Time For Change

**Sonic** · 12/08/2004, 7:28 PM

Okay this thread has been coming for a while.Having seen what shelbourne did against Deportivo last night in Landsdowne Road it only makes me feel disgust at how poorly we performed against a disticntly average Liechtenstein team.Irrespective of the RARE win against Waterford we have been dragged into a relegation battle when it is evident that our squad is one of the best in the premier.Unlike other supporters I give every man like the next their fair chance and i been very patient this season.We have played well in patches but the style of football is uniquely defensive(Gerard Houllier would be proud of such a style). Our football has become stale and while our present manager has processed wonderful success last season we have become misguided in our strive for further progress.Either sides of the managerial debate must concede that we are the thick of the relegation battle.With Roddy Collins making four exciting,young and talented signings(and according to himself more to come)even more pressure will be put on the respective clubs involved.A bad result on Saturday night would spell disaster in our quest to escape this awkward situation. As you all know relegation would be a disaster both financially to the club and socially to its fans.Flancare Park would be without its regular BANDWAGON SUPPORT and would be reduced to the same 70 or so fans which were origionally there;instead of playing an exciting team like Shelbourne we would languishing in the abyss of a sea of mediocrity that is the Eircom League First Division.On a different note Alan Matthews has done reasonably well in the league with an excellent finish last season however,our players are no longer responding to the AA Team as they have been known as.I am simply suggesting a new breath of fresh air as there is an awful stench hovering in the air at present...............Please take my comments on board-you know they make sense
Yours faithfully,
An LTFC fan.

**Maz** · 12/08/2004, 7:37 PM

Originally Posted by Sonic

Okay this thread has been coming for a while.Having seen what shelbourne did against Deportivo last night in Landsdowne Road it only makes me feel disgust at how poorly we performed against a disticntly average Liechtenstein team.

yes we played bad against vaduz at home and if we had to play like we did in the last ten mins definately we could have taken them but thats all ifs and buts
were you in vaduz? did you see the game? because i was there, i saw the game and our team did us proud, they played a fantastic game of football and only for dodgy decisions we should have been the ones with the goal lead......again its all ifs and buts.

anyone who has been to even a few games this season, can see we are getting dreadful results in our games, waterford was a long needed win, and hopefully it will be continued against pats on saturday night.

i dont agree with players and managers being booed but the people doin this were the ones stuck up their A$$es after last season and if we do well this season the trend will continue!

**Sonic** · 12/08/2004, 7:56 PM

1.No, I wasn't in Vaduz, not all of us can afford such trips.

2.What I saw in Flancare was a disgrace, simple as Maz.

3.I am not a 'boo-boy' and I am not or never will be stuck up anyones ass thank you very much.

4.Despite my enormous relegation worries I shall be still there unlike the sunshine fans that are slow to demand change, and as a result of this lack of action will be nowhere when relegation comes (not suggesting you are a sunshine supporter at all Maz but there are others out there!)

5.It was ifs and buts for UCD last season, for Wolves in England and just about every other team in history that has been relegated and it is great that we now have a ready-made excuse should we go down- Ifs and buts, referees, ifs and buts, referees, ifs and buts, referees, ifs and buts,ifs and buts, referees, ifs and buts, referees, ifs and buts, referees, ifs and buts,ifs and buts, referees, ifs and buts, referees, ifs and buts,ifs and buts, referees, ifs and buts, referees, ifs and buts, referees... are u getting board, i am of hearing this trivial argument.

**RockofGibraltar** · 12/08/2004, 7:59 PM

In fairness Maz, Sonic has a point. Until the Waterford win, I couldn't see the town getting a win from anywhere. There seems to be a distinct lack of drive, determination or motivation within the majority of the squad. Apart from Sean Prunty, Eric Lavine and Digger, the players look like they basically couldn't give a hoot about our form and results. It's not all down to the players however. Surely Alan Matthews, as the manager, should be able to motivate the players, and make them proud to wear the Red n Black of the town. We all saw Pat Fenlon last night. there he is, his team playing against some of the best players in europe, if not the world.However he motivated his players to go out and be proud to represent their club, league and country.
Why can't we do that. Can't Matthews motivate the players to go out and pick up a few points in the league? I feel that we have the players to be competing in the top half of the table, not fighting against relegation. I'm afraid to say it, but I don't think Alan Matthews has the experience or the basic managerial know-how to get Longford out of this little rut we find ourselves stuck in.
A difficult few weeks lie ahead i'm afraid.....unless...

**Enda M** · 12/08/2004, 8:43 PM

Here here motivtion is at an all time low maybe a change is needed before our dour run of results get even worse.

**Longfordian** · 13/08/2004, 1:46 AM

Well given our last two performances in the league where the referee cheated us against Rovers despite us playing excellent stuff and we beat Waterford pretty comfortably I'd say theres no long term worries. Any time I've been around team and management the spirit's been top notch overall. If we'd taken 40% of our chances this year we wouldnt be in any way worried. I can understand people thinking the players dont give a hoot but from what I can see it was more a chronic lack of confidence that was holding them back..That and Murph not knowing how to take up a right back's position. I genuinely believe we're on an upward climb now. Time will tell but we have to get behind the lads starting Saturday night

**Sonic** · 13/08/2004, 1:25 PM

Originally Posted by Longfordian

. If we'd taken 40% of our chances this year we wouldnt be in any way worried.

There is that word we love so much on this board IF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

**Maz** · 13/08/2004, 5:43 PM

Originally Posted by Sonic

3.I am not a 'boo-boy' and I am not or never will be stuck up anyones ass thank you very much.

4.Despite my enormous relegation worries I shall be still there unlike the sunshine fans that are slow to demand change, and as a result of this lack of action will be nowhere when relegation comes (not suggesting you are a sunshine supporter at all Maz but there are others out there!)

5.It was ifs and buts for UCD last season, for Wolves in England and just about every other team in history that has been relegated and it is great that we now have a ready-made excuse should we go down- Ifs and buts, referees, ifs and buts, referees, ifs and buts, referees, ifs and buts,ifs and buts, referees, ifs and buts, referees, ifs and buts, referees, ifs and buts,ifs and buts, referees, ifs and buts, referees, ifs and buts,ifs and buts, referees, ifs and buts, referees, ifs and buts, referees... are u getting board, i am of hearing this trivial argument.

to be fair i never said you were a boo-boy as you say yourself, but they are out there!!

i was there for the last relegation battle and if we happen to get dragged into another....il be there.....please god it wont come to that!

what i meant by the ifs and buts was that its now irrelevant we need to be concentrating on the here and now.....whats the point in winning games that cant secure our premier status! we wont be remembered for it if we get dragged to 1st division

**Longfordian** · 16/08/2004, 2:10 PM

What we have is fcuk all money to compete at the business end of the table, if you know of someone with a spare million or three to keep us at the top end of table do please let us know. If it wasnt for the current regime we'd still be at the bottom of the first division with a pitch with damn all facilities and the likes of Mickey O'Connor still in charge.

Fair enough point about the �30k but Lavine wouldnt have gone to Derry anyway so we'd never have got the money for him. What do we have now? a 6,000 seater stadium, a team thats competitive in every match they play and can win national competitions, when have we ever had that before? As for Alan Mathews spending too much time with First Active, well that is his full time job, you try being a bank manger and managing a football team. If you think thats not acceptable based on our finances as I said find an Abramovich and come back..

**Albert** · 16/08/2004, 2:37 PM

I couldnt agree more Longfordian, its amazing that we do have such a great club all other things considered, and unless there is a dramatic rise in support then we are lucky to have one at all. We need to be realistic when you look at the amount of counties that cant produce a soccer team of worth at all its amazing that longford with such a small fan base and population can. Im very proud of the club and their achievements. I admire Drogheda goig pro and the difference it made this season but thinking back on other clubs like rovers who tried that and where it left them afterwards i'll reserve judgement for now on whether its a wise move because if you do it and it doesnt work long term then you get really screwed

**Longfordian** · 16/08/2004, 2:47 PM

The reason its the same old argument is because its the same old thing we dont have that other teams have which surprise surprise means they finish ahead of us in the league! How did Kenny do better, what did he win with us?Where did he finish in the league?, And the cash wasn't much less from what I hear. The reason in having a 6,000 seater stadium is because you want the best facilities you can have which in a shocking thought may actually attract out more people to your games or would you prefer to be standing in muck. Also it can be used to increase revenue by for example being used for underage and ladies internationals and concerts in the future. The UEFA inspector said he was recommending to the FAI that alot of future underage internationals should be played in Longford, enhancing our profile and giving us rent. Id rather be spending on facilities than frittering it away on short term gambles

P.S. Decent young players, Id call Dillon, Paisley, and Gartland decent young players and they were all signed by Alan Mathews, plus Barry Ferguson who when he signed was only 21

**Longfordian** · 16/08/2004, 4:13 PM

I suppose there's no point aiming to have good facilities its not like theres ever a chance we might be able to make some money from big games is there, would the League Cup Final be in Longford in the facilities weren't there? Would you have seen UEFA Cup football in Flancare? No. Im sick of this "wouldnt bother my arse" attitude thats prevalent in Longford, the club has made massive strides and some people refuse to give any credit where its due, even if we were winning the league people would complain we're not winning the treble, its constant moan moan moan. We're a small club, live with it.
We made history last season by being the first Longford team in any code to win a National competition and thats not enough for the Longford people. As for your "if you want to watch internationals away with you to Lansdowne" remark if you read my post you'll see I mentioned we get rent for the ground hence giving us more money to try and have a decent team to try and better ourselves, is that not what you want? Would you prefer to not have big crowds for Cup Semis and Finals? Our having a decent ground shows ambition is that not something else you asked for? Stop contradicting yourself..

**Bonnie** · 16/08/2004, 4:51 PM

The Longford ladies won an All-Ireland Junior title a few years back..Doesn't that count for a Longford team winning a national title..That was a remarkable achievement when ladies football was just getting off the ground in the county...

**max power** · 16/08/2004, 4:53 PM

mmmmmm ladies football

**Longfordian** · 16/08/2004, 4:59 PM

Ok fair enough I forgot about the National League in 1966, shoot me. How many signings are not worth their place in our squad, one or two maybe but come on we've got alot of good players brought in by Alan Mathews, two current Under 21 internationals, an Under 20 international in Gartland, Dessie Baker, Dean Fitzgerald these players all had offers from other clubs but chose to go to Longford, why? Alan Mathews. I feel improving your facilities does show ambition, what was it you said, you cant rest on your laurels? Dont you think if we could afford the very top players we'd be in for them in fairness it doesnt take a genius to spot them ,affording them is the question, every year the club makes signings to improve the squad as best it can while trying to live within what it can afford, by rights we should be finishing second from bottom on our budget.

I never said you couldnt be bothered going to games, its just a general attitude amongst the people of Longford that they couldnt be bothered helping to improve the club, you go on about ambition and drive with no suggestions about how this can be done.

Every other club improves year on year as much if not more than us because they have more money, bigger population and business base to draw sponsorship from, Longford county has a population of 30,000 people why should we have a team capable of doing any more than it is at the moment. Remember youre talking about the best side in the clubs history, in 80 years it was never better. Get behind them and stop complaining. Thats all I have to say on the matter..

**DaithiT** · 17/08/2004, 1:45 PM

Agreed Longfordian, Cop On should shift his a$s up to Dublin to Patrick J.
I'd say there related. They were probably Man U fans up untill last season and now their Arsenal fans.... Do what your name says...

**observer** · 17/08/2004, 2:56 PM

Therre are two seperate issues here which effect the committee. Firstly there are the facilities, of which any club in the league would be proud. Remember the stadium was built from nothing in a short few years whilst other clubs just had to improve on existing stadia. Well done to Adrian Duncan (whose imagination and confidence kick started the project) to Jim Hanley who has been a tremendous chairman, and indeed to all committee members who have worked week in & week out to keep the show on the road. We never hear of unpaid wage cheques for players unlike many other clubs (which is one of the reasons players will come here).

The second issue is regarding the team representing the club and involves the style of play, players bought, and players let go. These points involve the manager to the greatest degree, and the committee in so far as they should be able to influence the manager in areas which have an important bearing on the club. Areas where the club might want to persue a policy with the long term in mind not just one season. For contributors to be critical of this aspect of the club does not mean they are having a crack at Jim Hanley or ignoring the good work that has been done. To say nothing but pretend that everything is rosy in the garden would be stupid.

**Albert** · 17/08/2004, 3:28 PM

I thought they were going to put a roof over the section O side of the ground for the UEFA? did we not need to in the end? what other evelopments if any are proposed for the ground?

**Longfordian** · 17/08/2004, 3:29 PM

Thats fair enough you're entitled to say that but i still believe we'll be fine. Anyone who isnt reasonably happy with finishing mid table and doing well in the cups is being unrealistic in their expectations. Hoping for better is fine but expecting it isnt facing reality. Its way too harsh to say that theres no ambition being shown when everyone involved in the club is busting their backsides to maintain a Premier Division team, to go any higher with budgets at the moment would jeopardise the entire existence of the club, is that what some people would prefe? you cant say its not about how much money you have when at the end of the day the teams spending the most money finish at the top of the table

The ground side will be roofed if the government/FAI can give a definite commitment that the grant money promised to us will be there.Its on the agenda for the next improvements. The far end is going to have to be moved back eventually to lengthen the pitch