QuoteLongford beat Wexford to keep them interested at least,Wexford forever the enigma probably would be doing better with a different manager .....
Thank you for the update. I actually really enjoy the insights into what is going on at the College.Originally Posted by The Bowler
Longford beat Wexford to keep them interested at least,Wexford forever the enigma probably would be doing better with a different manager .....
Irish by birth ,Harps by the grace of god.
Thanks Clàirseach, I try to tell it as I hear it, got a bit if stick here last year for being a bit OTT on Myler, so sort of stopped with the updates. I have a lot of time for UCD AFC and what we have contributed to the football ecosystem for decades. Its a struggle, and lots of people think we have no place in the league, but you only have to do a quick run through all the top teams to see the impact on the league. Former players galore at Rovers, Derry, Dundalk, Pats, Shels and pretty much every club in the top tier , and plenty more in Div1.
Watched the Longford / Wexford game last night. Enjoyable game. Thought Beineon O'Brien Whitmarsh really stood out. I heard there are some doubts about him off the field (second hand gossip), but you could easilys ee him in the Premier next year. Wonder if Shels or Drogheda would take a chance on him soon. The commentator for Longford is also a pretty great asset to the league as well. LOItv really has allowed a lot of talent to get some experience - which will really benefit sport in Ireland in the long run too.
For the post above, myself I kind of have a little bit of a gra for UCD. Think they are a real asset to the league, and picked up a lot of slack of player development over the last two decades. Never really got why people dislike them - feel they set a standard in the league for what a smaller club can achieve. I also just like how football teams can evolve from so many different backgrounds in general, and how each nearly have a unique history and identity. Whatever else, UCD certainly have had an identity - hence why they have been an overall success story in Irish football. I would totally understand why the Bowler would be so vexxed about the current situation.
I do hope they can one-day really grow into the surronding area and gain a solid base of fans. It does kind of feel like it is happening considering there is a fair few UCD fan voices online, and it seems to be growing.
Jaysus Kiki, thanks very much, really appreciate that.
I think there's been a bit of a boost alright since covid - in line with the league in general. Not so much at the Sligo game as College is finished for the term, but there's definitely been more students than usual the last while. Of course, a season like this really doesn't help in terms of growing crowds. It's very badly timed in that regard. We probably won't break 20 points this year, and wouldn't be the first in recent years to say that, but in a season where crowds are growing everywhere, it's frustrating.
I kind of wonder if the underage academies have hurt us to an extent. There's a lot more focus across the league on underage academies, and there's only so many players to go around - I don't think we get the best of the best like we used to. Other clubs are copying our scholarship model too, with links with Maynooth, DCU, etc. I got the feeling that 20 years ago, UCD was the club to go to for a young player - we'd regularly get the top players from Cherry Orchard and clubs like that. Not sure that happens as much any more; there's more options for young players. Which is good for the league overall, but not so much for us.
There is still a niche there you would think, which UCD seem somewhat successful in getting ex-LOI u19s who are unable to break into senior squads, and giving them a full go at LOI. Maybe issues with short contracts etc etc. But yeah, as Irish football is changing, you would think UCD would have to change as well from your previous model. No harm though.
Yeah, there's a niche, and I think what you describe is what's happening now anyway, with a few guys coming in from Rovers' U19s, or Tommy Lonergan signing from Pat's last year and making such an impact that he's gone back there again this year.
Another problem we have is that the budget has been reduced over the years so we can't keep an experienced core of players. But you need that in the Premier. Pretty much all our top ten appearance holders played for the club at the same time- and got the club to fourth in the league and Europe in that time. (Ciarán Kavanagh, Tony McDonnell, Alan Mahon, Alan McNally, Mick O'Byrne, Éamon McLoughlin, Mick O'Donnell, Rob McAuley). That's not a coincidence. But we can't do that any more.
It was 'we won it in Talla' ffs CJ get it right!
Last edited by Nesta99; 02/07/2023 at 2:57 PM.
Well he was told by Shane Keegan he wasn't welcome back in Cobh for this season. Stephen Henderson has/had nothing to lose bringing in a talented bad egg in a bad team.
Speaking of Shane Keegan fine job he’s doing down there,10 points ahead of the last place outside the playoffs and he’s got them playing some good football….
Irish by birth ,Harps by the grace of god.
Interesting comment.
Just so happens I was reading an article this morning on Marijn Beuker, Queens Park FC's Dutch Director of Football Operations (responsible inter alia for Academy/Youth Development etc). He remarked that [i]“The Glasgow area has 1.6 million people living around it,” he said. “So there is a big, big pool. A club can only add so many players. There is a lot of exciting talent in Scotland and for us we are in the most exciting city for talent because it is so big."
https://www.glasgowtimes.co.uk/sport...p-queens-park/
Now granted Greater Glasgow is somewhat bigger, population-wise, than Greater Dublin. Otoh, UCD don't have to try to compete with two giant moneybags clubs on their doorstep, either.
Moreover, if you look eg at Brentford FC, they very successfully introduced the concept of a "B" Team, as an alternative to U-21 league football (PL2) for developing players in the very late teens and early twenties and preparing them for "mens" football in Prem/Championship. A large part of their recruitment came from players who had been rejected at 17 or 18 by Academies at big clubs (England and abroad), but who Brentford felt were late developers who needed more time, or who hadn't worked out for reasons other than a lack of basic talent. Do UCD look to prematurely released young castoffs from other LOI clubs?
While the other challenge must be to grow the overall pool of talent for all clubs, by weaning kids away from GAA and Rugby etc, essentially by offering ever better opportunities at football clubs.
As I said you’re obsessed !!
One thing I will say is he can be a bit wild. 4 yellows already in 4 matches. Can lash out at times
obrien whitmarsh is a poor player. wont ever be a premier player.
They scored some lovely goals this weekend.
I am, with my football club and wanting them to eclipse the dominant team of the period - if Derry or St Pats were to win the league they would be in the cross hairs. Its not such an unusual thing for fans of a football club!?
And then we sign Alex Nolan from UCD within days of me saying this.
And I wouldn't have disagreed with that post either!
Decent free-kick delivery would be one of his main attributes I guess. Swung in great balls for Lonergan to score the winner against Waterford last November, and for Doyle to score the winner against Sligo two weeks ago.
If you're going back to last season it's probably not a great sign...
Funnily enough that was exactly the impression I had of UCD when I saw you against Derry in the 3rd/4th game of the season - most years there would be one or two players who'd stand out as being a good player in a bad team. That day they all looked out of their depth.
Do many UCD players progress up through the LSL team, or is it usually new "signings" who are coming to College for their first year, like Clancy from Sligo.
I phoned the speaking clock to hear a voice speak, it said - "At the tone you will be very much alone"
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