

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Did fine. Setup the first goal

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Originally Posted by oriel

Pleasantly surprised with that result and more so the performance last night by Dundalk. We were def the better side in the first half, second half totally different story, but did hit the post in one of the best moves in the game.

Thought draw was a fair outcome, some big performances with our new and older lads, Scott High on loan from Huddersfield was excellent in MF, Bradshaw another loanee from Lincoln was a bit too physical and was getting a yellow card all night long but he well on his debut also. From the old guard thought Benson was decent and Horgan looked a real live wire.

Rovers as expected went for it but thought we coped fairly well, it was a hard earned point. If we can back this up with a win v Galway, the team might be tempted to aim a tiny bit higher than mid table, but its still a re-build job, one step at a time.

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You were good in midfield first half alright. Took Noonan and Poom out of the game for most of it although Watts was a different story second half. Defensively thought you were good too. Gaffney kept very quiet which isn't easy.

Super crowd at the MF last night,super team performance,super goals,super entertainment,super mgt from the super Tommy Barrett............btw that was the poorest Cobh team i have ever seen.

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Originally Posted by ger121

The worry is the club will be painfully slow to do anything about it.

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It’s almost guaranteed. They’re all too busy being best mates with each other.

Anyone happen to be watching LoITV when they were broadcasting 'behind the scenes' when RTE was on an ad break. Quite funny and if there is any doubt about Farrugia injuring himself diving well Stuey and Alan are in no doubt!

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Originally Posted by ontheotherhand

Alright geeza. Less said about your "minority" jeering him in the stretcher the better?

Bradshaw pulled him back before the tackle. Soft maybe but it's a yellow. Good tackle after that to be fair but the hand goes up first. Lino was paying better attention than the ref thankfully.

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Not sure what you're on about 'my lot'?

But he's tried to buy the penalty and made an absolute c*#t of himself. Zero sympathy for him. Deserves all the abuse he gets, maybe not jeering him on way off, polite applause followed by w#@&@r gestures is the norm in this situation? No?

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Originally Posted by ontheotherhand

Ah the ref was poor but no worse than usual. Just should have been carding Dundalk earlier. He improved as the game went on to be fair. Very one sided in the first half. Allen Lynch, the lino, was awful all night. Same as he was last season. Shouldn't do Rovers games.

But I was impressed by Dundalk given how new the squad is. Really well organized and dangerous when you decided to play a bit. Should have scored on the break. You were as negative as can be but that's to be expected. We should still have enough to break through but we didn't.

Farrugia and Clarke gone in one night. Probably as bad a night at the office as it could have been. Puts to bed any claims that the league is already over anyway. We are very limited without those two. Not having Clarke, Byrne, McEneff, Pico, Grace and Towell ready to start the season will hurt us early doors.

At least Farrugia should be back for Europe. I'd almost put Clarke on ice until then as well.

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Well its is good to be back, its real now when Im going to totally disagree with yer first point oth. There was arguably one tackle that you could say could have been carded by Bradshaw I think right on halfway line, but he pulled out before any significant contact. A free, Rovers player squealed like a piglet and rolled around, BradserII was warned and it was the right thig to do from the ref. The card for the Farrugia incident was a slomo free, I wont argue it as you can see a hand over the shoulder in replays but at full pelt it was an amazing call by the ref or lino! The free was more likely given thinking the tackle got a piece of the player after the dive but just outside the box, card rightly given but for the wrong offence. It was physical at times but not dirty. Mayowa didnt deserve his eventual card, but did get away for clumsily rather than dangerously overreaching from behind the player, at pace it would have been considered going through the back of a player. I also thought one of the Rovers cards was soft but Calamity Cleary was made a mug of by O'Kane and timed any worse would have been through the player, dangerous and yellow was a fair call. I will admit that its not always easy to see the niggle off the ball when wathing on TV. Rovers fans do seem to be more incensed by refereeing than anyone else now, taking over from Cork fans. Officials are a lottery for any and every side and last nights game was a decent refereeing performance and if there are questions they could be valid for both sides. It is significant that neither manager went anywhere near the topic as it was a non issue on a well contested game.

Both sides were weakened for different reasons, Dundalk basically a new unit in a 1st game for some, Rovers missing squad members. As the season goes on Rovers will improve to a much greater extent if they have put 2023's mediocrity behind them. Dundalk should improve also and maybe in to a 4th place type sesson than 7th.

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Originally Posted by SkStu

It’s almost guaranteed. They’re all too busy being best mates with each other.

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That's a bit unfair, if that was the case Long would still be manager.

Don’t get me wrong - the club is being run very well but when it comes to the relationships between the management and playing staff and the club leadership, it just comes across to me as way too chummy where tough, professional decisions are harder because you’re friends with the people. It started with Long and I’m seeing it evolving very much along similar lines with Devine.

Looking forward to watching Longford vs Harps later. More teams should consider staggering there games over the weekend..

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Originally Posted by A N Mouse

Not sure what you're on about 'my lot'?

But he's tried to buy the penalty and made an absolute c*#t of himself. Zero sympathy for him. Deserves all the abuse he gets, maybe not jeering him on way off, polite applause followed by w#@&@r gestures is the norm in this situation? No?

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Deserves all the abuse but then "maybe not" all the abuse? Might want to practice that story in the mirror once or twice more lad.

@Nesta, I'll get back to you after a forensic analysis of loitv. Felt very one sided first half but that's from the stand. I might also never watch that game again though, it's pretty painful watching clips of Farrugia getting injured....don't be too disappointed if so. I'm sure we will have more to debate. Week one baby! We are live.