Weekend Friday 7th July

**joey B** · 08/07/2023, 11:53 AM

Fantastic strike from JJ Lunney last night,couldnt hit it any better!

**The Bowler** · 08/07/2023, 12:45 PM

Strange goings on at UCD really, another spanking last night, the defence a shambles, 11 goals in 2 games, and just no attempt to remedy the problem. Blind faith in skipper Keaney and Osam, who wouldn't get a kick at any club on this seasons firm, Bowden and Gallagher on the bench. The arrival of Eanna Clancy a major plus, hopefully cam get over injury quickly. Zero accountability at the club at any level. Seems like just sleep walking back to Div 1 without a care in the world. And Myler doing his pro license doesn't help, he won't be going anywhere while he's doing that. Someone once told be down there that the club prefers to be in the 1st Division, the only benefit of occasional forays into the Prem are the full houses when playing Dublin clubs. I believe the budget has tightened up there a lot last couple of years, so two years in prem a massive boon to the finances. It's a mysterious place with no accountability.

**ontheotherhand** · 08/07/2023, 2:44 PM

Originally Posted by pineapple stu

Does that not reflect on Bradley a bit though? Don't forget ye're pulling in half a mill a year more in gate receipts too than Dundalk ever did (rough back-of-the-envelope calculations). Plus decent transfer fees, which Dundalk rarely got. I don't see how you can say ye're not at Dundalk levels of spending tbh.

Dundalk's biggest mistake was keeping the same squad together too long I think. Rovers seem to be repeating that

Absolutely. And we've seen Stephen Kenny dismissed as not one of the best LoI managers so we know we have to adjust for bias there

You don't like Pete? Decent manager; took Pat's from a relegation battle to going through two rounds of Europe. Beat better teams than Hibs and Shkupi too. Had UCD properly competitive as well. But ok - put Stephen O'Donnell, Keith Long, Liam Buckley or even Jon Daly, all solid but unspectacular managers too, in there and I think ye'd be doing as well tbh.

We might spend more than Dundalk did now. Although if their budget was twice what ours was as per Wild Bill I'm not even convinced we'd be at that level now. Either way it's not all going on the men's first team. I'm not saying our wage bill isn't now the highest by the way. It is. But other clubs are spending plenty too. Forrester, Doyle, Mulraney are all on good money. Same for the Derry lads. I wish we had outbid those clubs on quite a few players but we are sticking to a budget. It's going to hurt us in Europe with the players we are now missing.

But I do think Bradley hasn't evolved the squad enough and yes some of that is down to loyalty to players who aren't good enough or not reliable enough. The stability that longer term contracts bring is nice until a player is past it or hurt. That's just football though. He's been unlucky with the one major signing we made in that Burt is crocked. This is still Bradleys first job though. He's 38. He's been great for us but I'm sure he'd sit down in 5 years and admit mistakes have been made too.

And no I don't think the managers you mentioned would be doing the same job. We had that type here in Fenlon, Croly and Kenny. None of them saw what needed to be done. Bradley was the one who came in and saw the issues we had as a club. Now Jon Daly might convince me otherwise but hopefully not......

**joey B** · 08/07/2023, 3:22 PM

Cracking strike from Campion-Hinds last night!

**TonyD** · 08/07/2023, 3:36 PM

Originally Posted by pineapple stu

Does that not reflect on Bradley a bit though? Don't forget ye're pulling in half a mill a year more in gate receipts too than Dundalk ever did (rough back-of-the-envelope calculations). Plus decent transfer fees, which Dundalk rarely got. I don't see how you can say ye're not at Dundalk levels of spending tbh.

Dundalk's biggest mistake was keeping the same squad together too long I think. Rovers seem to be repeating that

Absolutely. And we've seen Stephen Kenny dismissed as not one of the best LoI managers so we know we have to adjust for bias there

You don't like Pete? Decent manager; took Pat's from a relegation battle to going through two rounds of Europe. Beat better teams than Hibs and Shkupi too. Had UCD properly competitive as well. But ok - put Stephen O'Donnell, Keith Long, Liam Buckley or even Jon Daly, all solid but unspectacular managers too, in there and I think ye'd be doing as well tbh.

You’re judging Jon Daly after about 10 games as a manager ? Seriously ?

I think he’s made a good start, but to make a call on him, good, bad or indifferent, at this stage is a bit of a nonsense.

I’m very happy with him so far btw, lest that be misconstrued.

**pineapple stu** · 08/07/2023, 3:52 PM

Well he's a new manager starting off in his first role - bit like Bradley in that regard. He's done well enough so far to throw him in I think.

Even looking at otoh's Fenlon comment, Fenlon in his two years at Rovers was 13 and 22 points off the title. Bradley came in and was 22 and 25 points off the title in his first two years. Then Cork imploded and the next season the gap was down to 11 points, and then Dundalk imploded. So I think it's fair to wonder (as others have, with Bunny Kelly and total hoofball expressing it best I think) how much of Rovers' success is down to circumstance and how much down to the manager, hence throwing Daly's name in as an example.

**Nesta99** · 08/07/2023, 3:56 PM

Originally Posted by pineapple stu

Does that not reflect on Bradley a bit though? Don't forget ye're pulling in half a mill a year more in gate receipts too than Dundalk ever did (rough back-of-the-envelope calculations). Plus decent transfer fees, which Dundalk rarely got. I don't see how you can say ye're not at Dundalk levels of spending tbh.

Dundalk's biggest mistake was keeping the same squad together too long I think. Rovers seem to be repeating that

Absolutely. And we've seen Stephen Kenny dismissed as not one of the best LoI managers so we know we have to adjust for bias there

You don't like Pete? Decent manager; took Pat's from a relegation battle to going through two rounds of Europe. Beat better teams than Hibs and Shkupi too. Had UCD properly competitive as well. But ok - put Stephen O'Donnell, Keith Long, Liam Buckley or even Jon Daly, all solid but unspectacular managers too, in there and I think ye'd be doing as well tbh.

Really?? Not paying 200k to a finished former La Liga player, appointing an unqualified manager, Jim Magilton, the mad chairman, having Patching train alone, 6 month contracts, analytics, no signings around or above 27 years of age. I'd be quite happy to have a good few of the former squad still on the books.

**Jd2793** · 08/07/2023, 4:15 PM

rovers have definitely gone back this season. derry are underperforming for the money spent up there but i think the pack have an even enough spread of talent unlike previous years. when ourselves (ccfc) and dundalk were going at it we sucked up the majority of the talent between us. the bottom 4 sides were usually pretty crap in those days. outside of ucd thats definitely not the case now. drogs are a very strong 8th placed side looking back at those who've finished there previously. next season with galway getting promoted as champs and city/playoff winner being the other side its a very strong league with no obvious banker to be finishing in the bottom 2 let alone bottom which has rarely ever been the case in my time following the league properly since 2013

**ontheotherhand** · 08/07/2023, 4:35 PM

Originally Posted by pineapple stu

Well he's a new manager starting off in his first role - bit like Bradley in that regard. He's done well enough so far to throw him in I think.

Even looking at otoh's Fenlon comment, Fenlon in his two years at Rovers was 13 and 22 points off the title. Bradley came in and was 22 and 25 points off the title in his first two years. Then Cork imploded and the next season the gap was down to 11 points, and then Dundalk imploded. So I think it's fair to wonder (as others have, with Bunny Kelly and total hoofball expressing it best I think) how much of Rovers' success is down to circumstance and how much down to the manager, hence throwing Daly's name in as an example.

You won't find a single Rovers fan who was happy with the Fenlon era. Most are very happy with what Bradley has done.

But look I get why you'd wonder what might have been if Dundalk and Cork hadn't declined as we improved. It would have been harder for sure. But they did decline and we did improve. So here we are with 3 titles in a row and all that European money earned that you mention. If he's a bad manager he's still doing a pretty good job.

It's a bit off topic at this point but happy to debate it further in DMs or again on Tuesday......I am not confident.

**sbgawa** · 08/07/2023, 4:46 PM

Not hopeful about Tuesday to be honest
Our form is awful currently and we have gone backwards for 3 years.
If any of Pats , Derry, Dundalk or heaven forbid Bohs can put a few wind together we will be pretendig we are in a title race whcih we will ultimately lose
If JAck doesnt play Tuesday we lose, simple as.

**ontheotherhand** · 08/07/2023, 4:58 PM

I said MOST stu.....

**TonyD** · 08/07/2023, 5:01 PM

Originally Posted by pineapple stu

Well he's a new manager starting off in his first role - bit like Bradley in that regard. He's done well enough so far to throw him in I think.

Even looking at otoh's Fenlon comment, Fenlon in his two years at Rovers was 13 and 22 points off the title. Bradley came in and was 22 and 25 points off the title in his first two years. Then Cork imploded and the next season the gap was down to 11 points, and then Dundalk imploded. So I think it's fair to wonder (as others have, with Bunny Kelly and total hoofball expressing it best I think) how much of Rovers' success is down to circumstance and how much down to the manager, hence throwing Daly's name in as an example.

An example of what though ? You labelled him as “ solid but unspectacular” a judgment which you simply can’t make after about ten games. It could all fall apart for him, or he could do for us what Stephen Kenny did for Dundalk ( fingers crossed !)

**sbgawa** · 08/07/2023, 5:57 PM

Originally Posted by ontheotherhand

I said MOST stu.....

I am happy with what Bradley has done but im not blind to the fact we are going backwards.
Hopefully he can turn it around.

**Dermobohs** · 08/07/2023, 6:42 PM

Originally Posted by joey B

Cracking strike from Campion-Hinds last night!

Wow! Goal of the week.

**Dermobohs** · 08/07/2023, 6:57 PM

Originally Posted by ontheotherhand

You won't find a single Rovers fan who was happy with the Fenlon era. Most are very happy with what Bradley has done.

But look I get why you'd wonder what might have been if Dundalk and Cork hadn't declined as we improved. It would have been harder for sure. But they did decline and we did improve. So here we are with 3 titles in a row and all that European money earned that you mention. If he's a bad manager he's still doing a pretty good job.

It's a bit off topic at this point but happy to debate it further in DMs or again on Tuesday......I am not confident.

Listen, if you can stand a bohsman defending the *****, Bradley has done what he had to, win titles with a cup thrown in, got CL and the attached moolah, job done so far.
Yes all challengers fell away but football is cyclical, rovers will inevitably hit the wall and drop to third or fourth , or happens.
Pressure was still on him to win a title which proved beyond three very good football men, and he did and followed it with two more, and a cup, but he’s under real scrutiny now, euro performances have to improve a league is demanded by the fans and he’s not recruited wisely( we did warn you about Burt but you didn’t listen, he’s a me feiner)and is way too loyal to at least five of that squad who are plainly not up to it.
But up to now he is, yes , up there with the real good league managers.

**ontheotherhand** · 08/07/2023, 7:52 PM

Originally Posted by Dermobohs

Listen, if you can stand a bohsman defending the *****, Bradley has done what he had to, win titles with a cup thrown in, got CL and the attached moolah, job done so far.
Yes all challengers fell away but football is cyclical, rovers will inevitably hit the wall and drop to third or fourth , or happens.
Pressure was still on him to win a title which proved beyond three very good football men, and he did and followed it with two more, and a cup, but he’s under real scrutiny now, euro performances have to improve a league is demanded by the fans and he’s not recruited wisely( we did warn you about Burt but you didn’t listen, he’s a me feiner)and is way too loyal to at least five of that squad who are plainly not up to it.
But up to now he is, yes , up there with the real good league managers.

Yeah that's all fair. I think some of the off field stuff might have been a distraction towards the end of last season and start of this one. Recruitment needed to be better for sure. We have some passengers at the moment and are sorely lacking any pace without Clarke and Farrugia.

**Bohtastic** · 08/07/2023, 8:06 PM

Originally Posted by Dermobohs

he’s not recruited wisely( we did warn you about Burt but you didn’t listen, he’s a me feiner)and is way too loyal to at least five of that squad who are plainly not up to it.

I think there's a touch of revisionism about Burt, while his attitude was terrible there were a lot of us who thought he was going to be very good. Personally speaking, I thought he was going to do a Mandriou/Lyons and start performing again. Not sure if I speak for the majority of bohs fans, but there wasn't a good riddance vibe as far as i could tell..

**Knocklyonhoop** · 08/07/2023, 8:09 PM

Rovers have been poor the last few weeks yes, but in the first 6 when we won 0, I thought we played v well in the most part. Take the stupid red for Pico @ Sligo and it could have been very different. Recent form is a concern and no Byrne on Tuesday is a huge worry, thou having GON and Farrugia back would be huge, th latter hopefully not recurring again.

**pineapple stu** · 08/07/2023, 8:36 PM

Originally Posted by TonyD

An example of what though ? You labelled him as “ solid but unspectacular” a judgment which you simply can’t make after about ten games. It could all fall apart for him, or he could do for us what Stephen Kenny did for Dundalk ( fingers crossed !)

Well ok - take Daly out so. I did put "even Daly" knowing he was at an early stage of things, but take him out and the question being posed about Bradley still stands I think.

Originally Posted by Nesta99

Really?? Not paying 200k to a finished former La Liga player, appointing an unqualified manager, Jim Magilton, the mad chairman, having Patching train alone, 6 month contracts, analytics, no signings around or above 27 years of age. I'd be quite happy to have a good few of the former squad still on the books.

Touché! Em... Among Dundalk's mistakes are not refreshing the squad, appointing an unqualified manager, having a mad chairman, Zahibo in his entirety...