Big club-v- HUGE club predictions

**Colm** · 17/12/2002, 2:39 PM

Loads of people seem to be giving predictions on various threads so we might as well have one dedicated thread.

How do you think we will get on against Bohs on thursday? It is a huge game for us, a game that if we lose we will not finish in the top 3 imo.

I reckon it will be 1-1, and we will have Gunther ranting on about how we are unbeaten against the champions all season.
O'Flynn and Ryan to score.

**patsh** · 17/12/2002, 2:43 PM

Originally posted by COLM
Loads of people seem to be giving predictions on various threads so we might as well have one dedicated thread.

How do you think we will get on against Bohs on thursday? It is a huge game for us, a game that if we lose we will not finish in the top 3 imo.

I reckon it will be 1-1, and we will have Gunther ranting on about how we are unbeaten against the champions all season.
O'Flynn and Ryan to score.

[COLOR=red][SIZE=2]SHOCK HORROR !!!!!!![/SIZE]
NOEL SPILLAGE AGREES WITH COLM !!!!!!!!!!!!![/COLOR] .....

[SIZE=1]see tonight's echo !!!![/SIZE]

**Casegrande** · 17/12/2002, 3:39 PM

4-0 to Bowez
Murphy to resign after we lose to Bray.

**JDB** · 17/12/2002, 4:42 PM

Originally posted by COLM
It is a huge game for us, a game that if we lose we will not finish in the top 3 imo.

A draw would be a great result given our away form but you'd have to put your money on Bohs [who knows City might surprise us all?]. I don't think this game is do or die for City for a top three finish. Currently we're 3 points clear of Rovers and they have an equally tough game coming up vs Shels -a game they could easily lose although a draw would be a better result for us. Rovers also have to come to Turners Cross in a few weeks and they travel to Derry after that. Not easy.

I reckon we could at best pick up 12 points from our last 6 games [3 home wins and 1 away win]. That'll leave us on 47.

I reckon Shamrock Rovers will get 2 home wins and a home draw [vs Shels, Bray and Longford] and 2 away defeats [to City and Derry] and one away win [vs Drogheda]. That'll give them a total of 42 points.

In our worst case scenario I see us picking up 9 points from our last 6 games which would still leave us on 44. IMO given that we're now 3 points clear of Rovers, if we beat them on Jan 10 we'll be sorted for 3rd place. It's in our hands.

**Colm** · 17/12/2002, 4:52 PM

Originally posted by oddboy
[COLOR=red][SIZE=2]SHOCK HORROR !!!!!!![/SIZE]
NOEL SPILLAGE AGREES WITH COLM !!!!!!!!!!!!![/COLOR] .....
[SIZE=1]see tonight's echo !!!![/SIZE]

Thats gotta be a first!
Ah he probably just saw my post and decided to copy it, sure we all know he gets all his city news off foot.ie.

**James** · 17/12/2002, 4:52 PM

Originally posted by JDB
I reckon we could at best pick up 12 points from our last 6 games [3 home wins and 1 away win.

come here JDB boy.. an away win
what planet you living on like

**Colm** · 17/12/2002, 4:57 PM

Originally posted by JDB
I reckon we could at best pick up 12 points from our last 6 games [3 home wins and 1 away win]. That'll leave us on 47.

Where exactly are we going to pick up an away win?
Bohs, Longford and Pats. Well, we ain't going to beat Bohs and we don't win in the Flansiro or the Stadium of sh!te so no, I don't think we will be getting an away win.

**James** · 17/12/2002, 4:59 PM

i mean JDB in recent weeks we have failed to beat 2 of the worst teams in the league in Drogs and UCD (scum

).. we is hardly gona beat anyone else now are we

**Gone Away** · 17/12/2002, 5:53 PM

Originally posted by James
i mean JDB in recent weeks we have failed to beat 2 of the worst teams in the league in Drogs and UCD (scum ).. we is hardly gona beat anyone else now are we

James, sure dont you know that we always do the unexpected when it looks like everything is piled up against us.

0-2 City.

thecorner · 17/12/2002, 11:23 PM

cant see us getting anything against the bowez.
if we cant beat poor sides on the road what chance do we have here

**Shane** · 18/12/2002, 9:40 AM

I can't see us getting an away win this far into the season. A draw on Thursday would be nothing short of a miracle. I think we'll be well beaten but of course I hope to be proved wrong but i think James is right, after the UCD game it's hard to be inspired with regard to the away games.

Derry was a good win but I think those of us who were there will agree that they had a number of chances in the first half which could have made it a whole other match and by the sounds of the match report with the Drogs it doesn't seem like Murphy inspired the team with ingenius tactics so how can we hope to change that at this late stage of the season. Being positive is all good JDB my friend but you need to be realistic too.

**JDB** · 18/12/2002, 2:33 PM

Originally posted by Shane
Being positive is all good JDB my friend but you need to be realistic too.

When it comes to supporting my home town team a little bit of positivity is very necessary for my survival [even if its veers slightly to the left of reality]. Sometimes I can't believe the negativity around here. C'mon lads we're 3 points clear in Third place and in line for a place in Europe next season. Not too shabby.

On the issue of our away form, there are a few things we should keep in mind that show why City's away form isn't all that bad relatively speaking and how a minor improvement in our away form could've landed us the title or may land it in the future.

There are 10 teams in this league. 6 of these are from Dublin and if you include Drogheda you've got 7 from The Pale. That leaves Cork City, Derry and Longford [only 78 miles from Dublin] to do all the travelling when it comes to away games. For the Dublin based teams a game vs another Dublin team is virtually a home game so in essence they have very few real AWAY games for them. Look at the numbers:

Shamrock Rovers: 10 away games. No. of times travelled more than 100 miles for a game: 2
Success rate in games played outside Dublin: 25%

Shelbourne: 11 away games. No. of times travelled more than 100 miles for a game: 3
Success rate in games played outisde Dublin: 25%

St. Pats: 10 away games. No. of times travelled more than 100 miles for a game: 2

Success rate in games played outside Dublin: 50%

Longford Town: 10 away games. No. of times travelled more than 100 miles for a game: 2

Success rate in away games: 33%

Derry: 11 away games. No. of times travelled more than 100 miles for a game: 11

Success rate in away games: 15%

Cork City: 10 away games. No. of times travelled more than 100 miles for a game: 10

Success rate in away games: 20%

Bohemians: 10 away games. No. of times travelled more than 100 miles for a game: 2

Success rate in games played outside Dublin: 77%

I'm not saying our away form is acceptable but looking at the numbers only Bohemians have done a decent job of picking up points away from home [and they've only had to travel over 100 miles twice so far this season]. Shels and Rovers have only a slightly better record than City when they've had to travel a reasonable distance. The composition of the League is a serious advantage to the Dublin teams who barely have to travel all season and City have done very well to be the only non-Dublin team in the top five [and the only non-professional team to boot].

I think the FAI should go some way to redressing this imbalance by making the Dublin teams travel to Cork, Derry and Longford twice each season [then we wouldn't have to trek up to Dublin yet again on Thursday night].

5-0 to City.

**Schumi** · 18/12/2002, 2:36 PM

Originally posted by JDB

Shamrock Rovers: 10 away games.

Shouldn't that be "Shamrock Rovers: 21 away games"?

**niamh** · 18/12/2002, 3:30 PM

I think City will do well to get a draw. Having watched several away fixtures this season, I don't see much hope.

**JDB** · 18/12/2002, 3:43 PM

Originally posted by Schumi
Shouldn't that be "Shamrock Rovers: 21 away games"?

Good point. It also shows why playing in Dublin is such an advantage for Dublin. Shamrock Rovers have no ground so effectively all of their games are away but their record for games played in Dublin is 8-3-3 and for games played outside Dublin 1-0-3.