LOI 2014 Thread

doncarlos · 10-09-2014 06:32PM

CSF wrote: »

Yes they would to be fair.

There has been worse players called up to the squad in recent years. None would get near the first team though.

Darren O' Dea, Paul Green, Conor Sammon are little above LOI standard if any

CSF · 10-09-2014 06:43PM

doncarlos wrote: »

There has been worse players called up to the squad in recent years. None would get near the first team though.

Darren O' Dea, Paul Green, Conor Sammon are little above LOI standard if any

I really do think you're overestimating LOI standards.

The track record of the best performing LOI players (rather than the really young lads who always had another few gears to find) have a pretty terrible record in going to England and performing at any sort of level compared to what the typical Irish international performs at.

DermoMIO · 10-09-2014 08:12PM

ionadnapokot wrote: »

How has Kenna done?

slow as f*ck

dundalkfc10 · 10-09-2014 09:59PM

http://www.dundalkfc.com/fine-dundalk-fc/

Dundalk FC are issuing a number of permanent bans from Oriel Park for individuals who have been identified as being involved in a number of incidents in recent weeks.

Dundalk FC received confirmation that we have been fined a further €500 for the use of a flare at the St Patrick’s Athletic match. The culprits have been identified and bans are being issued. We would like to send our appreciation to those Dundalk supporters who have helped us with this issue.

We would also like to point out that this fine would be much worse if it wasn’t for Dundalk FC’s Anti-Flare campaign and the co-operation of the vast majority of Dundalk supporters.

Dundalk FC were also recently fined for the behaviour of three supporters at the Sligo Rovers match. This issue is still under investigation.

The club are also in the process of banning two more supporters who were on final warnings regarding their behaviour at the club.

Total fines this season are now approximately €5000. Everybody agrees, apart from a minority of individuals who have done their best to undermine our efforts this season, this is unacceptable.

We would like to thank Dundalk supporters for their support on this issue.

With regard to the well-publicised UEFA fine, Dundalk FC has received further information from UEFA that simply re-affirms what we already knew. There was no breakdown of the fine between the two charges. We are currently receiving legal advice on a potential appeal.

Fair Play to the Club

miroslavklose · 10-09-2014 11:39PM

ionadnapokot wrote: »

God yea. just read Brann offered 310k! if he is contracted till 2015. 20k is a joke.

310k Krone, about €40k.

djpbarry · 11-09-2014 10:58AM

CSF wrote: »

I really do think you're overestimating LOI standards.

His point is a fair one. Sean Gannon and Richie Towell are definitely potential international players.

There's no way anyone would have been saying the same about Connor Sammon 6 years ago. I still don't understand why he gets selected.

srfc d16 · 11-09-2014 11:05AM

ionadnapokot wrote: »

How has Kenna done?

Very badly in my opinion. Jason McGuinness has some how managed to be worse though.
From the games I have seen Barry Murphy has been the best goalkeeper this year, from saves to dealing with some of the worst back passes you are likely to see.

doncarlos · 11-09-2014 11:21AM

CSF wrote: »

I really do think you're overestimating LOI standards.

The track record of the best performing LOI players (rather than the really young lads who always had another few gears to find) have a pretty terrible record in going to England and performing at any sort of level compared to what the typical Irish international performs at.

I'm not. I'm not going to suggest that LOI teams can compete in championship or even league one but some of our best players could play over there and some are as good as selections for squads over previous few years.

I hand to heart would not swap Conor Sammon for Pat Hoban to play for Dundalk.

djpbarry · 11-09-2014 12:25PM

doncarlos wrote: »

I hand to heart would not swap Conor Sammon for Pat Hoban to play for Dundalk.

What's more, Keith Fahey and Stephen McPhail haven't exactly set the LOI alight this year.

dundalkfc10 · 11-09-2014 12:33PM

djpbarry wrote: »

What's more, Keith Fahey and Stephen McPhail haven't exactly set the LOI alight this year.

Exactly, Fahey has been good recently according to Pats fans, but alot blame him for their poor start, because he had to play meaning Bolger and Brennan rarely played together!

McPhail was finished a year or 2 ago though in fairness, but let Rovers fans think he is still a genius

doncarlos wrote: »

There has been worse players called up to the squad in recent years. None would get near the first team though.

Darren O' Dea, Paul Green, Conor Sammon are little above LOI standard if any

Conor Sammon was an average LOI player when he was here, Hoban is twice as good
Paul Green hasnt played over Champ standard his whole career and wont either
Darren O'Dea il give you is decent, has been for Ireland anyway (where is he now?)

CSF · 11-09-2014 12:47PM

doncarlos wrote: »

I'm not. I'm not going to suggest that LOI teams can compete in championship or even league one but some of our best players could play over there and some are as good as selections for squads over previous few years.

I hand to heart would not swap Conor Sammon for Pat Hoban to play for Dundalk.

I wasn't talking about teams, I was talking about players, our best players rarely do well at the same level our internationals play at. Our league produces young players which go on to that level, but that is about the height of it.

CSF · 11-09-2014 12:50PM

djpbarry wrote: »

What's more, Keith Fahey and Stephen McPhail haven't exactly set the LOI alight this year.

I don't think that proves anything. They weren't doing it at the leagues they were in before either for a good spell before coming back to Ireland.

All that proves is that the bottom level players of the Championship aren't necessarily going to be worldbeaters (I don't think either player has done that badly either, Fahey in particular) at LOI level. I wouldn't have suggested otherwise.

CSF · 11-09-2014 12:51PM

djpbarry wrote: »

His point is a fair one. Sean Gannon and Richie Towell are definitely potential international players.

There's no way anyone would have been saying the same about Connor Sammon 6 years ago. I still don't understand why he gets selected.

Sammon doesn't get selected. He got selected a few times irrationally. He isn't a casemaker for Irish international footballers, and he'd still get into any team in the LOI IMO.

BOHtox · 11-09-2014 12:57PM

Towell is head and should above the next best player in the league and he's in cruise control. He has another gear or two to step up. I'd say there's a couple of players who could do that too. If this league could afford the right training and conditioning for players I think you would see even more being able to step up.

CSF · 11-09-2014 01:09PM

BOHtox wrote: »

Towell is head and should above the next best player in the league and he's in cruise control. He has another gear or two to step up. I'd say there's a couple of players who could do that too. If this league could afford the right training and conditioning for players I think you would see even more being able to step up.

Honestly, I'd be surprised to see Towell go and make a major dent at Championship or Premiership level. He is probably the most equipped to do so all the same from the current batch of LOI players.

Pighead · 11-09-2014 01:15PM

CSF wrote: »

Honestly, I'd be surprised to see Towell go and make a major dent at Championship or Premiership level. He is probably the most equipped to do so all the same from the current batch of LOI players.

Very much doubt he'd do anything at premiership level either. Championship level is definitely there for him though I reckon.

CSF · 11-09-2014 01:21PM

Pighead wrote: »

Very much doubt he'd do anything at premiership level either. Championship level is definitely there for him though I reckon.

To who? And how significant do you think he'd be for them? Alot of these teams still have the capacity to go out and spend 4 million on a centre mid if they so wish, so it is difficult.

Pighead · 11-09-2014 01:32PM

CSF wrote: »

To who? And how significant do you think he'd be for them? Alot of these teams still have the capacity to go out and spend 4 million on a centre mid if they so wish, so it is difficult.

Wigan Brentford and Ipswich have all been linked with him this season. I'm sure a lot of these Championships clubs would be of the opinion that it could represent a calculated gamble to spend a couple of hundred thousand on an Airtricity League player especially given the Coleman factor. Jonathan Douglas is a regular in Brentford's midfield. Not too difficult seeing Towell at least replicate whatever Douglas brings to the table.

CSF · 11-09-2014 01:37PM

Pighead wrote: »

Wigan Brentford and Ipswich have all been linked with him this season. I'm sure a lot of these Championships clubs would be of the opinion that it could represent a calculated gamble to spend a couple of hundred thousand on an Airtricity League player especially given the Coleman factor. Jonathan Douglas is a regular in Brentford's midfield. Not too difficult seeing Towell at least replicate whatever Douglas brings to the table.

I could see him getting signed by a club in the Championship absolutely, but then he has to get a regular place in the team, not sure I could see him doing that at a team that is going to stay up in the Championship.

Pighead · 11-09-2014 01:43PM

CSF wrote: »

I could see him getting signed by a club in the Championship absolutely, but then he has to get a regular place in the team, not sure I could see him doing that at a team that is going to stay up in the Championship.

Yeah, it's by no means a certainty. Would be interesting to see how he fares though. He's definitely got the physique for it now anyway. Spent most of last winter in the gym and came back at the start of this season much bigger. As a Dundalk fan I'm hoping I won't be seeing him in the championship anytime soon though. One more season out of him would be great.

dfx- · 11-09-2014 01:43PM

ionadnapokot wrote: »

How has Kenna done?

Kenna has been fine, considering he's having to cover a galloping Madden on one side, had Shane Robinson in front of him and slower-than-Oman McGuinness on the other side of him.

Corholio · 11-09-2014 02:19PM

Pighead wrote: »

Wigan Brentford and Ipswich have all been linked with him this season. I'm sure a lot of these Championships clubs would be of the opinion that it could represent a calculated gamble to spend a couple of hundred thousand on an Airtricity League player especially given the Coleman factor. Jonathan Douglas is a regular in Brentford's midfield. Not too difficult seeing Towell at least replicate whatever Douglas brings to the table.

Douglas is a completely different midfielder to Towell and has had a decent career in England. Towell would do well to have a similar career.

uch · 11-09-2014 02:35PM

dundalkfc10 wrote: »

McPhail was finished a year or 2 ago though in fairness, but let Rovers fans think he is still a genius

I'd agree that he's finished as a full time player, but I've seen him play quite a few games this season and he still has that bit of class about him that could change a game, I think it's more a case of does he give a bollix or not, he'd be a 15 game a season man IMO, no more

djpbarry · 11-09-2014 03:54PM

dundalkfc10 wrote: »

McPhail was finished a year or 2 ago though in fairness, but let Rovers fans think he is still a genius

He was supposedly offered another deal by Wednesday, to be fair, but wanted to move back to Ireland for personal reasons.

CSF wrote: »

I wasn't talking about teams, I was talking about players, our best players rarely do well at the same level our internationals play at. Our league produces young players which go on to that level, but that is about the height of it.

That’s a bit of a cop-out – it’s obviously going to take time for players to adjust to the higher level and it will take some players longer to do that than others.

CSF wrote: »

I don't think that proves anything.

Kind of my point.

CSF wrote: »

Sammon doesn't get selected. He got selected a few times irrationally.

He was in the most recent squad, wasn’t he?

CSF wrote: »

He isn't a casemaker for Irish international footballers, and he'd still get into any team in the LOI IMO.

Eh, Conor Sammon wasn’t even a regular at Derry before Kilmarnock took him off their hands. He may have improved athletically since then (and you can’t fault the lad for effort), but he is still an absolutely atrocious footballer.

CSF wrote: »

Honestly, I'd be surprised to see Towell go and make a major dent at Championship or Premiership level.

Premiership, maybe, but Championship? If Connor Sammon can hold down a place in a Championship side, there’s hope for all of us.

CSF wrote: »

To who? And how significant do you think he'd be for them? Alot of these teams still have the capacity to go out and spend 4 million on a centre mid if they so wish, so it is difficult.

And a lot of them don’t. Ipswich, for example, are currently operating a policy of paying absolutely no transfer fees to anyone.

CSF wrote: »

I could see him getting signed by a club in the Championship absolutely, but then he has to get a regular place in the team, not sure I could see him doing that at a team that is going to stay up in the Championship.

I think you’re seriously underestimating the guy’s ability – he’s clearly far too good for the LOI.

CSF · 11-09-2014 04:05PM

I really don't see how it is a copout. There are very few cases of older players performing well at LOI and going on towards the national team.

We do have young players at our clubs who have that potential and go on and end up successful, but they get snapped up at a young age.

I can only really think of Hoolahan and Fahey that went over older and made a real impact at Championship or Premiership level to the extent of an Ireland callup. Hoolahan was/is alot better than Towell ever will be and he can't even get a place in the team rightly or wrongly.

I just don't see Towell making the grade to that extent. Nobody ever really seems to once they reach a certain age and they're still here. You miss out on alot playing over here. The setups just aren't similar at all.

I'm not saying Towell can't get a transfer somewhere, I'm saying he is unlikely to go to the Championship and become a significant player there.

ionadnapóca · 12-09-2014 09:34AM

dfx- wrote: »

Kenna has been fine, considering he's having to cover a galloping Madden on one side, had Shane Robinson in front of him and slower-than-Oman McGuinness on the other side of him.

That's good to hear a positive report after the other posts slated him.
He was a quality defender for St. Patricks. Read the game really well and organised the defence excellently.

doncarlos · 12-09-2014 10:29AM

CSF wrote: »

I'm saying he is unlikely to go to the Championship and become a significant player there.

Significant players like; Paul Green, Simon Cox, Sean St Ledger, Darren O'Dea, Greg Cunningham, Conor Sammon? All players that have been called up to Irish squad in last 12 months

Pighead · 12-09-2014 10:40AM

Corholio wrote: »

Douglas is a completely different midfielder to Towell and has had a decent career in England. Towell would do well to have a similar career.

He's hardly a completely different midfielder to Towell. Towell can pass, tackle, defend and attack so surely Douglas has at least one of those attributes in common with the maestro? What kind of midfielder is Douglas?

dreamers75 · 12-09-2014 10:42AM

Pighead wrote: »

He's hardly a completely different midfielder to Towell. Towell can pass, tackle, defend and attack so surely Douglas has at least one of those attributes in common with the maestro? What kind of midfielder is Douglas?

A really fit one.

Pighead · 12-09-2014 10:43AM

dreamers75 wrote: »

A really fit one.

Whatever you're into. I think Towell's nicer.

LOI 2014 Thread

Comments