League within a League?

**passerrby** · 15/05/2007, 6:42 PM

maybe so but my point is although there is a big gap between the top 4 clubs in the premiership and the bottom 4 in the first div the rest are all capable of beaten one another.

**passerrby** · 15/05/2007, 6:43 PM

oh and i forgot what fcuking big guns

**superfrank** · 15/05/2007, 7:05 PM

Just a look at the table shows the bottom four within two points of each other. Third to eighth the gap is four points. Then top two hace two points between them and are four points clear of Bohs. There is one game in hand but the likelihood is Drogs will add to their points toll (home against us, even the most optimistic Bray fan would find it hard to justify thinking we'd get anything).

The fat of the matter this year is Pats and Drogs are clearly better then everyone else and, imo, it's down to the results in their games that'll decide the league.

The middle table group are pretty interchangeable. Eighth (Sligo) beat fourth (Cork) 4-1 the other night whereas they lost 1-0 to fifth (Rovers) a few weeks ago. These teams do tend to pull off the odd upset against the top two but struggle occassionally against the bottom four, Bohs 1-1 Galway, Bray 1-1 Cork, Waterford 1-0 Cork and so on. The top teams would be able to beat these teams fairly consistently.

As for the bottom four it's down to how they get on against each other as to who'll stay up.

**jebus** · 15/05/2007, 7:06 PM

Originally Posted by The Lilywhites

The small teams always raise their game for the big guns.

So that explains the screaming hordes that accompany the Dundalk team bus, why when last ye were down it was like Beatlemania all over again....only with 40 fans

**DmanDmythDledge** · 15/05/2007, 7:30 PM

Originally Posted by superfrank

Just a look at the table shows the bottom four within two points of each other. Third to eighth the gap is four points. Then top two hace two points between them and are four points clear of Bohs. There is one game in hand but the likelihood is Drogs will add to their points toll (home against us, even the most optimistic Bray fan would find it hard to justify thinking we'd get anything).

The fat of the matter this year is Pats and Drogs are clearly better then everyone else and, imo, it's down to the results in their games that'll decide the league.

The middle table group are pretty interchangeable. Eighth (Sligo) beat fourth (Cork) 4-1 the other night whereas they lost 1-0 to fifth (Rovers) a few weeks ago. These teams do tend to pull off the odd upset against the top two but struggle occassionally against the bottom four, Bohs 1-1 Galway, Bray 1-1 Cork, Waterford 1-0 Cork and so on. The top teams would be able to beat these teams fairly consistently.

As for the bottom four it's down to how they get on against each other as to who'll stay up.

Spot on IMO.

**oriel** · 15/05/2007, 7:43 PM

Originally Posted by passerrby

last season we beat dundalk and drew with galway and rovers twice and we finished bottom so dont see the gap been that massive

And if you had put even half as much effort or energy into these games than the other 6 sides in the division, you would have finished a lot higher than.............bottom

**John83** · 15/05/2007, 7:59 PM

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If you share these values, join us. The foot.ie Communist Party is built on its members (Bohs Partizan mainly), and relies on them to fund its campaign and fight elections at local, national and European levels. As a member you get to have your say in how policies are made, which candidates are chosen to fight elections, and how the foot.ie Communist Party moves forward as the party of the family of football.

**CharlesThompson** · 15/05/2007, 9:09 PM

Originally Posted by superfrank

Just a look at the table shows the bottom four within two points of each other. Third to eighth the gap is four points. Then top two hace two points between them and are four points clear of Bohs. There is one game in hand but the likelihood is Drogs will add to their points toll (home against us, even the most optimistic Bray fan would find it hard to justify thinking we'd get anything).

The fat of the matter this year is Pats and Drogs are clearly better then everyone else and, imo, it's down to the results in their games that'll decide the league.

The middle table group are pretty interchangeable. Eighth (Sligo) beat fourth (Cork) 4-1 the other night whereas they lost 1-0 to fifth (Rovers) a few weeks ago. These teams do tend to pull off the odd upset against the top two but struggle occassionally against the bottom four, Bohs 1-1 Galway, Bray 1-1 Cork, Waterford 1-0 Cork and so on. The top teams would be able to beat these teams fairly consistently.

As for the bottom four it's down to how they get on against each other as to who'll stay up.

I'd go along with this Frank. I would put in the distinction though that although things stand as they are (as above) that although I do not expect Drogheda to slip up to any great degree that I would not expect Pats to continue as they have started - and I'm not saying that as a consequence to any Pats supporters, in fact they'd be a club that I have a lot of respect and time for (urgh :spit

but I think that a couple of injuries and they look pretty thin squad wise. Cork could possibly close the gap but with Gamble being called up to the international squad and the inevitable postponement of matches, Europe and rescheduled games could catch up with them.

I obviously hope that Bohs who are proving to be difficult to beat will start to score some goals and open up their attacking play and for once in the last three years actually beat teams that are above us in the table and I think that we can. Given we have drawn games with Galway and UCD at Dalymount Park already this season and lost a league game in Bray it is fair to say that we are in the second tier because we deserve to be. So the way it looks to me is as the table stands presently. However by the time the season reaches its climax, I hope and think (in no particular order necessarily) the three tiers will be as follows:

Drogheda
Cork
Pats
Bohs
Derry
---------
Rovers
UCD
Shams
---------
Galway
Longford
Bray
Waterford

**Saint MacDara** · 16/05/2007, 4:55 PM

Pats have the best goal scoring and defensive record in the league,and Drogheda are in a similar situation.Pats and Drogheda are clearly in a 2 team tier.

Bohs are no better than Rovers.Bohs,Cork,Rovers and Derry in the second tier.

**BohsFans** · 16/05/2007, 5:03 PM

Originally Posted by Saint MacDara

Pats have the best goal scoring and defensive record in the league,and Drogheda are in a similar situation.Pats and Drogheda are clearly in a 2 team tier.

Who has the best defensive record?

http://www.eircomloi.ie/tables.htm

**Saint MacDara** · 16/05/2007, 5:10 PM

Pity you didnt get 3 points for goalless draws

**BohsFans** · 16/05/2007, 5:17 PM

Originally Posted by Saint MacDara

Pity you didnt get 3 points for goalless draws

Pity the junkie can't stop letting them in

**Saint MacDara** · 16/05/2007, 6:20 PM

Top of the League

**BohsFans** · 16/05/2007, 6:28 PM

Originally Posted by Saint MacDara

Top of the League

Only 10 games gone!

**sligoman** · 16/05/2007, 10:07 PM

Originally Posted by Saint MacDara

Top of the League

Drogheda have a game in hand, against Bray.

**Frankfurt Hoop** · 16/05/2007, 10:22 PM

Longford have been dropped out of the dog battle at the bottom. All it would take is for one of the other strugglers to have a bit of bad luck over the next few weeks and the bottom end would be sorted.

If Longford don't manage to struggle to the end of the season a redistribution of the points lost to them by a few teams could change things again.

**Dr.Nightdub** · 16/05/2007, 11:01 PM

Originally Posted by CharlesThompson

I would not expect Pats to continue as they have started - and I'm not saying that as a consequence to any Pats supporters, in fact they'd be a club that I have a lot of respect and time for (urgh :spit

but I think that a couple of injuries and they look pretty thin squad wise.

All we've been aiming to do for the last few months is just to hang in there until the shops open. Bit weird though to be trying to hang on from out in front.

You're right about injuries, at the moment we're missing Kirby, Mulcahy, Ndo and Foley - in almost any other team in the league, that'd be a formidable midfield in its own right.

Having played everyone else at least once in one competition or other, the only ones I could see coming close to us and Drogheda would be Cork. Bohs with a different manager, maybe, but not with someone who dresses like Santa from the waist down.