Murphy

**Seanie** · 17/12/2001, 9:55 AM

While I acknowledge that the team did not perform yesterday, some blame has to be put on the manager. We again played 4-4-2 and played 2 players out of position - Carey is a full-back or more naturally a wing-back - not an out-and-out attacker. Napier is a cente-half, not a full-back. A 3-5-2 formation would have accomodated both in their more natural positions. How Hartigan stayed on for another full 90 minutes is beyond me - Mulligan is a full-time professional at the club and should be fit enough to last the pace - I'd like to see him link up with C.P. O'Brien who showed up well when he came on: must be started. Alan Bennett was clearly affected by the early own goal and should have been substituted - it is difficult for a young player of such great promise to bounce back immediately from that kind of setback. On one positive note I thought both Coughlan and O'Rourke were outstanding.

**Snatch** · 17/12/2001, 11:15 AM

Very true Seanie that Derek and Damian were solid at the back. I doubt Deccie will get back into the team easily this time. But about the 3-5-2 (5-3-2) formation, do you not remember the start of the season when Gunther tried it and we lacked any penetration down the wings. 4-4-2 is the only way for a team like ours, the problem is that we simply don't have the players to perform brilliantly on every big occasion. I said it before that we have been punching above our weight in the league. Our current squad, while promising much is not near the guality of the likes of Barry, McCabe, Freyne, Morley and Caulfield of old.

We'll just hasve be realistic and patient.

**Sid** · 17/12/2001, 11:43 AM

Was Carey injured when he was taken off? If it was tactical surely Napier should have been replaced. In the second half Napier saw an awful lot of the ball and his use of it was brutal. If we had Carey on we may have gettin a few decent crosses in. Coughlan had a great chance at the end to force a replay but to be honest we were outplayed and outsang by the hooped scum.

**pete** · 17/12/2001, 12:05 PM

I think Murphy has to accept some of the blame yesterday as he is the manager afterall;

- Bucks didn't do that well when he came on but why didn't he start yesterday?
- Carey may have been struggloing with the flu but he should have started at right back with Bucks in midfield.
- Napier in this brief cameos this season is just not good enough. Might be lack of match practice but he still isn't good enough.
- I'll normally defend Hartigan as I still think hes a worthy squad player but I was mystified why he subbed Mulligan. Noel did nada in last 20mins.
- hy have Johnny C ahead of O'Flynn or Welsh or anyone on the bench. I've seen him come off the bench for the last 5-10mins in a few games now & he has contributed nothing at all. Sorry but hes just not up to it.

Very poor performance yesterday, defense mainly good but all the forwards were terrible while midfield as a unit didn't perform.

Have we expected too much of a very young team? League is far from over but need 7 & probably 9 points from next 3 games plus big performances at home games versus Rovers again, $hel$ & Bohs.

**�anna** · 17/12/2001, 12:51 PM

Pete for once i agree with you

I still think napier should be in the team though, but he's a centre-back, not a full-ack, that as the problem yesterday.
murphy doesn't have a clue.

Neil · 17/12/2001, 12:51 PM

I thought it was interesting to see the reaction of Devine to the substitution of Mulligan. He threw his eyes to the sky and swung his fist as if to be saying 'What the **** is he doing not taking off Hartigan'.

It doesn't say much for a manager when your own team are visibly bemused by the decisions you are making.

Murphy isin't up to the job. He has to go as soon as possible before he destroys everything. The likes of Carey and Hoggie aren't gonna hang around and play for an idiot like Murphy. Kelvin is the latest to get ****ed off with him and we look like losing another player because of Murphys ineptness.

OUT

**pete** · 17/12/2001, 1:21 PM

Obviously if we had scored in the last few minutes it would have been hailed as a tactical masterstroke but IMO even allowing for the fact we were playing shi** the subsitutions were baffling.

The last ten minutes must have been played with a 3-2-5 formation when our main problem was getting possession.

I think Kelvin has been getting p***ed off cos Gunther would prefer to play deccie at right back & Carey in midfield (e.g. rovers away) instead of kelvin. Kelvin is a solid experiences squad player & will be a bit of a loss especially since we very thin in midfield.

Without being too pessimistic are the young lads facing mid-season burn out?

**Zedi** · 17/12/2001, 8:23 PM

Mulligan had a good game. Coughlan (Coklin, Kerr called him) was City's man of the match, and I thought Devine had a good game too. Hartigan should take up competitive knitting, at least he won't have to move. Mullah Murph is just an average manager and he's going to have some good ones and some bad ones, but can anyone seriously suggest a replacment. I think we should be looking for loan deals on some Irish players in Britland who aren't getting their game Colin Healy,( Celtic) is just one. Good crowd yesterday, I hope we can hold them. C'mon City the league will have to do us now!

**Gary** · 17/12/2001, 9:11 PM

Out.
The guy is blind to the obvious.

**CityRant** · 17/12/2001, 11:00 PM

GWA most people here are as blind to the obvious
and dont understand the sheer ineptitude of that man.

Murphy Out

**�anna** · 18/12/2001, 12:34 PM

apparently, murphy refuses to sign players on loan, because he wants to work with a settled squad- that explains the number of people he's purged then, doesn't it!

MURPHY OUT!

**ccfcman** · 18/12/2001, 1:04 PM

inside source says that bucks is in murphys good books but mulligan certainly isnt.....................thatswhat i was told anyway

**pete** · 18/12/2001, 3:38 PM

In fairness who would Murphy loan anyway? some crap rejects from england ?

**Gary** · 18/12/2001, 5:41 PM

Better than the crap reject we have up fromt at the moment wouldn't it??

OUT

**Gunthers Mask** · 19/12/2001, 5:45 PM

Finally people are agreeing with me. In the summer I suggested he be gotten rid of but I was told to give him a chance.
Remember the Liepjas game. Nuff said
GUNTHER OUT!!!!!!!!!

**Gary** · 19/12/2001, 8:23 PM

Originally posted by Gunthers Mask
Finally people are agreeing with me. In the summer I suggested he be gotten rid of but I was told to give him a chance.
Remember the Liepjas game. Nuff said
GUNTHER OUT!!!!!!!!!

Many people have been saying that many times SINCE the Leipajas game.

**Gunthers Mask** · 20/12/2001, 6:03 PM

Yes I know but when I suggested this in the Shed at the Bohs game a few lads said to me give him a chance and that it was only early days yet. To date I haven't seen those same lads in the shed since!!

**CityRant** · 20/12/2001, 6:12 PM

gunthers mask..if i remember correctly werent you and all those other citynet kids..completely pro gunther up until a week or 2 ago..

you certainly were NOT anti gunther around the latvian games!! very few people were and we all know who they were on this board

**�anna** · 20/12/2001, 11:40 PM

lads lets not get into a slagging match over this. Whether or not people were anti-gunther then, is irrelevant really- if they've seen sense, they've seen sense. the more that do, the better.
MURPHY OUT!

**Gunthers Mask** · 21/12/2001, 9:43 PM

Originally posted by CityRant
gunthers mask..if i remember correctly werent you and all those other citynet kids..completely pro gunther up until a week or 2 ago..

you certainly were NOT anti gunther around the latvian games!! very few people were and we all know who they were on this board

I haven't been on city.net for weeks maybe even months I completly lost interest in late November in foot and city.net and only recently got back into foot and I wasn't even registered here around the Latvia game (I only joined in October!!)

And yes after a false ray of light late last season I now realise Gunther doesn't know what he is doing. So I have found sense