Mid-term report... How's Mike doing?

[Denis The Red]

We're just over half way in the season and after an indifferent and somewhat unsure start, things, in my opinion, are ticking over nicely. Unbeaten in 5, 4 wins and a draw, no goals conceded in that time and taken the scalps of the top two. So how do we think Mike Kerley is doing, what's the state of the club off the pitch and how will the rest of the season pan out?
My assessment...better than fair, need to keep it up.

[joeSoap]

Fairly clear to see how well he's doing. That questions a bit of a no-brainer really. I think we'll stay on this run for another few games, consolidate 5th place in the table, and perhaps weaken at the end. All in all, an excellent season, but I wouldn't necessarily judge the season on results. He has signed quite well...Sheehan and Walsh look to be two exceptional finds, he's giving young Davey Ryan his chance and he's looking very good also. The ultimate coup for Kerley would be to get Finny back and Paddy fit, but the former just isn't going to happen sadly.

All in all, its hard not to be pleased, but in order to compete next season, the club are going to have to invest in a few key areas and spend money. So, that means earning some off the field. It would be a pity to see this kind of potential ruined by inactivity off the field.

[Monkfish]

He's doing ok for what he has, having said that his selection of Manjor week in week out is absolutly crazy. Hes only contributions all seasons have been bookings and a sending off.

[da bishop]

He's doing ok for what he has, having said that his selection of Manjor week in week out is absolutly crazy. Hes only contributions all seasons have been bookings and a sending off.

i wouldn,t claim to be MK biggest fan but credit where its due and recent results back that up.the fact he,s changed tactics and offloaded some ,deadwood, is very welcome and a sign maybe of more positive things to come.would hardly say he has signed well,certainly not at seasons start,but the clearout such as it is and sheehans goals have made all the difference.he,s only played 4 games and is our top scorer already,albeit helped by MK discovering the 4-4-2 formation.sheehan btw is,n a find as such as it was the butcher who signed him a few years ago.

[superhero]

Fairly clear to see how well he's doing. That questions a bit of a no-brainer really. I think we'll stay on this run for another few games, consolidate 5th place in the table, and perhaps weaken at the end. All in all, an excellent season, but I wouldn't necessarily judge the season on results. He has signed quite well...Sheehan and Walsh look to be two exceptional finds, he's giving young Davey Ryan his chance and he's looking very good also. The ultimate coup for Kerley would be to get Finny back and Paddy fit, but the former just isn't going to happen sadly.

All in all, its hard not to be pleased, but in order to compete next season, the club are going to have to invest in a few key areas and spend money. So, that means earning some off the field. It would be a pity to see this kind of potential ruined by inactivity off the field.

You might get your wish regarding Finny, he is back training with the squad and will play a few A games to see if he can get himself fit and get his interest going again. He will have alot of work to do to get fit after his time away from the game.

[LK37oldskool]

After a rocky start MK seems to be getting results.Glad to be proved wrong. When you look at so many other clubs in financial trouble i'm so glad to be on board a steady ship. Long may it continue. Stability both on and especially off the pitch is vital.

[4tothefloor]

Not at all impressed up until the new signings were made which led to our recent mini run. There's still 2/3 players getting their game who shouldn't be, namely our 2 regular full backs and Manjor. Paddy Purcell and Shane Treacy have been huge losses, while Derek McCarthy and Willie Bruton being hugely disappointing.

I think 5th is about our level. We've some good young players but as I've said countless times before, there's not enough LOI experience in the team and that's why we can't make the step up to challenging for promotion. It was the same story under Ski and NOC. Until we start signing some key league players with plenty of experience, we're going nowhere. As for Mike Kerely, the jury is still out. Some decent signings but some of his selections and tactics are very strange. Will judge at the end of the season, but anything below 5th will be disappointing considering the rubbish that currently occupy from places 6th down. I wouldn't consider 5th as an 'excellent' season. Excellent would be challenging. Finishing 5th would be a fair/ok season. Anything below that would be mediocrity

[joeSoap]

I wouldn't consider 5th as an 'excellent' season. Excellent would be challenging. Finishing 5th would be a fair/ok season. Anything below that would be mediocrity

Firstly I was saying that 5th was excellent so far, and I believe it to be. The 4 above us have far more resources and resources get you promoted. It's about consolidation now, and we've given ourselves a lot to move forward with.

It is a mid-season progress report by the way, nothing more.

[manalishi]

Negative and boring tactics for 80% of season but new players have livened things up a bit.Players who were in the stand earlier in the year are now playing regularly,kerley seems to stumble on players from constant changing
around rather than his managerial skills.
Manjor is a headless chicken and his constant place in the team shows kerley`s knowledge is flawed,also a few more need to be moved back to junior soccer as well.
He also might think about not leaning on the dugout for the whole match as it is starting to shift towards the oppositions area from the pressure,show some interest man.

[Monkfish]

Manjor is a headless chicken and his constant place in the team shows kerley`s knowledge is flawed,

Yup, and whats this habit of making a sub 5 mins into the second half he's picked up????? make the change at half time!

[manalishi]

Fairly clear to see how well he's doing. That questions a bit of a no-brainer really. I think we'll stay on this run for another few games, consolidate 5th place in the table, and perhaps weaken at the end. All in all, an excellent season, but I wouldn't necessarily judge the season on results. He has signed quite well...Sheehan and Walsh look to be two exceptional finds, he's giving young Davey Ryan his chance and he's looking very good also. The ultimate coup for Kerley would be to get Finny back and Paddy fit, but the former just isn't going to happen sadly.

All in all, its hard not to be pleased, but in order to compete next season, the club are going to have to invest in a few key areas and spend money. So, that means earning some off the field. It would be a pity to see this kind of potential ruined by inactivity off the field.

Have you reassessed your opinion from recent results?
He`s punching above his weight with this lot.
The defending against longford was under 12 material,if he can`t coach better play than that lim37 are done for.Too many coaching badges and not enough basics being used.
Wer`e playing out the season now and always were to be honest.

[Monkfish]

Wer`e playing out the season now and always were to be honest.

Mike really needs to sort out the defence to be honest, we had 3 defenders claiming that the scorer of Longfords second goal was not 'their man' as regarding playing out the season, did anyone think we were going to push for promotion this year in fairness?

[da bishop]

Mike really needs to sort out the defence to be honest, we had 3 defenders claiming that the scorer of Longfords second goal was not 'their man' as regarding playing out the season, did anyone think we were going to push for promotion this year in fairness?

MK did actually at the start of the season in the local rag,then again he was probably flush with excitement at getting THE job.

[Monkfish]

MK did actually at the start of the season in the local rag,then again he was probably flush with excitement at getting THE job.

He did? and people beleived it?

[Lim till i die]

Is it two late to post in this one??

It's an odd kind of a year in a way because I reckon fifth is about as good as you could hope for while at the same time I think fifth is the bare minimum requirement.

Athlone, Longford, Mon, Kildare, Wexford are all absolute $hite and lack of resources or nay he has a far superior talent pool to choose from that any of that garbage.

Tactically, he is very poor as demonstrated for the umpteenth time below in Waaaaherfur last week.

His signing policies have absolutely baffled me tbh and if you care to think back to Athlone at home all those weeks ago, you realise Gary Sheehan (who I still refuse to believe is a striker) got him out of a big massive hole.

Absolute Number one target in the transfer window should have been a big target man/ workhorse to put in the yards up front.

Chukwuma is crap technically, don't get me wrong, but due to the nature of the way Kerley sets out his teams was the only one on the pitch putting in the hard graft which his system requires up top and as such has been sorely missed since he was dropped.

Limerick as a unit defend ludicrously deeply which includes at least one of the front two dropping off into the middle. Since Chukwuma was dropped there has been an obvious increase in the amount of time and space allocated to the opposing centre halfs in possesion, allowing them time to play more accurate (relatively speaking) balls up to their attackers. Given the lightweight nature of our backline particularly the fullbacks this is not a good idea.

I thought he was shown up very badly in a number of key areas last week but too lazy to go into it.

Back to the Chukwuma thing, this is why I thought Shane Guerin was an excellent signing as he gave us an outlet up front as well as a body which wasn't afraid to put in the hard yards. But he has left for no other obvious reason than the fact that shortly afterwards Kerley signed John Tierney, who looks a bit too lightweight at the mo.

My advice to Mike would be to change the system.

Quickly.

But despite some misgivings, if we finish fifth I shant complain.

Next season, it will be time for him to pi$$ or get off the pot mind.

Also while I'm at it, his press interviews have at times been nothing short of scandolous. Dave O'Leary-esque

[joeSoap]

Welcome back....why the absence? Did you break both your arms?

[sadloserkid]

But despite some misgivings, if we finish fifth I shant complain.

Next season, it will be time for him to pi$$ or get off the pot mind.

Also while I'm at it, his press interviews have at times been nothing short of scandolous. Dave O'Leary-esque

And that, in the proverbial nutshell, is all I would have wanted to say.

[Lim till i die]

And that, in the proverbial nutshell, is all I would have wanted to say.

Are you trying to say my post was long winded?!?!

Did you break both your arms?

A repetitive strain injury to both wrists.

[sadloserkid]

Are you trying to say my post was long winded?!?!

You know it wasn't my initial aim but now that you mention it!

[sizzler]

If you ask me MK hasnt a clue as a manager, hes a good coach alright. If he knew anything he would try sign some half decent players from the junior league. There are alot of players there that would walk onto that team,there only playing at a lower level coz there not bein approched by MK and if he does then he wont give them a chance playing in the first team which leads to them going back to the junior leage.