Grunty blinkers

**Ali-G** · 02/10/2001, 9:03 AM

Since Colin Murphy got the boot yesterday, who would like to see him get the job at the cross back? Not me. I know that alot of people have been slagging gunther and his amateur attitude, only playing his buddies. I think he has done well so far, and isnt afraid to blood the youngsters in favour of the old brigade. I dont know his exact record as manager, but it must be excellent. If he was behind the signing of O Grady, then he has a great eye for good footballers. I know he has been fannying about with the formation, but this shows he isnt afraid to try different tactics too. I suppose this is a thumbs up for Gunther from me. And a PFO to Colin Murphy

Ali-G

**A face** · 02/10/2001, 9:40 AM

Gunter is not playing all his own buddies, no matter what is said and by whoever, the team is very young and seems to be doing well at the moment, and they are a good team for the future. And with te U-21's hopefully there will be a steady flow of youth, i hope the summer soccer schools pay divident (did i spell that right) as well.

No doubt about it though, Colin Murphy has already displayed his loyality to us, (but there wasn't any contract signed from what i remember) Maybe he is good, but not good for us, also we would be the laughing stock, I mean they know what they were getting into with all the stories from Asia about him, actually .... the man has left a really bad trail behind him. I say stay well away from him, his family and anyone that knows him.

**Ali-G** · 03/10/2001, 9:14 AM

Hi Face,
I think you misunderstood me. I dont believe gunther was/is playing all his buddies. alot of the other lads that post here have been saying it. The youth policy is definitely our best source of talent. If we can hold onto them.

Gerry Desmond · 03/10/2001, 10:20 AM

Long overdue praise for LM, from two different people on the one day!

The times they are a changin'...

Gerry

BTW, his league record, off the top of my head is just 3 defeats in 20 games. Argue with that...

**�anna** · 04/10/2001, 2:34 PM

I think the reason many people dislike Murphy is not a results related thing. I still want rid of him, no matter what. Fair play if he gets the results etc., can't ask more of any manager, but I don't think City will ever progress in the way Bohs and Shels are doing with him at the helm. I also think that the whole mountfield situation left a bad taste in the mouth and a purge is needed to straighten the club out fully. Still, I won't get on his back, that would just be ungrateful.

**pete** · 04/10/2001, 3:07 PM

However I think eL clubs can only progress with professional local managers.

I don't believe imported managers can work as they take far too long (be sacked by then) to get to know the local scene & aren'y likely to stay beyond 2-3 years as they be back off to the nationwide league if they get half a chance.

Neil · 04/10/2001, 3:25 PM

Originally posted by �anna
I think the reason many people dislike Murphy is not a results related thing. I still want rid of him, no matter what. I don't think City will ever progress in the way Bohs and Shels are doing with him at the helm.

Well said and I'd agree with the stated reasons behind people not liking Murphy.

It's all about having the right people in place to take the club forward. IMO the board and management in place at the moment are the furthest thing from that type of person as is possible.

Gerry Desmond · 04/10/2001, 3:49 PM

Well most Manchester United fans wanted Alex Fergson out after his initial 3-4 fruitless seasons....a good thing he hadn't decided to come to TX!
When Liam took over, the team was in total disarray (for whatever reason you care to come up with). He brought them into Europe, and he has taken them through a disastrous start to third place at the moment. If a manager is to be judged on results, he's doing ok IMO. I know about the Mountfield thing, and people being still bothered over it. First time I spoke to Liam afterwards I put it on record to him that I thought he (DM) had been very badly treated by the club. But that, as the say, is history now. We've got a manager, we've got a team on a six-game unbeaten run. We must ask ourselves: are we ever satisfied?
You could do a survey of every club in Ireland and Britain on the popularity of managers, and most of them would probably be disliked. Murph is a guy doing a job, doing it well so far, and he should be judged on that. There's a lot of bull on this MB about old boys etc. No manager in the club's history has been so ready to play the kids. He said it in the first interview he did with me and he has been faithful to that vision. I say fair play to him.

People like to vent their grudges here, and fair enough I suppose. But the continual Morley-Murphy-Cahill bashing is, in footballing terms, mostly (note I said 'mostly') groundless. Skippy gets slaughtered here, when there should be suggestions to arrange a testimonial for him instead. He has contributed hugely to this club, over long years. Cork fans must be the most unappreciative on the face of the planet, I sometimes think.

I'm away now. Talk tomorrow.

Gerry

**yiddo** · 04/10/2001, 5:29 PM

gerry
if morley gets a testimonial johnny c should get 2!!!!
you're right about murphy though. he's doing a very good job, although I wish he'd give tynan a chance on the right. murphy doesn't come across very well on tv/ interviews not like damien richardson whose a very polished pr man but as a manager murphy is streets ahead

**rebel yell** · 04/10/2001, 9:24 PM

Gerry I have to disagree with you over Murphy. Doesn't the fact that he still hasn't won over the doubters tell u a lot? U say Cork fans are very begrudging but you should know how we have been treated and betrayed over the years. No wonder we're a cynical bunch! The poor start is down to him as is his shamateurism in having players missing for the start of the campaign. I can't argue with recent results which have been good. Let's hope they are due more to design than luck. Apart from Pats the victories have been narrow odd goal wins which rather worries me. And when it counted, his approach to the Metalurgs game beggared belief IMHO. And we have won nothing yet! And where will the club be in 5 years time- that's the important thing!

Gerry Desmond · 05/10/2001, 8:15 AM

Originally posted by yiddo
gerry
if morley gets a testimonial johnny c should get 2!!!!
you're right about murphy though. he's doing a very good job, although I wish he'd give tynan a chance on the right. murphy doesn't come across very well on tv/ interviews not like damien richardson whose a very polished pr man but as a manager murphy is streets ahead

Well, I'd be for giving JC a testi also. Maybe a joint venture for both players? Echo campaign, anyone?

Damo may be a PR man, Murph is a better manager you say. So would we prefer someone who can waffle? Brian Clough was an absolute boor when it came to the media, class at doing his REAL job though.
Mind you, I'd thought Damo had City playing superbly when he was here.
As for Tynan, I dunno the story there. Seems strange when so many young lads are breaking through now and he kinda got there before most of them. However, a manager lives or dies by following his instincts and maybe Tony just doesn't fit into Liam's plans *for now*. He's still young, his chance will come.

Gerry

Gerry Desmond · 05/10/2001, 8:34 AM

Originally posted by rebel yell
Gerry I have to disagree with you over Murphy. Doesn't the fact that he still hasn't won over the doubters tell u a lot? U say Cork fans are very begrudging but you should know how we have been treated and betrayed over the years. No wonder we're a cynical bunch! The poor start is down to him as is his shamateurism in having players missing for the start of the campaign. I can't argue with recent results which have been good. Let's hope they are due more to design than luck. Apart from Pats the victories have been narrow odd goal wins which rather worries me. And when it counted, his approach to the Metalurgs game beggared belief IMHO. And we have won nothing yet! And where will the club be in 5 years time- that's the important thing!

The doubters mean nothing to me, to be honest. Probably Murph feels the same - he surely knows about the fickle nature of Leesiders after 20 years in the game! This may be European City of Culture for 2005, but it is already world capital of doubters. Most of them couldn't tell the difference between a good game, a good performance or a good result.
I know very well the history of Cork soccer, and why people always feel they are being ripped off or undersold.
However, I think is pointless in the extreme expecting a manager to undo what can't be undone, so he shouldn't be burdened with the past. He's doing a *good* job now. Given time he may do a great job.
Grousing about narrow victories? That's more of it! I think confidence had to/still has to be rebuilt and thinking we were gonna bulldoze teams after a pathetic start was a little over optimistic in my view.
I agree that tactically the Metalurgs game could have been approached differently. However, they were an unknown quantity at the time and I can understand Murph's caution considering they had been bolstered by half a dozen Russian players. Metalurgs now, btw, are still top of their league and the guy who scored in the Cross is (last time I checked) on 18 goals. Two incidents from the game - their goal and our peno miss - were the key elements. The goal came from a basic error, the peno IMO was a very good save. Had those incidents gone the other way to give City a 1:0 win, we would have gone through in the tie. So it was close enough. Disappointing nevertheless.
Well, we did win the Munster Cup!! In fairness to Murph, by the time he took over last season City were already out of the FAI & League Cups, so give the guy a breather on the silverware front at least.
5 years time? Who knows? But I agree there should be a plan, and for all I know maybe there is...

Gerry

**niamh** · 05/10/2001, 8:43 AM

Skippy gets slaughtered here, when there should be suggestions to arrange a testimonial for him instead. He has contributed hugely to this club, over long years.

I agree totally that he deserves a testimonal. He is the club's top scorer and despite recent performances has been a faithful and loyal player for the club. I still don't think that Murphy could justify his place in the starting eleven at the team at the moment though.

**Jim Smith** · 05/10/2001, 9:31 AM

Originally posted by Gerry Desmond

...the peno IMO was a very good save. ...
Gerry

No, no, no Gerry. The penalty was missed, missed by the most useless lump that has ever pulled on a pair of boots anywhere. Morely was also responsible for the Latvian's goal. I could see clearly that he was making faces at Daly to put him off his game and that's why he messed up the bounce.

Gerry Desmond · 05/10/2001, 10:13 AM

Originally posted by Jim Smith

No, no, no Gerry. The penalty was missed, missed by the most useless lump that has ever pulled on a pair of boots anywhere. Morely was also responsible for the Latvian's goal. I could see clearly that he was making faces at Daly to put him off his game and that's why he messed up the bounce.

From where I was Jim I didn't see Skippy pulling faces, I have to admit. This throws an entirely different light on the matter and should rule out any suggestion of a testimonial also.

Thanks for pointing it out, it is important as I am now on the final chapter of Pat's biography. I bow to your powers of observation. Do you think Pat may have been making faces in the run-up to the penalty, but that the keeper had seen it all before unlike the obviously shocked D Daly?

Gerry

**Jim Smith** · 05/10/2001, 12:05 PM

Originally posted by Gerry Desmond

Do you think Pat may have been making faces in the run-up to the penalty, but that the keeper had seen it all before unlike the obviously shocked D Daly?

Gerry

Come to think of it, I might have seen him point to the spot where he was going to hit the penalty so as to make the keeper's job even easier - you really can't be up to the treachery of Morely, he's capable of anything.

**James** · 05/10/2001, 8:02 PM

pat morely pulling faces eh lads

good to see that ye have kept up the high quality of football related discussion on this forum in my absence, for the last 3 days.

Well FAO everyone. i'm back

ok gota go get me a soda and some chips from the store

**�anna** · 08/10/2001, 12:39 PM

Jim? Very unlike you to be so sarcastic! Spot on though, Everythings Morley's fault is the attitude when it suits and it's not on. I believe he still has something to offer the team. As for this business of testimonials? Anyone who suggests that Johnny C deserves anything more than a free transfer from Cork City after his behaviour in the last year needs their head examined, as far as i'm concerned. He has soured any respect most people have for him.

Neil · 08/10/2001, 7:09 PM

Originally posted by �anna
Anyone who suggests that Johnny C deserves anything more than a free transfer from Cork City after his behaviour in the last year needs their head examined, as far as i'm concerned. He has soured any respect most people have for him.

Spot on. If he gets one we may aswell give one to Liam O'Brien, Paul Hague and of course the Three Bulgarians.