Greatest League in the World 2024 [new thread available]

NIMAN · 02-11-2021 12:28pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118104718#Comment_118104718

Flicked between the Pats game and the Harps game, and there seemed to be a lot of cards getting dished out for what didn't seem to be a dirty game.

Ohmeha · 02-11-2021 2:46pm

Duff will be announced as new Shels manager tomorrow at noon according to RTÉ

https://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2021/1102/1257379-damien-duff-set-to-be-appointed-shelbourne-manager/

ben.schlomo · 02-11-2021 3:26pm

Paul Doolin has left Athlone, strange, considering he's there barely a wet weekend.

Darkglasses · 02-11-2021 3:33pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118107312#Comment_118107312

Been another strange year for them off the pitch as well. Hard to know what rumours to believe, but they made some incredible signings in pre-season and then they seemed to run a bit low on a cash around the second half of the year.

Wexford's former manager Brian O'Sullivan went in as a coach there but seemed to be gone again within a few weeks.

Darkglasses · 02-11-2021 3:34pm

I wouldn't give much chance to a First Division side getting promoted through the playoffs. Not really impressed by any of them, and apart from Longford the bottom of the Premier looks fairly high quality in comparison.

ben.schlomo · 02-11-2021 3:39pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118107389#Comment_118107389

Ya hard to argue. I think it's fair to say we're the best of the bunch in the First division playoffs but we have been really poor at different times this season.

Depends on who ends up in it though and what happens on the day, where it's played etc. On our day we'd have some chance against an underperforming Premier Division team but they're without doubt gonna be favourite.

ionadnapokot · 02-11-2021 7:29pm

Finally found my way back here. Jesus wept... boards has gone brutal.

Was curious to see if any reaction to Duffer appointment.

Not the biggest fan of him but there is no doubt it will add some limelight on the league.

kksaints · 02-11-2021 7:53pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118108583#Comment_118108583

Not entirely sure what to make of it. Part of me thinks of Sheedy in Waterford and the disaster that was but Duffer has been around the LOI underage leagues for a few seasons so he has some basic knowledge of the league.

PGE1970 · 02-11-2021 9:28pm

Nice one Derry. From a Drogs supporter.

Same again please on Friday night.

Ohmeha · 02-11-2021 10:03pm

LOI managerial end of season merry go round continues with Daire Doyle getting the chop from Longford

Victim of his own success in overachieving getting them promoted via the play-offs. You would think Athlone would be mad not to snap him up

ionadnapokot · 02-11-2021 10:26pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118108716#Comment_118108716

Yea I’d give the benefit of doubt to Duffer. He utters some complete balderdash and the doubt I had was if his head(ego) would rule the heart.

I hope it works out for him and Shells (to a certain extent!) - it’s a welcome entertainment factor for the league

howiya · 02-11-2021 10:42pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118109548#Comment_118109548

Strange timing. He was on one of the podcasts this week

kksaints · 02-11-2021 11:02pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118109812#Comment_118109812

Very strange. He was on the LOI Arena podcast with Conan Byrne and Con Murphy (Very good listen btw) talking about plans for next season and the scouting operations that he and others do. Certainly didn't sound like a man that was going to be leaving in the next few days.

NIMAN · 03-11-2021 12:40am

We were brutal again tonight v Waterford.

Unfortunately we appear to have had a dip in form just at the wrong time.

As for Duffer, he comes across as a spoofer when he is on RTE as a pundit. Will reserve judgement until we see how Shels do.

ionadnapokot · 03-11-2021 5:26pm

I see Shells weekly wage budget is €13K wage. I presume this is just for first team squad. I wonder how this compares to Rovers, Patricks, Bohs?

"Most are out of contract and while Duff could lean on technical director Alan Caffrey for feedback, he’ll make up his own mind. Recruitment, on a weekly wage budget of €13,000, will be his portfolio alone too."

topmanamillion · 03-11-2021 5:35pm

Duffer has to have something about him as a coach at least to have gotten a job at Celtic and then in the Irish set up. The fact he left both of his last jobs fairly abruptly has to go against him.

What he's like as a manager of a mens team is anyone's guess. At the end of the day its Shels, the job is to keep them up next year. The alternatives were hire a LSL manager, former LOI player or someone along those lines so there's no gamble here for Shels and they have a guy who's CV even in coaching is superior to most in the LOI at the minute. If he applies himself he'll be well able for Finn Park on a Friday night, its probably his commitment that's up for debate.

ben.schlomo · 03-11-2021 6:37pm

Big night with the playoffs starting. Hoping/expecting something for us up in Bray and bring it home to a packed EDP then on Sunday evening.

Oat23 · 03-11-2021 6:50pm

Had to look up the name of the guy in charge of Sligo GAA such is my lack of interest, but apparently Tony McEntee is from Armagh which makes his opinions on Sligo Rovers even funnier (He actually called us 'Sligo Town' not Sligo Rovers.)

OTB made a great point about young Sligo lads going to the showgrounds and seeing the likes of Johnny Kenny playing and Rovers winning games/fighting for titles, and why would a young lad, thinking about which sport he should focus on, choose getting destroyed in Castlebar every year with the GAA over playing for Rovers. He didn't like that. 😄

Almost half our team is academy graduates now too so his opinion is daft.

https://twitter.com/a1552780/status/1454201693084831752?t=to4HsukpcgCdNW1rAXYj2Q&s=19

kksaints · 03-11-2021 7:34pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118114224#Comment_118114224

His comments struck me as someone who never did any research on it and just went for the tired oul GAA stereotype of soccer. It's also a bit rich for an Armagh man managing Sligo to complain about outsiders to the area in Sport.

Think Dan McDonell had an interesting tweet on it where he said that most of the stronger criticism of the LOI and the elite sport designation last year came from GAA minnows such as the Clare football manager etc. Said at the higher teams there's much more respect.

overshoot · 03-11-2021 10:10pm

Wasn't he in an article a few weeks ago saying hurling was a big problem for them? Just alternating excuses?

deisedude · 03-11-2021 10:46pm

Galway Bray was poor fare. Hopefully the second leg is more entertaining

ben.schlomo · 03-11-2021 10:49pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118115491#Comment_118115491

Ya we had one good chance and other than that we were very comfortable. We really should be able to put Bray away now at home.

Great result on the night for the Students too.

c.p.w.g.w · 03-11-2021 10:51pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118115513#Comment_118115513

Listening to it, as a treaty supporter...UCD were by the sounds of it better in every aspect and the quality of Whelan & Kerrigan really showed

deisedude · 03-11-2021 10:55pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118115513#Comment_118115513

I always have a soft spot for Galway United from when I worked in Galway. Used go to a good few games in EDP

ben.schlomo · 03-11-2021 10:56pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118115556#Comment_118115556

Could end up meeting ye yet.

Hammer Archer · 04-11-2021 9:39am

Excellent result for us yesterday. Is there a date for the final? If we do get there, I would assume that it'll be delayed until after the U21 qualifiers given that both Kerrigan and Whelan are part of the squad.

johnnyryan89 · 04-11-2021 9:53am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118115521#Comment_118115521

Tough result to take after the season we've had when we were probably expected to finish in or around the bottom.

Fair play to Tommy and the lads for the season they've had, and hopefully some of the first timers at the match yesterday stick around next season.

ben.schlomo · 04-11-2021 9:53am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118116501#Comment_118116501

Playoff Dates:

Wednesday 3rd November

Division 1 5th v Division 1 2nd

Division 1 4th v Division 1 3rd

Sunday 7th November

Division 1 2nd v Division 1 5th

Division 1 3rd v Division 1 4th

ET & Pens if tied after 180 mins. No away goals in these ties.

Division 1 Final

W/E 21st November

Winner Semi-Final 1 v Winner Semi-Final 2

Neutral venue with ET & Pens

Promotion/Relegation Final

W/E 28th November

Winner Division 1 Final v Premier Division 9th

Neutral venue with ET & Pens

Just to note the FAI Cup Final is on Sunday 28th so that playoff final will be either Friday 26th or Saturday 27th unless Waterford reach the FAI Cup final and finish 9th.

From our forum a few weeks back.

Gavin "shels" · 04-11-2021 2:26pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118113803#Comment_118113803

I'd say 13k a week would be on the lower end, probably higher than Drogs, Harps, Longford maybe Waterford.

Ohmeha · 04-11-2021 9:09pm

Drogheda, Harps, Longford definitely have budgets less than 10k p/w. I would be strongly confident Waterford would be spending at least 13k, Bircham and half of their squad coming from UK having to be housed wouldn't be coming cheap

Oat23 · 04-11-2021 10:55pm

Big win for Dundalk with that late goal. That should see them safe and they still have an outside shot at Europe.

PGE1970 · 04-11-2021 11:01pm

Just in from United Park.

3 games in 6 days, including one in a heavy Finn Park, was just too much.

I hope we have enough to stay up. Those players deserve it. Absolute heroes.

joeysoap · 04-11-2021 11:33pm

I'd love Dundalk to slip into the playoffs.............

Unlikely now

Moghead · 05-11-2021 12:56am

Is there a reason why the Drogheda vs Dundalk game on tonight?

PGE1970 · 05-11-2021 9:31am

Moghead, it was re-scheduled due to the international break next weekend.

Drogheda play Bohs on Sunday. That's four games in 9 days for a part-time team. 3 away from home.

Bohs should have an easy win on Sunday. The Drigheda players are wrecked.

GLaDOS · 05-11-2021 9:57am

We're fairly bolloxed ourselves, we had 6 games in 18 days or so up to the Pats game on Monday. Bit of a rest going into the Drogs game at least.

We've waived the right to call off the Rovers game due to international call ups 'cause we just can't afford to squeeze in more games.

PGE1970 · 05-11-2021 10:11am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118121627#Comment_118121627

You shouldn't have to and neither should Drogheda have to play 4 games in 9 days because our keeper is called up to the Irish U-21s.

The fixtures committee know exactly when the international break is. It is shocking planning but to be expected from the FAI.

Drogheda players were visibly shattered last night with about 25 minutes to go. Jimmy Brown hit the ground after a run up the right hand side with about 15 minutes to go. The ref waved away treatment when he realised that he was just wrecked and needed a breather!

Whilst Dundalk are a better team than us, I have no doubt that it the Drogs players had a weeks rest before the game, as Dundalk players had, we'd have held on for a point.

GLaDOS · 05-11-2021 10:13am

As far as I know for next season they're taking into account the international breaks when making the fixtures, so hopefully won't be a problem.

kksaints · 05-11-2021 10:37am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118121703#Comment_118121703

If they do that and it looks likely. I hope they keep the first division matches going unless they're affected by callups too. It might give them some extra attention when there's nothing clashing with them.

irishmanmick · 05-11-2021 11:57am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118121816#Comment_118121816

Only problem with doing that is the 1st division will be finished even sooner in comparison to the PD & the playoff winners could be waiting a few weeks with no games to play the playoff. It's bad enough as it is but that could eliminate any chance of a FD side beating a PD side in a playoff

kksaints · 05-11-2021 12:24pm

Fair point although the first division could switch to a 36 match league instead of its current 27 to Compensate for that.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118122252#Comment_118122252

dan1895 · 05-11-2021 1:19pm

The clear out at Shels begins. Michael O'Connor also gone.

joeysoap · 05-11-2021 3:05pm

The fixture list is poor,

after the Pats match Dundalk didn’t have to leave Louth

there still a lot of matches but Dundalk are finished away

Longford still have to play Waterford, Dundalk and Finn Harps.

All in all a poorly drawn up fixture list.

*The fixture list just emphasizes how good Dundalk were in 2016,

ionadnapokot · 05-11-2021 3:36pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118122640#Comment_118122640

Pity. Confidence has probably taken a knock over the last few years. Potential is still there to be a good player. I hope it works out for him.

chopperbyrne · 05-11-2021 9:07pm

Absolute morons in Waterford. Hope every single one of them is identified, and banned from every ground in the country.

Complete dickheads.

Oat23 · 05-11-2021 9:12pm

RTE didn't even tell us who threw the fireworks on the pitch. We all just know it's the Shams fans.

small minority etc..

hardybuck · 05-11-2021 9:18pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118124874#Comment_118124874

One of the players was fairly lucky not to get hurt.

Should call the game now and award the points to Waterford.

Oat23 · 05-11-2021 9:23pm

The decent Shams fans could have dealt with this years ago but they all turn into Stevie Wonder when the knackers start knackering and nobody ever has a name or knows anything about the ones causing trouble. The only time anything is ever done is when the Gardai manage to arrest them.

The gobsh*te who lit that roman candle could have not only hurt a player but could very easily have injured a fan in the stand around them as it exploded in his hand. Grow a pair and name these idiots to the club so they can be banned from grounds.

chopperbyrne · 05-11-2021 9:23pm

Aaron Greene got hit too, and definitely some fans when one hit the roof.

Official twitter account just carrying on as normal, not even saying why the game was suspended.

I'm absolutely fuming.

NIMAN · 05-11-2021 9:47pm

Awful stuff in Ballybofey.

But looks like Sligo have finally ended the battle for Europe anyway..

Greatest League in the World 2024 [new thread available]

Comments