Dolans Honeymoon over

**pete** · 07/04/2004, 10:40 AM

Only seen the 2 away games this year but seems like Dolan has made some big mistakes this season so far.

Fenn - he looks handy 'n all but did we really need another forward?
O'Flynn - clearly no physically or match fit. I know he great player but why play him when such a large squad especially forwards?
Coughlan - I know he has his critics but how did Dolan manager to fall out with him when we clearly lacking height in the team.
Midfield - Why can't Dolan find a decent midfielder taller than 5.8"? Where are all his contacts????

**�anna** · 07/04/2004, 10:58 AM

couldn't agree more

**septern** · 07/04/2004, 11:13 AM

you are right there pete

last night city looked like a team made up of mainly fancyboys who didn't want to know as soon as waterford started to get physical. It seems as if they believe their own hype.......its all well and good having skillful players, but you need some guts along with it if city want to be serious challengers for the league.

now everyone knows it, i think it is going to get worse.......wait for pats to try the same tactics on friday.

**NorthoftheLee** · 07/04/2004, 11:17 AM

Originally Posted by septern

now everyone knows it, i think it is going to get worse.......wait for pats to try the same tactics on friday.

do they have any other???

**max power** · 07/04/2004, 11:19 AM

this day is only getting better, look up cork its waterford and longford waving down at yee ha ha.......

**Dodge** · 07/04/2004, 11:22 AM

Can't see us out muscling ye lads. The team that played last night had two blokes who could tackle (both centre halves) Midfield was very light weight. If Osam or Blatsis get fit we might have a chance but...

**tiktok** · 07/04/2004, 11:27 AM

Originally Posted by pete

Only seen the 2 away games this year but seems like Dolan has made some big mistakes this season so far.

Fenn - he looks handy 'n all but did we really need another forward?
O'Flynn - clearly no physically or match fit. I know he great player but why play him when such a large squad especially forwards?
Coughlan - I know he has his critics but how did Dolan manager to fall out with him when we clearly lacking height in the team.
Midfield - Why can't Dolan find a decent midfielder taller than 5.8"? Where are all his contacts????

1.Fenn is quality, one of our few bright lights so far
2.Agree completely about O'Flynn
3.Bennett
4.Bennett

and for the record
5.Bennett

**liamon** · 07/04/2004, 12:09 PM

1. I think everyone agrees that Fenn has plenty of skill and can score goals, but I'm not sure he can play in the same team as George.
If that is the case, then there is an abvious question:
So, who do you choose - Our top scorer at the moment, or our best player of last year?

Hope I'm worng on this and we find a way to maximise the contribution of both, but it doesn't look like it at present.

2. Agree

3. Coughlan adds more to the defence IMO than Benno.

4. Benno - I think midfiled is the role for him

**ccfcman** · 07/04/2004, 12:33 PM

i cant believe this thred is here.people were overjoyed when he first arrived and we're only 4 matches in

**adamcarr** · 07/04/2004, 12:38 PM

Originally Posted by ccfcman

i cant believe this thred is here.people were overjoyed when he first arrived and we're only 4 matches in

And 6th in the league.

**ccfcman** · 07/04/2004, 12:40 PM

and ur solution is?sack the manager and go unguided till we appoint who?quick to criticise,slow to offer solutions

**tiktok** · 07/04/2004, 12:48 PM

the honeymoon is over, but that doesn't mean that the marriage is.

I still think Dolan is the man for city but i still hold the reservations that I did on day one.

What worries me at the moment is how eerily familiar all this seems, what we're going through at the moment, the ego, the ranting to the media about every possible thing except why the team is underperforming, the alledged falling out with players, the f*cking hoofing (past quality players), the thinking behind the tactics, the size of the squad versus the obvious gaps on the team.

I've said it before, I hope it's the last time I bring it up, but this is the crap we used to slag St.Pat's about when Dolan was there.

I do think it's stupid to come out with the calls for Dolan's head, but if we'd been playing well and dropping points there wouldn't be this reaction, the problem is we're playing poorly and dropping points and we haven't faced Bohs or Shels yet.

Let's not forget though, that Waterford held Bohs in Dublin, they're not a bad side

**ccfcman** · 07/04/2004, 12:50 PM

[QUOTE=tiktok]
I still think Dolan is the man for city

I do think it's stupid to come out with the calls for Dolan's headQUOTE]
ya what you're saying is true,i cant understand this anti dolan feelings after JUST 4 games,lads we gotta get behind the team noty after the gaffers head!

**�anna** · 07/04/2004, 1:21 PM

nobody's after the managers head, we're just saying that he has talked the talk (with avengeance) and its about time he started walking the walk. We've heard so much from him about what he's going to do, but our defence is worse than last season and he seems intent on getting rid of the likes of greg and Benno who are the kind of players that every club needs when the going gets tough. Its time to start producing the goods

**liamon** · 07/04/2004, 1:21 PM

To be fair, I think the shed was behind the team for the entire match last night, so there's no need to criticise the fans.
We've had a poor start to the campaign, but there are a few factors to bear in mind:
1. JOF is not yet fit and he's still our best goalscorer.
2. Fenn, Sweeney, Byrne, Murphy all need time to settle in.
3. George is far better than we've seen so far this season.

I'm confident we will improve. I'm confident that Dolan will make City more professional.

I'm not so confident that Dolan has a clear idea of how we should play or who should play. I'm also a bit worried by the rumours of players being dropped for arguing with him. But he deserves time - all teams have dodgy spells. Changing the manager because of a few bad results is not the answer.

Look at Real Madrid or Man Utd. - they have bad spells but get over it. They don't change the manager because of 5-6 poor games.

What is it about football that makes people's memory so short?

**Peadar** · 07/04/2004, 1:26 PM

Originally Posted by liamon

I'm not so confident that Dolan has a clear idea of how we should play or who should play.

Dolan has an idea of how he wants football to be played but fails to notice that the resources available to him are not always suited to his chosen tactics. A good manager will make the best of the resources available to him. Pity we don't have a good manager.
Bring back Gunther

**pete** · 07/04/2004, 1:28 PM

Originally Posted by tiktok

the honeymoon is over, but that doesn't mean that the marriage is.

Exactly. Dolan was given free ride last year but he gotta start to move towards success this year.

The stuff raised here look like mistakes that won't be resolved by shuffling the squad. Dolan is doing well to recognise the sqaud not good enough which means new players but we now become like an umpa lumpa team so soooooo small.