Midweek Round - Mon 06 Apr

[2 Year Contract]

It just sounds too passive for me personally. Its not about seeing losing as a disaster - you should get over that as soon as the whistle goes - its about seeing the next game as an opportunity to compete for it all.

The league is there to be challenged for. There are not many years when you can, so best take your opportunities and go for it.

Go make your home as hostile as possible. Make them overcome it. Allow for a big game atmosphere. Big it up that the night will be a highlight of the players careers. Treat it with the expectation that everybody , from the stands to the players, will be totally spent at the end of the game.

Dont be hedging your bets before.

I wouldn't have said this about anyone before the year. But now you have seen the league and seen your team, you know Pats can win any game and each team can drop points consistently.

Even winning the game might mean nothing come end of the year. Its only one game.. But still, who cares. Dundalk beat Rovers a couple of times under O'Donnell. Ultimately, it didnt mean much - but I much rather that attitude than always waiting for next year.

Yeah spot on, because I see European qualification as the goal for Pats I obviously have no interest in beating rovers Friday, will sit on my hands and put tape over my mouth and deny my club’s players the ‘highlight of their career’ by winning on Friday, makes sense

[outspoken]

Longford absolutely diabolical yesterday. You can't rest 5 of your best players on Friday and win neither game. 1 point from a run of fixtures at home to Harps, away to the bottom side and away to your injury ravaged and out of form local rivals is bordering on unacceptable. Can't remember the last time I heard Longford fans boo and berate their own players at full time. Sums up just how bad it was.

[Kiki Balboa]

Yeah spot on, because I see European qualification as the goal for Pats I obviously have no interest in beating rovers Friday, will sit on my hands and put tape over my mouth and deny my club’s players the ‘highlight of their career’ by winning on Friday, makes sense

Look, I am probably getting too hyper focused on the topic, and best to leave it after this.

I am just fully onboard with embracing it as a 6-pointer, and feel it could already be hyped as a big / consequential one-off game.

Its the first time I really believe a team can put a marker on Bradley's Rovers, instead of hoping they are eroded elsewhere.

Its strange for me that a club at the top of the table dont have that mentality, irrespective of what happened last year.

[sbgawa]

Im inclined to agree with you this is a massive match for both Pats and Rovers. Im looking at the next two games Pats/Bohs as a big chance for us to put a marker down.
With Shels and Derry a bit off the pace already this would give us a nice breathing space over everyone.
Opposite is also true, two losses and we are chasing.
Europe is always a big distraction and my personal belief is to be able to give Europe your best shot you need to be about ten points ahead in the league to allow for slippage during an extended european campaign.

[Nesta99]

Might be a spoiler alert for you but Pats are not title contenders. Being top of the league after 10 games is a good start but it’s 10 games, not 25 games. For context Drogheda were top of the league after 14 games last season and I don’t think anyone with a brain saw them as title contenders at that point. The goal for Pats is Europe. So as disappointing as yesterday’s result was after a run of 6 wins and a draw in 7 games, on a brighter note, Shels didn’t gain any ground and Bohs and Derry only gained 1 point in a game they should be winning

You suggesting Drogheda folk are braindead? Fair observation!

[Nesta99]

I fully understand the whole keeping expectations supressed, we all have that LoI trauma. Like try putting yerself in a Derry fans shoes, they are in the realms of Pats fans and the cup prior to 2014. I doubt SK, TL, Bradley, Rennie, even O'Brien started off the season not thinking on how to win the title. Top of that list would be SK, he will be expecting a challenge to win it for sure and wont be thinking that qualifying for Europe will be grand. Reynolds is probably still in the building a title winning side mode. Lynch probably thought he was adding the final pieces and its gone very wrong. Bradley is pretty quiet, you'd have to wonder if he is as motivated now as he was in previous years, their quality will carry them but they may be in for a proper battle this season at last. The only people thinking Shels are in a title hunt would be Shels. The rest is nick a European place or stay out of relegation trouble.

[patsdad]

Strange as it feels to be in agreement with Nesta99, of course we are in a title chase. The important players from the last two years have all been retained (except Melia obviously), some that needed to be moved on are gone, some additions of top quality such as Brown, Mata and Edmondson. We’ve had two poor performances in 10 games and deservedly lost on both occasions to Rovers and Dundalk. The other 8 games delivered 20 points and a GD of 18-4. I’ll happily take one poor performance every 5 games.

[da bishop]

After that absolutely horrendous effort from Treaty in Cobh monday i was wondering where the mgt team would go with their assessment of that performance and the first rd of games........i neednt have waited too long as our local senior soccer correspondent has set the narrative on radio...now reminding everyone that Tommy Barretts big one so far is injuries........we now hear from said correspondent it is in fact now......wait for it...........THE BUDGET.