2015 FAI Senior Cup

**Longfordian** · 02/10/2015, 10:40 PM

Shaw is a good player but lacking in confidence because he hasn't scored for 27 games or something. He rushes his shots and generally doesn't look like he believes he'll score. He's coming in for a bit of stick on social media (apparently including from mates of one of our other strikers) but if we're going to play one up front he's the only player we have that's able to hold it up.

**Ezeikial** · 02/10/2015, 11:01 PM

I though this Irish Mirror piece last July was a little odd at the time.

After seeing Gary Shaw for the 4th time this season, I find it totally bizarre if any of this article is actually based on any shred of reality

Longford Town refusing to sell Gary Shaw to Dundalk or Shamrock Rovers

14:33, 10 JUL 2015
BY PAUL O'HEHIR

Longford Town are refusing to sell Gary Shaw to Dundalk or Shamrock Rovers having rejected bids this week.

But the prospect of the striker moving to England remains a live one with a League One club entering the picture.
Mirror Sport revealed last week how an unnamed Championship club had contacted the Midlands outfit about Shaw. And a League One side sent representatives to City Calling Stadium to scout him in last weekend’s 2-1 win over Bohemians.

Longford boss Tony Cousins will consider an offer from England if it’s “too good to turn down” but last night ruled out selling Shaw to a rival Irish club.It’s understood that champions Dundalk and Shamrock Rovers have tabled offers for Shaw in recent days.

Cousins told Mirror Sport: “We’ve thought about it and come to a decision - we don’t want Gary going to anyone else in this league.

“The money involved wouldn’t be worth it. If you get an offer from England that you can’t turn down, well, that’s a different story as there aren’t many League of Ireland clubs who can say no to that.

“We’ve turned down two bids from top Irish clubs which I won’t name but we’re in a position where we don’t want to sell to him as we’re having a good season and we’re still involved in the FAI Cup.”

Cousins added: “You have to take Gary’s feelings into consideration too. He’s thrilled that these clubs are interested but he feels we’ve also put a lot into him. Gary’s had a few seasons where injuries have knocked him back quite a bit but he was never let down with wages and we always came back with a new contract.

“I believed in him and you also need a strong chairman because when a player hasn’t played a lot with injuries, they might say ‘ah here, a new contract?’.

“Our chairman Jim Hanley hasn’t been like that. He’s backed me, he’s backed Gary and Gary is very important to our dressing room.”

But Cousins believes the English interest in Shaw will ramp up in the weeks ahead and Longford are braced for an offer.
“I think it’ going to intensify,” he said. “We’ve had brief, tentative talks with a Championship club while a League One club watched him last week.

“There’s nothing concrete on the table but I believe Gary is good enough to play in England.”

http://www.irishmirror.ie/sport/socc...l-gary-6041354

**total hoofball** · 02/10/2015, 11:22 PM

I'd say someone was looking to sign him alright, probably then some phantom speculation from Longford's end about other clubs being interested in order to hype up any potential fee they could receive?

Shaw is a decent player, his goal drought isn't helped one bit by Cousin's conservative style of football

**Martinho II** · 02/10/2015, 11:41 PM

coming out of the ground practically the majority of the away support are sick of TC and want him to go! very disappointed in the lineout from the start! it said it all that we had more of a salute to Stephen Kenny than TC!

**jinxy lilywhite** · 02/10/2015, 11:49 PM

Can't understand that. You look to be safe in the pd with a but of Ease. Maybe 2 or 3 points will do. Went to a cup semi final and you want shot of the man. Who is out there that will make you better?

**Martinho II** · 02/10/2015, 11:53 PM

Originally Posted by jinxy lilywhite

Can't understand that. You look to be safe in the pd with a but of Ease. Maybe 2 or 3 points will do. Went to a cup semi final and you want shot of the man. Who is out there that will make you better?

our form has dipped spectacularly over the last few months. we have only one win in 12 games now. We havent played well since the 3-0 win in Drogheda away. I am sure there would be better candidates than him. I would chance my arm with whoever that is managin in the LSL ie the likes of Liam Kelly who was linked with us in the past! I get the feeling the players dont care about him any more. Stephen Rice has not being the same player since Cockhill celtic when Tony cousins substituted him for givin Kaleem Simon too much grief after him only comin on as sub!

**Ezeikial** · 02/10/2015, 11:54 PM

Originally Posted by jinxy lilywhite

Who is out there that will make you better?

Sean Connor

**jinxy lilywhite** · 03/10/2015, 7:46 AM

Originally Posted by Ezeikial

Sean Connor

Too many bad memories there ezeikial

Originally Posted by Martinho II

our form has dipped spectacularly over the last few months. we have only one win in 12 games now. We havent played well since the 3-0 win in Drogheda away. I am sure there would be better candidates than him. I would chance my arm with whoever that is managin in the LSL ie the likes of Liam Kelly who was linked with us in the past! I get the feeling the players dont care about him any more. Stephen Rice has not being the same player since Cockhill celtic when Tony cousins substituted him for givin Kaleem Simon too much grief after him only comin on as sub!

Just be careful what you wish for.

On last night's game it wasn't the prettiest but job done. In the past Longford have been one of our most trickiest opponents but when we got the first it knocked the stuffing out of them. Fair play to them for the last 20 they tried but we knew how to shut them out.

Day trip to the Aviva Woo hoo Can't wait for it. Cork or Bray I don't really care

**Nah Nah Nah Nah** · 03/10/2015, 8:33 AM

Watched it there this morning. Thought Pat Sullivan should have gotten man of the match. Know it's generally never given to a player from a team defeated 2-0 but thought he was superb.

**patrickccfc** · 03/10/2015, 8:48 AM

Congrats to dundalk reaching the final. Hopefully we can join ye there. Another Louth club denied us the double in '05 so I'd love to do the same ha

**White Horse** · 03/10/2015, 8:59 AM

Originally Posted by patrickccfc

Congrats to dundalk reaching the final. Hopefully we can join ye there. Another Louth club denied us the double in '05 so I'd love to do the same ha

I think you have a tough tie tomorrow. I've never felt confident of a win in the Carlisle grounds, even when we are in a rich vein of form.

I do think that a Cork / Dundalk final would be a great showpiece event for the league. Enjoy the game tomorrow. But bring a brolly. It always rains in Bray.

**patrickccfc** · 03/10/2015, 9:35 AM

Originally Posted by White Horse

I think you have a tough tie tomorrow. I've never felt confident of a win in the Carlisle grounds, even when we are in a rich vein of form.

I do think that a Cork / Dundalk final would be a great showpiece event for the league. Enjoy the game tomorrow. But bring a brolly. It always rains in Bray.

Yeah I wouldn't say I'm full of confidence and I'd probably take a replay at this stage.

Would be a great occasion alright you'd think a fairly large attendance. But bray will have other idea's about that and you wouldn't begrudge them their place in the final if they make it.

Ugh yeah always freezing up there I've been lucky on previous visits that it hasn't rained so hopefully it doesn't

**nigel-harps1954** · 03/10/2015, 10:10 AM

Originally Posted by patrickccfc

you'd think a fairly large attendance. But bray will have other idea's about that

Seems that way alright.

**Acornvilla** · 03/10/2015, 10:48 AM

I wish I didn't care any more, but I do.
We were never going to win, missing 5/6 players for various reasons. Watched Dundalk live the last two weeks.

Not overly impressive but you know there's more in the tank when needed. Every player looks a proper athlete. You push high up the pitch, make it difficult for the opponent even when not playing well yourselves.

We've played the same hoofball crap for the last 5 odd years under TC. He did a fine job building and keeping a squad together, but I had totally lost confidence in him after the season Athlone went up ahead of us. Any idiot would have gotten the squad we had promoted but it took him a season longer than it should have and even then it wasn't pretty..

A few random good results and the luckiest cup draws imaginable have papered over the cracks this year, I've never once seen him improve a footballer, our whole team always looks slow, unorganized and generally lacking in any real game plan, bar hoof it at Gary or the shortest wingers in the league and see what happens.

Just sick of this. There dosent seem to be the same team spirit or rapport with the fans this season, a few exceptions asside. The likes of Cousins barely acknowledged us after the game and Rice looks like he literally couldn't care less. Powell is the worst player we've ever had, how he plays without fail is a complete farce.

**outspoken** · 03/10/2015, 12:26 PM

Originally Posted by Acornvilla

I wish I didn't care any more, but I do.
We were never going to win, missing 5/6 players for various reasons. Watched Dundalk live the last two weeks.

Not overly impressive but you know there's more in the tank when needed. Every player looks a proper athlete. You push high up the pitch, make it difficult for the opponent even when not playing well yourselves.

We've played the same hoofball crap for the last 5 odd years under TC. He did a fine job building and keeping a squad together, but I had totally lost confidence in him after the season Athlone went up ahead of us. Any idiot would have gotten the squad we had promoted but it took him a season longer than it should have and even then it wasn't pretty..

A few random good results and the luckiest cup draws imaginable have papered over the cracks this year, I've never once seen him improve a footballer, our whole team always looks slow, unorganized and generally lacking in any real game plan, bar hoof it at Gary or the shortest wingers in the league and see what happens.

Just sick of this. There dosent seem to be the same team spirit or rapport with the fans this season, a few exceptions asside. The likes of Cousins barely acknowledged us after the game and Rice looks like he literally couldn't care less. Powell is the worst player we've ever had, how he plays without fail is a complete farce.

Thank you, someone is finally able to admit it. Everything you've said from individual players to team and fan spirit is spot on. The whole atmosphere around the club suggests we are going only one way and it's down. Hopefully we beat Sligo and turn things around but i can't see it. It's as simple as this if we don't beat Drogheda and perhaps Derry in our final 2 games we don't deserve to be in this division

**patrickccfc** · 03/10/2015, 12:33 PM

Originally Posted by nigel-harps1954

Seems that way alright.

Just to confirm, the part of my post that Nigel highlighted isn't me suggesting bray won't bring much to the final, just me saying*bray will have something to say about us getting there instead of them.

24 hours to go now.....

**CrowdedHouse** · 03/10/2015, 12:50 PM

Thought this match was on today, I had just commandeered the remote... #sake

**KR's Post** · 03/10/2015, 1:10 PM

This should be a fantastic game. We have held our own against the bigger teams in the league and Cork never really threatened us a few weeks ago. Looking forward to it. Going to be a great day. Safe trip up to all the Cork fans.