Mid-season review: St. Pat's
Credit:
Season So Far: St. Patrick's Athletic are enjoying a terrific season, reaching the Setanta Cup final where they unfortunately lost out to league rivals Bohemians. They are now currently top of the Airtricity League by two points at the half way point of the season. The Saints didn’t concede a league goal for the first 450 minutes of the season. Their good form this season has also seen Republic of Ireland manager Giovanni Trappatoni visit Richmond Park.
Biggest Strength: They have the best defensive record in the league, only conceding eight goals this season so it’s safe to say that this is their biggest strength. Pete Mahon has their defence well organised and has made them very hard to break down. Gary Rogers in goal has also had an exceptional start to the season, pulling off some top-class saves. They are also the second top goal scorers in the league, behind Sligo Rovers, by one goal so they do entertain the crowd as well.
Biggest Weakness: Despite their good season so far, there have been signs in the side that they might not be consistent enough to go on and win the league. In some of their games they didn’t pass the ball well, they just played long balls and looked out of idea‘s in some games. Making silly individual mistakes at the back have cost them points. Their bogey team has been Drogheda United who have beaten them twice already in the league this season.
Manager: Pete Mahon has mixed youth with experience at St. Pat's and has his team well organised in defence. His tactics rarely change as he likes to play a simple 4-4-1-1 with Vinny Faherty dropping as the attacking midfielder and Byrne playing up top on his own. The only problem with Mahon would be he tends to stick with the same players on the pitch, even if they are playing awful, and doesn’t seem to change it until it’s too late.
Star Player: A tough call but Stuart Byrne in midfield has been brilliant. His passing and controlling of the tempo in some games is eye-catching and he has chipped in with a goal or two, most notably the screamer he scored against Bohemians.
Where To Improve: A few injuries could stop them from winning the league so they might need to add a few new faces. A new striker and a new midfielder. If St. Pat's want to win the league they need to have strength in depth.
Rating: 9/10
Biggest Strength: They have the best defensive record in the league, only conceding eight goals this season so it’s safe to say that this is their biggest strength. Pete Mahon has their defence well organised and has made them very hard to break down. Gary Rogers in goal has also had an exceptional start to the season, pulling off some top-class saves. They are also the second top goal scorers in the league, behind Sligo Rovers, by one goal so they do entertain the crowd as well.
Biggest Weakness: Despite their good season so far, there have been signs in the side that they might not be consistent enough to go on and win the league. In some of their games they didn’t pass the ball well, they just played long balls and looked out of idea‘s in some games. Making silly individual mistakes at the back have cost them points. Their bogey team has been Drogheda United who have beaten them twice already in the league this season.
Manager: Pete Mahon has mixed youth with experience at St. Pat's and has his team well organised in defence. His tactics rarely change as he likes to play a simple 4-4-1-1 with Vinny Faherty dropping as the attacking midfielder and Byrne playing up top on his own. The only problem with Mahon would be he tends to stick with the same players on the pitch, even if they are playing awful, and doesn’t seem to change it until it’s too late.
Star Player: A tough call but Stuart Byrne in midfield has been brilliant. His passing and controlling of the tempo in some games is eye-catching and he has chipped in with a goal or two, most notably the screamer he scored against Bohemians.
Where To Improve: A few injuries could stop them from winning the league so they might need to add a few new faces. A new striker and a new midfielder. If St. Pat's want to win the league they need to have strength in depth.
Rating: 9/10
