Greatest League in the World 2024 [new thread available]

Pawwed Rig · 30-11-2021 7:22am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118242990#Comment_118242990

I think the goal for next season is to stay up. 8th is a great year.

CSF · 30-11-2021 10:35am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118243131#Comment_118243131

I’m definitely not saying I wouldn’t take it.

Ohmeha · 30-11-2021 11:25am

It's not far off a new squad for Shels next season along with Duff/O'Brien learning the ropes no guarantees for us finishing above 9th. If our recruitment is good then I think we will be ok but so far hard to tell on that with 9 players signed out of a likely 22-24 man squad. I'm disappointed we've lost Brennan, Poynton, Rooney due to the full-time daytime training schedule

hardybuck · 30-11-2021 11:39am

Were Shels full time last time they were relegated? It'll be really interesting to see how Duffer gets on, but I think he'll be a doubled edged sword for the club. He'll raise the profile of the club and demand high standards, but I think he'll blow a gasket at some point and leave when things aren't been done to the standard he expects.

I really hope UCD can hang on to lads next year and give it a decent lash - you might see a few fellas doing Master's Degrees! I think Colm Whelan and Kerrigan have a couple of years left there, serious talent there with those boys. Definitely relegation favourites though.

Re Bohs - I see they eventually buckled to pressure and put out a statement condemning fan behaviour around 6pm yesterday evening. Themselves and Shamrock Rovers have both now belatedly issued statements of this nature once they eventually read the room, which is progress of sorts I suppose. Hopefully clubs will all double down on this sort of thing in the future.

Also re Bohs - I noticed that the Fontaines DC logo was replaced by Des Kelly for the away jersey on Sunday. Has that partnership ended?

bocaman · 30-11-2021 12:20pm

I was very disappointed to see Waterford go down to the First Division. I honestly don't see what UCD will add to the top tier. Do they add anything to the League? In my opinion they don't.

hardybuck · 30-11-2021 12:43pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118244206#Comment_118244206

They obviously deserve their promotion, but they add a lot more value to the First Division than the Premier.

Oat23 · 30-11-2021 1:29pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118244148#Comment_118244148

What exactly do Waterford offer apart from making the league look small time with their antics?

Oat23 · 30-11-2021 1:50pm

Here are the final club statement standings for the season. The two basket case clubs of 2021 are well ahead of the rest.

https://twitter.com/FitzoSligo/status/1465376105179852800

Pawwed Rig · 30-11-2021 2:00pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118244148#Comment_118244148

Strange comment. They add a better team than the one that they beat.

Plenty of bruised UCD shins after the playoff match too.

CSF · 30-11-2021 2:36pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118244781#Comment_118244781

It’s a double edged sword to be honest. I’ve read a lot about how it’s an unfortunate situation to have no Munster teams.

I get the logic, but at the same time, Cork, Limerick and Waterford are where they are for a reason. I think all our clubs have had some (often very serious) trouble associated with being poorly run, but those 3 clubs have been serial offenders.

This new Limerick team may be the exception to the rule, but to be fair, I’d have expected the same from the fan run Cork club and look how that has played out. UCD clearly won’t be hugely competitive but they don’t bring that to the table usually, and they are a conveyor belt of young talent.

If one of the Munster club gets their sh*t together, they’ll almost definitely swap places with UCD, and it probably won’t be that long before the cycle repeats and in a couple of years UCD come up again to replace the latest LOI problem child.

hardybuck · 30-11-2021 2:51pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118244582#Comment_118244582

The status of Waterford is irrelevant. The league needs more regional representation, ideally provided by its cities, and it doesn't for a variety of reasons.

UCD offer a brilliant development platform for young players, and play a valuable role to Irish football. However they are, and will continue to be, relegation fodder when they get promoted. They also don't have much of a fan base. In that context they're a much greater asset to the first division than the Premier.

CSF · 30-11-2021 3:11pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118245099#Comment_118245099

What do you think those variety of reasons are outside of the clubs themselves? Irish football is not a hotbed of success stories but everyone is affected by that equally.

Pawwed Rig · 30-11-2021 3:38pm

How come the student body at UCD do not get behind the club? You would think that they would have fairly large crowds at matches when you take past students into account aswell.

Oat23 · 30-11-2021 3:42pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118245099#Comment_118245099

The league needs more regional representation, but there aren't a variety of reasons why it doesn't have enough. There is one reason: mismanagement. If regional clubs want to be in the PD then they should run their clubs better. There is no reason at least two of Cork, Limerick and Waterford cannot be consistently competitive PD sides apart from the fact nobody in those places seems capable of successfully running a football club, or there is no desire to so you rely on the likes of Lee Power or Pat O'Sullivan to do it for you.

Waterford under their current ownership do not deserve to be a PD team for both footballing reasons (they were just played off the pitch by UCD) and because they are an embarrassment to the rest of us. This time last week they were a discussion point on national UK radio because of their antics with Bircham. 12 months ago there were taking Harps to court challenging the result of a match, and Harps had to pay out over €10k in legal fees to defend themselves. I won't bother going back any further but we all know the other sh*te they've done in the past 3 years.

The league does not need regional representation at any cost. It needs well run clubs first and foremost. UCD are a well run club that tries to play decent football and have won promotion the hard way. I'd rather have UCD in the Premier than the current Waterford setup.

CSF · 30-11-2021 3:51pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118245563#Comment_118245563

Same reason people in most demographics in Ireland don''t support football teams to be honest. If you're from Dublin and want to support a team you're gonna have 4 more exciting options for a Friday night.

Pawwed Rig · 30-11-2021 4:13pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118245685#Comment_118245685

I don't buy that tbh. You would think that students would have an emotional connection with the team that they may not have with one of the bigger teams.

The regional colleges would be good candidates to have top tier teams aswell if they were so inclined.

hardybuck · 30-11-2021 4:36pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118245307#Comment_118245307

I think it's a multifaceted issue with a number of root causes. I think each of the LOI clubs in Waterford, Limerick, Galway and Cork have suffered serious financial issues over the years. Some of that is due to very poor management of the clubs involved, some of it is due to the game not being terribly well supported.

I've articulated my belief that the FAI need to come up with a strategy and a structure to move away from the dysfunctional free for all that's partly got us to here. The laissez-faire management of the problem child can't continue in perpetuity.

overshoot · 30-11-2021 4:40pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118245843#Comment_118245843

I'd agree with CSF tbh... most would have a football allegiance by the time they're 18. Also the issue that the students aren't in college for half the LOI season, people going home weekends too. Thursday football would likely suit UCD better

Shane McEleney confirmed from harps to Derry. Definitely sad to lose him, calm and good ball player, but at the same wouldn't see him as a starter if you're winning the league... They could end up with quite a squad.... Unfortunately probably won't be the last poached from us either but never know til it's announced

chopperbyrne · 30-11-2021 5:14pm

"Insert name of Cork club here" have consistently been the worst run club in Ireland for decades.

Prime location, sports mad county/city, and the teams consistently fold.

Fans blamed owners after owners, set up a club themselves, and have been just as bad.

Limerick seems to be one of those places, that just can't get the support they need to keep clubs afloat, and Waterford is just a basketcase of a club.

hardybuck · 30-11-2021 5:39pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118245606#Comment_118245606

Apologies if I've have picked you up wrong, but this post appears to give impression that the clubs in the places you've mentioned are badly run, and the rest of the clubs currently in the Premier are well run.

Aside from a couple of notable exceptions (and I mean about two) they've all had their financial struggles in recent years for one reason or another.

I'll stand over my comment about UCD deserving their promotion but being better suited to the First Division.

CSF · 30-11-2021 5:56pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118245993#Comment_118245993

But football in Ireland being poorly supported is a factor for everyone.

Pretty much everyone in the league has had varying degrees of panic and drama over the years, but the Munster clubs have veered from drama to drama at a rate much faster than the rest.

There is obviously the population for extremely competitive teams in these cities (even with the LOI’s popularity levels) but if the cycle continues you’ll get about 2 or 3 years of relative success at a time at best.

trashcan · 30-11-2021 6:32pm

Cork in particular can have no real excuse for falling so far. When they are doing well they have the potential to have fantastic crowds, plus they have the second biggest city all to themselves. They should consistently be among the top 3 teams in the country.

Hammer Archer · 30-11-2021 9:55pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118244148#Comment_118244148

It's bloody hilarious seeing this stuff still go around. You'd prefer a basket case of a club to stay up over an actually well run club that churns out young talent.

While we're not going to be setting the world alight next season, at least we're going to give it a go while actually playing decent football. Waterford's tactics last Friday was to basically hoof the ball from halfway inside their own half and hope for the best and chop our players down.

And we're possibly going to be giving future league winners the chance to play against the best teams in the country while still in their teens. As for what else we bring to the league, all but one of Dundalk's goalscorers in the 2016/17 European run had played with UCD only a few years previously. This season's top scorer was playing with UCD in 2018. Liam Scales was with UCD in 2019 and is now with Celtic. And the likes of Colm Whelan and Liam Kerrigan will be getting games week in and week out against the best players in the league (at least until they head off to greener pastures).

Hammer Archer · 30-11-2021 10:00pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118245563#Comment_118245563

I started following UCD when I did a Masters there and lived across the road from Belfield. But the campus is empty over the weekend so there are very few students around on Friday evening during term time. And practically none during the summer.

There were a (relatively) large number of students at the game on Friday though and I'd say over 200 UCD fans overall (which is pretty huge for us).

deisedude · 30-11-2021 10:17pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118247819#Comment_118247819

I'm not saying this because it was Waterford went down at UCD's expense but its grim looking at matches in the Premier division in this country at a stadium with 2 men and a dog. Makes the league look particularly small time

kksaints · 30-11-2021 10:30pm

Perth gone from Dundalk, rumoured that O'Donnell is his replacement. Bit of a blow if true.

johnnyryan89 · 30-11-2021 10:55pm

Stephen O'Donnell back to Dundalk is happening according to Dan McDonnell.

https://twitter.com/McDonnellDan/status/1465801205813239815

Pawwed Rig · 01-12-2021 12:07am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118247852#Comment_118247852

A lot of folk who live out that way would be UCD graduates though. You see the way US colleges get behind their team. You would have thought a college the size of UCD could get more than 200 to show up every now and then. I take your point on the Friday night issue but that would be proved by large attendances for Monday night matches which doesn't happen either.

dfx- · 01-12-2021 12:11am

The league needs the best teams playing the most competitive football. There isn't a regional representation card to play.

Ultimately, are the 10 best teams in the league going to be in the PD next season? It's hard to argue against it. UCD or Galway maybe but one of them lost the playoff, one got their spot via the playoff.

Ohmeha · 01-12-2021 12:21am

I would love to know the reason why Pats hadn't tied O'Donnell to a new contract by the summer. You can only presume he surely was offered one and it was hardly a case he knew Dundalk were going to come waiting for him at the end of the season with the Peak6 mess going on

trashcan · 01-12-2021 12:33am

If this is true may I be the first to wish Dundalk and Stevie O’Donnell all the very worst next season ! If he stays, we love ya Stevie, knew you wouldn’t walk out on us. 😎

kksaints · 01-12-2021 9:15am

Rumours don't paint O'Donnell in a good light, if true.

chopperbyrne · 01-12-2021 10:12am

So why not just tell us what these rumours are?

kksaints · 01-12-2021 10:21am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118249445#Comment_118249445

I'd rather leave you wondering Chopperbyrne...

Nah, basically O'Donnell signed a new contract in September and then told the club he wants to leave yesterday. He also was in charge of resigning the players for next season which he delayed until after the end of the season.

Hammer Archer · 01-12-2021 10:22am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118247981#Comment_118247981

There are lots of things that make the league look small time. I'd argue the numerous basket case clubs in the league over the years make it look worse than a well run club with a small fanbase that gives young players the chance to play decent football.

kksaints · 01-12-2021 10:41am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118249539#Comment_118249539

Ger O'brien is responsible for the underage set up. He doesn't have any duties with the main squad. I'd agree with you that it seems a mistake to leave it all up to the manager.

CSF · 01-12-2021 10:42am

Is Burns under contract for next season?

lenny palmer · 01-12-2021 10:47am

On the cup final I thought the better team won. It wasn't a great game especially with Pat's playing with no strikers and basically stifling any play from bohs. On the other side bohs didn't have the ability to do any about it. From being in the Aviva in the summer for the euro games to watching this on Sunday it was chalk and cheese.

On the trouble before the game, I'm not surprised. We have had this element around the club for as long as I can remember and in my opinion the club have not done enough to get rid of them from the club. This idea of blaming these lads from Wales/England is a joke. They wouldn't come over here unless they where in contact with people over here. They new to be banned for life from the club and banned from all stadiums in Ireland. They are nothing but scum

kksaints · 01-12-2021 10:54am

Only people throwing out names such as Clancy and Ger Nash, haven't seen anything other than speculation.

I'm a bit baffled by it tbh, Dundalk must have a big budget for O'Donnell to turn down a chance to manage in European football next season. There's a fair rebuilding job to be done up there and the players that Dundalk had last season that haven't moved to Derry wouldn't be that strong. Feels like Dundalk owners think they'll return to dominance if they bring back everything from the Kenny era, without recognising that most clubs but especially Rovers and Derry are much better resourced now than before. I'd expect a number of our squad from this season to follow him up there if the contracts scenario plays out as rumoured.

Ohmeha · 01-12-2021 10:59am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118249539#Comment_118249539

Even if SOD was exclusively in charge of player contracts you can guarantee that all of these out-of-contract likely in demand Pats players would have escalated it up the ranks of the club by September

A team finishing 2nd in the league with European football and a cup final bagged with so many decent players out-of-contract and now a mystery over whether their manager was re-signed points towards either crap contracts or most likely an internal shambles that the club is responsible for

kksaints · 01-12-2021 11:06am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118249567#Comment_118249567

I think so, I think a number of the academy lads such as Burns, McCormack and Abwankah were signed to long term contracts during the summer. Could be wrong tho so I wouldn't take this as gospel.

hardybuck · 01-12-2021 11:32am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118249631#Comment_118249631

It sounds like they probably do have a decent budget to work with, but it might also because they offered him a better contract than what St Pat's were in a position to give him.

Dr. Bre · 01-12-2021 12:08pm

stephen O’Donnell must have money to spend if he’s leaving for Dundalk

chopperbyrne · 01-12-2021 1:16pm

Or possibly convinced some players to come north with him, if they're out of contract.

Does seem pretty shady.

Brussels Sprout · 01-12-2021 1:43pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118248673#Comment_118248673

The comparison to the US colleges is not really a fair comparison or a realistic expectation:

They have ridiculous levels of funding
Sports teams take on the identity of many of the colleges - Alumni often state the knickname of their college's team as a way of stating where they studied - in contrast a considerable number of UCD students probably don't even realise they have have a team playing in he LOI
They have long histories and traditions of student support playing out of massive stadia - success breeds success
They only play in intervarsity tournaments with and against other young, student players - that sets up competitive rivalries with similar teams
They don't play a large portion of their season outside of the student year

joeysoap · 01-12-2021 1:51pm

Za

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118250434#Comment_118250434

Can’t see what’s shady. Dundalk were looking at Clancy but he’s under contract so they looked elsewhere for somebody not tied down.

Personally I would re sign Leahy, Cleary,( might not be possible) Staunton, Murray. Kelly (Daniel) Hoban and Jurkovskis.

(but I’m not the manager)

joeysoap · 01-12-2021 1:56pm

Re UCD; if one of the 4 clubs in Europe has a match against them; they are the ‘easiest’ and best club to rearrange a match with.

There can’t be many ex managers who won

the league

the league cup

the presidents cup

unite the union cup

and who only lost the fai cup on penalties

johnnyryan89 · 01-12-2021 2:19pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118250558#Comment_118250558

College football in the US is like a religion. More tribal than the GAA. Highest paid coach is Alabama's Nick Saban who gets $9.7m a year.

Pawwed Rig · 01-12-2021 2:36pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118250558#Comment_118250558

I realise that but 200 is a minuscule buy in from the students

chopperbyrne · 01-12-2021 2:47pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118250609#Comment_118250609

It's shady if he was responsible for ensuring they were out of contract, knowing he would be leaving to go to Dundalk.

Greatest League in the World 2024 [new thread available]

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