You've a lot of injuries, all the more reason bohs should look to play. Flores and McKee are decent replacements but not at the mceleney standard
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You've a lot of injuries, all the more reason bohs should look to play. Flores and McKee are decent replacements but not at the mceleney standard
We've yet to see what they can really do. I doubt too many are up to McEleney's level when he is on form. He has been a bit inconsistant though and drifts in and out of games. A good injury free run and he will hit form i've no doubts. It's in European games that he can really make the difference with the quality he adds to the team. When we get all players back fit its going to be a headache trying to figure out our best combination in midfield. Horses for courses I hope where we can change players that are best suited to face the opposition game by game. Kenny was very reluctant to change players or tactics no matter what so it will be interesting to see if Perth will switch things around. Like not neccessarily having a best 11 but putting out the 11 most suited to that game if that makes sense. VP seems more pragmatic than SK. He has obviously learned a lot under Kenny but maybe has also picked up experience where he'd have changed things when Kenny would stick. Subbing Flores in the first half of a game is an example, where Kenny probably wouldnt have made the change so quickly.
Its like having an annoying mini off season at the moment lol. When we have games every 3 or 4 days I will be wishing for a week or two break...
4th surely
i know cork have 36 players but i reckon our budget is very very close to theirs. Probably 4th though yeah.
A lot of injuries is an understatement, Dundalk have been operating with a MF without Benson and McEleney since week 2, and the entire MF 5 who played in the cup final for the Waterford win, even now its still 4 of them out, and 2-3 long term.
Key injuries will happen to all clubs, the ones with the bigger and better quality squads will obviously hope to cope better, still no guarantee though for those who can come in will do a good job. In Dundalk's case Murray has been outstanding, I don't see him losing his place when the others come back, Flores has done well too in the other game he started (Waterford) after a disappointing start v UCD.
How clubs manage players in these situations is also important, and as others have said, what Rovers have still left in MF, is nothing to complain about.
I'd look at another club though who will hope to challenge, Cork City, their first 11 is decent, but not sure they could cope without the excellent Morrisey and also Buckley in the middle ?
Waterford would appear to have decent back up though in comparison.
Rovers have 20 players in the first team squad compared to 25 in DFC (thats just checking your website) .
That is a budget issue, Bradser has gone for quality in signing McEneff and Byrne rather then fill out the squad with replacements for all the guys who left.
I agree with that approach,our best hope is that our best 11 is as good as DFC and hope to be lucky with injuries (which we have been so far) if we had the number of injuries that DFC have at the moment we would be Donald Ducked.....and thats without suspensions kicking in.
When McEleney and Benson come back with the others DFC will have a very strong squad that will allow for rotation.
Who will be on the bench for Harps from a managerial perspective?
Am i wrong or is Oliie and both of his side kicks suspended?
Apart from our kitman I think our bench will be at full strength, at least initially.
i was quite near Ollie in Tallaght when he was sent off, he had a right good laugh with the Rovers support around him.
He's hard not to like
Tomas Connolly was getting dogs abuse as well.
Not many saying we'll challenge this year unfortunately, but I'd agree our cover is fairly weak. I'd still be confident enough of top 3, but most were writing even that off.
We've a large squad officially but a lot of them are young lads coming through, or MLS standard players were having a look at on little to no wages.
We'd majorly struggle with an injury to Morrisey or McCormack. Buckley we have more cover for. We do have Comeford who can play there and O Connor has played there but they wouldn't be near the same quality.