St Pats vs Hertha Berlin - Match Thread

**Larry 'da' Wyse** · 01/10/2008, 8:43 AM

Pats were unlucky and gave a really solid performance. Enjoyed the game
Interesting to see a Hertha player (Stein?) come out striaght after the game
to meet the away fans and get this photo taken with them etc. Nice touch.

Saw 4,750 atttendence figure in the paper this morning

**Dodge** · 01/10/2008, 8:46 AM

Originally Posted by Sheridan

I thought McDonnell did bottle it a bit and took the draw after an hour. Pat's were crying out for a double substitution with half an hour to go (Murphy for Fitzpatrick, O'Brien for Guy with Kirby going wide right) but he waited until the tie was irretrievable before making a move.

Neither of them are fit. Or anywhere near fit to be honest. 10 minutes is about the max we could ask from them

**Mr A** · 01/10/2008, 8:47 AM

So what was the attendance for the game? Didn't seem great anyway.

Very depressing that no matter what money is spent we don't see decent crowds at matches such as this.

**Dodge** · 01/10/2008, 8:52 AM

Originally Posted by Mr A

So what was the attendance for the game? Didn't seem great anyway.

Being reported as about 5,000. I was expecting about 3,000. Didn't help that TV cameras were on the side of the main support. Check out the pic on www.stpatsfc.com from the game. If you saw that you'd think there was a massive crowd

Very depressing that no matter what money is spent we don't see decent crowds at matches such as this.

Well its not really "we" is it? Irish people simply don't care about football enough to go to a game. Even if we had played it at 7.45 you're only looking at about 1,000 extra nuetrals. Their loss, as it was a cracking game.

**Straightstory** · 01/10/2008, 10:02 AM

Three factors: game at 5.30. Live on TV. Pat's 2-0 defecit from first leg. Without these factors there could have been a lot more there - maybe 3 to 4 thousand? (Possibly another factor? - Irish football 'supporters' are the worst in the world).

**Sheridan** · 01/10/2008, 10:15 AM

Originally Posted by Dodge

Neither of them are fit. Or anywhere near fit to be honest. 10 minutes is about the max we could ask from them

If they can play 15, they can play 25. If they can only play ten they shouldn't be training, on the bench or probably up out of bed.

Anyway, O'Cearuill for Fitzgerald and Harris up front would have been just as effective. Don't know why Kirby was taken off instead of Guy. The phrase "if he had a brain he'd be dangerous" could have been invented for Ryan Guy.

**Larry 'da' Wyse** · 01/10/2008, 11:04 AM

Originally Posted by Sheridan

Don't know why Kirby was taken off instead of Guy. The phrase "if he had a brain he'd be dangerous" could have been invented for Ryan Guy.

Bit harsh. He won loads of ball in the air and got in a few decent crosses.

**Schumi** · 01/10/2008, 11:12 AM

Very entertaining game, if Pats had one of those good chances go in, they could easily have got a second. Berlin's defence (and keeper in particular) looked a bit shaky. I didn't see the penalty incident, was in the opposite corner, any clips online?

**Sheridan** · 01/10/2008, 11:14 AM

As I said, he'd be a very good player if he had any intelligence, but he suffers from more rushes of blood than any player I've ever seen.

**amaccann** · 01/10/2008, 11:25 AM

Originally Posted by Mr A

So what was the attendance for the game? Didn't seem great anyway.

Very depressing that no matter what money is spent we don't see decent crowds at matches such as this.

I was on the train this morning, and listening to the others in the sardine can. A couple of males in their early thirties were chewing the fat & it the sports conversation was all a case of "did you catch the Celtic match?". Says it all

**passinginterest** · 01/10/2008, 12:22 PM

I just remembered the three middle aged English gentlemen sitting behind me. They were very impressed with Pat's performance. Also commented on the excellent atmosphere and joked about getting season tickets if it was always like this. They mentioned a few times that Pat's didn't play like an English side, the way they tried to play from the back. Again have to say it was a great game to be at, still can't believe Pat's didn't manage to score.

I got a few very confused looks on the way home, I had my Youths jersey on my woolly hat with Shamrock Rovers and Youths pin badges and a half Pat's half Hertha scarf!

**bennocelt** · 01/10/2008, 1:53 PM

Originally Posted by robertob

If anyone can't watch the match than look to the following link for the RTE analyse and match highlights:

http://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/mns/2...hertha_av.html

tx for that

**The Optimist** · 01/10/2008, 3:46 PM

Glad i went to the match last night.Pats were very unlucky not to come away with anything.

**mypost** · 02/10/2008, 12:11 AM

Originally Posted by Sheridan

Very good performance, all in all. Hertha Berlin (Cicero apart) are not a better team than St. Patrick's Athletic, it's as simple as that.

But sure we knew that before the tie began.

Pats did what all Irish teams do, saw the words "Hertha Berlin" and "Bundesliga", and thought "no chance". They played the first leg accordingly, with fear and a reluctance to go forward, even when losing, and lost too much ground to make up at home.

What they should have done was, researched their form, realised that they are a mid-table outfit, saw that they had a dodo upfront in Voronin, and that they were vulnerable at the back, when under pressure. Then they could exploit those weaknesses, and get a result. Hertha showed in the RDS game, that just because they're in the Bundesliga doesn't make them world beaters.

Pats are by no means the only Irish club to approach a European tie, with the perception that their opponents are class. We are 30th in the rankings now. We need to go into these games with a positive outlook, in order to reach the next level. Ask Anorthosis Famagusta.

**BillyG** · 02/10/2008, 11:18 AM

Originally Posted by mypost

Pats did what all Irish teams do, saw the words "Hertha Berlin" and "Bundesliga", and thought "no chance". They played the first leg accordingly, with fear and a reluctance to go forward, even when losing, and lost too much ground to make up at home.

What they should have done was, researched their form, realised that they are a mid-table outfit, saw that they had a dodo upfront in Voronin, and that they were vulnerable at the back, when under pressure. Then they could exploit those weaknesses, and get a result. Hertha showed in the RDS game, that just because they're in the Bundesliga doesn't make them world beaters.

Pats are by no means the only Irish club to approach a European tie, with the perception that their opponents are class. We are 30th in the rankings now. We need to go into these games with a positive outlook, in order to reach the next level. Ask Anorthosis Famagusta.

You are an absolute genius....pity Pats didnt give you a call and ask for your superb advice before going to Berlin.

**Rovers1** · 02/10/2008, 1:25 PM

Originally Posted by passinginterest

Spotted a Bray jersey and a Derry City (or might have been Sligo) in my section.

well there was defenitely 2 Sligo Rovers jerseys there anyway

, saw Derry, Limerick, Bohs, Shels and a few other LOI jerseys too.

enjoyed the game, thought Pats were very unlucky, although there were a few occasions when the physical strength of the Hertha players overpowered some Pats players.

BTW do Pats not have a better option than Rodgers at left back?

**passinginterest** · 02/10/2008, 1:30 PM

Originally Posted by Rovers1

BTW do Pats not have a better option than Rodgers at left back?

You'd think so. I happen to think Rodgers and his alternative Des Byrne are two of the worst players in the league, don't know how Pat's ended up with both of them!

In fairness to Rodgers I thought he had a steady game, definitely the best I've seen him play.