FAI Cup 2018

[White Horse]

Get the best players in and bring them through into the first team

So its not to bring in the best players and pimp them to English scouts and agents?

Good to know.

[sbgawa]

You can stick your head in the sand if you wish, but three successive posts have raised similar questions about priorities and motives - triggered by Rovers playing a 15 year old in a cup competition that is their last chance of a trophy.

Of course anyone involved in developing players wants them to reach their potential. Does this take priority and precedence over trying to achieve first team success at Shamrock Rovers ?

Wow 3 sucesive posts on the internet. ! Lol .
If the kid got some minutes as a substitute it's because he deserved it. Aaron Bolger Brandan kavanagh and Gavin bazunu are all in the first team squad on merit. That might not suit you or u might not believe it but it's pretty obvious to lots of rovers fans.

[placid casual]

Aaron bolger won't be around next season. He hasn't signed a new contract, so I guess we'll see him sitting on his hole in the oriel pk bench next season. And then on to cork where he'll realise his potential, win a league and off to engerland he will go.

I wasn't at the game last night, but early indications are that the ref went over the top with the ref card, and as Rovers have no backup strikers we witnessed another callow youth in Hoops.
Such is life.
Waterford for the cup!!

[sbgawa]

So its not to bring in the best players and pimp them to English scouts and agents?

Good to know.

R u EZ in disguise ?

[Cosmo]

That was one of the worst full time teams I've ever seen in united park. Rovers were clueless.

Drogs were the better team even when rovers had 11 men.

Could've won by a couple of goals more too!

Roll on the next round!

[oriel]

That's good to hear, to be fair to Hendo he tries to do things the right way, he has two strength and conditioning coaches with the club who are starting to make a difference with the fitness of the players, I also noticed that they have produced a booklet around diet for all players with the club at all age groups.
If we could have kept the players we lost over the past few seasons, Gary Comerford, Cian Coleman, Matthew Whelan and others we would be breathing down U.C.D's necks right now. The pleasing thing though is that there are players stepping up all the time, young Gordon Walker played in the EA Cup game last Monday at centre half in what must have been only his third or fourth game at senior level.
I didn't hold out much hope for last night, we were never going to catch Dundalk twice on the spin but I hope they gave a good account of themselves.
On a side note the Dundalk fans I spoke to after last Monday's game were very magnanimous in defeat.

As I mentioned on my earlier post, the stand clapping at full time, it was more to acknowledge the efforts of the Cobh performance. Nice also to hear PA at the end wishing them well in the EA Sports Cup Final.

[Martinho II]

The Cobh players were a credit to themselves, their manager and all involved with the club.

They came with a good tactical plan, closed down really well and generally worked their socks off. They may not have threatened much, but they certainly made life difficult and constantly forced errors. With the exception of Shane O'Connor, the fitness levels seem very good.

A little more finesse, cutting edge and experience will take this team a good distance

in fairness to Shane O Connor he was injured a lot for us so when he moved back to Cobh he was always playing catch up getting fit again.

[pineapple stu]

Blarney 0-6 Derry after 35 minutes

What's the record for an FAI Cup win? Shiels may feel he has a point to prove after his chairman's comments midweek

[Martinho II]

considering this 15 year old that played for Shamrock Rovers last night- is he the youngest ever to make his debut for any senior team in the league of ireland does anyone know?

[mcgonigle]

That was one of the worst full time teams I've ever seen in united park. Rovers were clueless.

Drogs were the better team even when rovers had 11 men.

Could've won by a couple of goals more too!

Roll on the next round!

Ah don't be so hard on them, they're just kids

[lofty9]

considering this 15 year old that played for Shamrock Rovers last night- is he the youngest ever to make his debut for any senior team in the league of ireland does anyone know?

Owen Morrison was 15 when playing for Derry.

[pineapple stu]

Armstrong was only 15 in June I think? Mad stuff.

I don't think there's any real psychological issue playing him. Physical - quite possible, even if he is built like the proverbial brick ****-house. But realistically, random internet fans wouldn't know more than the club on that.

7-0 Derry at half time, and they've missed a penalty.

[Martinho II]

Blarney 0-6 Derry after 35 minutes

What's the record for an FAI Cup win? Shiels may feel he has a point to prove after his chairman's comments midweek

I got a copy of the 2018 Irish Daily Mail FAI Cup media guide and I got the answer:

10 goals is the highest margin. Dolphin beat St James Gate 10-0 in 1938 and also Waterford beat Rialto 11-1 in 1972.

anyone interested in seeing this media guide I can forward it onto you if you pm me here!

[pineapple stu]

9-0 after an hour now. That record looks sure to be broken

[micls]

Armstrong was only 15 in June I think? Mad stuff.

I don't think there's any real psychological issue playing him. Physical - quite possible, even if he is built like the proverbial brick ****-house. But realistically, random internet fans wouldn't know more than the club on that.

7-0 Derry at half time, and they've missed a penalty.

I'm sure there are individuals at 15 strong enough mentally and physically to play senior football. They'd be very very rare though. I'd imagine the number of coaches and clubs that would put the needs of the club above what's good for a 15 year old is much higher. I'm sure a senior appearance adds to a potential transfer fee. Whether that's Rovers goal or not, allowing kids that young to play senior football leabes them wide open to that sort of thing when it may not be in their best interest, at all levels.

I had thought there was an over 16 age rule, obviosuly there isnt.

[pineapple stu]

Yeah, I'm generally sceptical alright. Don't think there's any psychological issues. But physical? I could well believe it. (Not to mention any dressing room issues)

Anyways, Derry get to 10-0, equalling the record, and then concede twice. Strange game.

[MattB11]

Looked like Blarney would get back into it until Derry got their 11th

[pineapple stu]

And a twelfth confirms Derry will be in the hat on Monday

[micls]

Yeah, I'm generally sceptical alright. Don't think there's any psychological issues. But physical? I could well believe it. (Not to mention any dressing room issues)

Anyways, Derry get to 10-0, equalling the record, and then concede twice. Strange game.

I think you may be underestimating the mental side of the game, and the impact the pressure and expectation can have on a teenager. But i agree with you in general.

[pineapple stu]

I'm just going off experience in own field (chess) where I've played in the top flight and thrown players much younger than 15 in for games on my team at times. They've never had any bothers the pressure of fighting relegation on their coach's team; it's an adventure and a show of confidence in them. Football is different of course in that it's a team game in front of paying fans (often hurling abuse - as indeed might the players) and I'm obviously not going to claim chess, though it can be very pressurised in its own way, is anything other than a vague comparison. But the psychological issues you mention - expectation and pressure - definitely exist in both, and arguably they're bigger in an individual sport rather than a team sport. But I've only ever seen positives psychologically from throwing a young player in on a high team. I think it's comfortably the lesser of the two issues.

But that's not to take away from the fact that I think I do agree with you in general. There's even a decent physical step-up from 19s to senior level that takes time getting used to.

(Edit - just to illustrate the psychological point, because I'm sure some will be sceptical, the Irish chess championships are on at the moment, and the bottom seed, who's 15, is playing an established Irish international and six-times national champion. The kid was better from early on, and clearly winning from about three hours in. But just now, in the fifth hour of the game and with the win almost in the bag, he's made one awful move and thrown everything away; it'll end in a draw now. Because it's not a team game, the mistake is entirely his fault. In my opinion, that's psychological pressure way beyond coming on for ten minutes to try turn a cup game around, even in front of a decent-sized crowd)