QuoteHaving 17 defenders didn't help Rovers win games last season! I expect whoever wins the league this season will do so having dropped a lot of points, probably more than recent winners.Originally Posted by White Horse
Out of the four or five fancied teams, the league winners could well be the one who have the best luck with defensive injuries.
Having 17 defenders didn't help Rovers win games last season! I expect whoever wins the league this season will do so having dropped a lot of points, probably more than recent winners.
We also have plenty of weaknesses going forward.
I'm really warming to your thinking on a starting XI. So far your "walk - ins" are
Ciaran Kilduff
Karl Sheppard
Eamon Zayed
Sean O'Connor
Gary McCabe
Marty Waters
Richie Towell
Pat Hoban
Daryl Horgan
Just space for a goalkeeper and a couple of strikers?
So which one of the players I mentioned from Rovers wouldn't start for Dundalk if they were brought in on there own?
I don't think Séan Ó Connor would get on a good Dundalk team, I am surprised Rovers did not off-load him to Pats along with the other 5 lads this year. I can see more clubs fielding B teams in an expanded first division in order to accommodate bigger squads. Also with the principle of no-promotion being introduced by Fran Gavin this year it would not be a surprise if UCD and Bray Wanderers are placed in the 1st Division in future, not something I would support, because of their poor crowds. Towell looks to have worked hard during the off season on his fitness, which is good to see. People need to remember that the off-season in the LoI is very long now and it is noticeable that some of the top players do find it difficult to maintain their condition. Years ago when there was winter soccer a number of LoI players used to go off to play in America and return to their Irish clubs in september as the league cup used to be played before the championship started then.
Firstly the most obvious starters are not even on that list - Simon Madden and Ronan Finn.
Either Conor Kenna or a fit Jason McGuinness could challenge Brian Gartland (who has been superb since signing last July) but both unlikely to displace Andy Boyle
Of the 3 strikers listed, on recent form only Ciaran Kilduff would possibly challenge Pat Hoban for the sole striker spot. Sheppard seems lost while the form displayed by Eamon Zayed since landing in Tallaght would not even get him the job of cutting the grass at Oriel
Either Sean O'Connor or Gary McCabe (both detestable characters) could - if fit and in form - possibly start in one of the wide places.
Sligo v Pats http://nutjob.eu/njtvx36.html 8pm ko
Very very poor crowd for this match.
Shocking crowd altogether, but scheduling it for the same night as the Manchester derby was absolute madness.
https://kesslereffect.bandcamp.com/album/kepler - New music. It's not that bad.
Sligo 2 v 0 Pats (Attn 816).
Woeful attendance but crazy to play it tonight.
When else could they have scheduled it? I think both teams would prefer playing tonight to Wednesday.
Ciaran Kilduff, Ronan Finn and Conor Kenna are three of the best players in the league. I think Kenna might be the best player in the division over the past 4 or 5 seasons.
edit: meant to say any of them would be selected in the first XI for any team on the Island.
Out of all them players, only McCabe would start for Dundalk and Kilduff would be in with a shout but Id prefer Hoban any day of the week
You can't run away all the time from when Man U are on the telly, even if attendance is poor. Saw 2nd half of it and Sligo played good stuff, while Forrester did well when he came on; might still get move over to England but unlikely to top level. From what of game I saw the league's last two players of the year didn't do much, but 2 goals can still be over-turned in the second leg as the Man U did last week. Maybe some of the Dublin Man U fans will come out for the return match even.
That's because you see Hoban every week and obviously think a lot of him. Ask any Rovers or Cork fan if they'd take Hoban over Kilduff and they'd tell you the exact opposite. He's basically gone from being an afterthought for Croly to shoving the manager's face in the dirt and demanding he be picked over two very good strikers. In reality, a lot would depend on how players adapt to Dundalk, but McCabe and O'Connor would surely be in the mix, Kilduff is too good not to get a chance and if Zayed recreated his Derry form he'd be very hard to leave out too.
truly ridiculous discussion.......... but a good one none the less
Thought we were pretty decent last night but may have left the tie behind us with poor finishing - we should be out of sight. It felt a bit like when Drogheda beat us in the League Cup a couple of seasons back - like we needed this win more than Pats did. We also desperately need Russell or Ndo starting so that we have some kind of a presence in the centre of the park. We're as good down the flanks as anyone in the league but have a huge gap in the middle at the moment.
On the plus side, when Djilali is fully recovered from injury he's going to really do damage, while I think if/when Maguire puts his first one away he'll be a big threat.
2-0 is a good result to bring to Inchicore. I was puzzled by Pats performance, they looked lethargic even disinterested at times. It was only after the sending off that they woke up. I wasn't impressed by Maguire, he doesn't appear to have progressed in the last year. Lovely finish by North for the second goal, he still has it.
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