Better quality '08 season?

[Stiof]

Well you should know but Im going on what Ive seen. Ive seen Oman 3 times last in different games and on TV in around 5 games. Hes good on the ball but his positioning at times is laughable. Did you see in the game away to that Armenian pub team?

Brennan is an Irish U-23 international who is very skillful. Thats my opinion.

You're right, i should know!
Brennan had a few good seasons when SK was in charge - i reckon SK managed to keep him focused and got the best out of him but last season he was awful! His crosses never beat the first man and he constantly pulled out of 50/50 challenges.

Oman on the other hand won numerous player of the month awards and player of the season too. He was our most consistent performer an will be a big loss this season.

[AustinoAsprilla]

I think improvements have been made with the return to management of Kenny and Fenlon and also with Matthews managing a bigger club. Just Dolan and Rico needed to come back as well!

[ndrog]

" Lynch is a Drogs reject " Damien lynch is far from a reject .He was super player for us and will do a great job for pats .reliable player and a good penalty taker .Was sad to see him go tbh .

[finnpark]

Do ya know much about partridge or did ya just google the first article about him and make up your mind ? dont belive inrehabilitation ? or a 2nd chance for someone ?

I can just see the transfer rumours thread and official eircom league transfers thread in a few months.....

"Partridge linked with a move to Mountjoy".

"Gilligan's scouts monitoring Pats stars Partridge and Byrne"

[hedderman]

" Lynch is a Drogs reject " Damien lynch is far from a reject .He was super player for us and will do a great job for pats .reliable player and a good penalty taker .Was sad to see him go tbh .

What's Stephen Gray like?

I've have't seen much of him.

[pineapple stu]

UCD give their players away for free, must have heard nothing about contracts

Think you'll find we lost eight players this year - two loans ended, one retirement, two free transfers and E50k or so in the kitty from the other three. How many other clubs have made that much in the pre-season?

[ndrog]

What's Stephen Gray like?

I've have't seen much of him.

Stephen Grey is great player .He was one off our longest serving players and i was sad to see him go .His family were regulars at utd park and lots of away games also .Good people. I think he will do well for you .

[Sonic]

Drogheda United-Champions

Completely disagree with finnpark when he says Drogs have consolidated their position with the signings they have made. Quite the contrary they have strengthened the team no end. Kendrick is a good signing and any time i have seen Adam Hughes he has impressed me. im not sure if they have signed Kudosovic or not maybe im confussed with somebody else. In any case they have Declan O Brien to come back into the team and there has always been goals in him. But in my opinion by far their biggest acquistuion in Sean Prunty. In five seasons with us he has never failed to impress me both on and off the field. He is versatile aswell equally adept int he centre of defence as well as left back as we found out last season and on the wing. In midfield Paul Keegan cant even get on the team enuf said!! I think they will miss dan connor mind you but I thinkt hey will be champions again to be honest.

Pats-2nd

Just to be pipped by Drogs but have signed well.

Cork-3rd

Cork have signed well. Mooney will score them goals their midfield is class by far and away the best in the league and has been further enhanced with Mulcahy signing on but Im still not convinced about Matthews. Their defence will be well organised that is for sure and I fancy them for a cup!!

Bohemians-4th

obviously Jason Byrne is a great signing and I would tip him to be up there in the goal scoring charts but I dont think apart from him they have really enhanced the squad. Their defence is weak and if they dont start getting quick results you can see the fans yet again turning on the manager!

Derry 5th

Despite Kennys return I expect them to finish 5th.

As for the rest any three of Sligo Galway Finn Harps Cobh Bray and Ucd are in a right dogfight for survival. Im tipping Finn Harps UCD and Galway to go!!

[ndrog]

Hey Sonic try and keep that quiet man ! Let the corkies get all excited about boy george coming back to win them the leauge

[Boh_So_Good]

If the best players in the EL are so good that they get transferred to Britain for peanuts and subsequently prove themselves to be so unsuccessful there that they come back to the EL, that's obviously an indication that, eh, the EL has improved.
Give them more money. That's the obvious solution.

If Liam Brady, Paul McGrath, Kevin Moran, Stapleton, Quinn etc went to the UK now, they would not have the same profile and stardom they enjoyed back in their day. The Irish player is just another regional player in the UK now as the choice of players open to English clubs these days is global and not just the "Home Nations". Could you honestly see Niall Quinn playing for a Premiership club in 2008 if he went over there now with the same standard of ability he had back then? He would be in the same position as ones returning now. Worse even.

The Irish player is lost in the crowd across the water these days. Unless they are an exceptional talent they won't get a look in with the big British clubs. In the days before the fall of the Iron Curtain, the rise of African football and the visa issue for South American players was resolved, not to mention the major money in the Premiership I am sure the "returnees" would of been major players in the Premiership. But them days are over now. Liam Brady, Paul McGrath, Kevin Moran, Stapleton, Quinn etc were just VERY lucky to be Irish when they only had English, Welsh and Scots players to contend against for British stardom.

Yes, I think the players coming back to the league will improve the overall game here next seasons.

[Maroon 7]

Certainly at the top Drogs, Cork, Bohs and Pat's all look like teams that could put in a title challenge so it should be a genuine race this season with a couple of sides involved. Hard to see one team running away with it.

Any of Sligo, Galway, Finn Harps, Cobh, Bray or UCD could go down. Think Galway and Sligo will be alright. Galway stayed up last season despite terrible home form. Can't see their home form being as bad again this season and their squad looks stronger. UCD look like they could get caught out this year with two from Harps, Cobh and Bray to join them.

Guess that leaves Derry and Rovers languishing in mid-table.

[pineapple stu]

Completely disagree with finnpark when he says Drogs have consolidated their position with the signings they have made. Quite the contrary they have strengthened the team no end.

Eh?!

...

[Dalymountrower]

[QUOTE=Sonic;867954]Drogheda United-Champions



!!

Bohemians-4th

obviously Jason Byrne is a great signing and I would tip him to be up there in the goal scoring charts but I dont think apart from him they have really enhanced the squad. Their defence is weak and if they dont start getting quick results you can see the fans yet again turning on the manager!

QUOTE]



Best defence in the league last season and we`ve added one of the best centre halves in the league. Whats your evidence that the defence is weak? Goals against is the barometer, have you invented a new benchmark for assessing the weakness of defences? Are you Dessie Byrne in disguise?

[micls]

Best defence in the league last season and we`ve added one of the best centre halves in the league. Whats your evidence that the defence is weak? Goals against is the barometer, have you invented a new benchmark for assessing the weakness of defences? Are you Dessie Byrne in disguise?

The fact that ye had 9 players behind the ball at all times helped.

Not a tactic Fenlon will employ and will show any cracks in ye're defense

[Sonic]

[QUOTE=micls;868478]

The fact that ye had 9 players behind the ball at all times helped.

Not a tactic Fenlon will employ and will show any cracks in ye're defense

Precisely the point I was about to make but let the man believe what he wants. By the way I wouldnt say Ken Oman is one of the best defenders in the league either!!

[harry crumb]

[QUOTE=Sonic;868507]

Precisely the point I was about to make but let the man believe what he wants. By the way I wouldnt say Ken Oman is one of the best defenders in the league either!!

He had an amazing year in 2007.

Dan Murray is probably the best.

[finnpark]

Think you'll find we lost eight players this year - two loans ended, one retirement, two free transfers and E50k or so in the kitty from the other three. How many other clubs have made that much in the pre-season?

You wont replace the players you lost with 50K. 50K will buy a good car but thats about it. McFaul was a very good player from what ive seen. If he was at Cork or Bohs they wouldn't let him go for less tha €250,000 and would probably have him well tied down. Im not saying that Harps are experts because we are not but if you think 50K is a lot of money for 3 decent players then you are not in the real world. In fairness I do except you to struggle as much as us this season.

[finnpark]

Certainly at the top Drogs, Cork, Bohs and Pat's all look like teams that could put in a title challenge so it should be a genuine race this season with a couple of sides involved. Hard to see one team running away with it.

Any of Sligo, Galway, Finn Harps, Cobh, Bray or UCD could go down. Think Galway and Sligo will be alright. Galway stayed up last season despite terrible home form. Can't see their home form being as bad again this season and their squad looks stronger. UCD look like they could get caught out this year with two from Harps, Cobh and Bray to join them.

Guess that leaves Derry and Rovers languishing in mid-table.

I think that this is the most intelligent post on the thread apart from my own

Bohs/Pats/Cork have all improved dramatically I think so I don't expect Drogs to win it. I just cannot understand why Cork replaced Richardson with Mattews, its baffling!

[DmanDmythDledge]

You wont replace the players you lost with 50K.

None of that money will be spent on transfer fees.

McFaul was a very good player from what ive seen. If he was at Cork or Bohs they wouldn't let him go for less tha €250,000 and would probably have him well tied down.

McFaul was out of contract so there was nothing we could do about a transfer fee. Agree with your point about having players tied down though.

[Poor Student]

You wont replace the players you lost with 50K. 50K will buy a good car but thats about it.

Those players cost us nothing to sign and players of their quality have cost us nothing to sign before. We'll always be scouring for undiscovered gems or returning prospects who haven't made it yet. I'm not saying we'll replace them easily but it's conceivable we'll get some more good youngsters in for nothing.

McFaul was a very good player from what ive seen. If he was at Cork or Bohs they wouldn't let him go for less tha €250,000 and would probably have him well tied down. Im not saying that Harps are experts because we are not but if you think 50K is a lot of money for 3 decent players then you are not in the real world. In fairness I do except you to struggle as much as us this season.

Are quality young players realistically going to come to UCD if we try to tie them down to us in the long term from the off? Also, as a small club we can't commit to long term contracts. We can't afford to be stuck with players who don't live up to their potential.