Hoops brand of football a disappointment
Credit:
After our disappointing 3-2 defeat by Monaghan United on Friday night, I went home and to take
my mind of the game, I watched the televised match between Shamrock Rovers and Bohemians at
Dalymount Park that I had recorded from earlier. I was looking forward to watching it due to the
intense rivalry between both sides as well as seeing Shamrock Rovers for the first time this season
with their raft of new signings. To say I was disappointed with the quality of football played by
our new league champions is an understatement.
With players like Enda Stevens, Pat Sullivan, Ronan Finn, Billy Dennehy and Gary O’Neill, I expected the Hoops to get the ball down on the deck and be the Barcelona of the Airtricity League. What I witnessed on Friday night was one of the most boring matches I have seen in recent times from two teams who have been at the top of Irish soccer for the last number of years. I wrote a column a couple of weeks ago about trying to attract fans to our games. If I was watching my first League of Ireland game on the television last weekend, I certainly wouldn’t be thinking of rushing out to attend a match in the near future.
It was always going to be a difficult game for Bohemians with practically a new squad involving many inexperienced players but I thought they tried to play the better football on the night. You can possibly suggest that Shamrock Rovers were away from home and might have just wanted to put pressure on the Bohemians defence with the long ball tactic. As I said earlier, however, with the players that the club has at their disposal, they should be capable of breaking down any team in this league by employing a short passing game. I was talking to a Bray Wanderers player last week after they defeated Rovers in Tallaght and he couldn’t understand why Rovers watered the pitch before the game and yet the majority of the game was played 20ft in the air.
Sligo Rovers as we all know play the best football in this league and it is no surprise that every home game in the Showgrounds is played to a full house. I remember a couple of years ago when I was playing for UCD, there wasn’t more than 700 people in that stadium. I think the reason for attracting such large crowds is the enjoyment that the fans get when they attend a game at the Showgrounds. Paul Cook has assembled a squad that are encouraged to get the ball down and play an attractive brand of football that is very easy on the eye but not only that, they are successful at this type of football.
Do not get me wrong, this isn’t the only reason why people attend games. UCD play an attractive brand of football and don’t get the attendances, and the same could have been said last year with Sporting Fingal (although that was a club increasing its attendances year on year by 50%). Shamrock Rovers have a fantastic support base and are a fantastic club and they attract thousands to every game but I could only imagine if they played football on the ground and in the right way what crowd they could attract and how many points they would win the league by! I have played with some of these Rovers players, Ronan Finn and Gary O’Neill for example, and I know these players like the ball played to their feet.
But I am not a manager or a coach so what do I know? I just like watching football played the right way and in the right manner. I know every club cannot play the Arsenal or Barcelona way because the squad of players wouldn’t be good enough but I am talking about our Premier Division Champions. Michael O’Neill is doing something right though. He won the Championship last year after 16 years without a League trophy and very nearly brought the club to its first double since 1986/87. Juventus came to Tallaght and the Hoops certainly didn’t embarrass themselves and sure they currently sit top of the Premier Division this year. So maybe it’s a case of shut up Conan, you don’t know what you’re talking about!
With players like Enda Stevens, Pat Sullivan, Ronan Finn, Billy Dennehy and Gary O’Neill, I expected the Hoops to get the ball down on the deck and be the Barcelona of the Airtricity League. What I witnessed on Friday night was one of the most boring matches I have seen in recent times from two teams who have been at the top of Irish soccer for the last number of years. I wrote a column a couple of weeks ago about trying to attract fans to our games. If I was watching my first League of Ireland game on the television last weekend, I certainly wouldn’t be thinking of rushing out to attend a match in the near future.
It was always going to be a difficult game for Bohemians with practically a new squad involving many inexperienced players but I thought they tried to play the better football on the night. You can possibly suggest that Shamrock Rovers were away from home and might have just wanted to put pressure on the Bohemians defence with the long ball tactic. As I said earlier, however, with the players that the club has at their disposal, they should be capable of breaking down any team in this league by employing a short passing game. I was talking to a Bray Wanderers player last week after they defeated Rovers in Tallaght and he couldn’t understand why Rovers watered the pitch before the game and yet the majority of the game was played 20ft in the air.
Sligo Rovers as we all know play the best football in this league and it is no surprise that every home game in the Showgrounds is played to a full house. I remember a couple of years ago when I was playing for UCD, there wasn’t more than 700 people in that stadium. I think the reason for attracting such large crowds is the enjoyment that the fans get when they attend a game at the Showgrounds. Paul Cook has assembled a squad that are encouraged to get the ball down and play an attractive brand of football that is very easy on the eye but not only that, they are successful at this type of football.
Do not get me wrong, this isn’t the only reason why people attend games. UCD play an attractive brand of football and don’t get the attendances, and the same could have been said last year with Sporting Fingal (although that was a club increasing its attendances year on year by 50%). Shamrock Rovers have a fantastic support base and are a fantastic club and they attract thousands to every game but I could only imagine if they played football on the ground and in the right way what crowd they could attract and how many points they would win the league by! I have played with some of these Rovers players, Ronan Finn and Gary O’Neill for example, and I know these players like the ball played to their feet.
But I am not a manager or a coach so what do I know? I just like watching football played the right way and in the right manner. I know every club cannot play the Arsenal or Barcelona way because the squad of players wouldn’t be good enough but I am talking about our Premier Division Champions. Michael O’Neill is doing something right though. He won the Championship last year after 16 years without a League trophy and very nearly brought the club to its first double since 1986/87. Juventus came to Tallaght and the Hoops certainly didn’t embarrass themselves and sure they currently sit top of the Premier Division this year. So maybe it’s a case of shut up Conan, you don’t know what you’re talking about!
