I'm returning to the Emerald Isle after three years (on and off) in England. So I haven't seen us this season outside of the first two games, which we were unlucky in. My question is are we good enough to go up this season?
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I'm returning to the Emerald Isle after three years (on and off) in England. So I haven't seen us this season outside of the first two games, which we were unlucky in. My question is are we good enough to go up this season?
Well, we've proven that we can beat everyone else in the division on our day, but with such a young, inexperienced squad, I think promotion this season might be a little too much to ask, but you never know.... ;)
Well if we go up it will be down to the lack of quality in the other teams squads. We badly need a central defender, a central midfielder and our goalkeeper, error prone as he is he aint going to be replaced. We had three passangers on the team last night against Waterford in the LC sad to say all of them are first teamers. One in particular who is on loan id **** back to where he came from quick and free up some transfer funds.
Jaysus Cassandra will you lighten up. Saying we might go up because the others are worse than us is the same as saying we will go up because we are better than the others. Splitting hairs.Quote:
Originally Posted by gael353
The question was are we good enough to go up. The answer is yes. We are better than most teams in this division. That doesn't mean we will go up - after all Liverpool are European Champions - some things just don't make sense.
I think we are in for a good old rattle for the rest of the season. :ball:
AS it stands, if Limerick were to go up, it would be in spite of him.Quote:
our goalkeeper, error prone as he is he aint going to be replaced
I think Mooney is a good keeper - he makes mistakes but he has won us points so far this season (such as against Dublin City at home). He needs to get better dealing with crosses but he is a fine shot stopper. IMO he is still being judged on the first games of the season (when he hadn't played in the pre-season games and so was rusty). In the last nine league games he has shipped only 6 goals and kept 3 clean sheets.Quote:
Originally Posted by Roadend
Limerick fans seem to be very stubborn on their opinions of players. If you have a bad couple of opening games then you can't shake first impressions. :ball:
His ability to deal with a cross under pressure is non-existant so far, again last night he was flapping at crosses and punched a ball out he should have easily caught. He has cost Limerick a few goals/games already this year. Maybe that's a bit over critical and he'll get better, but I must admit I'm far from comfortable when he's playing.
on the same subject...is promotion this season the best thing for the club at this stage? i havent made a game yet this season as i live in england but follow the clubs fortunes as closely as i can and before this season began i would have been happy with a midtable finish in the league and was happy for us to have a home ground to call ours again at last,and at this stage place just as much importance on the infrastructure of our club being gradually built up again after the shape our recent history left it in.
also,in 2 or 3 seasons time,would our returning fanbase become critical of a place in the midtable in the premier division,if success comes too quickly?
dont get me wrong.....im ambitious,i believe as strongly as anyone that limerick fc's rightfull place is in the premier,but i reckon steady,sustainable progress is more beneficial in the longer term.
I think getting promoted would definitely be the best thing for the club. More money, better players, better experiences for the players.
I know what you are saying but I think any club should strive to play at the highest level possible. I remember being very annoyed a couple of seasons ago when Tommy Lunch had a half decent size and said that he hoped Limerick weren't promotoed because we weren't ready. Yet the fans still had to shell out money to go to games. When I pay and invest emotionally ( :) ) I want the players to do their utmost.Quote:
Originally Posted by CraftyToePoke
If we went up we might come straight back down again but that's all part of the learning process. Sometimes you just have to get dropped in it and see what happens. The administration of the club seem to be solid enough so the threat of losing the head with finances etc if we went up would be low I think. I'd prefer to be a yo-yo promotion club than a mid-table team. :ball:
Is there any keeper that hasn't done the above? He has cost us a few goals/games though mostly at the start of the season like I said earlier. We'll just have to disagree on this one. :) Am I alone my views on every player! :) :)Quote:
Originally Posted by Roadend
Well I have been to all the home matches this season and no team has dominated us for 90mins, we have dropped points to Monaghan, Cobh and Dublin, the latter being hot favourite to go up, I didn't see anything in them that I don't see in our own side, we have been playing very well as of late, even in last nights match we got the equaliser right at the death, Waterford deserved their victory on the balance of play over the 120 mins but, we as they had a weakened squad due to the fixture pile up. I personally would sacrifice our cup games for a good run in the league.Also I am very pleased with how we are seeing out games, ie Monaghan away and Waterford at home.It shows our fitness cannot be questioned at least, and as John D said if you had to witness our form last season, then this season whatever happens in the coming months will be a success.While I would like for us to be promoted this season it wouldn't be the end of the world if we didn't.What I don't wan't is for us to be doing a UCD, Bray, and Harps system, yo-yoing up and down every season.Get everthing in place first, ie upgrade Hogan Park, our U21'S and youth set-up to blossom and increase our fan base, then and only then will we have a chance of consolodating a position in the Premier.After that well who knows................
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Originally Posted by LFC in Exile
your not alone and everyone is entitled to their opinion on players its a fact of supporting a team. But Noal Mooney had been responsible for upto 8 of the 14 league goals conceaded thus far. He looks like a keeper, looks better then many we see in the league but upstairs hes not all there and this is what lets him down.
I think you're being a bit harsh on Noel, trouble is with keepers is that when they make mistakes it usually means a goal conceded and thats what seperates his mistakes from other players in the squad.There have been many players who have under performed at times this season, O'Mahoney and Tobin (for their total lack of distribution) Finni (for his inability to talk to his players like a good captain should) Keirns and Nolan (for being headless,eg. picking the ball up in centre midfield and running to the corner flag, WHY???????) NOC because we are crying out for a midfield partner for Barrett, and we have one if only he would give him a chance, I speak of Keith Hartnett.Anyone who watched our team last season would have seen his ability, last night would have been the perfect opportunity to use him but for some reason he continues to be overlooked.I guess thats NOC for you, always keeps you guessing??????????. :confused:Quote:
Originally Posted by gael353
Promo toed...I like that. It sounds like an ailing strikers disease... :D :D :DQuote:
Originally Posted by LFC in Exile
i presume its the top 2 that go up and if limerick achiece that they will deserve promotion.what are the players and staff aiming for if it is not promotion the players i would assume would want to test them selfs against the best in irish soccer.the manager has experience of the el premier and europe as coach and would not want failure and might have the contacts to strengthen the team where he or we see necessary.i listen with hope every friday night to rtelw but after the other nights **** up it will be with some doudt so the sooner limerick are promoted the better because rte send a reporter to the premier games.
Not 100% sure but I think that only the winners go up automatically. Second team plays off with second last in Premier.Quote:
Originally Posted by SouthCroydon
Thats my understanding too. It would be better to have 4 teams in a play off - places 2 to 4 in the first and 11 in the premier. It would provide more interest in the first - particularly if one or two teams were to pull away from the others. But we mustn't expect sensible decisions, we'll only be disappointed. :)Quote:
Originally Posted by paudie
I haven't read this thread fully but gonna throw in my tupence here anyway ...
I would much prefer that Limerick devote alot of resource to getting things right off the pitch first and then work on coming up .... the reason i say this is so that if you do come up that you are up for the long haul .... Finn Harps are struggling this year .... i believe in a time they'll come good just as long as they dont leave it too late. Is the same problem there at Waterford ?? ... were things right off the pitch, enough to ensure they could weather some of the problems they are having ??
It would be great if the whole commercial side of the club was up and running and that everything was in place to ensure Limerick stay where they belong when they come up.
In a word... yes, I think we're definitely good enough to finish top two and have a crack at things. That said, in the last few years I don't think that any First Division side has successfully negotiated a playoff so I'd be a lot more comfortable with winning the division! :)
I'm with LFC In Exile on the whole go up now or build gradually thing too. Most of our key players seem to have been tied down to deals of more than just one season so wages shouldn't rise too much if we did go up.Everything else would be a bonus, more money, players would inevitably improve playing against a higher standard of opponent and the clubs profile would be increased both locally and nationally. I think the likes of Paddy Purcell would come back quickly enough then (if John D allowed it ;)). The likes of Drogheda certainly didn't suffer because of promotion and I see no reason to suggest that we'd do a Kilkenny or a Monaghan afterwards. I'd sooner spend one of the next three years in the Premier even if it is sandwiched between two in the First rather than three in the First (God knows we've been here long enough, longer than any other club in the league I believe actually...)and as LFC In Exile already pointed out the current admin. of the club don't seem like the type of guys who'd go out and bankrupt us in an attempt to compete.
Agree with your post SLK we would get better crowds and our higher profile woul help us secure better players.
However, with regard to Mr Purcell, as long as Danny is in charge there is NO chance of him ever putting on a Limerick Jersey again. Suffice to say that he blotted his copybook with regard to promises made pre season and then left us down big style. I could care less if he came back anyway I would rather have players who want to play for Limerick in my ream. :)
All the best
JohnD
For a club of Limerick's stature,there's only one place to be-the Premier League!It would not only benefit the team,fans & those connected to the club,but would reflect Limerick city & area in a better way,businesswise,etc!Besides,from a purely selfish point of view,it would give me more opportunities to cross the sea & take-in the away matches played against the Dublin clubs!Keep it going Blues!
I think promotion this season would be good for the club this season IF its possible to consolidate at prem level next year without overstretching financially,and many of you who are at games week in week out (which i am not) seem to think this is the case,which would be great news.
However,im unconvinced of the longterm good of a yo-yo situation as,it will alert bigger fish to our more talented players having seen them first hand and they may be tempted away if we go down.this leads to a need to constantly rebuild the side which takes even more time.
Also,theres the benefit of people having a winning habit built up over a longer period and potentially,if home form is maintained,a fortress of a home ground to launch from.
Anyway,here we are discussing the pros and cons of promotion for limerick f.c.......you'd have gotten decent odds on that 12 months ago.great stuff. :ball: :)
I have to agree with what John D is saying, I didn't like the way he reacted after his penalty on Mon. night, as far as I am aware he wasn't getting any stick prior to that, but putting his hands to his ears in the manner he did was uncalled for to say the least.I would much rather we went after Brian Buckley from Fairview............Quote:
Originally Posted by JohnD
buckley hasn't been approached i heard
Not this old chestnut again! :rolleyes:Quote:
Originally Posted by lim abroad
he did that?Quote:
Originally Posted by Westside
well the way johnd spoke about him i'm sure he shouted something at some point in the game?? - maybe purcell caught wind of that? maybe hes been slagged for not signing for us and its getting back to him?
:ball: The Pat Purcell debate is dead in the water. He hummed and hawed about signing at the start of the season, and while he never broke promises, he did string us along and lead people to believe that he wanted to come back. Either way, he re-signed for Waterford, and good luck to him. He's an outstanding footballer, and maybe felt himself to be still above first division standard, which he probably is to be fair.
The club was still up in a heap at the start of the season, and I'm sure now he has a sneaky regret or two up his sleeve.He did what he felt was right for him, and thats that. He should have handled it better, yes, but I don't think we should castigate him. He's one of our own, and gave great service to this club.
Football life is short enough. I don't believe in making enemies (unless you're from Cobh :D ). I'm sure we'll have the last laugh on this and that he'll ultimately regret not coming back, but it was his choice.And that should be respected.
so say he wants to come back next season? what happens then?
We sign him. He's one of the best centre halves in the premier division. Not signing him would be cutting of our nose to spite our face. He coul dhardly be blamed for not signing this season - he is a premier division player.Quote:
Originally Posted by declan hide
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Originally Posted by LFC in Exile
Can't argue with that logic. Looks like it'll be a one-man protest JohnD! ;)
quite true. i was talking to him the other day and he said the only one who contacted him was Mick Kerley last year. He said hes away with the irish juniors this week (poland) but after that...Quote:
Originally Posted by lim abroad
Promotion is always what we should be looking at, every season, bar none (well maybe not last season), and its looking like we have a good chance of grabbing second spot anyway. I reckon Dublin will win the division outright again, because whatever about them not dominating us when we played thm, they still had a lot more organisation in their team, which at the end of the day is what will get them promoted from the first division.
As for Purcell, well all he did at the start of the season in my book was use Limerick as way of upping his worth to Waterford when negotiating his deal, which is what every footballer with any bit of sense would do in the circumstances, so I reckon we should welcome him back if he wants a return next year.
That doesn't make any sense at all. How is the commercial side of the club supposed to take off if we are stuck in the First Division? How are we supposed to expand our fan base and raise the profile of the club? We're getting an average of 1000 per game now, but that won't get any better in the First Division, except for the odd top-of-the-table clash where you might get 1500 - 2000 people. Division one is a grave yard. No TV coverage, no radio coverage, little or no media coverage. All this means the club is out of the spotlight.Quote:
Originally Posted by A face
The only reason that we are getting 1000 at our games now is because there is a real chance of going up, and things are being run correctly. If we don't go up in the next two years, we're screwed, because the crowds will die again. Most of my mates will not go to watch Limerick in this division. They've been before and found it painstaking. The Premier Division, or a cup game against the likes of Shamrock Rovers, now that's a different story. They'd go then without a second thought. So we need to get out of this division asap. All this talk of 'get the foundations right first' is a load of idealistic rubbish. The reality is, unless we strike while the iron is hot we're going to find ourselves struggling again. As a Limerick man i'm sick of sporting hard luck stories, be it soccer, GAA or rugby. For once, I want to see success for a change. We can win this league. We'll worry about the Premier Division when we get there. ;)
We are definitely good enough to go up this season. Sometimes this year we haven't played well, and still managed to get a draw or a win. It does look like Dublin City are the best team in the division, but then they lost at 'home' to Dundalk. I think Limerick are better than any of the other clubs in the division. We are on a very good run of late and now we face our two biggest league games this season so far. If we do get promoted I think it would be a huge boost to the club both on and off the field. We would be able to attract more players to the club and the extra exposure the club would get being in the premier would definitely bring in more investment and sponsorship.