Echo do it again

[tiktok]

It's hardly surprising is it guys, come on.

Picture it, Paul Daly (a name i've never seen in any way associated with a City article in the Echo) is sitting in Killarney supping a pint on Friday evening. His editor phones,
Ed: "Paul, will you cover the City Match on Sunday"
Paul: "Yeah, I suppose, I was out there once, small bald lad was playing"
Ed: "James Mulligan"
Paul: "Yeah, that's the one, he still around?"
Ed: Silence

Paul enjoys the hurling game (as he was perfectly entitled to do, I've no intention of playing the GAA -v- City card), celebrates a great victory in Killarney saturday night. Tries it on with a Kerry lass, but she has taste.

Paul arrives at the cross, the consumate professional, he's hungover and it's ten minutes to kick-off, he struggles in without the sold-out programme and settles down with a scowl on his face (he'll have to ask someone who the players are now, he wonders should he put on a Dutch accent?). Everyone there enjoys the game, and even though it's not the best we've played, everyone sees that Dolan has got the tactics against a very good (and very interested) Dutch side spot on.

Not a journalist, not a fan, not a clue.

[razor]

Just finished it there, what a moron.
How could he be allowed print such rubbish but I suppose with an editor like McHale anything is possible.
John McHales full page of wow look at me cr@p, i'm now officially on the bandwagon was sickly enough in itself earlier this week.

Now we have a GAABoy/Egg Chaser who obviously knows nothing about Cork City or the sport they play trivialising last Sunday possibly one of the greatest days in the history of the club.

The Echo, soon to be as popular as the Sun in Liverpool.
If the other email addresses are anything to go by try paul.daly@eecho.ie and vent some fury upon this child.

[Éanna]

For some the cup is always half empty.
about the only true statement in the article
Paul Daly wasn't overly impressed with City's display in the Intertoto Cup against NEC Nijmegen.

A day which began with grey clouds drizzling on the City didn't promise much.
But by half five on sunday, the sun ahd broken through and the day had delivered a lot.
By the tikme the fourth official raised the board to indicate there would be two minutes of stoppage time at the end of Cork City's Second Round intertoto cup game against NEC Nijmegen, the whole of Turner's Cross was chanting "City, City, City"

They were even singing in the Derrynane stand. Quite an achievement. Normally the inhabitants of the Derrynane end only open their mouths occasionally, alternating between breathing and abusing certain players.end? last time I checked it was at the side
Mostly, they do the latter more than the former.
And yet, as Sunday afternoon moved into sunday eveing, they were cheering.
Just as well: if it hadn't been so loud, I'm not sure I would have been able to stay awake. it was one of the most tedious games I've ever sat through at the Cross.out of how many? 2 or 3?

And I've sat through some bloody tedious games this season. Repressed memories of Shels and Drogheda occasionally rise from my subconscious to wreak merry havoc on my mental stability; or memories of games during seasons past in which City 'tactics' involved lumping long balls up to James Mulligan,who, at a generous estimate, was just about tall enough to get on the rollercoaster at funderlandShels and Drogs? ah, so it was his 3rd game. Oh wait, he's been other seasons too.How knocking a ball over the top for a pacey young player like o'flynn/doyle equates to hoofing at jimmy mull is beyond me

[Éanna]

Even in comparison with the bad days of the past, Sunday was poor.
Nec Nijmegen looked like a side who wished they were on their holidays, not in pre-season training. They had the air of college students who had to return from the US to repeat a five-credit subject after getting 39% at their first attempt. Look at me, I know how universities work. hey mammy, over here, look at me
Mick Devine had to make two interceptions, but other than that was untested, with Alan Bennett and Dan Murray rarely forced to break sweat.
wonder if they'd agree with him on that?
In short, the Dutch weren't particularly bothered.wonder if anyone else in the ground thought the same.......nah, just little paul

City didn't have the ability to capitalize. Their play lacked ambition and imagination. might be true if you were expecting brazil of 1970! not to worry, paul manages to contradict this later

O'Callaghan and Colin T O'Brien though they graftd extremely hard against men who were bigger and stronger, failed to get into positions to pick the ball up off their full-backs. so the 7,999or so who saw them do it.......were watching a mirage?

Which meant that, time and again, Danny Murphy and Cillian Lordan were reduced to pumping long balls into the channels for JOF and Neale enn to chase.playing the ball into space which unsettled a rather slow looking NEC defence, and took the pressure off City's defence(even though they weren't breaking a sweat)

the odd time, they'd lump 'em straight up to the two lads.

Remind you of anything? This in my opinion has been happening all too often this season, and its driving me mad.frankly no. And while it did happen last season and earlier on, its improved, right Paul?

Game after game after game, with no sign of improvement. NO? Oops, wrong again Paul

It's a huge pity, because the team as a whole, is terms of ability, is light years ahead of the previous models. I thought they "didn't have the ability" Paul

And yet, they knock long, aimless balls forward as in the terrible days of yore.You must have missed those terrible days for the most part Paul, cos it got so so so much worse than that

Once they get to the final third, thy are well able to play.despite not having the "ability"

There's no doubt about that. The fancy footwork and intricacy that they can produce there is magical to watch.despite not having the "ability"

Yet, if they were abl to play the ball through midfield, they could get into these positions on their own terms, which would make them more dangerous.which they did, but obviously Paul ****ed off home after about 55minutes

[Éanna]

[QUOTE=Éanna]Kicking a ball 40 yards gives the advantage to the defender. he sees it coming, has time to judge its flight, knock it away, and clatter the centre-forward for good measure.or, if the defender is slow and indecisive and he sees JOF or Doyler hurtling past him at full tilt, it causes him to **** his pants- as happened on saturday

On Sunday, those failings were writ large again. Were it not for City's set-pieces and the drive of Liam Kearney and kevin Doyle, the NEC keeper would have spent 90 minutes almost asleep.the failings that made City the second irish team ever to get thru 2 rounds in europe- gotcha! Oh, and if he'd been asleep, all the times he got backpasses under pressure- we'd have racked up 5 or 6 O.G.s

As it was, against patently unintereted opposition, they could only create three goal chances. One came at the end of the first half when O'Flynn met an O'Callaghan free kick at the near post but couldn't find the target. The second led to Doyle's goal, and the third came a minute after the goal when O'Flynn beat the offside trap and should have wrapped up the tie. factually incorrect- and thats just for starters

Let us not get carrid away with this win. The competition is known in English football circles as the Inter-two-bob cup. Nijmegen were lucky to avoid relegation last season,and were only in the tournament because none of the dozen or so teams that finished above them wanted to bother. On Sunday, it looked for all the world as if their participation was a cruel punishment by manager Johann Neeskens, designed to ensure that they don't underachieve again next season.who's getting carried away. Who cares what English football circles (probably some cave-dwelling Man Utd fan with IRA tattooes who frequents Paul's local; well either that or sky sports) think of it? They are hardly masters when it comes to european success are they?

Ah, underachievement in the domestic league.That underachievement which Dolan has promised to put right is it?

Think about it. Those who love City should not worship a false god. the domestic league is the important thing, and you sense that, despite their joy on Sunday, Pat Dolan and Brian Lennox know this. as did every city fan in the ground. way to put a dampener on it Paul.

[Éanna]

This is not do(sic) say that European success is a bad thing: quite obviously it is fantastic for the players and the fans.you just said it was a false god- make your mind up son!

But, if the European odyssey can't be repeated in the domestic league, those who made the St Anne's end a sea of red and green on Sunday will move wth a grumble towards the exits, the george-haters will clear their throats again, and the more polished Dublin sides will come to the Cross and dictate proceedings as they have consistently done over the last few years.
yeah, you're probably right. and everyone at City knows it too, and is doing their utmost to ensure that doesn't happen.
If the failings evident on Sunday remain for the rest of the season, the sunshine will soon turn to rain and City will again fall shrt of the mark in the eircom League. And that's what counts.
"always look on the bright side of life......."

[Storysham]

The gimp also mentioned that the shed sang "city city city", never have i ever heard that sung. He also mentioned that the derrynane stand were singing, i was in the lower right shed, i didnt see or hear any derrnane supporter sing (apart from the corner boys). Makes me wonder was he at the match at all.

[A face]

i didnt see or hear any derrnane supporter sing (apart from the corner boys). Makes me wonder was he at the match at all.

In fairness to them, there were certain sections in the Derrynane geting vocal and clapping etc. apart from the family enclosure and the corner.

It aint often, so when they do, we should give them credit.

[patsh]

Lads, I'd be the first to criticise Spillage and his ilk, but apart from the drivel printed last night from the American Football correspondent, the Echo has given fantastic coverage of the European adventure so far, and not just on the sports pages. One piece of crap is not too bad, given the overwhelmingly positive coverage so far.

[Bigballs]

Disgraceful article.
I Heard that John McHale is on holiday and Conor George has the say if to put something on or not if John McHale is away.

[razor]

Disgraceful article.
I Heard that John McHale is on holiday and Conor George has the say if to put something on or not if John McHale is away.

So in that case its conor.george@eecho.ie
Hate to see McHales mailbox when he gets back.

[rolo]

ah eanna no need to be so bashful of paul daly.

sure didnt he graduate from Christians like... who themselves have a fine heritage in producing distinguished writers and south mall suiters....