Eircom League run in

Came accross this on another forum, well written article. It's the business end of the Irish season as the Reds are just getting warmed up for the long season ahead.

Eircom League Focus
By Shane Murray

Anyone who thought the destination of this year's eircom League of Ireland Premier Division title was a foregone conclusion, may now have to review that assessment following a recent run of results that looks to have thrown the race wide open.


With Drogheda United's seemingly unassailable lead now cut to just five points, Paul Doolin's men face the very real prospect of a fight to the wire for what many observers expected to be a relaxed procession to the club's first Premier Division title since joining the league in 1963.

An alarming three points from a possible 12 has seen United's lead disintegrate as Shamrock Rovers, the season's surprise package, moved into second on Monday with their fourth win in five games.

Drogs' recent slump and the Hoops' re-emergence now adds extra intrigue to the upcoming clash between the two at Tolka Park on Friday, 12 October in front of the live RTEcameras.

From a comfortable position of dominance, United are now anxiously looking over their shoulders, with Rovers, early pacesetters St Patrick's Athletic and erratic Cork City all snapping at their heels and believing they have a realistic chance of capitalising on any further fall-off in form from the Louth club.

As a result, the complexion of the title run-in has changed dramatically, and from a neutral's perspective, that can only be a good thing.

Not only are we facing the prospect of a genuine fight for honours, there is also the added spice of the battle for European and Setanta Sports Cup places, with Sligo Rovers and Bohemians also harbouring realistic aspirations of maintaining their challenges.

A 1-0 win on Friday last against Derry City arrested Drogheda's dismal form just before and after their disappointing European exit at the hands of Helsingborg, and could provide the stimulus for a renewed push for the title.

The usually composed Doolin showed signs of feeling the strain of the club's recent dip by lashing out at the perceived negativity by certain members of the press.

Unusual comments from the manager of a team who have looked head and shoulders above the rest from much of the season, and received the acclaim that goes along with it.

Yes, the recent slump has attracted some criticism, but only because the lofty standards set earlier in the season have not been met.

Drogheda eased their way to the top of the table playing efficient, no-nonsense football, more in the consistent style of play of a Chelsea, rather than the fluid flair of an Arsenal.

Any criticisms of their style of play are merely aspirational, perhaps idealistic visions of how league leaders 'should' play, but this Drogheda team have not turned into a bad side overnight.

Defensively, Drogheda's solidity has been built around Graham Gartland's commanding displays in the centre, while Brian Shelley and Simon Webb have always been assured on the flanks.

Their midfield is driven by the industry and guile of Stuart Byrne and Shane Robinson, while Eamon Zayed's goals have gone some way towards filling the void left by the early season loss of captain and talismanic striker Declan O'Brien to injury.

There is little doubt that United would be home and dry if O'Brien had not been ruled out for the season, but the immediate impact of new signing of Guy Bates suggests that he could play a key role in the run-in.

Doolin, himself, has not become a poor manager in the last few weeks, and he knows more than most that every team suffers a lull over the course of a campaign. He will be hoping his side have now emerged from the trough, and with their lead still very much intact, it is well within his ability to restore belief and steer his men home.

The title is still theirs to lose, but the run-in sees them travel to a rejuvenated Longford Town, Tolka and St Pat's on the final day of the season. It should be interesting!

Things won't be easy for Pat Scully's Rovers either as they make trips to Cork, St Pat's and Derry City, but they have built up momentum and confidence is high. A lot will rest on the clash with Drogs, which will be live on RTETwo and here worldwide on RTEie/sport, and one of six live league games before the season's end.

With such a tight finish now a distinct possibility, at both ends of the table, the scene is set for an intense and dramatic conclusion to the season.

The semi-finals and final of the FAI Ford Cup will also be screened live on RTESport, with the semi-finalists to be decided this weekend. The usual suspects remain, although Drogheda are conspicuous by their absence.

Pat's, Cork, Derry and Longford are favourites to advance, but Bohemians, Waterford, UCD and Limerick 37 will have designs on advancing themselves.

Finally, there has been a lot of talk recently about the FAI's draconian attitude to anything remotely out of the ordinary in terms of fan 'accessories' on matchdays.

While most fans of the league understand the need for caution when it comes to items such as flares, horns and the like, the FAI's growing insistence on curtailing traditional fan accoutrements like banners and, eh, toilet roll is both damaging and counter-productive.

The one thing the eircom League has over its more illustrious brothers across the Irish Sea is that it can offer fans a live stadium atmosphere, not too far from home.

But trying to stifle that atmosphere by removing any semblance of character, passion and excitement is to the detriment of the game and the spectacle that the FAI are so desperately trying to create.

So hopefully the recent fines imposed on Finn Harps and Derry City are a one-off, and that fans around the country will be encouraged to maintain their individuality and passion without fear of sanctions befalling their already cash-strapped clubs.

Let's foster the noise, indulge the colour and keep the vitality of each and every group of supporters alive, and harness this to attract and retain the interest of the unconverted.


C'mon the Drogs!!! #1 followed by #19 in May and I would die happily. Still in 21 years yet to see my team lift a title (was too young to remember 86, 88, 90)

 

Pros and Cons mate.

Pro's;
1) Less matches postponed due to pitches in better conditions.

2) Substitute for Prem off season has increased average attendances during the Summer months especially.

3)I personally have football to look forward to all year round with Summer football

Cons;
1) For me, some of the atmosphere is lost when playing games in full light on summer nights instead of under floodlights. Don't know why.

2)The hard ground in a lot of pitches has increased injuries, we've been hit hard by this problem this season.

3)Having to miss games due to Summer holidays abroad etc.

4)Top players in the Eircom league are snapped up by English clubs mid-season here, which disrupts the teams. They sign them so they are there for pre-season in England (Doyle, O'Donavan, Hawkins, Jason Byrne to name but a few). This however has been a pro for Drgheda in the last couple of years as it has seen our rivals lose valuable players mid-season .

I preferred the winter football and old format but for the benefit of the league in the long run this was the way to go.

 

I'm a Gypsy myself but I'm delighted for Rovers, however from what little I've seen I thing the Drogs will limp home.

As to the summer soccer business I like the idea but I'm afraid it's a bit of a no win for the LoI. The GAA just dominates the landscape during the summer months & the in the winter it just gets lost in competition with the Prem, CL and pretty much everything else, even, dare I say it, rugby.

 

I wonder which paper did you get the article from or website. I actually met the guy (Shane Murray) who wrote it a couple of times. He was very good friends with my friend at University and I knew he was doing journalism. He is from Sligo.

 

This season has been the worst in Eircom League memory as far as I'm concerned. Maybe its the fact that I'm a Pats fan and things have gone from bad to worse since our defeat to Bohs in May but Longford are one of the worst teams ever to grace the top flight of Irish football and theres a chance they will stay up after a 6 point deduction and get to the FAI Cup final!!!!
It also looks like Irelands longest full-time team are going to struggle to shrug off the challenge of a part-time football club!! I know its great for the league that it's not over and fair play to Rovers if they win the title but it will make a mockery of the Eircom League and the plans to take every team full-time.