QuoteMonaghan improved hugely as last season went on. Don't see any reason that they'll fade away this time. Definite promotion contenders.
So, as we near the end of the second series of games it really is Derry's title to throw away with a 10 point lead. In fact, McBride's bookies in Derry have announced that they are paying out on Derry winning the title at 6/1.
Derry's next 7 games are going to shape things up for the division and if they come through that unbeaten then I don't see them being caught.
They have:
Shels (a)
Salthill (h)
Harps (a)
Mons (h)
Cork (h)
Limerick (a)
Waterford (a)
The final 4 games in that are all going to be very tough games and sh!te and all as we are we hope to throw a spanner in the works in 3 weeks time (although it is unlikely).
Limerick have a next 7 games of: Wexford (a), Mons (h), Shels (a), Athlone (h), Mervue (a), Derry (h), Longford (h)
Waterford face: Harps (a), Longford (h), Athlone (a), Shels (h), Wexford (h), Cork (a), Derry (h)
In those 7 game I can see Limerick and Waterford pretty sure to win 5 of those 7 each and Derry probably will win 3.
The run in is going to be interesting, I would say Limerick are the most likely challengers for the league with Waterford (and Monaghan) falling away.
Monaghan improved hugely as last season went on. Don't see any reason that they'll fade away this time. Definite promotion contenders.
Derry's next 7 games are difficult and as you say Sammy if we come out of that with 15 points, I cant see anyone catching us. The games after that are winnable . James McLean has been amazing this year and on current form should be in the running for Player of the Year. Missing Kevin Deery will be a big loss for next 6 weeksOriginally Posted by pineapple stu
Too few teams in the league and too many relatively strong teams in the league for ANY team to a soft run of seven games. If Limerick can keep in touch with Derry and capitalise on any slips (while negotiating a tough set of fixtures themselves) then the Derry game in Jackman could be massive.
Good few lads have complained that Jackman's surface could cost us a title challenge, though the pitch was improved beyond recognition for the 5 -0 win over Salthill Devon. We have a strong squad, with technically good players and some astute signings over the mid-season break (Stevo, Rodgers and O'Leary stand out) mean we have one of the best squads in the league in my opinion.
But a lead like Derry's is hard to reel back. May as well roll a dice as try to predict the score vs Shels, Harps, Mons, Cork, Limerick or Waterford.
Hell of a league this year though
Longford Town are really ****ing me off this year. We should be so much further up this league than we are. I don't expect us to be challenging, but we're definitely able to be up there with the likes of Shels and Cork. We've beaten Waterford and Limerick, drawn with Derry away, Shels away and Cork....and then we lose to ****ing Mervue. Inconsistent is an understatement.
I was thinking about that myself, De Town. Looking at Mervue United 4 - 3 Longford Town and thinking about our loss to ye back at the Flansiro. Longford kinda showcase the First Division this year though. Unpredictable as Hell.
i hate longford arg......
we will be alright lads just one of those seasons when we cant seem to move up the table but things will get better and were still in the cup!!!! SO DONT WORRY BE HAPPY
BetweenTheStripes.net - Home of Between the Stripes LOI podcast.
It's just extremely frustrating because the good results I mentioned above show that we have the ability to be competitive in this league this year, but the inconsistency is shocking.
The 1st division is such a tough league,much harder to get promoted from it than to just avoid relegation in prem IMO.In our last few years in it your heart would be in your mouth every week.We had the year of the "playoff" where Galway took our spot...then we blew a big lead the year Cobh went up...and sure the year we won it,we again blew a lead only for Colin Scanlon of Limerick to score with the last kick of the season to get us promoted.
What i will say is it provided me with some of the best(and worst) moments supporting Dundalk.From the highs of that night we got promoted to the lows of getting whipped away to Wexford youths!!!
All the same i am glad to be out of it for now.But entertainment wise it provides drama and un-predictability every single year.I have nothing but respect for the lads who go out and support their clubs week in week out.From a Dundalk fan who saw us at the bottom of the pile under Anderson all i can say is keep the faith and your clubs day will come.
Only another 9 titles till Drogheda become pride of county louth!!!
I think people have maybe been too quick to discount Shels in this thread. The squad that's there at the moment is very poor but has still managed to cling on to the coat tails of the three above and it will be well worth seeing who Alan Matthews is able to bring in in the remainser of the window before writing them off.
It's Derrys division to lose really at this stage and I can't see them dropping enough points. I'd have Limerick favourites for second spot due to having a better squad than Waterford and Mons (and much better than Shels as it stands). We all saw last weekend what happens Waterford when they're missing a few players, Hendo has a very good twelve to fourteen players there but not a hell of a lot besides. One thing going against Limerick though is their complete lack of experience of being in this sort of situation before. Limerick DO NOT KNOW HOW to perform infront of a large crowd. Spanked at home earlier on in the season by a very very crap FORAS side for example. Hopefully the likes of Dave Rodgers will step up to the plate for us but still I'd dread the thoughts of us in the play-offs like!
Derry have won hand on the title at this stage in my opinion.
When i've seen them this season, it was sort of hard to believe they are playing first divison football.
Whoever goes on a decent run from Waterford, Monaghan and Limerick should get to the playoffs.
From our perspective, 2010 has been about creating a foundation on which to improve for years to come .
I suppose we're doing alright considering we had no preseason more or less, but the football at times has'nt been great .
Playing 4-5-1 at home tells you enough.
With the new additions, hopefully we'll end the season on a high with a few wins put together.
Next season we can give promotion a real crack .
Our squad is much stronger than people would think. Limerick definitely don't have a much better squad than us. We've been through the wars, had almost a completely new squad come through this season, a manager who should never have stayed and eventually left, and we're still 3 points off yous with a game at home to yous at the end of the month. Impossible to say how we'll go now considering we're yet to play a game under our new manager, but our squad is certainly no worse than Limerick or Monaghan's, and I don't think you'll find many people from outside Limerick or Monaghan who would share that opinion.
Lets redefine what it means to heal
Dave Rodgers
Stephen O'Flynn
John Tierney
Jeffrey Judge
Thomas Lyons
Peter White
Daryl Kavanagh
Dave O'Leary
Sean Kelly
There's a list of Limerick players off the top of my head who would walk onto Shelbournes team at the moment.
I'm sure people that know their stuff outside Limerick and Monaghan would share my opinion but whatever, it doesn't really matter
Youths must be pretty pleased with how we've gotten on, considering how many of best players we've lost. Conor Sinnott, Patsy, David Breen, Peter White. Gary Sheahan's not scoring the goals at all any more. If I'd known that was all going to happen I'd have expected us to be scrapping Salthill and Mervue, rather than Cork and Shels, considering we had 3 points taken away for fielding that suspended player.
I am glad darkglasses you acknowledge the fact that ye lost points from that game but tell the fai adminstrators and the press that fact as according to them ye never had 3 points deducted!
Gary Cronin is he the right man to manage Longford Town?
Great team you have there.... Getting spanked by Wexford youths......Dave Rodgers
Stephen O'Flynn
John Tierney
Jeffrey Judge
Thomas Lyons
Peter White
Daryl Kavanagh
Dave O'Leary
Sean Kelly
There's a list of Limerick players off the top of my head who would walk onto Shelbournes team at the moment.
I'm sure people that know their stuff outside Limerick and Monaghan would share my opinion but whatever, it doesn't really matter
Saw on the extratime updates that Mc Brides bookmakers in Derry are paying out already for Derry winning the league.
Dave Rodgers
Stephen O'Flynn
John Tierney
Jeffrey Judge
Thomas Lyons
Peter White
Daryl Kavanagh
Dave O'Leary
Sean Kelly
There's a list of Limerick players off the top of my head who would walk onto Shelbournes team at the moment.
I'm sure people that know their stuff outside Limerick and Monaghan would share my opinion but whatever, it doesn't really matter
Some very good players there but I wouldn't agree with Dave Rodgers being as good as if not better than what Shels have. He looked well past his best when we played Cork.
ummmmmmm
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