Smith has Bohs written all over him.
If he's to stay in Ireland anyway.
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Smith has Bohs written all over him.
If he's to stay in Ireland anyway.
Was actually thinking similar myself. The league definitely seems to have gotten stronger overall, so an increase in teams might be a good thing. Only downside I can see with a 12 team league is the lop sided number of of games. Playing each other 3 times is not satisfactory at all, and 44 games (4 times each) just seems too many.Quote:
Originally Posted by Kiki Balboa
Well, there's the 8-team First Division as well.Quote:
Originally Posted by TonyD
Would the majority of Premier Division clubs want an expansion to 12? More teams to divide out the UEFA solidarity payments.
Looking at Galway last year. Cork this year narrowly losing out to Derry. It's not beyond a top First Division club to win the FAI Cup, especially if they have a gap and aren't looking over their shoulder.
It adds a bit more variety imo. It gets a bit monotonous playing teams four times a year. It could be argued that the ten team division brings more big games and crowds. Either way id imagine money talks and the ten team format is going nowhere anytime soon.Quote:
Originally Posted by legendz
I’d imagine this season has cemented the 10 team league for the foreseeable future,I also think the way the European money is being distributed will only widen the gap in the 2 leagues unless a club in the First Division can get some serious investment……Quote:
Originally Posted by legendz
I’ll take him.Quote:
Originally Posted by Jack B
I fully expect Drogs to beat Bray tomorrow, but if the unlikely happens and it has a few seasons but not often, I wonder would that thought be revised?Quote:
Originally Posted by Kiki Balboa
Either way if Drogs win, this is going to be some fun next year as one club obv has to finish 10th, and its going to be one hell of a season to avoid it for any club that starts off bad or has a mid season wobble.
The bar has been raised and with few weak clubs now lurking about in the PD, its survival of the fittest more than ever.
A 12 club PD may work but that's back to the b/s 33 games, and you can have bad luck with likes of Shels / Rovers / Pats away twice with only one home game in return in any season, and you may not auto get it switched the following season, then what happens relegation, is it still 1 down, 1 play off, and finally will need two more clubs for the FD to make it up to 22.
Not sure that will work, plus if a club in say 8th or 9th is safe by Sept, are they really going to extend themselves to make that much of an effort v dog eat dog currently, when almost every game in a 10 club div counts.
My own preference would be a 16 club PD, 30 decent games, the classic home and away twice, then extend or re-launch actually the League Cup to make up for missing weekends, but again its the FD that needs tweaking, then we need at least 6 more clubs to take it to 26 teams, would that work? Not sure.
I got the impression that he's the profile that they were looking to move away from. He would fill a positional need though.Quote:
Originally Posted by Jack B
Agree with you there. I think Nolan from Pats would make a bit more sense as a signing. That general area of the pitch though is a massive need for BohsQuote:
Originally Posted by cláirseach
Matty is hard working technically decent but he suffers from inconsistency and a lack of end of product in the final third, I thought he would have got another season at Shels looks like those 2 goals he scored late in the season came too late I don't think that red card against Pats would have helped him either. I could see any of Bohs, Sligo, Waterford, Galway, Cork looking at signing him if he stays in LOI
Griffin is the one we have released I would miss the most, he has been quietly an assured dependable centre-back for Shels but with hitting 30 with durability question marks as he picks up injuries if he had an offer to go back to Cork it would be inevitable he would move on
Was putting two and two together and maybe getting five with Smith and Bohs, just feel like it's one that makes sense given Reynolds has worked with him at two different clubs already (I think) and they could do with a player like him anyway.
Alex Nolan has had a couple of bright spots with Pats but they've mostly been isolated moments in a great cameo in the cup final and a couple of big goals off the bench this season. Could be wrong but I've not seen enough from him yet that makes me think he could go to a Shels, Bohs etc as he's been linked to and make much more of a difference than he has for us.
Glenavon appointed Paddy McLaughlin as manager this evening,thought he might have been in with a shout of the Derry job but not this time…
Cobh Ramblers FC have announced the release of head coach Gary Hunt over the weekend.
Was this an expected move? Is he in frame for the Derry role? Will Derry or Cobh be a more enticing job for a head coach?Quote:
Originally Posted by nr637
Looks like it could be Tiernan Lynch (Larne FC)?Quote:
Originally Posted by joey B
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football...s/c9qld0jr1r9o
Yeah the Derry Journal have Sean Barrett narrowing it down to two - both of whom are currently in jobs (one being Lynch).
Thanks for that tip:Quote:
Originally Posted by cláirseach
https://www.derryjournal.com/sport/f...reland-4871998
From the way TL is talking, it's looking like the job's his for the asking, though maybe just maybe he's dangling this bait in the hope of squeezing more money out of Kenny Bruce to stay at Larne? I know KB can't compete with Derry's owner financially, but Lynch is in a good spot with Larne, even if results this season have been poor.
If so, Derry would be wise in keeping the other candidate in reserve should they not get him - wonder who it might be?
P.S. Interesting mention of Ian Baraclough - he could do a good job for some other LOI club, or maybe even replace TL at Larne: his record at Sligo was v.good, he did ok with NI's U-21's and even if the Senior job didn't work out, the timing was at least as much to blame as the appointee (imo). While in his most recent job as Asst.Mgr to Darrell Clarke at Cheltenham, they damned nearly pulled off the Great Escape after things had seemed entirely hopeless. Good bloke personally, too.
Done deal apparentlyQuote:
Originally Posted by EalingGreen
The allure of LoI over IL remains, from Champions and Europe to also rans and no Europe. Just in case there is a missed opportunity to set EalingGreen and Eatyourgreens off!!
I hear it was the lure of our lack of a football pyramid that prompted the move ;)Quote:
Originally Posted by Nesta99
Probably as good an upgrade on Higgins as could be expected. Won things with a wealthy backer behind him so dealing with those expectations should be ok for him. As with any manager from outside the league there may be some teething pains but Derry have shown with Higgins that they can be patient. Big concern now is the squad, do Derry have someone in recruitment outside of the manager who could be identifying potential targets to bring in because there have already been a number of players leaving.Quote:
Originally Posted by EalingGreen
Interesting managerial appointment by Derry. Rovers, Pat's and Derry have managers who have managed in the group stages of European competition.
Rovers being linked with a move for Ed McGinty. Could be a particularly rough start to the off-season for Sligo.
Also talk of Conor Keeley moving back to Drogs, which would probably be best for all involved.
Every Dan McDonnell article is a dagger to the heart these days
Why settle for a pyramid, when you can have a castle built on sand? :DQuote:
Originally Posted by 2 Year Contract
Agreed. He’s a good backs to the wall defender for games like Galway away in the first game of the season where he headed about 500 crosses out of the box. He’s not good enough on the ball though to play for a team that dominates possession and is on the attack more often than notQuote:
Originally Posted by Jack B
He is too slow imo , he would definitely be capable of doing a solid job for a team playing a more defensive brand of football.Quote:
Originally Posted by 2 Year Contract
There’s a first division ?:pQuote:
Originally Posted by pineapple stu
In the local Dundalk paper today plenty of Prem Division interest in Jamie Gullan
If anyone knows anyone in the clubs who want him, get them to PM me as il personally drive him to wherever he is wanted
It will be interesting to see how T Lynch gets on at Derry. It appears to be a bigger challenge than what he faced at Larne, but as he said himself the potential is much greater.
Looking at the make-up of the squads of clubs, there seems to be a need for an u-21 league/reserve as there is very few players making it through the famous Fai pathway (at their original clubs anyway).
Agreed re: Keeley above. He's a massive physical presence and a good pure defender but too lacking in other areas to suit most sides in the league given the style of play most have. Had one or two colossal performances but spent much of his time on the pitch this season playing hospital passes to Anto Breslin and making us easier to defend against. He barely got any minutes in the second half of the season so the writing would seem to be on the wall that he'll be off, I think he'll be great again for Drogs - probably would be for Galway too thinking about it - but won't end up being much of a loss for us.
They are just a few letters off being the same person.Quote:
Originally Posted by Nesta99
You're asking tongue in cheek but possibly a fair question when it comes to exposure.Quote:
Originally Posted by TonyD
There hasn't been a title race for a few years. The playoff structure is debatable when it comes to reward and jeopardy. First Division clubs seem happy enough with the lifeline the playoffs are giving.
Some man for the free kicks, has to go down as the first ever main striker for DFC not to score a single goal at home - all season. Then again there was a lot more unwanted stats last season, 3 managers, 4 GK's and 3 of them were terrible, (Munro did improve to be fair) one effectively sacked, but appointing Noel King has to be up there with the worst ever piece of business by the club.Quote:
Originally Posted by dundalkfc10
Colin Healy's named is on the manager merry go round list for the Cobh Ramblers position! ?
I'm pretty sure they tried before and he said no.Quote:
Originally Posted by nr637
I couldn't see it happening as I don't think he could do that and coach the Irish WNT at the same time, and he seems to be a better coach than manager too.
Cobh have yet to replace Henderson in truth.
Danny Grant rumoured to Shelbourne
Him and Towell.Quote:
Originally Posted by joey B
The two could well end up continuing Duff’s trend of signing underperforming/unwanted players and improving them but having just won the league you’d have thought they would be going after better players
Danny certainly underperformed when he returned to Bohs but he wasn't shy of hard work and knows the league well. He could suit Shels style of play really well but I wouldn't count on him to increase their goal tally from last yearQuote:
Originally Posted by joey B