3-2 Cork - finished 10 a side

**Dufferlover** · 09/11/2004, 12:23 PM

Didn't make the game but saw the highlights on EL Weekly and the ref definately had his back to the incident! Hmm!

**SeanDrog** · 09/11/2004, 1:14 PM

Originally Posted by Dufferlover

Totally agree with SeanDrog! Nobody is doubting we have had a good season but it could have been better! The Cup defeat really started the bad run but it's these clashes of personality that need to be stamped out.
Lets face facts here, Gary Rogers is certainly not the finished article but is streets ahead of O'Dowd. Doolin stood up and openly critised Rogers after the Shelbourne game but never gave him a chance to prove he was better than that. Instead we get get a dodgy has been that continues to leak goals and hence leads our defence into disarray.
Not wanting to sound to contradictonary here - I like Doolin as a manager. He has worked wonders at United Park and if he could just wipe the slate clean and wipe out these grievences with certain players Drogs would be in a better position. Otherwise we are going to have quality players walking out at the end of the month.

I couldn't have put it better.

I think Dufferlover summed it up lovely.

**Coltron** · 09/11/2004, 3:24 PM

Regarding the ODowd/Rogers situation I think Doolo knows what he is doing. We all know that Gary is a better keeper and should go on to be the best in the league and Doolo realising this decides to act in a way which will get the most out of Gary in the long run. So he picks a time in the season when he knows the players are going to be flatter than normal so he reckons its a good time to give Rogers a kick up the arse too. If he was in the team regardless every week he might never iron out the imperfections in his game. Cue Tony, as the sub keeper he steps in, not to a great affect but thats the best we can do. Of course he could put that keeper he signed from Carlise in but that would completly disrupt the apple cart, as it would put him under more pressure to preform, so I think all in all its the correct decision.

Note that this is the same time that Doolo decided to introduce the 5-3-2 formation, so I think he is looking to build for next season. The teams who most probably that will finish above us (Shels, Cork and Bohs) have all been together for atleast a couple of years and are more of a team than we are, next season we will be significantly improved as a unit. All you have to do to see the benifits of time on a team is look at the stats. Lately we have been able to respond when we have gone behind, with a goal and sometimes two goals. I took a long while, but there is definate signs that we are developing. Under Doolo there is no reason obvious reason why this shouldn't continue although it will depend on how many come and go in the close season.

Doolin makes mistakes but he is leading us in the right direction, we are on course for silverware in the near future and he is the man to do deliver it.

**observer** · 09/11/2004, 3:58 PM

Most interesting football logic Coltron. A manager wants to give a shake up to his no 1 goalkeeper so he chooses the time when they are in the running for a place in European competition to drop him

He also chooses this time to experiment with the system the team plays

How the hell can you justify this type of carry on? Are you by any chance a relation of Doolin?

**Coltron** · 09/11/2004, 4:04 PM

Ask anyone on here, our season ended when Shels came to town. All I'm saying is I think he make the most of a difficult situation. He didn't let the seaons crawl to a close but used it constructively, while still keeping things competitive and fresh. You call yourself 'observer' well is that not a correct observation?

**S�C** · 09/11/2004, 4:09 PM

Yer left-back was usless beyond believe. Everytime we had a kick out/free etc the ball would be sent on top of him and Kevin Doyle would win it EVERY time. I honestly cant remember him winning it once.

I think our sending off was fair enough. O'Brien was stupid to charge into O'Callaghan for no reason near the Ref. Why run the risk. In saying that I think it was a bit harsh.

Ye dont fancy rolling over and letting us win the league on Friday do ye?

**SeanDrog** · 09/11/2004, 4:19 PM

but Coltron why did our season end at the Shels match -0 there was plenty of games left and we were still in a good position in the league ??

Who decided that it was over after the Shels game?

I really doubt Rogers will be with us next season after the shake up Doolin decided to give him.

**observer** · 10/11/2004, 8:51 AM

Exactly my point Sean Drog, there was still a lot to play for at that stage.

**Coltron** · 10/11/2004, 10:01 AM

The team had the wind taken out of their sails that week, the double blow of the extra time exit to Longford followed by our national humiliation to Shels (not that we need reminding) was a power blow to the team managment and supporters. Everyone felt it. I think had we beaton Shels that night it would have had the opposite affect that we would have found something more and the players would have excelled themsleves treating every game like a cup final until the end of the season. But to lose something that you have been working towards like that takes time to recover, a couple of games at bare minimum. The lads were drained mentally, to think otherwise and to expect the team to go out in the next immediate games to perform as normal is pure fantasy.

Not yet convinced by my reasoning look at 2004 English Premier Champions Arseanal. After losing their remarkable unbeaton run to Man U, they played Southampton (In Relagation zone and new manager still looking for his first win) and C Palace the pre-season relagation 'certainties', yet they could only manage two draws and were fortunate to get even that.

So my point is, in reality our dream ended for this season so to continue to play with the same style of play and players etc would have been unproductive at best so some change or tinkering was in order, that is a sign of a good manger and you don't have to related to him to see this.