The second red for Longford was ridiculous as was the Han one, definitely trying to even things up. Boyle was covering Cleary at the end so a yellow was correct.
By the end of the game I wasn't even angry anymore, it's comical at this stage. Glad we didn't equalise, would have been harsh on Longford who deserved it
Dundalk are in real trouble now to avoid / win the play off to stay up. VP has to be under real pressure after tonight, its obvious his return has not worked out as planned.
Filipo's league form was awful and we scoffed at 'only' finishing 3rd, (and winning the cup) but what a mess we are in now, and all blame cannot be at p6 (a lot is), but players have to stand up and fight, but they aren't............
#DundalkFC - First Irish club to win an away game in Europe (1963), only Irish club to win a game / points in Europa League Group Stage (2016).
Friday night in the cup is becoming Dundalks season definining game. Ollie will be delighted the spotlight is on Dundalk and not Harps. I’m looking forward to it.
Nothing to worry about for Harps. Dundalk are a team with no leadership, no game plan, no fight and a terrible manager. And that’s just the on pitch shambles. Off the pitch it’s an even bigger joke.Originally Posted by Finlay Harp
There was a decent crowd down in Longford and the quality of the game was what you’d expect from the two bottom teams. The referee was as poor as was expected. I couldn’t believe he sent the second Longford player off and I don’t know why Han was sent off. We could still be there now and still wouldn’t score.
I have no hope of us getting out of this malaise as the players don’t seem to care that much. It’s hard to see where we’ll get a win and if we do end up in the playoff I don’t think we’ll win.
That’s all my pessimism that the journey home from Longford hasn’t changed.
Dundalk are the only team in the division that haven't beaten us this year. I've said this before but the heart and the fight that the players show in every game is a credit to them and the management. We're obviously lacking quality but the commitment has been unquestionable.
Went up to Saratoga, where my horse naturally won.
Pretty brutal assessment of the situation at Oriel from Perth here.
RTE news : Dundalk in 'dark place' as Perth bemoans injury woes
http://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2021/...s-injury-woes/
If dundalk had little or no money, and had a similar injury problem I'd say many in LOI would have sympathy for their "plight".
They have managed to squander the best part of 7/8/9(?) million quid in the last few years, and now have diddly squat to show for it.
The most expensive squad assembled in LOI history, and yet they've had no-one of any commanding substance in the dugout - you marry that to a bunch of mercenaries turning up to play for the club and disaster is just not far away.
The big red flag should have been Shields abandoning ship during the summer.
Perhaps a spell back in the 1st division would be good for dundalk and its people, to contemplate what they really want out of their football club.
I don't think a stint in the first division would provide any solution for Dundalk. What does any fan want out of their club , to win trophies & get success in Europe. The fans of Dundalk have had unreal success in recent seasons the stuff of LOI fans dreams. I know its great to have nice facilities and youth structures but they tend to be window dressing if the senior team isn't successful. I don't know what happened at Dundalk but looks like their golden run has ended. Making success sustainable has been an ongoing issues for LOI club and we have seen this cycle before i.e. Shelbourne.Perhaps a spell back in the 1st division would be good for dundalk and its people, to contemplate what they really want out of their football club.
Having watched considerably more First Division football than Premier in my time following the league I feel supremely confident in saying that a spell in the second tier isn't really a solution to anything for any club. It's a grim, thankless slog there for the most part, a place of purgatory where football dreams go to stagger around in mostly empty stadiums looking for an adequate place to die.
I wouldn't ever give up on it either though. 🙂
Dont let that last line by PC fool anyone as it is simply his hope and the desire to gloat if it comes to pass. There isnt a Dundalk fan under any illusions of how this circumstance has come to pass, and know quite well what is needed beyond this season and what is wanted from the football club - its no secret or rocket science and not unreasonable to expect. How that will be moved toward exactly will be based on how and where we finish this season. There would be nothing good about a year out in the 1st division bar delayng progress in areas of the club and allowing some opposition fans the be gluttons on gloating. We wont have had to scramble to save the club by using an examinership process. putting others out of business to save the club club or have leases on land confiscated etc. It will simply be a season of sucking it up and a lesson to bill to never fall for agents' spin or to cut loose people that might actually have some expertise in the areas he admitted he had none.
I can't see where the fight is coming from to win even one game at the minute with DFC, for me its trying to avoid or worse case to win the play off now.
Maybe its VP, it can't all be p6 to blame for the players b/s performances, which are now consistently poor, whatever the reasons, as long as we stay up, so many of them need to leave.
#DundalkFC - First Irish club to win an away game in Europe (1963), only Irish club to win a game / points in Europa League Group Stage (2016).
From my point of view.last night Tomney let the game get out of control. The first half was the complete opposite. In fairness with us we have made a game of it in a lot of our games and I do think its way too early to have got promoted but if we keep the majority of that squad too it could be character building and hugely beneficial. Serious crowd from Dundalk as for our fans no comment..
If I was a Dundalk fan what I saw on the pitch and from speaking to one of their fans its sad to see their decline!
Gary Cronin is he the right man to manage Longford Town?
I thought Perth was a generally poor Manager in the manner that Dundalk utterly capitulated to Celje a few years back. Several of their games recently have been reminiscent of that evening. Obviously big issues also with Bill and Peak6. Bill reminds me of that fuzzy eybrowed guntoting, stetson wearing fella from Bugs Bunny/Looney Tunes cartoons, and it's looney times for Dundalk. Hope they can find a win from somewhere soon.
Yes and no.
Fans want the success, but most are aware that it can be short-lived.
To take Derry as an example, it's all well and good getting money from a billionaire pumped in every year, but we'd all like to see something a bit more sustainable put in place as well. A great academy, along with the facilities, for example.
Dundalk have nothing concrete to show for their efforts of the past few years. Great memories, yes, but not a decent ground, not a centre of excellence, etc.
It's not unique to Dundalk either, lots of clubs are guilty of this.
Be an interesting question to ask any loi fan. If you were guaranteed 5 leagues in 7 years and 2 group stage appearances would you take that and a relegation play off in the 8th session??. For Dundalk fans living through this seasons **** show its pull your hair out stuff but in 20 years people will look back and think wow great era
Last edited by sbgawa; 12/09/2021 at 9:50 PM.
Shels fans are the poster boys for that question I guess.
Especially those Shels fans who are too young to remember the Depor/Lille games and are instead stuck in the First Division for most of the last 15 years because they ****ed away all their money and didn't build any solid club structures.
No chance. A very limited number of fans actually care much about sustainability or acadamies they want decent football and success.
At the end of the day the LOI lends itself to boom and bust practices, worst case (see Derry 2010) you start again in first div. A single rung in the ladder below where you left off
I would absolutely take another year in the 1st div with a reformed club (sure what’s another version between friends) if it had been preceeded by titles, cup finals and big European games. That is what football is all about as a fan.
100% you would take it only an idiot would not. Until their dying day no Dundalk fan will forget those years of success with the best LOI team I have seen. A poor season with a relegation play off is easy forgotten.
Is there anyone who wouldn’t take that scenario!?!
Irish by birth ,Harps by the grace of god.
It doesnt have to be either or for a number of clubs and especially after a breakthrough is made. Yes Dundalk's current situation resembles how things have happened in the past. We got access to the sort of prize that Shels were chasing for example. The difference between this mess at Dundalk and a lot of other boom and bust is that our current mess hasnt been caused by a forced or desperation over stretch. Money was earned to set in motion and create sustainable model, allow improvement, while keeping competitive domestically, gaining from European participation. This implosion is different in its madcap mismanagement of the club, possibly spurning a very long term legacy. With a modicum of sense Peak6 were on the verge of achieving their original goals especially with the ECLs introduction. They botched things for the group of investors they headed up, and for fans of course. An all conquering side falters when a chairman interferes in football matters and the downward spiral has continued since and to halt the slide will take some luck and get to next season. Start to rebuild a squad over a few seasons, get back to qualifying for Europe before seeding is completely gone, and it doesnt have to be a decade before pushing for league titles again.
Fans of some other football clubs are breathing sighs of relief at what has happened internally at Dundalk and should be as it would have gotten harder and harder to keep pace - a position only Dundalk FC itself could really have seriously damaged and have done just that! Success will always be there to look back on but it may always be tinged by what could have been!!
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