"We molested football tonight"

[Steve Bruce]

And..according to the tax man, we reguarly get 2-3000 at games

According to our chairman 2 weeks ago, we get 3000 average excluding the glentoran game.

[Steve Bruce]

Of course we know that its just this "winning ugly" line thats being trotted out is entirely inappropriate for a game when for 85 minutes of the match you were outclassed on the pitch apart from one stupid **** up by the best player on the pitch, and out sung, as cosmo so helpfully points out, by 147 fans off it. Winning ugly is grinding out results in the face of pressure or adversity; what happened monday night was the football equivalent of finding a tenner down the back of a sofa.

Cosmo, just how many people did you expect to travel in fantastic weather around exam time for 22 hours to see a secondary cup football game on a monday, after 2 changes of plan? All four or five thousand that were in the ground tonight for the important match this week? It wasn't long ago 147 would be a decent attendance at a cobh v drogheda game

You really do over estimate your dominance. It took you over an hour to force a save from our keeper.

We should have been 1 nil up at the start when Maccers back passed the ball rather than rattled it. Our heads went down after that and Cork capitalised.

But to say that you dominated to the extreme that your portraying is laughable at best. Yes you dominated, but to be honest there was only 1 or 2 times I was sweating.

[Peadar]

You really do over estimate your dominance. It took you over an hour to force a save from our keeper.

That's to be expected when you parked 10 men behind the ball.
We expected that though, just didn't expect you to be completely unable to string two passes together!
Your completely rested team were playing a team that had had a tough game 3 nights earlier and had to travel up & down the country twice, yet you couldn't manage any significant period of possession!
Lucky for you the semi-finals aren't a two legged affair.

[Steve Bruce]

That's to be expected when you parked 10 men behind the ball.
We expected that though, just didn't expect you to be completely unable to string two passes together!
Your completely rested team were playing a team that had had a tough game 3 nights earlier and had to travel up & down the country twice, yet you couldn't manage any significant period of possession!
Lucky for you the semi-finals aren't a two legged affair.

Our completely rested team who has played near 60 games? Dead on mate.

Missing our star striker, our main left midfielder, our main center midfielder, our two main Setanta center halfs and because our main left back was covering our main left midfielder, we had to field our aging and past his best left back.

You where practically playing our second string. A team that you still couldn't beat even though you have us down as the worst team to ever take the field.

We played terrible on Monday, everyone agrees, but if you think that is how Linfield plays week in and week out, you need your head checked.

Cork still aren't the best team we have played this season, a long way off in fact.

If it was a 2 legged affair we would have beat yous down there as well. We played that bad and still beat you, what would have happened if we played like our normal selves? We would have tanked you into oblivian.

[Steve Bruce]

Can I also point out to Real Cork fans, that you finished 2nd in your group a massive 6 points behind St Pats, whilst Linfield came top of our group with Drogs coming 2nd.

Drogs went and played the strong team in your group, beat them and are in the final.

Cork went to play the strongest team in our group and got beat and where sent home crying(and still are).

So what does that really tell you? Our group, which was the group of death are both in the final. You can go on about 1 game where you where the better team ON THE NIGHT, but this tournement is bigger than one game and Linfield and Drogs have proved to be the better teams in the tournement by consistantly getting the good results. And that my little Mourinhos is what it's all about.

[Peadar]

We played terrible on Monday, everyone agrees, but if you think that is how Linfield plays week in and week out, you need your head checked.

Of course you don't, because you've got no half decent teams to play against, so you can dictate matters. Once you were up against an actual football team of significant merit, you were shown up for the class-less outfit you really are.

[GavinZac]

This "secondary football game on a Monday" is worth at least 80,000 Euro to the winners of the semi-final, possibly 150,000 Euro! There is no club on this island that would turn down this dinero, if it had the chance to win it!

Well thats why we entered it, isn't it? Mind you, we'll be getting far more than that for the sale of a striker we didn't even have playing when gave you "a lesson in football", and heres hoping doyler is snapped up in the summer when we'll get a few multiples of that aswell. We won't worry about it, but its bloody hilarious to see ye get so defensive. Obviously it means a fair bit more to you lads since that kind of money is unknown in your mickey mouse league, and no-one ever gives you credit for walking it every year. Hence the "No, well, er, winning ugly, not every week, er, bit tired, thems the breaks". Wheres the actual critical analysis of why your players let us walk all over them?

[BleusAvantTout]

Of course you don't, because you've got no half decent teams to play against, so you can dictate matters. Once you were up against an actual football team of significant merit, you were shown up for the class-less outfit you really are.

I feel I am debating with "simple minds" so I'll make this a simple post to enable the intellectually challenged to understand.

The prime object of a football game is to score goals - the side that scores the most goals wins the game. It is not rocket science. I have seen Linfield F.C. pulverise various teams over the years and lose because they couldn't score goals! Losing is second best - that's how CCFC finished on Monday night. Get over it and move on. The team you appear to be referring to as one of "significant merit" appears to be your own but you lost the game because you were unable to meet the winning criteria as set out in the rules of Association Football! Ya dig?

Linfield have been the most consistent side, North and South, since the Setanta Sports Cup began. They have never been overrun by any Eircom League side. That tells me your League is big, but only in your own minds. We play in our national league which is the right place for us to play. When we play against the Eircom League's "finest" we have not been overwhelmed or disgraced.

[Steve Bruce]

Of course you don't, because you've got no half decent teams to play against, so you can dictate matters. Once you were up against an actual football team of significant merit, you were shown up for the class-less outfit you really are.

Do you have a mental block or something? We have shown we are capable of beating anyone on this island, by beating every one over 3 years.

We have only ever got beat twice in 18 games in the Setanta cup. You have been beaten that amount of times this season alone.

I think you should actually read up a bit more on football because you seriously come across lacking in knowledge.

[GavinZac]

They have never been overrun by any Eircom League side.... When we play against the Eircom League's "finest" we have not been overwhelmed or disgraced.

Did you go to the game? Are you part of the famous home support that didnt show up? The other linfield fans are of course right in saying that its about putting your shots away so we can't have that many complaints except to our own players - but what on earth are you talking about?

[Steve Bruce]

Did you go to the game? Are you part of the famous home support that didnt show up? The other linfield fans are of course right in saying that its about putting your shots away so we can't have that many complaints except to our own players - but what on earth are you talking about?

You wheren't that dangerous, that's what he was talking about. You where decent untill the final 3rd, we only had 1 or 2 sweats the whole game. By and large you are decent team, but not great. Certainly not as good as Drogheda or Derry City(even though they are going through a rough time).

I think unless Cork win the FAI cup, you will be in the intertoto this year if your lucky. Your not good enough to win the league.(or challange)

[GavinZac]

You wheren't that dangerous, that's what he was talking about. You where decent untill the final 3rd, we only had 1 or 2 sweats the whole game.

lads, seriously, look at the "shots off target" stats. we had one decent striker on the field who was half fit - Mssr O'Donovan would've put you to the sword like he did portadown. all ifs and buts, i know, but come on... 1 or 2? how many times were our strikers clean through on goal and wasted the chance? your defence was absolutely terrible and thats why behan/flynn got such a berating from their own team mates and fans.

By and large you are decent team, but not great. Certainly not as good as Drogheda or Derry City(even though they are going through a rough time).

we trounced derry 4-1 away, and we would've deservedly beaten drogs 2-1 away save for a bizarre keeper **** up. Meanwhile, the real team we weren't expected to beat is St. Pats and we won deservedly against them too.

I think unless Cork win the FAI cup, you will be in the intertoto this year if your lucky. Your not good enough to win the league.(or challange)

If we're lucky? Who's going to finish above us then? We have 2 irish internationals waiting on the sidelines dying to get on, and a striker on the way in june. by then sean kelly will be back in the defence - we won't be "lucky" to be challenging. stick to what you know, provincial football.

[BleusAvantTout]

Did you go to the game? Are you part of the famous home support that didnt show up? The other linfield fans are of course right in saying that its about putting your shots away so we can't have that many complaints except to our own players - but what on earth are you talking about?

In plain English......if you don't score you don't win. Linfield have not been overwhelmed by any Southern side who we have played in the Setanta!!

I was at the game and the CCFC fans I met were all sound. I hope they are not the ones on here and just about to contact the Samaritans!!! You brought at least 9 players back every time we had a "set piece" in your half. That kinda looked to me you were a side wanting to hit us on the break. This debate is going nowhere. It's like debating with tunnel visioned politicians!!

[razor]

Your not good enough to win the league.(or challange)

In our current weakened state I agree. Post July 1st when we have Healy & Farrelly available we'll certainly be a more formidable side, add to that a striker or two which are obviously badly needed and I definitely think we'll challenge.
Thread is going nowhere overall, Linfield mugged us ,as did Drogheda in last years final, and fair dues to them.

[GavinZac]

In plain English......if you don't score you don't win. Linfield have not been overwhelmed by any Southern side who we have played in the Setanta!!

I was at the game and the CCFC fans I met were all sound. I hope they are not the ones on here and just about to contact the Samaritans!!! You brought at least 9 players back every time we had a "set piece" in your half. That kinda looked to me you were a side wanting to hit us on the break. This debate is going nowhere. It's like debating with tunnel visioned politicians!!

Its not even debate, you clearly don't understand the word overwhelmed enough to be using it regularly. And we defended set pieces thats unusual now? we have full time players, they have the fitness to get back out when (if) we win the ball back.

[Peadar]

Linfield have not been overwhelmed by any Southern side who we have played in the Setanta!!

Pardon us for not taking a pre-season competiton seriously.

[BohsPartisan]

Pardon us for not taking a pre-season competiton seriously.

Yeah I forgot you don't need the prize money
The missus is coming to our game in the cross later this month, I'll tell her not to get any lemon in her vodka and coke as its bitter enough already down Cork way!

[GavinZac]

Yeah I forgot you don't need the prize money
The missus is coming to our game in the cross later this month, I'll tell her not to get any lamon in her vodka and coke as its bitter enough already down Cork way!

You would be too! Only, you've never qualified.

[Peadar]

...Linfield mugged us ,as did Drogheda in last years final, and fair dues to them.

Exactly, and the final is going to be a battle of the balaclavas as the two greatest muggers try to nab the swag.

Could even result in the ball remaining static in the centre circle for 90 minutes, as both sides lump everyone behind the ball and wait for the other to attack.

[Steve Bruce]

lads, seriously, look at the "shots off target" stats. we had one decent striker on the field who was half fit - Mssr O'Donovan would've put you to the sword like he did portadown. all ifs and buts, i know, but come on... 1 or 2? how many times were our strikers clean through on goal and wasted the chance? your defence was absolutely terrible and thats why behan/flynn got such a berating from their own team mates and fans.

Shots off target, ffs that has me sweating....Not. If we had our best players fit do you honestly think we would have played as poorly? All ifs and buts, but one thing that is fact is, we beat you 1-0 fair and square in 90 minutes. Also are defence was very much a makeshift defence, far from our strongest back four.

we trounced derry 4-1 away, and we would've deservedly beaten drogs 2-1 away save for a bizarre keeper **** up. Meanwhile, the real team we weren't expected to beat is St. Pats and we won deservedly against them too.

As far as I could read, you never had a shot on target apart from your penalty, how is that deserving? Also your 8 points behind with only a hand full of matches played, your some team.

If we're lucky? Who's going to finish above us then? We have 2 irish internationals waiting on the sidelines dying to get on, and a striker on the way in june. by then sean kelly will be back in the defence - we won't be "lucky" to be challenging. stick to what you know, provincial football.

Drogheda, St Pats and Derry City will all finish in front of you, even though Derry are going through a hard time they will come good. Your not a great team. If we win the Setanta cup that will be twice that our league has beat your league in an all-ireland competition. 18 games, 2 defeats is our record in the Setanta what's yours?

Read bold.