Big time charlies

[niamh]

Drogs were the better team last night, but the reality is Dolan made no changes so lots of games in a short space of time is not an acceptable excuse.
I think some of the players need a rest. Even without Euro football so many games in that space of time is exhausting for teams.
City got to get down to the business of the league now. We need European football next season and the rate Drogs are going they will be up there at the end with only three Euro spots, unless one of top teams wins Cup.
Personally I didn't think City were winning the league before our Euro adventure. Team is capable of excellent performances and results, but there is no consistancy IMO.

[jmc105]

I hate to say it but City certainly didn't play well tonight and the goals were not really against the run of play. Drogheda were well worth the win. We never threathened Drogs tonight. The odd half chance here and the peno shout there but no clearcut or well worked chances. City have not adjusted to the rough and tumble of the eircom league. Put simply, we never stamped any authority on the game.

that doesn't match up with the report on corkcityfc.ie...

it sounds like the game could have worked out differently if we had scored first, or taken one of our chances. goals change games, and drogheda scored at the worst possible times from our point of view. there's a long way to go in this league yet, but i won't be too disappointed if we don't win it this year.

dolan and lennox have a vision for this club that extends beyond this season - i'd rather build a solid team and club in the long term, and be successful in the long term, than win one league championship and then fade away. the success will come, and hopefully will continue long into the future.

[SSS]

City's last five domestic games have yielded four defeats.
The only win was in the only game where there was any kind of a big game atmosphere.
We failed to score in the four defeats. That's two goals in our last five domestic games - including games against the mighty UCD and Limerick..
You might not like the timing of my comment or the phrasing, but that record deserves comment. If it's because the players are tired - that's Dolan's fault for not using his squad of thirty odd players or even the full allocation of substitutes (notwithstanding the fixture list imposed, gotta play the hand dealt). If we lack forward penetration because Johnny isn't fit, that's Dolan's fault for persisting with him.
Europe may be a distraction but the good run could have made or broken our season. It looks like it has broken it - out of two cups and two league loses against other second place contenders. And I really thought it would be the making of the team.

As for the comment about Drogs and UCD being graveyards where we never do well - sure, that only re-inforces my query.

And someone please give that guy a dictionery with "fickle" marked. It's the most over-used (& incorrectly used) word on the board.

SSS, the ignored ,muppet, tool

[SSS]

Jesus H. As the UCD fan sings - "Fickle Til Ye Die".

Where to start?

1. The game wasnt over when u posted. Or are you one of those people who leave before full time if things arent going well.

2. Drogs are currently 2nd in the league. Bad teams arent in 2nd place halfway through a season.

3. Citys away form this season has been the best we've seen in years. A minor glitch here and there is to be expected over the course of a season.

4. Belfield and o2 park are graveyards for City. It doesnt matter how well we are going, it just never seems to happen for us in these grounds (which a small few exceptions). And that isnt a Dolan problem. Its a City Manager problem. FULL STOP!

Okay, we lost tonight. Its a dissapointment. But we wil get over it, starting on Friday against a poor SPA team.

Remember, one win and one loss, is better than 2 draws.

Gotta reply to you Gary.
Game was over. Maybe the update page hadn't refreshed.
Don't leave early.
"one win and one loss" - Obviously true, but last time I heard that twas' some relegation threatened manager, not someone who had serious title aspirations.
Of course we'll get over it, but don't tell me you weren't as p***ed at fulltime as I was.

The pre-match thread had lots of postive "we're going up there to win" and "shouldn't be settling for a draw" comments" *.
After the game, Drogs are a really good team, etc....
At least I expected a win and vented when we didn't - just looking for a reason. Anyone else got one?

*You were right Eanna, we shouldn't settle for draws in games like that.

[Gary]

Yes i was dissapointed, but I didnt see the need to have a go at the team and manager.

You have got to be positive before the game. If not, whats the point in supporting a team? Losing away to Drogs at the moment isnt what it was a few seasons ago, when they were sh*t.

It certainly isnt the end of the world. Look at it this way - If we win all our remaining games, we win the league!!!

[Éanna]

*You were right Eanna, we shouldn't settle for draws in games like that.

yes I was. and you were totally wrong to go slagging players off without having seen the game. being honest I was totally ****ed off with everything leaving drogheda- city, the league everything. But I remembered that we have a very young team who still have a lot to learn. They showed maturity beyond their years and experience in dealing with waterford on friday and maybe drogheda was just a bit too soon for them. Young players/teams make mistakes. they let things get to them. but with the right manager they learn from them. we've learnt so much this season. next season can really be ours. a bit of faith and a little less of the negativity would really help

[Colm]

you were totally wrong to go slagging players off without having seen the game.

I think that's the clincher here.... people who didn't bother going to the game don't have a right to critisise as they are only judging on the result and haven't a clue how things actually transpired.

There is no call for your negativity SSS.

[Fair_play_boy]

the drogs result is a real sickener. we obviously lack a lot of steel. at the end of season it isn't about reaching the 1/4 finals of some poxy european competition but how you finsih in the league. i really wonder about dolan

Is this the sort of driftwood that comes in with the tide of new "supporters"?

[niamh]

The only win was in the only game where there was any kind of a big game atmosphere.

There was a good atmosphere created by the City fans that travelled to the game.

[cathal]

Is this the sort of driftwood that comes in with the tide of new "supporters"?

nah boy being goin for years. i was known onnthese boards under various names and guises and d'like so I guess yous the new boy here

[thecorner]

But I remembered that we have a very young team who still have a lot to learn. They showed maturity beyond their years and experience in dealing with waterford on friday and maybe drogheda was just a bit too soon for them. Young players/teams make mistakes. they let things get to them. but with the right manager they learn from them. we've learnt so much this season. next season can really be ours. a bit of faith and a little less of the negativity would really help

are you dave o leary in disguise
are you dave.............................................. ...........

[Eric]

Some people who weren't at the game game are critising the players and getting abused by people who were at the game.

Yet a lot of these people were/are abusing the linesman on the City side of the pitch when 95% of his decisions were spot on!!!

[NorthoftheLee]

Yet a lot of these people were/are abusing the linesman on the City side of the pitch when 95% of his decisions were spot on!!!

Not a chance there Eric.....95% you're most definitely having a laugh...

[Peadar]

i was known onnthese boards under various names and guises

Not Dalo?
Noooooooooooooooooooooo!

[James]

Not Dalo?
Noooooooooooooooooooooo!

welcome back Cathal

[cathal]

hi lads. glad to be back

[SSS]

<Colm:I think that's the clincher here.... people who didn't bother going to the game don't have a right to critisise as they are only judging on the result and haven't a clue how things actually transpired.

There is no call for your negativity SSS. >

Colm, big difference between "didn't bother" and "couldn't" go to a game. We can't all travel to away games. I sat for the bones of two hours staring at pointless update screens on my PC and listening to radio reports. You guys may have had a few hours to cool off before posting, but I was online at fulltime. Match rage! As for commenting on a game I wasn't at - the comment was more about the last few domestic games. Monday was just the latest one.

<Eanna:you were totally wrong to go slagging players off without having seen the game. >

And you were out of order calling me a tool. I don't think we've ever crossed swords to any great degree before Eanna, but stooping to implement-calling so quickly, well... (Come to think of it, Pete, joining your "ignore" list seems quite easy too).

But here's the key - sure I wasn't at the game, but my post (albeit posted immediately after this particular game) expresses frustration at a lot more than this one match. It is the fourth loss in five domestic games without scoring. A run that has seen us drop out of two competitions and seriously damage our League aspirations. That the latest one happened to be away to Drogs when I wasn't there is largely irrelevant. Of course, we could have dominated all four games and just been unlucky with linesman decisions and wind direction. Or maybe there is a problem to be ironed out. God knows when Liam M couldn't get the team to win away from home people on here had plenty to say about it (even at times when the home games were sure to provide 3 class goals to enjoy). So it was OK to express frustration at away form two years ago but not a current poor domestic run?

I think Dolan will sort it and I think we have a superb squad, but that doesn't preclude me from commenting on a sequence of poor results against teams we should be beating if we're as good as we've been in some games this season. City's recent run of success in Europe and poor domestic form is reminiscent of Liverpool beating Top 5 teams one week and losing to Wolves the following week.* - that's where the BTC title comes from.

*Reference to Premiers**t for illustrative purposes only and does not imply affection for that industry.



Time to move one and try to figure out why we can't score goals with our stellar forwad players

[pete]

I don't understand how anyone can criticise based on results on a computer monitor. Maybe you'd be better off playing a computer game?

[James]

I don't understand how anyone can criticise based on results on a computer monitor. Maybe you'd be better off playing a computer game?

classic pete

[SSS]

I don't understand how anyone can criticise based on results on a computer monitor. Maybe you'd be better off playing a computer game?

Pete, if you're going to ignore 95% of a post and selectively take one piece out of context to facilitate childish humour and feigned confusion in an attempt to undermine a point of view, be a good lad and just ignore 100% of my posts in future. And people called me a muppet and a tool.

We've lost 4 out of 5 domestically and failed to score in any of the defeats with possibly the best attack-minded players in the league in our team. Even if we had 99% possession and dominated each game, end result is a poor run. Don't need to be at the last of those games to be annoyed by the sequence of results. And if, God forbid, City were to fail to beat Pats on Friday, I remain entitled to be p***ed off with the team's form. If this form continues and City don't finish at least second (made even more important with the launch of the new cup competition with the North) we will be years behind Shels financially.

Even second may not be enough to sustain a financial challenge to Shels' newfound wealth.
We might be making great strides in the last couple of years, but the gap to Shels will widen significantly unless we turn things around pronto.Our European adventure next season must match Shels' success this time (cash generation, not number of wins).

No one has to agree with my venting at fulltime on Monday, but alternative views on why we're in a slump would reflect better than dismissive name-calling and sarcasm.

Maybe it's nothing to do with only being up for big matches - that's the first thing that my enraged mind came up with on Monday - it could be Dolan's refusal to change a tired line-up even though we have experienced and talented players on the bench who would be playing for a first-team place; his failure to use subs to full effect; making the players train on the Thursday between the Wednesday and Friday games last week (we can in part thank Rennie's tactics for getting enough adrenalin flowing to get our guys through the game); continuing to play an unfit striker; it could be that other teams are just more up for it after our European exploits trying knock the big boys off their perch; could be not travelling overnight to away games. Who knows?

Still though, City for the League. Because we're good enough, and because we have to.