Friday 19th March
Drogheda v Waterford 17:45
Shamrock Rovers v St Pats 19:45
Saturday 20th March
Finn Harps v Bohemians 18:00
Sligo v Dundalk 18:00
Midlands Development team v Derry City 18:00
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Friday 19th March
Drogheda v Waterford 17:45
Shamrock Rovers v St Pats 19:45
Saturday 20th March
Finn Harps v Bohemians 18:00
Sligo v Dundalk 18:00
Midlands Development team v Derry City 18:00
Very wary of a strengthing Pats team and equaly i think Dundalk nead to pay Sligo a lot of respect.
Harps v Bohs will be interesting to see if Harps can beat expectations and id bohs have replaced Grant twardek and wright as well as Mandriou
Drogs Waterford and the midlands development team (i'll leave it after a week as their dopey people copped on after a week) look like favs for relegation so a good start is important
First weekend of competitive action and 10 optimistic sets of supporters
I’d be happy with a draw to start the year off. I’ve seen nothing of the new team bar goal clips on YouTube so it’s hard to tell where we are at. The squad on paper looks a lot better but it’s on the pitch that counts. I’ll go 1-1.
Obviously this is just based on opinion but I think if we start poorly the pressure would be from fans but the board seem like they’ll allow him time to build and rightly so IMO. The budget is way down this year and even some of the players that signed new deals are on less than they were last season. Of course that depends on how poor a start we’re taking and how long that continues for because with O'Donnell out of contract at the end of the season it makes it a cheaper option to pay him off than it would’ve last year had things gone very badly for example.
To be honest I wouldn’t say he’d be any more/less likely to be under pressure after a poor start than any other club aside from maybe Longford/Drogheda/Harps who would be given more time IMO
AFAIK this is SOD final year on his contract. If he has a poor year it will be hard to justify giving him a new one. I don’t think he would be under intense pressure if we have a poor start. The owner has backed him this year so he seems to have belief in him. I’d be on the fence , I think he should be given time this season but we have to see a good run a getting into europe.
I think Pats have fallen back enough for things to be called a good run and not make Europe. Ive nothing to back this up but I think Sligo have almost totally turned things around from last Spring to this and are dark horses. Drogheda I also think will overtake a couple of more established Premier sides. Assuming that the order of things wont change massively and wlil be Bohs, Dundalk and Shamrock Rovers making up the top three it will be tough for Pats to sneak in to 4th and a top 3 cup winner helping them out. Waterford look in trouble which will save 1 side from autuomatic relegation. That leaves Longford Im sorry to say and imo Derry as the strugglers.
Usually starting a season in trepidation as we’re still trying to assemble a squad but we seem to be in pretty good shape. So we’ll probably be relegated.
Friday:
Drogzonspor 2-1 Pub Team
Talacticos 1-0 Dundalk Tribute Act
Saturday:
PUP Harps 0-1 The Boys from the better land
Hardy Bucks 1-2 International Bright Young Things
Daireball 0-1 Devine Out
Hardy Bucks :)
Big night for Rovers in Tallaght tonight.
Will be interesting to see what Bradser sees as his first team in a competitive match.
I expect Watts , Kavanagh, Gary O Neill and Greene in as a minimum change from the presidents cup match.
First nights are always full of optimism and several teams have strengthened..
Good start is vital.
Decent preview from RTE here: https://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2021...remain-strong/
The champions versus the pre-season champions is a fitting opener to the season. I think the gap might be closed a bit between the top and the middle teams this season. It feels like Rovers and Dundalk could be a little weaker, while Pats and Sligo both look to have improved. Drogheda should be solid, Derry are hard to predict and missing Hodge is a blow already, Harps look to have strengthened, Waterford another unpredictable one and Longford look the weakest but are young and might be a surprise package if they can adapt quickly to the step up.
If only Sligo had a Frenchtoast O'Toole or Hammer Harrington playing them, great footballer's names!
St Pats winning preseason means they'll be a tough opener for Rovers. It will be a good gauge on how St Pat's season could go but Id expect Rovers to win, 2-1. It'd be no disaster either way with a full season scheduled.
I think SOD is gonna be bringing two double deckers with him and would be concerned that if Rovers don't nick one early we're gonna see a carbon copy of the two league games last year.
Drogs 1-0 Waterford , typical first game set up, unfamiliar players on both sides trying to find their feet. Late og from Drogs pressure and overall I think we deserved it as we have a few goal mouth scrambles.
Many years away from the premier so a win on our first game back is very satisfying indeed
Great win for Drogheda in a scrappy game, not a great performance but they were the better team. Deegan and James Brown the best on the night, Brown's engine is something else. Waterford's defense was very solid, they could be a hard team to break down this season.