Caulfield signs new 2 year contract

**Mr A** · 02/10/2015, 9:48 AM

People have been saying the league is declining in standard since ever I remember.

**seand** · 02/10/2015, 10:21 AM

An interesting 10 year old thread is included under "similar threads" at the bottom of this page...

http://foot.ie/threads/22988-Fenlon-...-year-contract

**nigel-harps1954** · 02/10/2015, 11:45 AM

The league must be the equivalent of the Sunday afternoon 5 a side at this stage the way it's been declining in standard for so long.

I don't recall a year on here since I joined this forum that's not had a fan of a former champion of the previous few years stating that the league is in decline.

**Real ale Madrid** · 02/10/2015, 11:49 AM

Originally Posted by nigel-harps1954

The league must be the equivalent of the Sunday afternoon 5 a side at this stage the way it's been declining in standard for so long.

I don't recall a year on here since I joined this forum that's had a fan of a former champion of the previous few years stating that the league is in decline.

The league was it its peak in 1993, went to sh1t€ for about 12 years before going through a real purple patch around 2005. Sadly it has been in a steady decline since.

**El-Pietro** · 02/10/2015, 12:28 PM

Originally Posted by Real ale Madrid

The league was it its peak in 1993, went to sh1t€ for about 12 years before going through a real purple patch around 2005. Sadly it has been in a steady decline since.

In fairness it hinted at recovery last season and right up to the last day we all thought it was going to be a really good quality year but we realised that wasn't the case at all and we'd been misreading the overall quality that season.

**mcgonigle** · 02/10/2015, 12:28 PM

There's simple criteria to determine whether the league is in decline or not:

Criteria 1: My team has been rubbish for a long time now
Conclusion: League is in decline

Criteria 2: My team won trophies in the recent past but have dropped off now
Conclusion: League is in decline

Criteria 3: My team is improving and challenging for trophies but haven't won anything yet
Conclusion: League is in decline

Criteria 4: No team has qualified for the group stages of a European competition
Conclusion: League is in decline

Criteria 5: My team is winning trophies
Conclusion: League is the strongest it has ever been and is on the cusp of European greatness (with a favourable draw!!)

Probably missing a few scenarios but that basically covers most of the scenarios and fans opinions on here.

**Real ale Madrid** · 02/10/2015, 12:35 PM

Originally Posted by El-Pietro

In fairness it hinted at recovery last season and right up to the last day we all thought it was going to be a really good quality year but we realised that wasn't the case at all and we'd been misreading the overall quality that season.

A well thought out and logical summation of last years league.
I mean look at 2005 for an example - 2006 results in Europe were the best ever.
2015? Dross.

**Nesta99** · 02/10/2015, 3:22 PM

The league obviously was at its peak when our champions of the time reached the last 16 of the European Cup and that was even before the European Cup was diluted with non champions and became the Champions league...waltzed through preliminary rounds, none of this play-off malarkey - among the top 16 champions in Europe!!

The sudden decline must have happened when one of our UEFA Cup qualifiers were beaten 14-0 the season after another LoI side were unluckily beaten 2-1 by the same English team. At least that what it looks like in the record books

**Charlie Darwin** · 08/10/2015, 3:36 AM

Originally Posted by nigel-harps1954

The league must be the equivalent of the Sunday afternoon 5 a side at this stage the way it's been declining in standard for so long.

I don't recall a year on here since I joined this forum that's not had a fan of a former champion of the previous few years stating that the league is in decline.

I can't remember the last team to win the league that wasn't the worst team in recent memory to win it.