Shamrock Rovers v DC

[eugenio]

But but but but...we're 2nd in the league.

K you are NOT serious are you? With that team and that money

[Keyser Soze]

I'm not serious, but thats what we who question the leader will be told.

[rodgers]

Thought early on Duffy had the beating of Cleary but we seemed to stop that quickly enough.

Could have been three or four nil by halftime.

Missed Hoban to get up the pitch and were caught dawdling in midfield far too many times.

Coll had a rough time but Farrugia simply a lot faster and Dummigan lacked sharpness. Burke had too much freedom in first half.

Would have taken Patching off and Diallo on earlier and moved McEleney further forward.

One bugbear towards the end where I counted at least two frees inside Rovers half and instead of putting a ball in the box, it was laid off to the side.

[brandyball]

The Manager's view

https://audioboom.com/posts/8508614-no- ... bPkzQBmFjf

[joe3576]

Erik Ten Hag will probably be sacked soon as Man Utd manager on the basis of no improvement over the last 12 month period. The team has stagnated at best, but more likely regressing.

In June 2023, we lost 0-1 away to Rovers. Where we had lots of ball, yet didn't force their keeper into one single save. Rovers more or less laughed at us, for not laying a glove on them. It was boring to watch and all very inevitable in the end.

Last night (nearly one year on), we also lose 0-1 away to Rovers. We had a fair amount of possession, yet didn't force their keeper into one single save. Rovers more or less laughed at us, for not laying a glove on them. It was also very dull to watch and all very predictable at the end of the game.

They celebrate / laugh at us - we know they will be league champions, and quite clearly we will not. We will likely finish somewhere between 2nd and 4th, it will be dependent on if Shels can sustain it, and if Kenny gets Pats going quite quickly - we will more or less average the same numbers of points as the last 2 seasons and this years average to date.

So where is our progress over the last 12 months ?

Since March 2023, we have played Rovers 6 times (4 defeats and 2 draws), we have played Shels 5 times (5 draws), we have also not won in our last 3 visits to Sligo and also not won in our visits to Drogheda either. We haven't beaten a very poor Galway in 2 attempts this season. We have only won 2 out of 9 away games all season. If we add in the end of last season where we fell away at the end, the record is 3 wins in 12 away games.

In 2022, we came second, Played 36, Points 66.
In 2023, we came second, Played 36, Points 65
In 2024, we are currently second, Played 18, Points 30 - so on this basis (exactly the half-way point in the season), we look like we are going to finish this season with around 60 points (don't forget we don't have the luxury this season of 2 bad teams at the bottom like UCD and Cork, which was a guaranteed 8 wins). We are likely to hit somewhere between 60 - 65 points at best.

I am really sorry but I am not seeing progress, I believe we are stagnating at best, possible slightly going backwards.

[eugenio]

Let’s look at two parts of the game. Coll when things aren’t on likes to get rid to striker Then we are up 40 yards from their goal they have to think now Supporters are lifted esp if the strikers are battling .Then the other aspect pass pass esp to keeper. Then the mid field pull back into our half and we are turgid. Last night we lost huge possession in midfield and conceded just from that AND. We could have conceded more due to lost ball in midfield . But we don’t change. DIALO 5 yards Patching no work rate Dommican not up to it. So O Reilly and Mc Mullan ran and ran but overwhelmed .Duffy is tightly marked a sign that other teams fear him so he can be lost to us.
So what do we do. We persevere with tactics that don’t get us goals Set pieces and corner goals. You are joking Maybe these are regarded as joke goals to sophisticated coaches but we don’t even threaten .
We might get second. Europe again Transylvania united. Hurrah Put up with the boredom for that great glamour

[BrandywellRedMariner]

Manager was given 3 seasons to deliver the title. This is the third season.

[joe3576]

Manager was given 3 seasons to deliver the title. This is the third season.

Yes but I think it fairly obvious to anyone who has watched the first 18 games and last nights game, that we will NOT win the league.

We are currently second, Played 18, Points 30 - so on this basis (exactly the half-way point in the season), we look like we are going to finish this season with around 60 points (don't forget we don't have the luxury this season of 2 bad teams at the bottom like UCD and Cork, which was a guaranteed 8 wins). We are likely to hit somewhere between 60 - 65 points at best.

Last three seasons, the league was won by Rovers on 78, 79 & 72 points - so we would need to seriously improve our form, which over the last 3.5 seasons has been steady at a certain level of points between 60-65 points. We would need a minimum of 70-72 points to win the league this season.

Half way through this season and I see no improvement on 2023, 2022 or even the second half of 2021 - so will we suddenly change overnight and go on an epic run of say 12-13 wins out of the remaining 18 games and win the league.

We have 30 points, to hit 70-72 points, we need another 40-42 points, equated over 18 games left; we would need to win 12, draw 6, lose none. I cannot see that happening. Even say we win 10, draw 4 and lose 2 (which is maybe achievable) that only would give us 34 points. Plus the 30 we currently have = 64. 64 is more or less the same as the last 2 seasons, where we got 66 and 65 points.

So we are NOT going to win the league this season, but it is hard to justify the money being spent at the start of this season and to then mirror the last 2/3 seasons.

There seems to an unofficial club line at present "its all about hanging in until Europe is out of the way and then make a push for the league' - I am hearing this on the radio, from DCFC podcasts, from players, manager etc.

This is a lot of nonsense - the league is there to be won now. Rovers lost 2 out of 3 recently, why not go down last night beat them and then win the next 7 (Sligo, Dundalk, Waterford, Galway, Bohs, Drogheda & Sligo) - all before Europe starts. We could be out of Europe in one week in July ! Its not the World Cup! But this excuse of let just hang in, is annoying my head. The league is wide open and can/could be won between now and 4th July.

It is a poor league this season and wide open for us or anyone else to win it.

[Nige92]

You could choose to take a positive view of the first half of the season....

Half way through, sitting 4 points off the lead having played all 18 games without some our best players for a significant amount of time. Those players appear to be coming back so should they stay fit, it would be expected we'd get more than the 30 we have.

We only have to play Rovers once more this season. Rovers themselves have been inconsistent so it's a game we could draw and should be match them the rest of the way, we'll finish ahead of them. Given they're likely to put their energy into Europe, their inconsistent could continue.

We haven't lost to Shels this season despite them being top of the league. They have a smaller squad than us... Can they sustain? I would bet against it.

All is not lost, with a bit of injury luck we could well be in the mix

[Keyser Soze]

A quote from a LOI follower in an Irish forum :


.. my god Derry are terrible. Genuinely felt they were never going to score. They never even looked like they were willing to extend themselves to try get an equaliser. Can't remember a single significant chance created. For money invested there it's an extremely poor return and they were lucky Rovers weren't out of sight in the first half.

[eugenio]

You could choose to take a positive view of the first half of the season....


We haven't lost to Shels this season

That lifts My positivity now

[YorbaLinda]

The positives to be taken from the season are 1) We have players returning from injury and 2) We are second despite not playing consistently well. The negatives are that 1) we lack consistency 2) Cannot perform for 90 mins. 3) lack urgency 4) No plan B

The league is there for the taking but the will and desire from the players and management team need to improve.

[eugenio]

Yoruba. Good sensile post. Look IM with the players I think. They are all talented I just seem to think they are in a straitjacket with boring tactics and amazing tactical changes. But but but. Maybe it will ease