Bit more optimistic defensively after the st.pats game. Need to be a lot more creative going forward though and Gaffney needs to be supported up top much better.
If we stay solid at the back I think we can win this one.
Limerick 1-0 Drogheda
Great to hear an ad on the radio for the match. More like that needs to be done if we are to expect people to know games are on and to turn up.
It's been said over and over but the goals just won't come with the current set-up. You need more than Gaffney up there, otherwise you're relying on the likes of Tracy's set-pieces or fluke goals. Doesn't seem like there's great potential for scores from other parts of the pitch, the goal against Pats notwithstanding. What's the word on MacManus? Optimistically I'd agree with a 1-0, but I can easily see another 0-0 draw or a close defeat.
Author of Never Felt Better (History, Film Reviews).
Only got to see last weeks match tonight, but I have to say that Taylor deserves a huge amount of credit for the tactics. Might not have been a fantastic football game to watch, but we frustrated the hell out of them. Bit fortuitous with not conceding the penalty and our goal was a real bit of individual brilliance from Duggan to pick McGraths excellent run.
Drogheda will be much different, we'll be almost expected to get a result. The formation isn't good for breaking teams down because we don't have the players to play it. A 4 4 2 might work better in giving us a platform to play on, but injury has taken our only natural winger. Unless we're doing a variation of 4 2 3 1 where we have an actual front 4, I can't see us breaking Drogs down. The other side of that is I saw Dave Ryan in goals for them the other night. Had an awful game and was at fault for the goal conceded. He flaps at crosses so surely a set piece will be our best bet at getting a result.
MacManus is signed: https://audioboo.fm/boos/2027755-tam...-28-march-2014
He's been here for weeks apparently so might feature tonight.
Author of Never Felt Better (History, Film Reviews).
MacManus, Agyemang and Curran all on the bench tonight. Looks like Taylor is sticking with the 4-5-1.
Author of Never Felt Better (History, Film Reviews).
Same tactics again and same result again. Toothless going forward. If Taylor doesn't change it up in the next game then his days are most certainly numbered.
Some simple questions need to be answered:
Injuries aside why are we persisting on playing the same way with so many players isolated all over the pitch?
0-1 down with 10 to go and he takes off the left back and replaces him with a left back???
Prince is seemingly a fantastic player but can't seem to get near a run at the moment, why??
Awful stuff to watch tonight in front of a poor attendance that will most likely drop after what was on show.
How did Curran get on?
Author of Never Felt Better (History, Film Reviews).
If I see another long throw float harmlessly into the hands of the keeper or fall to the very first defenders head then I'll scream, one of the most pointless things I have ever seen.
Do we have any type of plan going forward? And if so do the players know what it is? All 3 of our midfield very poor tonight.
Terrible stuff tonight. Like jofspring said, so many players get so isolated in the system. Barry Ryan should have got man of the match for he saves he pulled off. He kept the score down singlehandedly.
The system is ridiculous at this point and so predictable.
Folan/ Oji get the ball. Play it to full back. Back to centre half, back to full back. Centre mids drop into pockets looking for a pass. Drogs press us and we kick long to Gaffney. Tries to hold up the ball and realises 2 centre mids are about 30 yards away. Gaffney gets crowded out and the ball comes back at us.
UCD is a must win or Taylor will be starting to look over his shoulder.
My thoughts are:
Ryan: excellent stuff for 99% of the game! I don't know if it's harsh blaming him for the goal! I thought Oji and Folan could have done more to protect him.
Kelly: dependable and kept Brennan quiet for most of the game. Should have made more of his chance as it was one of our only real clear chances. Hopefully the knock he took is nothing more than minor.
Oji: he was left exposed a lot with players running at him but did well to handle it
Folan: his passing is atrocious. We pass around the back, then when they press him, he launches a ball for the corner
Nzuzi: was poor at left full. Most of their attacks came down that side
Duggan: had our best chance and really should have scored. Looked like he was in the middle on his own at times and had a huge amount of ground to cover
Hughes: looked busy, but being busy is only good if it's effective. He seemed to be busy in such harmless areas
Rainsford: looked out of his depth. Might be a it harsh, but I can't remember one time he affected the game and it's been like that a lot lately
Tracy: great delivery from set pieces, but didn't really offer a lot else in open play
Gaffney: was isolated so many times and held the ball up well, but the system kills him
McGrath: doesn't have the pace for the wide left role. Was tidy in possession, but he affected the game very little.
Subs
Curran: busy, but lacked sharpness. Looked like someone who has been out injured a while
McManus: hard to judge. Scored an offside goal. Might be a good omen that he took a chance on getting in there.
Williams: seemed a bit pointless bringing him on instead of Coughlan.
Any thoughts? I'm a bit p*ssed off so probably being a tad harsh on some of them, but a poor attendance is only going to get worse with that football. We could be in trouble!
our midfield 3 were indeed quite poor tonight,but..bar duggan poor and all as he was the other 2 are out of their depth.hard to watch that display without feeling major doom and gloom.poor mistake by ryan for the goal however wouldnt hammer the guy who has saved us time and time again papering over the obvious cracks that have been there for some time.this football is not entertaining its like watching some coaching manual trying to be played out.have already expressed worry about what is happening on and off pitch and tonight enhances those worries.poor crowd for 2nd home match of the season.as for our preseason injury list ...how in anyones name do we have one when we have s....state of the art physios,masseurs,sports nutric,managers ,coachs etc etc.none of the other clubs seem to have one.uncertain weeks ahead .
Last edited by da bishop; 28/03/2014 at 10:53 PM.
Think you have it about spot on tbh. I don't want to be too harsh on lads but there is one in particular that I think bar one game maybe two last season has never had a positive impact in a game.Originally Posted by kingpin4
If it's Rainsford you're on about (you don't have to say who) I think he's still living off his hat trick he scored. He must be doing something wonderful in training to justify continuing to play because he doesn't seem to do much in games. I think it'd be worth trying Feeney or dropping Mcgrath back in there and using Hanlon or Coughlan out wide
I just wonder what kind of system we could play seen as we don't have any wingers really.
What we have seen since last season is nothing at all like the type of football Taylor promised when he came. I have backed him even very recently but if its the same again against UCD patience will start to get very thin id imagine. Great news with Bruff and all but if the team on the pitch is woeful then it is just a waste of time and money.
Completely agree. He keeps going on about "we'll go and get it down and play. We'll go pass the ball" but it's the same over and over. I still think he should be given time, but I think I'm in the minority at this point. It was a risk getting a manager with little experience, but he's still finding his feet...the question is will the board/ committee/ Pat O'S have enough trust in him to find them.
Like you said, great to have the infrastructures but not if we're back in the first division. It will look like we put the money in to the wrong place. I think a poor result against UCD will set off the panic alarms in higher up people.
the system? Anything except this 4 3 3. It ends up as a 4 5 1 all the time. Let's actually try play 433 with 3 strikers and just sacrifice the width. Only other option is looking at playing a diamond, but we're still sacrificing width. We should be trying to make thomond park smaller for the players instead of stretching ourselves. We can't keep forcing players into a system they quite obviously can't play. Square pegs, round holes
Last edited by kingpin4; 28/03/2014 at 11:28 PM.
What do people think is a reasonable amount of time to give him?
Ah he deserves to see out his contract. I'd hate to see anyone lose their job in this day and age. Whether he gets the patience from he board and fans, I don't know.
From a business point of view, I could see the club making a change just before the transfer window if we look like we'll be in the bottom two in June. The club is trying to stabilise itself. Getting relegated will cripple us completely.
Let's not get too into this, it's only the fourth game of the season, and the squad's had both injury problems and a reduced budget to deal with. A poor result against UCD next week will certainly raise serious doubts in my mind about the direction Taylor is going (especially now Curran and Macmanus are available) but I think it's way too early to be talking termination of his position. Mid-table was always going to be the goal again this season, and that's not beyond this squad still. If Limerick are mired in a relegation fight after one round of games, then I'd start calling for his head.
Author of Never Felt Better (History, Film Reviews).
I dont want him sacked at all would be extremely harsh given he has moved a young family over,. But in saying that if it was to go on with this complete lack of any direction or leadership then there won't be much choice.
Not results worrying me as much as the complete lack of any sign of something happening going forward in the opening 4 games of the season.
Just came in to say, its worth pointing out, in fairness to Stuart Taylor, that he's been sold a pup aswell.
He didn't sign up for this.
He came in for the stability first year, tilt at europe second year, european football third year project.
What he's got is the stability first year, slash your budget because it turns out playing in thomond park infront of no one is expensive EVERYBODY LOOK OVER THERE AT BRUFF second year project.
Not gonna say much else because iv not much good to say!!
Games always seem worse when you lose. I didn't think the game was bad actually, both sides had some nice moves including a great piece by Gaffney in the 1st. There were some great saves and they weren't all by Barry Ryan. The table looks bad after 4 games but the team we finished with was probably the strongest 11 we've been able to put out yet, the results will improve. The goal we lost to was more like a try than a goal, Shane Duggan should have scored, ref should have awarded a free on the edge which Tracey likely would have scored and if the game could have gone on longer you could see us equalising. As long as we don't have an injury crisis again we'll be fine.
It might be a tougher season this year though. I think its fair to say we are probably not better than we were last year and all the teams from below and around us last season (Cork, Bohs, Bray, Drogheda, UCD) all look better than last year.
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