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Last night's win for Derry means there are now 5 points separating 8th and 9th in the Table, with the last of the first series of games scheduled for this weekend.
Is there already, as many of you predicted at the start of the season, a League within a League with the top 8 considerably stronger than the bottom 4? Or do any of you hold out any hope for those of us still praying for a first home win?:(
http://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/soccer_tables_index.html
It's been a funny start for the league this year, as a bigger than usual gap has appeared at the top quite early on (even though the games just gone have closed the gap in the top half).Quote:
Originally Posted by MyTown
Uusally there's one absolute stinker of a team at the bottom who get cut adrift early on, but Longford and Waterford seem determined not to fulfill that role this time.
I guess it makes it more exciting overall to have effectively 2 mini leagues there. The alternative is drama at the very top, drama at the very bottom, and a whole lot of going through the motions in the middle.
:( mid-table mediocrity - if onlyQuote:
Originally Posted by dcfcsteve
The gap is only 2 points if Bray were to win their game in hand
Well the gap between the premier and the first is getting bigger every year so when you consider under normal circumstances(had Dublin City not defuncted and there was no league restucturing) 2 possibly 3 of the bottom 4 would be in the first added to Longford hitting severe financial difficulties it is not surprising at all. Dont worry though we should be able to finish 9th or 10th.Quote:
Originally Posted by MyTown
Dundalk are no worse than Galway, Bray, Waterford or LongfordQuote:
Originally Posted by Ceirtlis
As for the league within a league the Premier Division is obviously divided into three different tiers standards wise
Also if Bray beat us Friday , which is definitely possible they would be 2 points behind still with a game in handQuote:
Originally Posted by Soper
Is this some sort of sly dig by any chance?Quote:
Originally Posted by Lim till i die
Eh, No :rolleyes:Quote:
Originally Posted by Ceirtlis
Quote:
Originally Posted by Soper
I thought from the Table I attached that Brays game in hand is against Drogheda, and on current form, and with all respects to Bray, I didn't think the gap would close following that match.Quote:
Originally Posted by gustavo
And I don't want this to turn into another Limerick-Galway thing, but facts are that Galway came third in the 1st Division last year, and have been able to hold their own on the pitch in the Premier this year (even if ye aren't getting the results) so I don't see how you can say the gap is getting bigger every yearQuote:
Originally Posted by Ceirtlis
Funnily, 5th to 8th are playing 9th to 12th this weekend. Victories for the favourites would open a clear division alright.
We havent really held our own though, we only have 7 points from 10 games, thats a fairly pish record in any league.Quote:
Originally Posted by jebus
Isn't there always 3 leagues though.
Those pushing for honours, those fighting for relegation and those in the middle.
I think the gap at the end of last years First Division shows there is a gap. Rovers, Dundalk and Galway are all Premier divison standard but then there was an 11 point gap to fourth and another 11 points to fifth.Quote:
Originally Posted by jebus
After seeing Longford last Friday I'd have to agree with the tone of this post.
Yes. pointless thread.Quote:
Originally Posted by Dodge
I don't agree. UCD were only safe from relegation a few weeks before the end of last season and ended up finishing above Pats, who were challenging for honours at the start of the league.Quote:
Originally Posted by Dodge
I think there's a definate gap between teams which are dross and not dross this season, Bray are the only team half bridging what is otherwise a fairly clear divide.
last season we beat dundalk and drew with galway and rovers twice and we finished bottom so dont see the gap been that massiveQuote:
Originally Posted by Gaillimh Al
The small teams always raise their game for the big guns.Quote:
Originally Posted by passerrby
maybe so but my point is although there is a big gap between the top 4 clubs in the premiership and the bottom 4 in the first div the rest are all capable of beaten one another.
oh and i forgot what fcuking big guns
Just a look at the table shows the bottom four within two points of each other. Third to eighth the gap is four points. Then top two hace two points between them and are four points clear of Bohs. There is one game in hand but the likelihood is Drogs will add to their points toll (home against us, even the most optimistic Bray fan would find it hard to justify thinking we'd get anything).
The fat of the matter this year is Pats and Drogs are clearly better then everyone else and, imo, it's down to the results in their games that'll decide the league.
The middle table group are pretty interchangeable. Eighth (Sligo) beat fourth (Cork) 4-1 the other night whereas they lost 1-0 to fifth (Rovers) a few weeks ago. These teams do tend to pull off the odd upset against the top two but struggle occassionally against the bottom four, Bohs 1-1 Galway, Bray 1-1 Cork, Waterford 1-0 Cork and so on. The top teams would be able to beat these teams fairly consistently.
As for the bottom four it's down to how they get on against each other as to who'll stay up.
So that explains the screaming hordes that accompany the Dundalk team bus, why when last ye were down it was like Beatlemania all over again....only with 40 fansQuote:
Originally Posted by The Lilywhites
Spot on IMO.Quote:
Originally Posted by superfrank
And if you had put even half as much effort or energy into these games than the other 6 sides in the division, you would have finished a lot higher than.............bottomQuote:
Originally Posted by passerrby
The foot.ie Communist Party is a democratic socialist party. It believes that by the strength of our common endeavour we achieve more than we achieve alone, so as to create for each of us the means to realise our true potential and for all of us a community in which points, wealth and European qualification are in the hands of the many, not the few. Where the rights we enjoy reflect the duties we owe. And where we live together, freely, in a spirit of solidarity, tolerance and respect.
If you share these values, join us. The foot.ie Communist Party is built on its members (Bohs Partizan mainly), and relies on them to fund its campaign and fight elections at local, national and European levels. As a member you get to have your say in how policies are made, which candidates are chosen to fight elections, and how the foot.ie Communist Party moves forward as the party of the family of football.
I'd go along with this Frank. I would put in the distinction though that although things stand as they are (as above) that although I do not expect Drogheda to slip up to any great degree that I would not expect Pats to continue as they have started - and I'm not saying that as a consequence to any Pats supporters, in fact they'd be a club that I have a lot of respect and time for (urgh :spit:) but I think that a couple of injuries and they look pretty thin squad wise. Cork could possibly close the gap but with Gamble being called up to the international squad and the inevitable postponement of matches, Europe and rescheduled games could catch up with them.Quote:
Originally Posted by superfrank
I obviously hope that Bohs who are proving to be difficult to beat will start to score some goals and open up their attacking play and for once in the last three years actually beat teams that are above us in the table and I think that we can. Given we have drawn games with Galway and UCD at Dalymount Park already this season and lost a league game in Bray it is fair to say that we are in the second tier because we deserve to be. So the way it looks to me is as the table stands presently. However by the time the season reaches its climax, I hope and think (in no particular order necessarily) the three tiers will be as follows:
Drogheda
Cork
Pats
Bohs
Derry
---------
Rovers
UCD
Shams
---------
Galway
Longford
Bray
Waterford
Pats have the best goal scoring and defensive record in the league,and Drogheda are in a similar situation.Pats and Drogheda are clearly in a 2 team tier.
Bohs are no better than Rovers.Bohs,Cork,Rovers and Derry in the second tier.
Who has the best defensive record?Quote:
Originally Posted by Saint MacDara
http://www.eircomloi.ie/tables.htm
Pity you didnt get 3 points for goalless draws:D
Pity the junkie can't stop letting them in :DQuote:
Originally Posted by Saint MacDara
Top of the League:D :D :D
Only 10 games gone!Quote:
Originally Posted by Saint MacDara
Drogheda have a game in hand, against Bray.Quote:
Originally Posted by Saint MacDara
Longford have been dropped out of the dog battle at the bottom. All it would take is for one of the other strugglers to have a bit of bad luck over the next few weeks and the bottom end would be sorted.
If Longford don't manage to struggle to the end of the season a redistribution of the points lost to them by a few teams could change things again. :(
All we've been aiming to do for the last few months is just to hang in there until the shops open. Bit weird though to be trying to hang on from out in front.Quote:
Originally Posted by CharlesThompson
You're right about injuries, at the moment we're missing Kirby, Mulcahy, Ndo and Foley - in almost any other team in the league, that'd be a formidable midfield in its own right.
Having played everyone else at least once in one competition or other, the only ones I could see coming close to us and Drogheda would be Cork. Bohs with a different manager, maybe, but not with someone who dresses like Santa from the waist down.
Makes him a bad manager does it?Quote:
Originally Posted by Dr.Nightdub
I seem to recall the only game this season that he didn't wear his disco pants was against you lot!
Of course it does! If he can't manage his own wardrobe how do you expect him to deal with the Boh's Golden Generation(tm).Quote:
Originally Posted by BohsFans
the S'Pa'stick's must be going blind! :eek:Quote:
Originally Posted by Jerry The Saint