Judgement Day for Dolan?

**niamh** · 04/10/2004, 11:57 AM

Originally Posted by CollegeTillIDie

Give him time he will get you more investment and will eventually bring you the much sought silverware you have been seeking.

Least everyone forget Dolan's main responsibility is the team and not investment. Liam Murphy was replaced because we failed to qualify for Europe, so why shouldn't the same be applied for Dolan? He has done wonders for the club off the pitch along with Brian Lennox, but he is also responsible for the rubbish that City have been playing on the pitch recently, and it is NOT good enough. He has had time to improve things, had time to bring players in and what are we left with? Georgey on the bench until Colin T gets injured? NOT GOOD ENOUGH.
Dolan was the one who talked about Cork's hunger to win that will come back to haunt him unless we do start winning games.

**A face** · 04/10/2004, 12:17 PM

Originally Posted by niamh

Least everyone forget Dolan's main responsibility is the team and not investment.

I dunno Niamh ... ask anyone involved with market anything, you'll take it no matter where it comes from. That is the case with alot of clubs throughout the country, everyone has to pull together.

Liam Murphy was replaced because we failed to qualify for Europe, so why shouldn't the same be applied for Dolan? ............... he is also responsible for the rubbish that City have been playing on the pitch recently, and it is NOT good enough. He has had time to improve things, had time to bring players in and what are we left with?

I dunno ... again .... i'd have to say the some of the heartless performances by the players are not all down to Dolan, they should have some ambition FFS. It is not like he hasn't tried to resolve the problem on the pitch as they occur, making a change here and there, trying new positions. Billy went into defence and everyone raved about him, how good he was. It is kinda up to Billy to sustain the effort. It aint all down to Dolan.

For the record ...... I hate the fact that a player is acting the maggot with the manager at the expence of success for the team. This is not the platform to sort out your differences with your boss. Have a meeting like all normally people do and compromise ..... not compromise the league for CCFC. If i want to see a squabble ... then i'll go to the pub at closing time, not to a City game.

Georgey on the bench until Colin T gets injured? NOT GOOD ENOUGH.
Dolan was the one who talked about Cork's hunger to win that will come back to haunt him unless we do start winning games.

I dont every think that Dolans hunger could be questioned ...... That is just tat to be honest ..... Two players (i know they are proabably examples) doesn't make a team, the other players should be stepping up to the plate, it in't a f�cking holiday camp. We have a big squad compared to other team. The players hunger should be questioned if you ask me.

**Colm** · 04/10/2004, 12:25 PM

Originally Posted by niamh

Liam Murphy was replaced because we failed to qualify for Europe, so why shouldn't the same be applied for Dolan?

Liam Murphy only had 2 full seasons as manager, we failed to qualify for Europe in both of those.
Dolan is only now in his second season, we already quaified for Europe in his first and are very much on course to do so again this season.
You can hardly compare them.

**A face** · 04/10/2004, 12:31 PM

Originally Posted by Colm

Liam Murphy only had 2 full seasons as manager, we failed to qualify for Europe in both of those.
Dolan is only now in his second season, we already quaified for Europe in his first and are very much on course to do so again this season.
You can hardly compare them.

Sorry ... i knew there was something i left out .... Ooopps !!

**Dricky** · 04/10/2004, 12:50 PM

Originally Posted by CollegeTillIDie

Your club has enormous potential and I mean enormous.
Pat and I identified in a private conversation as far back as the 1999-2000 season that your club was the one with the most potential as a full time outfit. Because ye are the only team in the city of Cork you can get the whole city behind you and a large portion of the county too.
.

To be fair, and I do take your point but a blind man can see the potential in Cork City. Being a full time outfit is one thing a Professional full time outfit is a different thing all together. That is where he is still on a learning curve. that is his short coming.

**Fair_play_boy** · 04/10/2004, 3:56 PM

Originally Posted by A face

F�ck that .... if we get second, then it is because we have the points. To be honest we were very unlucky in a few games at the start not to pick up more points so it would all balance out as far as i'm concerned !!

Couldn't agree more with ya. Except to say that we dropped crazy points after the Inter-Toto too.
Having said that, if we do finish up second, it will rank as a sweet and surprising comeback. A fortnight ago, it looked as though we could end up 5th!!!

**Gandhi** · 04/10/2004, 5:55 PM

I'm disappointed we're even discussing this to be honest. I've only been going to Cork City matches for the last 5 or 6 years but that included a couple of exciting seasons while Dave Barry was still in charge, not just the couple of years in the wilderness under Liam Murphy. I've gotta say we've been more entertaining to watch this season than any other in recent memory. Granted I haven't been to any away games this season so I'm only going by what I've seen at the home games I've been to. What I have seen however is some football that was, to use the cliche, spellbinding at times. And this from my local team in the league of Ireland. Now I've been waiting a few years to see that, and I don't want that to be sacrificed because some people think success should be achieved almost overnight. The thing is, and I don't expect people to agree with me, but our league campaign was derailed by the powers that be in Merrion Square. What we needed after the Inter Toto Cup was some sort of supportive attitude towards rearranging the fixture list. Instead what we saw was incredible in the sheer depth of its stupidity, and we saw too much too soon asked of players who had given their all, physically and emotionally, in getting to the quarter finals of a european club competition. It wrecked the rest of our season, yet some people just want to blame Pat Dolan when the blame lies elsewhere. There are two things I want to see in place at the start of next season. The first is Pat Dolan still in charge, the second is Cork City NOT being involved in the Inter Toto Cup (if it's true that it is being phased out rather than completely abolished). If by this time next year we are not still in contention for the league title, then yes, absolutely, questions should be asked. But I can't agree with anyone who claims now is the time to be questioning Pat Dolan's status. He has more than earned the right to be Cork City manager next season.

**niamh** · 04/10/2004, 6:18 PM

Originally Posted by Colm

Liam Murphy only had 2 full seasons as manager, we failed to qualify for Europe in both of those.
Dolan is only now in his second season, we already quaified for Europe in his first and are very much on course to do so again this season.
You can hardly compare them.

The club should be qualifying for Europe every year. I doubt you are happy with the way the league season has gone are you Colm?
Some of the tactical displays have been a disgrace and that is done to the manager...sometimes things have to be changed mid-match.
Would I be right in thinking Liam did not have two full seasons?

**pete** · 04/10/2004, 6:52 PM

Lennox expects 2nd place. The 3 year plan would also have us 2nd this year so i think its only fair to say that 4th place would be deemed a big failure & Dolans position should be considered. Only fair to judge him over 36 gamaes & not some really bad performances lately.

**Fair_play_boy** · 04/10/2004, 9:06 PM

It is indeed time to make a judgement about Pat Dolan: when does Brian Lennox offer him an extension to his current contract. Does he wait until near the end of season three, and risk him being poached by Shelbourne or somebody with more buying power, or act now before bigger purses move in?

**Stadler** · 06/10/2004, 6:26 PM

yeah, i can really see ollie byrne appointing dolan as manager

i don't think any of the dub clubs would hire him tbh, unless one of his mates buys st pats or something

**�anna** · 06/10/2004, 6:56 PM

ollie byrne wouldn't have anything to do with dolan, we all know that, but I don't think its fair to judge dolan until we see how the season finishes. if we get second I think it'll be a success despite all the hiccups. if we get less than second, i'll be disapoointed but I do think its very early to decide whether he should go or not

**ian** · 06/10/2004, 10:02 PM

Lads what did I say a few months ago and you all only laugh at me when i said that we are going to finish 2nd and that is all that matters. I will look in to this at the end of the season.

**�anna** · 06/10/2004, 10:19 PM

Originally Posted by U 4 E A

So if we don't get into Europe this season, just like with Murphy, will you hold a Dolan Out banner just like you held a Murphy Out banner at UCD as mentioned in a thread a few weeks ago.

firstly I never held a Murphy OUT banner at UCD, because I wasn't even at the UCD game when it happened. I make no apologies for wanting rid of Liam Murphy, he was the wrong man for the job from day one, and I said that right from the start. The situation is different. Murphy failed to qualify for Europe 2 years in a row, and the playing squad was full of old players near theend of their careers- i.e. he wasn't building a team for the future. Dolan is building a team, so at least there's the chance that those players will improve and mature,which i think is his intention. I'm under no illusions about Dolan- he says and does things i disagree with and I've criticised him for it and will continue to do so- in fact nearly every criticism you've made of him in your post, I've mentioned in posts I've made myself (murray, o'flynn, george etc) But I honestly think the situations are radically different.

**�anna** · 06/10/2004, 10:35 PM

Originally Posted by U 4 E A

I just feel our targets now should be higher than what they were under Murphy. I won't be happy if Dolan gets us into the Intertoto again for this and next year and we get nowhere in the cups. If we win nothing under Dolan's 3 year reign then he's gone I'd say.

my thoughts exacly. I think we'll get second this year and have a right good go at shels for the title next year.

thecorner · 06/10/2004, 11:59 PM

lads

pat dolan is our manager now and for the forseeable future so just get over it and lets get behind the management and team for the run-in

who knows what might happen??????

**A face** · 07/10/2004, 12:07 AM

Originally Posted by Gandhi

But I can't agree with anyone who claims now is the time to be questioning Pat Dolan's status. He has more than earned the right to be Cork City manager next season.

I agree totally with you on this one ..... anyone that is asking for him to step down, sure as hell doesn't have a clear picture of what is actually going on and just following the crowd. Talking boll�x down the pub with your mates might get you a long way but you'd have to question why some of these guy think it'll hold any water any where else.

**Dricky** · 07/10/2004, 8:56 AM

WHat good would it be to replace him now, this will be the test of him some tough matches to win coming to the end of season so that will be the test. It is not Just Cork against other teams it is Dolan against other managers.
One of Pat's short coming I feel, this is my view only.... is the likes of Fenlon can always out think and out plan anything he does...... I hope he has learned from this and shows us that he to is a work in progress and on the way to being a manager of a professional Cork City and not just Cork City. If he does fair dues to him but it won't be his words he is judged on, it will be the ground we gain or lose to Bohs and Shels. Having Drogs finish above us with them is a poor step but I'm sure that will not be the case come seasons end.

**Gandhi** · 07/10/2004, 10:02 AM

Originally Posted by Dricky

Having Drogs finish above us with them is a poor step but I'm sure that will not be the case come seasons end.

That's a very good point, it is more appropriate at this stage to compare City to Drogs than to Shels or Bohs. It's easy to say 'Look at the resources Dolan has (money and a better squad) compared to what Liam Murphy had'. In wanting Liam Murphy to be replaced nobody was mistaken, as Eanna says he was the wrong man for the job, it was readily obvious we were going nowhere. Dolan's dilemma has been that while he has more resources, City weren't on a par with Bohs and Shels when he came in, and Shels in particular have not been standing still in the interim, they have continued to improve and this is most apparent in their excellent European performances this season. My point is Dolan faces a huge challenge in firstly catching up with Shels and secondly overhauling them. There are great grounds for optimism however, e.g. the way we played the other night, it's not as if that was the first time this season we hammered the opposition through superior fitness and skill in the closing stages of a hard fought league match. It wasn't a fluke, we are doing it to teams more often now than in the past. In the circumstances, the people who were chanting 'Dolan out!' in the Shed last Friday night were making eejits of themselves, I could understand people chanting that if we are in mid table this time next season but I think we'll be a lot higher in the table than that