Not saying it was a weak side albeit it was a weakened side - saying this and last week were very poor performances…. And despite that we’re still 4 points ahead …. So guess we’re doing more right than others … as an aside in 7 matches against Cork/Drogs/Shels this season have won none and taken only 5 pointsOriginally Posted by pineapple stu
Have to say first 20 mins fantastic tempo and quality. Then sat back and got what they deserved. When they turned it on again they fully deserved the 3-2 win and possibly should have more.
I will say Clarke was the game changer. He introduced so much energy
Bradley has always reminded me of a Frank de Boer at Ajax, you can pick up titles from being the manager in a well run club with the best infrastructure but it is more a reflection on the club than on the manager. Obviously some credit is deserved for not messing things up but I'm not sure I'd have faith with Bradley in a tougher gig
Wasted opportunity by St Pats and Dundalk or different reasons. Pressure would really have been on Rovers prior to Europe, still is. 4 points and yer looking over te shoulder 2 and and there is no wriggle room to rotate too much between europe and domestic fixtures. A clubs businessmen will want Europe targeted over a league. Dundalk needed to build that gap back to 5th (+games in hand) and a very small hint of making an impact on a league run in, shouldnt have let the win slip in the last 10 minutes. Some dreadful wasted points from strong positions tbh. Derry still clinging in there!
Going for a unprecedented 4 in a row ( except of course only by Rovers) and the co architect of the academy that means we have an unprecedented level of sustainability… sure he can annoy at times with his team selections but imo he’s been brilliant and I just hope he continues with us for years to come… sure I’ll get narked here on the odd Friday night but looking at the longer view imo he’s already proved himself to be one of the greatest LOI managers ever
Disappointing to concede a late equaliser again. We weren't particularly great and switching to three at the back after sixty minutes didn't work. Mulraney scored a very good goal. Possible foul in the build up to the Corks equaliser but it was a good finish by Keating.
But with the resources Rovers have, coupled with implosions at Cork and Dundalk, the dominant two before that, you'd expect them to be well up there each year. Certainly not drawing to Drogheda because of a bit of squad rotation.
The academy is strange too because Rovers seem very reluctant to give players senior time. The squad seems quite old, and then players like Simon Power are signed when surely an academy player could do as good a job and maybe get sold on too.
European record not great either if we're honest; that defeat against Flora was particularly bad
I think Bunny's post is spot on tbh. He's certainly not one of the LoI's greatest managers - Stephen Kenny is streets ahead, and the likes if Jim McLaughlin would be too.
Whilst my personal opinion might differ a bit surely if he wins 4 in a row then by default he has to be considered one of the LOI’s greatest managers?
If he doesn’t ot would rereaise significant doubts and him as one of the top managers as it should be all but a formality for him this year.
Bradley is overrated!
Well have to keep up the obsessive appearances...
Even game in Finn Park,we probably created the better chances and we had a great cameo from BJ Banda in the second half we looked a bit more solid in general aswell….
Irish by birth ,Harps by the grace of god.
Kenny was a failure at the leagues greatest most successful club so that blemish automatically excludes him from ever getting ranked amongst the greatest …. Cue the usual differing opinions …. When Bradley got the job due to years of failure by the directors to capitalise on the MON era we were broke but Bradley managed to turn that around and build a cup winning team ( after 30 plus years) and the current 3 in a row team and as I mentioned is part of the brains trust behind the academy ( you seem to of forgotten Bazunu, Emaku etc who were given first team chances) plus the likes of Noonan & Nugent who started this evening and other academy graduates were on the bench
I think McLaughlin and Kenny in particular built title-winning squads at more than one club in an era when the playing field was much more level and that was harder to do. But now Rovers are getting more from Europe each year than probably the six non-Euro teams each make in a year. I mean, credit to him for not making a hames of it like Higgins at Derry but I think that advantage is huge. A good Euro run might change my mind but he's not had one. The defeats in Bulgaria and what's it called - the other garia - were fairly poor in particular.
I don't think any non-Rovers fan will agree with that at all. Huge success at Bogs, Derry, Longford and Dundalk. Excellent Euro results - they were knocking on the door of the CL groups one year. Unprecedented stuff. And he took over Dundalk in a relegation playoff
Haven't forgotten them - just think that's a really poor return tbh. And I accept I may be biased as a UCD fan here who expects to see players coming through every year (and then they get us relegated)
Again I think credit really needs to go to the board more than Bradley, most other clubs would have sacked him in the early years, he was allowed to slowly improve & was helped by a Dundalk implosion to mean there was no real challenger.
Credit he took advanatge of his breaks but basically he has an ideal set up. 4 in a row means less these days to be honest, across Europe & even in other sports, teams & athletes are way more dominant than in previous generations
You are off your rocker if you think Kenny is not in the greatest league managers conversation. Had a lot of success at multiple clubs. Sure what he done alone at Dundalk would have him high on the list. So what if he didn’t do the business at Rovers, neither did Nutsy and look what he did at Shels and Bohs.
On the game tonight. Well we can’t defend but nothing new there. However, we do have goals in us and it always makes us dangerous in a match. What we do now, with our games in hand, while the Top 4 are otherwise engaged with European affairs, will go a long way to determining if we can stay in the hunt for Europe.
Isnt it more impressive to win league titles not with 'the leagues greatest and most successful club?! Sure I'd manage Rovers to a league title given the squad and bottomless pit of finances.
I actually don’t disagree with any of this. I can’t comment on McLaughlin as before my time of course he is miles off Kenny.
I just think by general footballing standards (for the want of a much better term here) winning 4 in a row basically slots him in automatically to the one of the greats category. Not to mention group stage appearance in Europe, although I know that comes with the caveat that the ECL made it much easier.
Also neither McLaughlin or Kenny managed a 4 in a row …. So if we win the title this season Bradley will be the first manager to achieve that … which will make him unique
Again I don’t (can’t) argue this however I am not sure what your point is about him being “unique”… the LOI has had plenty of “unique” managers…
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