Our league challenge

**patsh** · 19/07/2004, 12:46 PM

Unless we produce the greatest result in our history next Saturday, we will be playing Waahurfort at the Cross next Friday week.
We really need those 3 points, and to win all our games in hand, but I think we could suffer badly from post-Europe depression. I reckon the thugs will be really up for it as usual, and we could get a thumping, (in more ways than one..

), if we are not careful. The Euro experience will count for nothing if we don't play with the same confidence, ability and teamwork as we have shown for the last few weeks.
We CAN still win this league, but I'm very worried that it will take us too long to get our heads back into eL mode, and the kicksh*t football from so many teams.
Anybody think we are going to suffer a Euro hangover?

**tiktok** · 19/07/2004, 12:47 PM

Originally Posted by patsh

Unless we produce the greatest result in our history next Saturday, we will be playing Waahurfort at the Cross next Friday week.

Anybody think we are going to suffer a Euro hangover?

Which will be two days after our rescheduled Cup game -v- UCD
There may be a Euro hangover, but I think that Dolan will utilise the large squad we have and get players heads right.

a few tough games on the way though

**Schumi** · 19/07/2004, 12:49 PM

Originally Posted by tiktok

Which will be two days after our rescheduled Cup game -v- UCD

Could you re-schedule for the Saturday or Sunday? We've moved our game against Cobh that weekend to the Sunday.

**tiktok** · 19/07/2004, 12:53 PM

Originally Posted by Schumi

Could you re-schedule for the Saturday or Sunday? We've moved our game against Cobh that weekend to the Sunday.

you're at home in the cup, so it might be better to leave it at the wednesday and not put pressure on the bus driver

**Peadar** · 19/07/2004, 1:02 PM

We need to get our league campaign back on track to ensure that we're back in Europe next year for another tremendous adventure.
We can be very proud of ourselves no matter what happens next Saturday but lets compound our progress by challenging for the league.

**eoinh** · 19/07/2004, 1:03 PM

the only good thing is that i think both shels and bohs will get by their preliminary round games so it could be swings and roundabouts as they get involved in europe over the next few weeks. maybe they'll take their eye off the ball......

**Schumi** · 19/07/2004, 1:15 PM

You're playing Nantes on Sunday aren't you? Presumably Dolan wants two days off before the cup game.

**tiktok** · 19/07/2004, 1:16 PM

Originally Posted by Schumi

You're playing Nantes on Sunday aren't you?

No. It's on the Saturday

**Gandhi** · 19/07/2004, 3:13 PM

The crowd's reaction will be important, particularly if the Intertoto Cup game doesn't go well i.e. a bad defeat where we don't get much of the ball. I had given up on the league because of the gap between us and Shels, but if we get on a bit of a roll and win the majority of those games in hand we will be right back up there. not only that but if you are coming from the pack so to speak, you are not the ones under pressure. Shels have everything to lose now, they are out in front looking over their shoulders. Put a few wins together and we might make them more nervous. The next home game in the league is vital and I hope the crowd 'do a Nijmigen' rather than a Derry in terms of atmosphere (no slur on Derry fans intended, I am talking about the pathetic atmosphere at the X a few weeks ago in the league, for most of the game there wasn't a peep from the crowd)
I don't know how realistic a hope that is but the funny thing is, it will be a good test for the rest of the season. If we can be arsed to get behind the lads and give them a lift I'm sure it will help them to avoid a post Euro slump. Hopefully that's what will happen, the lads have shown how much quality there is in the squad, the challenge now is to be up for those games that normally don't excite the crowd but funnily enough still have 3 points up fopr grabs

**DolansWaistcoat** · 19/07/2004, 4:38 PM

It will be very hard to get the league campaign back on track after the intertoto cup run.The players will be coming down from a high and we could find ourselves struggling to pick up anything at all over the next few months.I hope not though.

**patsh** · 19/07/2004, 4:41 PM

According to Spillage, the league "is out of reach".......

**Eric** · 19/07/2004, 7:24 PM

I don't think the league is out of reach but it's gonna be very hard for the players in the next couple of weeks fitness wise. In the last 5 weeks they've played some very tough games where they've had to prepare themselves mentally and focus throughout each 90 minutes. They've also done a hell of a lot of running in those games as a lot of the time they were playing a defensive game.

If they can get 2 or 3 good results in the first games after the Inter-toto run then it'll get them back in the right frame of mind and from there anything is possible

**sullanefc** · 19/07/2004, 9:32 PM

Well with Shels losing to drogs yesterday i think city are back in with a shout. Shels might have an eye on their own Euro games, injuries and suspensions could take there toll. There are going to be a lot more twists and turns in the league yet.

**pete** · 20/07/2004, 11:08 AM

I;d say Dolan isn't even thinking of the League & Cup at the moment as just concentrating on Inter Toto until it ends.

Matching Nantes for fitness in warm conditions shows how much the teams fitness has improved this season & don't we have some suspensions coming up which will mean have to bring players off the bench anyway? Gamble, Nwanko, & Billy in particular are all able to do a job for city.

Besides its likely Shel$ & Bohs will also have european games to fit into their schedules while we work our way through the postponed games.

**Bossman Scally** · 20/07/2004, 4:31 PM

I can see us making a bloody good crack at the title now! Why? Because the players have tasted the forbidden fruit of European glory, and they'll want more. Do you think O'Flynn would have signed an extension to his contract if we had got thumped by Malmo? I very much doubt it. He knows, like the rest of us, that this team is going places under Pat and he wants to be a part of it. I say stuff the Inter-Toto cup next year, we'll be playing in the Uefa/Champions League anyway. The players and management want to experience these European games again, especially the ones at the X, so I'm fairly certain we'll be up at the business end of the table come November. I, for one, will be cheering them on, all the way!

**Fair_play_boy** · 20/07/2004, 11:04 PM

Originally Posted by sullanefc

Well with Shels losing to drogs yesterday i think city are back in with a shout. Shels might have an eye on their own Euro games, injuries and suspensions could take there toll. There are going to be a lot more twists and turns in the league yet.

And City have dropped only two more points than Shels. Admittedly we have to play those back games, but I reckon Dolan will have the squad focusing on the right aspects of the domestic league, to pick up points from those games in hand.

**sullanefc** · 21/07/2004, 11:04 AM

I think the likes of Gamble, Nwankwo, Billy and Greg could feature against UCD. They deserve a run out to play a competitive game before they play in the League. We are going to have suspensions in the game against Waterford and its so important that these guys have a game under their belt. Not to mention that a lot of the guys playing in Europe would be too tired to play against UCD.
The Waterford game is much more important than the UCD game.
Time for Pat to become the Tinkerman over the next few weeks while trying to maintain some balance. Its going to be tough, but we have a good squad.

**pete** · 21/07/2004, 11:19 AM

Don't change a winning team unless have to with injuries or suspensions.

**sullanefc** · 21/07/2004, 11:25 AM

Originally Posted by pete

Don't change a winning team unless have to with injuries or suspensions.

But thats the thing. We will have suspensions V Waterford. And I think whoever is going to come in needs a competitive game before then. Plus the fact that its not long after the home game V Nantes so some players may be tired.

But it may not matter if we beat Nantes 2 - 0