Shamrock on Saturday (Shams 2-1 Rovers)

[Buller]

and I love u too deecay!!

Keep it PG lads...

[clubman]

Really don't know what it is about the FAI Cup, Shams, Rovers and Referees but here we are 30 years after the Carpenter fiasco and now we have a little runt like Buttimer writting himself into the folklore of the Bit O Red.
Have to say I knew before Butler saw red that he was going anyway. The lad is a lialibility and he has to be shipped out immediately. Don't care how talented he is he is no asset to our club!
From the start Cook Fcuked up big time with his team selection. Jennings will never make a keeper as long as his hole faces downwards. Doherty is not fit to wear the red of Rovers. Starting a game with two lightweights proves there are questions hanging over Cook as a manager. Going into a game as important as last night's it's a must to have your best team on the park. In my opinion we started with nine men and that's not good enough Mr Cook!!!!
Our defending for Shams two goals was nothing short of dreadful. No one on the back stick for the first one, their no. nine had a free header. The second both Mauro and Peers were outjumped and PJ just watched. Terrible, absolutely shocking!!
For me Murphy was by far our best player, the amount of effort he put in was a credit to the lad. He wanted to win it was written all over him. He had little or no support. On two occasions in the dying minutes of the second half he was in great positions and screaming for the ball and in the end on both occasions he thumped the ground in frustration. Faz is a joke. He has all the moves, throws the right shapes but his football brain is too slow to get moves going. He needs a train turntable to get round and he's so predictable he's unreal. I will be glad to see the back of him that's for sure.
Coleman, Peers, O Grady and Murphy are all that came out of the game with any credit. Ralf was brilliant when he eventually got the nod and should have been on from the start.
A shambles .... a total shambles.
It was a must win game but not enough of our players showed up. Fair play to Shams, the worst Hoops team ever? but at least they got on with it.
Disappointed to say the least. Our season is now over. How many 'supporters' will grace the Showgrounds for the mouthwatering fixture against the Students in two weeks time?
The club has to be in real trouble financially now and I can't see us make it 'till the end of the season.

[Knappagh Red]

For a team that has us in serious debt being dumped out of both cup competitions at the first round and being in the bottom half of the league is a very poor return. I can see us offloading players in July to try and manage costs

[showgies]

Butler has only himself to blame for the sending off. The man was fired up right from the start and the first yellow card should have seen him calm down, but it didn't. Althoug I will admit that the ref was over fussy all night.

We had a right good go at them when we went two down and with better quality delivery of the ball we could have sneaked a draw. Faz wasted one corner and two good free kick situations. As Clubman pointed out on a couple of occasions Anto was in terrific positions but failed to get the ball.

There has been enough said about Jennings already, but Brush should be our No. 1.

The Shams crowd were quiet until they went two up and fell silent again after we scored. Their cheers at the end were ones of relief.

[showgies]

I can see us offloading players in July to try and manage costs

I think that was going to happen anyways

[deecay]

Watching Chrissy go into a tackle with everything he's got gives me so much joy.Alan Murphy and Sean O Connar were afraid of him early on.He could have been sent off before he did,Cook definatly needs to have a word.

We had a great crowd last night,sunshiners everywhere,well at least alot stood and tryed to join into chants.Dont want to keep on about the ref or il explode but he was a disgrace,Anto got punched in the head twice in front of him

The fella who threw the smoke onto the pitch has nothing to do with Forza Rovers and Michael Toolan was knows who it is.

[Rovers1]

dont know how Darragh McGuire stayed on the pitch. he twice attempted to decapitate Anto Murphy, very surprised he wasnt sent off after intentionally elbowing Anto in the head and preceeding to walk back to him and taunt him as he lay on the ground.

Last night was another example of how the Dubs can easliy intimidate an official. Rovers players were being booked for tackles that the Shamrock players were let away with.

Dont think our season is over yet though...we can still finish in top 4, we will also be fresher than other teams going into some vital games nearer September/October.

[MarkyH]

The ref can't take all the blame for the defeat last night. Yes he seemed to favour shams in a lot of the 50 50 decisions, but Butler and Cook need
to look at themselves as well.

As soon as Butler was booked the 1st time, I knew he wouldn't last the 90 mins. But to get sent off after 15 mins was a disaster. And if its true that he simulated a head butt against the shams player that is just stupidity.

Cook seems very stubborn to keep picking jennings over brush. His indecision under any crosses makes the whole defence nervous. This could be seen in all the games he has played this season. As for his inability to deal with any backpasses, that was just comical!

I agree that Anto was 1 of the few plus points last night. Raf also made a big difference when he came on. If he was anywhere near full fitness he should have started.

Very poor crowd for the so called tie of the round. But having seen a dublin bus attacked by 15 or so "casuals" outside fagans 30 mins before the match, I can see why it's difficult to attract more people to loi games in Dublin

[sligofan4ever]

Ok where to start?

Officials - Complete joke, i might be a little biased here but i have always believed in players getting a warning before a card, saying that i can understand why the first yellow was given, im not sure what happened for the second yellow, i saw a challenge from butler but it didnt look like a second yellow from where i was, i went to answer my phone and about 10 seconds later the ref pulled out his card, it cannot have been for the challenge, if butler said something i hope cookie mauled him when he got into the dressing room, what a complete wally..you dont say something to a ref in this league when you're on a yellow card.

The Game - Well, Jennings doesnt deserve to put on a rovers shirt, defence have no confidence in him and hopefully he doesnt have any confidence in his abilities, otherwise he doesnt deserve to play for Abbey United.

Coleman was superb throughout, never gave up and shams couldnt handle him, was skipping past them with ease but they kept taking him out with dirty tackles...and didnt even get booked, again i have always believed in(and thought the rule was) giving out a yellow card if the tackle was on purpose no matter how hard it was.

Anto played great throughout the game but i was expecting more from cashie & doherty, Raff should have started but the Curry a-la-raff must have battered his colon, still was able to come on in the game & if he'd started it could have been different, O'Grady had a good game too, made some good passes and won a few balls.

I dont like to bash faz but he had a terrible game, he wasted everything, saying that he looked lost up front on his own til' we went 4-3-2. Judgie isnt with it, he has some personal problems is what is being said, if its something back in england cookie should give him 2 weeks off to go home and try to get his head straight, might sound stupid but i think 2 weeks off for him & we could see the old matthew judge back, or we can continue to watch what he doing now for weeks.

Steve feeney should have come on, 1 of 2 mistakes cookie made in the game, we all know the other one...

All in all it was a terrible away trip for me, its been many years since i left a game feeling sick(when we got relegated i think it was). All i could say on the way home was 'hang Buttimer'

Jennings should never put on a football shirt for a team.... anywhere... again. Altough i didnt see him by the sounds of things he was dreadful and ive seen him in others and he was dreadful in them. so I think I speak for everyone when I say BRING BACK BRUSH!!!

[sligofan4ever]

dont know how Darragh McGuire stayed on the pitch. he twice attempted to decapitate Anto Murphy, very surprised he wasnt sent off after intentionally elbowing Anto in the head and preceeding to walk back to him and taunt him as he lay on the ground.

Last night was another example of how the Dubs can easliy intimidate an official. Rovers players were being booked for tackles that the Shamrock players were let away with.

Dont think our season is over yet though...we can still finish in top 4, we will also be fresher than other teams going into some vital games nearer September/October.

This is the second match against Shams in a row where a player attacked one of ours (afaik didnt see the match) anyone remember Alan Moore getting a punch in the head while he was warming up a few weeks ago that one was pure thuggary. but I cant say anything about McGuire as I never seen what he did too Anto yet but by the sounds of things he shouldve been sent off.

[Boo_Boy]

Jennings should never put on a football shirt for a team.... anywhere... again.

Abbey United might take him...or the Leisure League

[Boo_Boy]

even Abbey arent that desperate for a keeper hes a disgrace too be the son of Pat Jennings sr. i was looking forward to him because i tought being a good keeper ran in the family, but now I know I want him out of our team asap.

you're going too far there son, i know he's bad but i wouldnt say that.

[sligofan4ever]

you're going too far there son, i know he's bad but i wouldnt say that.

well football wise wouldnt mind but I was only after deletin when you post this

[sligofan4ever]

The ref can't take all the blame for the defeat last night. Yes he seemed to favour shams in a lot of the 50 50 decisions, but Butler and Cook need
to look at themselves as well.

As soon as Butler was booked the 1st time, I knew he wouldn't last the 90 mins. But to get sent off after 15 mins was a disaster. And if its true that he simulated a head butt against the shams player that is just stupidity.

Cook seems very stubborn to keep picking jennings over brush. His indecision under any crosses makes the whole defence nervous. This could be seen in all the games he has played this season. As for his inability to deal with any backpasses, that was just comical!

I agree that Anto was 1 of the few plus points last night. Raf also made a big difference when he came on. If he was anywhere near full fitness he should have started.

Very poor crowd for the so called tie of the round. But having seen a dublin bus attacked by 15 or so "casuals" outside fagans 30 mins before the match, I can see why it's difficult to attract more people to loi games in Dublin

reminds me of this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Yu9udh_-0I

[sligoman]

[DocRovers]

It is not Jennings fault - he is hopeless & not up to LOI standard. But Cook signed him & I said at the time it was a huge error & a waste of badly needed money! I said sign a local lad & got ridiculed!!! Four games & 9 goals conceded with PJ & our season is OVER in early June, he was awful against Bohs so Paul should have removed him - it is Paul's fault, nobody else's. We have won Cup game in League & FAI Cups since Cook arrived - not good enough & too much strain on the finances. Doherty is a disgrace, another Paul addition! Questions must be asked as at least 4 if not 5 players will have to go NOW. Galway had to try & offload 6 lads & they are still in both Cup competitions! It is a financial reality

[sligoman]

our season is OVER in early June

Our season isn't over. I agree it isn't actually Jennings fault, Cook picked the team and Pat was hardly going to say 'no, don't pick me' but to say the season is over is just stupid. Yes we're out of both cups but we were on good form in the league going as high as 4th just a couple of weeks ago. If we can re-find that form then there is still a fight left. We will be getting rid of some players, some will be missed, others won't. If we do add the likes of Turner and Mansaram in July it's a bit of fresh blood into the team which we might need.

We're not favourites to get it but Europe is still there to play for.

We have won Cup game in League & FAI Cups since Cook arrived

What?

[DocRovers]

Sorry, in 2 years we have won only one Cup game. We have lost to Harps, Galway, Waterford & now Shams. Not good enough & we dont have the money to sign fellows now - we needed a Cup run. There is a huge loss of revenue from exiting both Cups this early. One home game this month against UCD & nearly €80,000 in wages - where is the money going to come from?. We are professional & Shamrock Rvs are part timers! The attendance for UCD will be less than a thousand people, to the fair weather supporters there is nothing to attract them.
I am not gloating, it is disappointing but true - we need to ship out at least 4 & I would have no sympathy for Paul, he knew the stakes last nite & called it wrong. Getting Boco back now is hopeless, he missed the most important match of the year

[sligofan4ever]

i couldnt help but feel if boco was available and playing last night he wouldve made a difference.

[oldrover]

Agree with all that has been said re managers decisions and esp re Jennings in goal. But we cant despair. We have to aim for top four and manager has to motivate the team. We need a couple of wins to get us back on track. Lets all keep behind the bit o'red