Promotion/Relegation play off

**Charlie Darwin** · 07/11/2015, 12:15 AM

Originally Posted by NeverFeltBetter

As much as I am in despair of the possibility of Russell staying on, I imagine the likely squad budget and the lackadaisical way Limerick tend to go about constructing a team in the off-season would leave any manager struggling to get promoted.

Why would you be in despair about Russell staying on? He'd walk the First Division with half the squad you started the season with.

**NeverFeltBetter** · 07/11/2015, 12:23 AM

I've come to believe that Russell is incredibly over-rated, between his tactical mistakes, his nepotism, his ability to motivate players for big games, and I was one of the people defending him for much of the season. If he'd walk the First Division with half the current squad, he surely should have stayed up with the full thing, even if he only had them for half a season. He just managed that squad to one goal over 210 minutes against a First Division side.

But its all academic, because Limerick won't have even half that squad, knowing how they do business.

**Charlie Darwin** · 07/11/2015, 12:48 AM

His son's always looked one of the better players in the team. As for staying up this season, no, the First Division is a lot worse than even the dregs of the Premier.

**Mr A** · 07/11/2015, 1:14 AM

I am very happy.

**Acornvilla** · 07/11/2015, 1:23 AM

**DannyInvincible** · 07/11/2015, 1:29 AM

Good quality video of Banda's goal here too: https://www.facebook.com/finnharps.u...5001597710823/

Magic scenes.

**Acornvilla** · 07/11/2015, 1:31 AM

Made an absolute balls of the knee slide.

**Dunny** · 07/11/2015, 1:40 AM

Originally Posted by Acornvilla

Made an absolute balls of the knee slide.

Great scenes,brilliant video.
Incredible that no supporters ran on the pitch either,not a steward in sight! I would've been on

Again- well done Harps.

**cestlavie** · 07/11/2015, 1:43 AM

Delighted, local squad, no prima donnas, huge amount of travel, lots of knock backs, so many almost their, smallest budget ever, back were we belong. UTH

**nigel-harps1954** · 07/11/2015, 2:31 AM

F**k.

**Charlie Darwin** · 07/11/2015, 2:39 AM

Originally Posted by nigel-harps1954

F**k.

Haha

**bluewhitearmy** · 07/11/2015, 4:02 AM

Originally Posted by Charlie Darwin

His son's always looked one of the better players in the team. As for staying up this season, no, the First Division is a lot worse than even the dregs of the Premier.

No he hasn't not at all not even close. And for all the fuss about Martin he is an awful manager when it comes to actually having to make decisions. Plays some lovely football but he will never win a thing if stuff gets tight and comes down to him having to do something.

**osarusan** · 07/11/2015, 6:56 AM

Congratulations to Harps, played with real purpose lat night. Limited us to one goal and (I think) just two shots on target over the two legs. Very organised and disciplined defensively and we were fairly clueless as to how to break them down.

As was the case all season, we had no plan B, and were still doing the same things in the 210th minute as hadn't worked for any of the previous 209 mins.

**Town Legend** · 07/11/2015, 7:38 AM

Well done Harps. Be great seeing ye back in the Premier. Hard luck Limerick, if they can retain a good few of that squad I'm sure they'll give the First Division a good rattle, but it won't be easy.

**LK37oldskool** · 07/11/2015, 8:02 AM

First off, well done to Harps. Russell has to go. His playing style is too one dimensional. As said previous we have no plan B. Playing from the back out with what will be sub standard players even by the current teams limitations will have us re applying this time next year to stay the First Division.

**patrickccfc** · 07/11/2015, 8:18 AM

Any limerick fans reckon that if ye had begun the season in market's field, the season might've been different?

**Market's Field** · 07/11/2015, 8:34 AM

Originally Posted by patrickccfc

Any limerick fans reckon that if ye had begun the season in market's field, the season might've been different?

Yes it would have been. Even as a season ticket holder I hated starting the season in Jackman so no hope of big crowds. Tiny crowds, tiny budget fueled a negative spiral which wasn't broken til we moved to markets field

**Acornvilla** · 07/11/2015, 9:17 AM

Excuse the music, but good view of the 1st goal and Paddy Kanyuka, being, well....

**osarusan** · 07/11/2015, 10:32 AM

Originally Posted by Charlie Darwin

His son's always looked one of the better players in the team.

No. Just, no, not by a long long way.

**pineapple stu** · 07/11/2015, 10:54 AM

Originally Posted by Acornvilla

Excuse the music, but good view of the 1st goal and Paddy Kanyuka, being, well....

That's quality (except for the music of course). Like watching a Sensible Soccer repeat. How was it set up?

Guess seeing Harps go up softens the blow a bit for us. Should have a decent chance of play-offs at least again next year with Drogheda and Limerick replacing Harps and Wexford.

On the comments earlier in the thread on Russell, I think he's an ok manager - our First Division title in 2009 was an excellent achievement, even if we had a great (if completely new) squad. But he doesn't seem to be able to arrange defensive coaching at all. Playing the ball from the back is grand - to be encouraged - but it's a problem if your defenders aren't being coached properly. And apparently when Conor O'Donnell rejoined us, our goalkeeping training was way more intense than at Limerick, where they hadn't really been doing much at all (which might explain his form there - though he's still good for a brain fart per game anyway)

Still, well done Harps. Great to see any LoI ground packed like that. Be even better if that can carry over to the start of next season.