THE LOI POD: 'Now we are seeing a Stephen Kenny team!' | A Pats title charge? | Derry problems persist | Drogs to bounce back?

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The L.O.I. part on off the ball, catch life and exclusive national radio commentary

of the Men's League of Ireland Premier Division on off the ball all season.

Hello and welcome to this week's L.O.I. part on off the ball.

Steven Doyle here with you, as we are every week, let's have a listen to what happened last

week on off the ball.

I've been around Dublin, get up and watch them, it's a really sort of exciting drawback.

It is the only show in town, so you got to get your hair caught in the barber sometimes

no more than anyone else or it's a huge contingent from sort of dairy covering the game.

I think Dairy Sin were probably annoyed that they didn't score a few more.

Shamakov and the other hand were probably delighted that they did play, but it's just one

goal.

That performance by Dairy Sin, that's Halle Stadium, a really, really good one.

Can they produce something similar here tonight?

That remains to be said.

The stand out player for me so far tonight has been Jack Vaughan, he's been, like it's

easy to say, Jack Vaughan has been brilliant, but he's been absolutely brilliant in this

first half.

He's been sort of the intensity of his play, he just looks, he's had a, I've not seen him

like this in a long time with this sort of intensity, he looks like he's got the bit

between the teams.

He's a lot on side, boring to Brennan, Brennan now, makes a one across the end line.

He's going down, he's a penalty kick, oh that's crazy stuff, there's no person that has

a penalty, I'm a Brennan, wiggle away from the Dairy Sin, he's sort of to, well, I've

perhaps had a little bit of an experience showing, he tried to, what's like Dylan, what's

like standing over this, beach facing a second penalty in two weeks, he can see you want

to turn me down again last week, what he can see this, what he does, it's still a lot

to put some into the back of the net, in front of the set stand to go over and take the

claim.

Big brother, look at him, he'll not have your, then he was a day in a park last week, he's

there.

He's out of clothing, he's fair enough, smiling alongside his assistant, Frank Brown

and they're taking all three points here again for token defenders, Dairy Sin.

I've been good and in part of each game that we've played, but we needed to make that

little bit more complete for longer periods, so we did that today, look, this team responding

has never endeavoured, you don't deal with what we've done, if you don't respond to

setbacks and so that was never endeavoured to carry the risk group.

Do you think psychologically there was a defeat made me that, I suppose, coming into the

season, Dairy Sin, you looked on as title contenders, that this was a chance for your team

to be laid on a mark round, that you haven't taken that chance.

I think it's five games in and I think there's a lot of football still to play, there's

a lot of players who are still getting the team and get fit, obviously with players missing

at the moment, so I think this and there's a lot of work to be done, tonight was disappointing,

but we move on.

Yes, just bringing the lovely strains there of the Ole, do you remember what, do you

know what that tune is, Gareth McLean?

I do not.

What does the Ole team tune from Skisundi, I'm obviously back in the day.

Just to welcome you back off the slopes, GMATQ, we missed you last week.

Could you be back nice for the rest and room of coverage over in France, yeah?

Do you manage to finish that very large point that you sent us a picture of last week?

I got very warm in the last few golf balls, but I managed to force it down.

Fair play, dear.

Well, it's good to have you back.

Listen, let's crack straight into it, unfortunately, our other analyst, Vinny Perth, we call him

the senior analyst, he has done for you to refer to Johnny Joyles, our senior analyst,

Vinny Perth is on well this week, so listen, hopefully Vinny's okay, he was feeling a bit

off this morning, so he said, listen, put your feet up, get well, and we're going to bring

in a very special super soup.

It's our own Ben's Himes, welcome along, Ben, and Ben has been reporting at all the games

every week, so like myself, you know, it can give us a fair bit of knowledge in all the

different matches we'll be talking about this week.

So first up, we've got St Patrick's athletic against Johnny United, we're going to have

a new man on the microphone at Intercorso, because they're on Philly Egan, we'll be making

his league of Ireland debut at that game at Richland Park alongside Vinny Perth on Friday

night.

Max Madder, wow, well, we were told when he was signed, Garathy was coming here to earn

himself a place in that New Zealand World Cup squad, he's had a bit of an injury, sorry,

a bit of injury concerns to start off the senior delay his season, but he gets that goal

in a late win against Shellburn for Pats, takes the shirt off, he said it's the first

time he's ever taken off a shirt as celebrating a goal, but like how much is that going to

help the Saints?

I'm just mad at himself going into that game against Johnny United.

Yeah, 100%.

You can see the relief.

I mean, any player and I had that was there myself, seeing your injured, there's nothing

worse than watching your team perform and not being able to do anything about it.

So you can see even the goal, the goal commander backstack, was he favorite to get the header

on the ball, probably not, but you could see the hunger was there to get on the end of

it, had it done and put it on.

And then of course, the emotion, the relief, the joy of not being injured anymore, the

shirt came off in the celebrations, but what a goal, what a time to get the goal, and

it's going to be a major boost in Pats.

But again, Edmondson getting two goals as well, I mean, when you've keen Edmondson and

Madder, all scoring goals, you've, you've some serious headaches from Steven Kenny,

but yeah, it's great.

Madder gets off the mark and hopefully that's, you know what, the strikers are like as

well, they go, they're streaky, so they can go and runs now.

Yeah, you're at that game, Ben, very impressive.

Yeah, it was.

And I was very impressed with Pats' ability to get a result with Jamie Lennon in the midfield,

which is a big one.

They only had Barry Bagley and Darren Nugent as fit midfielders, Chris Farrister was

out as well.

And I kind of thought, if Sherbert can hang in here until 75, 80 minutes, they can really

overload that midfield in the last 10, and Pats months with standard, I was really impressed

with Edmondson's performance, I had been at the Dundalk 4-0 the Friday before and he probably

left a little bit to be desired, but you could see the link of play and he was getting in

the right positions.

It was just a matter of putting those chances away, but for me, the biggest investment that

has gone into that team that will pay off is James Brown in Roy Wingback.

I mean, the three deliveries for all three goals are outstanding, and it's not just the

set piece delivery he gives you, he is up and down that right hand flank, literally all

game.

And he kept, Will Jarvis was in left wingback for Shales, and Shales has been kind of been

playing this, it goes between a back four and a back five, they do where they don't have

the ball, and Will Jarvis didn't want to do a lot of defending.

And James Brown basically said to him, you're going to do defending whether you like it

or not.

And he kept the threat of Jarvis pin back, and then also going up against that player who's

probably not comfortable playing the left wingback role, it allowed Brown to push on

forward more.

I was really impressed.

I'm looking forward to seeing when Max Madder is fully back in the swing of things.

I think Max Madder and Edmondson up top caused a lot of chaos to the center halves all

over the league.

Yeah, like if you look at his best season, it's like it over, it's like his goal scoring

rate, especially that first half of 2023.

There was one, two, three, four, five, six, seven games that he didn't score in, and he

got, there was a 10 goals in that first half of 2023, sensational stuff.

So Stephen Kenny can get him back to that scoring rate.

They will, it'll go a long way to help him pass toward the top of the table, just as

well on paths as well.

I want to ask you, Garrett, because we've spoken before about Stephen Kenny and how well

you know him, like, is there, is this run, these three games, three games in a row, three

wins in a row, goal for four to an row?

Is this just Stephen Kenny vibes, man management, or is there something in that team that you

can see that is improving their results?

Yeah, well, thank you, everyone, FUT.

I mean, if Ben touched on it there, you can have people available, but if they're not

flying FUT, this league is going for a given.

It's so competitive.

If you're not out at 100%, you can't really get away with it anymore.

Back in the day, you used to be able to get away with it if you were playing against

the UCD or a fun harps, but like every week now, you need to be at it.

And I think it's about getting those players, Edmonds and Madda, we've seen Levy with

a lead goal recently as well.

When he's on form, he is really good.

He was brilliant in the first match against Poseid de Aviva.

You've got Palmer scoring goals, El Bazzetti.

I think we're now seeing more of a Stephen Kenny team.

And I think Brown on the right as well will help that because he, whether it's fullbacks

or wingbacks, he likes people going that way.

He does not like people going the other way.

And he has no problem putting confidence in the players to say, listen, you're good

enough and attacking mind-runner enough to go and score or outscore the opposition.

And we've seen that in the last few games, I mean, three, one and four.

That's not bad.

That's eight in the last three games that they can keep that strike rate up.

He'll be very happy and they'll get plenty of three points.

Sean Hor, also very important character.

I think having a fit, Sean Hor, because he had his struggles last season and he was one

of those kind of key players that Stephen Kenny wanted to bring in to build this, not

just around him, but to build this same punch as a team.

He was a key block in us.

Yeah, 100%.

And what you get with him is you get height aggression.

He's not that, he's not that tall, but he's very good in the air and he's quick as well.

And he's experienced around the league, so he knows what he's getting.

And with Gravowski and Redmond on there as well.

I mean, I think Redmond didn't perform to his best last year, but on his day is one

of the best center halves in the league.

So I expect how they come to four again this year as well, because when you play with

three at the back, you do get a bit more protection as center halves.

I'm not a center half, but I would imagine if I was a center half, I would prefer

this playing a three than a two.

And especially with horror, if he's playing either side, he's got that ability to get

into the corners or go the other way as well.

So yeah, a big plus for Stephen, having a comeback, fit and fun.

Can I say as well, what Sean Hor allows you to do is you can have Luke Turner as your

left center half.

And it gives him a little bit of a license to go forward as well, because we know in that

week back position, it's been either Zacke of Zeddy when fit or Jay McLelland, who loves

to get forward as well.

So Turner can kind of make it basic slaughter back for if McLelland goes forward or AbZeddy

goes forward.

And then he can also push him behind them as well.

So when he started that game against Dundalk the other week, we were all kind of sitting

up there going, oh, this could be, this could basically change that back for the dynamic

that Kenny wants to bring in.

And he took him off just after half time, he got his goal against Dundalk in the first

half and you kind of thought you were a little bit gone.

As you have to pick up an injury seriously on fit, but no, that was Stephen Kenny saying,

I need this guy fit and far and every week on him minutes into his legs.

And I think we could possibly see them kick on even more with that solid back five.

Yeah.

Come on, Gary.

Just on that as well, we always talk about center half with peace.

I mean, any manager you talk to, when you mentioned a center half, they say, can he

wrong?

That's one of the biggest things now.

What that enables them to do whether they play Turner or Hor, Redmond as a three, Hor

and Turner are very quick.

So Redmond can afford to go and attack the ball.

We know on the board.

But it allows the midfield and then the forwards to get closer to the opposition's box.

So it allows you to play 10, 15 yards further up the pitch.

And what that does is it contenses the space.

And then if you've got someone like a nine, who plays again, 10, 10 yards forward and sweeps

up and behind, it allows you to compress the team and push them back and get that high

press and create loads of quick chances at turnovers and transitions.

So the pace at the backs massive to the waist even likes to play.

Yeah.

And here, I didn't have it on our rolling order, but an angsty and brilliant, like he's

been absolutely brilliant.

And I know he was dropping a clanger or two last season.

I sometimes fail as well with League of R and goalkeepers, you know, maybe sometimes

people are expecting, you know, a goalkeeper of the quality of the like you might see in

the Premier League at the weekend or maybe in the Bundesliga or La League or whatever the

case may be.

But, you know, the standard that the League of R is at, you're going to, you're not going

to get a perfect goalkeeper who is absolutely immaculous and doesn't make any mistakes.

That's just the reality of the level of football that we watch in the League of R and

but like an ang may make a couple of mistakes over the season, but he's been absolutely brilliant

so far in the season.

And he's, he's been a big part to the points of parts of R and so far in the season.

Yeah, and I think what Garrett touched on it there briefly, what he, what he doesn't just

give you in charts up and he gives you with the ball at his feet, which is so important

for our back three as well to get the ball out of playing and what we know about those

center halves is they're not only quick to two as a play wide, but they love getting the

ball into feet.

And if Jamie Lennon can get back fit and that ball is fizzing to Jamie Lennon's feet, then

you have Jamie Claland and James Brown making those runs in behind on the wing.

And I just allows you to push up that further 10 yards up the pitch and he is so good with

the ball at his feet.

What I've been so impressed with is not just the quality of the delivery, but how calm

he is on the football.

Like when he has the ball at his feet, you don't actually feel worried that he's going

to lose the ball and give it away, which is kind of wood with other keepers, but also

with shots up and probably goes a little bit under the radar.

Because of how good he is with feet and how good that defense is in front of him, I mean

to save the stop on Kenny to get on Kenny is dinner versus in past year week is absolutely

outstanding.

Yeah.

It's been really, really good.

On James Brown, when you look at it from a dry day night, a perspective, Garrett, I'm

looking ahead to this game and then you call on Friday night, they're probably like

dry day night.

They're probably a good team to come up against St. Pat's if you're trying to nullify those

threats out wide.

If you're playing with a back five as dry day night to do, they could double up on a

James Brown.

Could they in this game?

Yeah, I think drawder are the kind of team that don't obviously they pay attention to

their opposition, but I don't think they sacrifice their style or their way of playing for anyone

on the vigil unless and they will they will though it will be noted the threat that he possesses

and it will be it might be that the two defensive midfielders just playing slightly to the left

hand side to try and get out there so that they can't get those crosses in.

The drawder, yes, the slaggo game didn't turn out really well as much as they wanted

it, but they've only lost by the odd goal, they've only got two clean sheets as well and

six, not like them.

I think Kevin will be really focused and trying to get back into keeping clean sheets and

then when you're coming up against a team that scored eight in the last three, it's

going to be very difficult because you see a lot of Pat's players are firing all cylinders

but James Brown will be a threat as well at the other players, but I don't see Kevin

making any special adjustments to stop him.

Yeah, because it's the first time since August that they've lost back to back matches,

I watched Staridola's post-match interview after that slaggo always game and he just felt

that they made it too easy for the bitter-red, they didn't start the game well, there was no

energy in the team and I feel that this is the kind of perfect game for them to get a reaction.

I don't think Johnny and I will be, I think they'll be up for this one and, you know,

tripped into cores always, I think a lot of teams like going there because the pitch isn't

really good, Nick, but I think they'll fancy this one to try and just get back to, you know,

a solid defence and getting into Pat's face as well.

Yeah, I think also you can't forget that they went away to slaggo without any fans,

without their manager and you're going to a slaggo that really, really needed a win.

In a game that they would have been tagging for, to be fair, they would have been tagging

for the season, home games against Galway, draw to Waterford, Dundalk, they're games you need to

be putting up a huge fight to probably win in and you're probably then looking at a gango and

you've no fans and you've no manager coming here as well. I wouldn't be too disarrattained

to find draw to from that result and like you said, I actually think it could suit them,

playing in an inch core, playing on a pitch and it's sometimes a feeling core is quite narrow,

which I think they could play into their strengths as well, but I just,

I have a feeling that Pat's train is going to keep on rolling on. I really, I think what Pat's

played at home when they're in grave form, it's really, really tough to stop them and I think

that result going away from home and I know a lot of Pat's fans, we did that support that they

have away from home is so strong, but you're coming back into a game where three quarters that

stayed in weren't there last Friday night again, Sherburn, they were celebrating at home while

everyone else was behind that, that a body-buck end in Sherburn. I just think it's too much,

I think it's too much to ask, I think it's too much to ask for draw to stop to be honest

to go to Pat's and win this game. It's their last eight matches between the two sides home

and away. There's been five draws and just three wins on the team that's won the three matches

the same parts and strangely enough, yeah, sorry, two of those in inter-core.

Yeah, yeah, no, listen, there's no doubt about it. I mean, you obviously don't know how these games

are going to turn out and as I said before, it's so competitive in the league, but you're looking at

Pat's the momentum they have, you're looking at that's lost at this leg of her draw,

Kevin Dore will be looking to keep it tight. If you offered him a draw, I know what I'd say,

take hand on all of you, but I have to say just on past before we move on as well, you look at

their games coming up. Obviously, they've got theirium on day night, but outside of that,

they've got water for slag one done dark as their next three games. So should Pat's go and get a

nice result tonight, a nice result in Monday, with those three games coming up, they'll be looking

to put her on together off the back of the three victories they've already had. So, I mean,

everyone hits a purple patch at some stage. We saw it two years ago with Shells at the beginning

of the season when they won six, seven, eight and a row. I can't remember what it was. It really

set them up for the season. Steven, I'll be looking at that one. We could do something similar.

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This episode traces the extraordinary journey of Alfredo de Stefano, the visionary who redefined

modern football. Born in Argentina, forged in the breakaway leagues of Colombia with

millionarios and immortalized in Spain, he became the heartbeat of a dynasty.

But what if the man they called La Sieta Rubia had taken a different path and gone to Real Madrid's

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Tundalk Against Waterford then, Garrett, you know, and I was kind of looking at asking Viny about

the setup of because obviously he knows Kiran could offer really well, but of the Liddy Whites.

I don't know how much of you've seen, obviously you want to see in the dark up at Derry City.

What's the kind of key takeaways you would have had from that game just in regards to

how Kiran wants his team to play and how he sets them up?

Passion and drive. It was really impressive. No, I have to say, I didn't know what. I've never seen

I've played against Kiran. I've never seen him manage. I've never seen his teams. I was impressed,

really impressed. One player was impressed. I was impressed with quite a few of them,

but one player that I was impressed with with John Mann compared to the player that I watched

for Slego last year and he picked up something like 11 or 12 cards throughout the season. It was

just it was always on the ground. It just didn't look sharp or didn't look fit or I don't know

what it was. He looked excellent in the brandy. Well, no, he's gone down with an injury and the last

match that does not look good. He could be a huge mess for a waterford. Yeah, so far. Yeah,

for waterford. Yeah, and Dundock. I just like their commitment, their passion. I mean,

Koldoff had them driven every player. It didn't matter whether it was Darryl Horgan or who it was

or McDade and the other side, especially the two wingers being a winger myself. I was really

impressed with their work rate and then they caused a threat as well. I mean, they basically,

they basically, and I don't want to say Darryl made them not good, but they put Darryl

up with it for about 70, 75 months and they were very, very unfortunate. In fact, they probably

should have had all three points that night and I would have been deserving. So before that game,

I would have tapped on Doc to be in the real relegation fight. After that, I was like,

I honestly don't, I couldn't pick out the 14s who's going to go down automatically. I see them

picking off enough points to make a real first of it. I was fortunate enough to get to watch

Kieren Koldoff side three games in the space of bits and days. I was at the loud Darryl and then

the Shamakar always game in the one day and then the Pacs 4-0 on the Friday. Not so much the Pacs 4-0,

I think they were just tired. I think it was three huge games in the space of seven, eight days,

you were hosting your big royals at home in your first game, back at home in the Premier

Division. You're going away to the Champions and then you're going away to Steven Kenny,

which is always going to be a tough ask for any team, but especially those first two games,

the loud Darryl and the Shamakar always game. What I was most impressed with was the pressing

from the front. So if you have Mullen up there or you have Bemirubi or you have on Kenny who,

I think they probably see on Kenny a little bit more as a 10 rather than as an out now forward.

And I was impressed actually with him in the first half against Pat's probably playing in that

position, but the press they have from the front and then the wingers push on as well. So what they

started with was Darryl Horgan on one side and then Bobby Burns actually been playing left wing,

which has allowed the two Wilson's to play full backs and they've pushed on as well. And they really

took advantage of that against Rovers where I don't want to say Rovers weren't expecting because

they wouldn't done their homework, but I don't think they would have expected them to have such a

press off the back overload Darryl just a couple of days before. And that really set them up,

especially in that game in Tallah, that's at the tempo from the start. And you have two midfielders

who are willing to do so much hard yards and running in a Dervin and keep Bokey and a Dervin

particularly in that game at home to Drawdy. He was running around like a mad thing for the whole

thing. He picked up a yellow only six minutes in and he managed to keep his composure and not pick up

another one in the will follow an 85 minutes or so. But the football that's played it's it's

it's no messing, which is what I like to see from a team when they come up and they're playing to

their strengths so well. And there's so many of those balls kind of played in over behind

where it goes into the striker and then goes out around to a winger goes just over the top to a

winger in general. I love that when a team comes up and they know look we can get results in these

sorts of games, but we're going to play to our strengths by doing it and that's what they've

done by really using the wings and they haven't really played the ball to the middle of the park

that much which I think is doing quite well. It's a bit mad that they haven't picked up a win

which is which is absolutely mental from the game so far. I think that's going to be the key for

them on like a Dervin as a player. I would have been really keen on from his days along for town.

He was smashing for them as a young lad when he's a part-time footballer. He has eventually become

a full-time player. He was a childburner coach for a while as well. He's just a really, you know,

a really good workhorse and sentiment field and having his youth beside Keith Buckley's

experiences where he got. I think Harry groom was a player. It's another man I've been kind of

talking up since he was a brave wanderer. We come on and he got a shot on target last week

against goalie and I was a player. I think Cook contributes. He's still kind of raw enough

even at 24. That's the thing, characters, as as mentioned there by Ben, is these draws?

How does Kiran come up trying to push them to getting that win over the line?

Yeah, I mean, I should have had it in the brandy. Well, so I don't think it would be too

despondent. Yes, of course, you want points in the board, but the actual performances have been

very good. I don't think he could actually sit down and go, you know what? Maybe bar the

pads game where as Ben says, there were probably just too much. With coming up from the first

division as well, fitness is huge. There's no doubt about it. There is a massive jump. So in the

brandy, well, can you keep doing that? Brandy, well, Tyler, Richmond, Talka, can you keep performing

at those levels? We can, we go out and especially Friday, Monday. And then that's where the squad

depth comes in as well. So of course, he wants to put the one on the board and get the three points.

As much as for the points for the confidence of players, they show that they're not other

depth. But the performance has shown you that they're nowhere near, like struggling or not being

able to compete. They're doing, they're doing more than that. So I don't want to give you too

worried about not getting the one. I'm only showing you new pitch to play on as well against

Waterford. Just on them, Garrett's triple substitution and halftime against Bohemians,

like they were getting over on in midfields, according to our friend of the show, Johnny Delivio

was down there watching on Friday night. And then he did make the change, brought the numbers up

in midfield. Bohemians had to react to that one. Is it the sign of a decisive manager or a man

who was really struggling to find his best formation, his best team still at this stage?

No, I love it. I love it. I mean, we have the debate on here all the time, especially with

the money as a manager. If it's not working, why would you stand for another 45 minutes and watch

the same performance? You've got to react. I think on that club as well, he's saying he was

actually thinking about doing it after 31 minutes. So I would imagine that it's been, it was nice

and decisive. He said 45 minutes were only one null down. We can come back here in the second half

and we know the players that they have and the formation that they have that they can create

chances with Almond and Cardi coming on. So I guess brilliant by John Dele. I mean, I was really

impressed with him in the brand they were as well. Another team that for an hour were excellent.

It's just when Dairy of the Tampa won't create it about a chaos. They got back under the game.

But I like it. John Dele is an experienced guy. I love seeing that. I love seeing him just saying

last night. I've had enough. You've had 45 minutes. I ain't watching that again. Off and let's

let's rego go again and see if we can get something out of the game. I just wonder, should he just

maybe stick with the three men in midfield and go to one player up front like we've poor

Almond still hasn't scored. I'm not sure if you think that's because of the setup or is it because

of his own form? I don't think I mean, he was taking off after an hour, which was very unlike

Almond. I mean, to me on the pitch, if there's half a chance or he's enough so to chance,

he usually gets a goal. I think it's probably about a both. I'm probably John Dele trying to get

the team to perform to create chances for Almond. But I mean, I don't see Almond not scoring goals.

You've got a top goal score last year, top goal score the year before. That's just what he does.

He looks sharp on his own life and the team as a whole were creating a lot more chances.

Maybe the last two years on the previous managers, they were creating, they were too focused on

Almond. What I saw on the brand they will is all the other players were creating chances as well

and they were getting chances. I found them very dynamic, especially from the middle of the park playing

with the two tens and the two strikers. I thought they were really good at being quite direct,

playing off the seconds and creating chances. They caused very old sorts of problems.

So I wouldn't be too worried about about what I've heard.

The Saints are marching on with three wins on the truck after a shaky start in the SSE

electricity premier division. Pulling down the rocky road to Dublin to face St. Pat's

Dispride inite are drawdy united. The hardy's men are in the draw goes after two defeats in

the last two matches. Will the informed James Brown help the Saints get payback after two home

jails against the Lothman last year. Vinnie Perk will be with Phillygan at which

mint park. It's the League of Ireland. It's lively scumsooth on off the ball from seven on five

inites. Tens is superb in playing the League of Ireland on off the ball.

Then you went to see shells at Talka Park on Monday night as well. You're very keen on one player

in particular aren't you? Yeah look how you would. I said this when I have done the news random

Monday night. He's the man to watch and then I never felt so vindicated in my life after

being there on Friday and then Monday again watching his performance. It's not just the goals

the output at the end. It's what he does for shells in his overall play and he loved when he's

kind of given a little bit of a free roll off whether it was John Martin or not there on Monday night

and he's given a little bit of a free roll off him because that's when he's had the best

when you basically give him the ball and say what are you going to do for us? And I love when

they played that back three and it's similar to what we talked about parts earlier. The wing

backs are allowed to bomb on and he kind of uses them very well and it was Daniel Kelly who played

there on Monday night and it was lovely triangles between him and whether it was Kermak and Roy

or JJ Lonnie who would come over to make a bit of space for them. My just my one worry for them is

on the defensive side of things with Paddy Barrett and Owen Casey out how much longer can you keep

going and it's a really really tough run of fixtures up ahead for them like to have gone through

parts and then the champions and then you have Derry and Bo's coming up after that.

If you set for the start of season you're going to go into them without just starting two

centre halves and not just your best two centre halves but how important Paddy Barrett is for that

team and has been since he came into that team is huge. The defending from set pieces especially

that part game was so poor. I think the rovers game in Monday it was a little bit more of a case

of Sherbin probably letting them back into it a little bit. I don't think rovers had fully made

their way back into that game yet and all of a sudden they were back to two. It's a poor mistake

from Vestel's team. I think Joey Bryan said that to me after the game and Vestel's people tell

you that himself. He would expect a little bit better from him. I just worry about those

that defensive end of the pitch and going up to like you're going to be going up to a dirty side

of your guard to be able to tell us now how are going to have a rocket up behind them based on

their results of our. It is interesting actually because Joey O'Brien is pretty ruthless because he

and I suppose you expect a manager to you know he kind of had a goal Vestel's field just about

making the mistake. He didn't kind of try and protect the player in any way in the post match and

he also had a little there was a little comment about John Martin taking that chance off

Hollywood's toll as well so he's not afraid to call out his players in these post match press

conferences. I just don't know if that's something yeah maybe he's confident enough there

with saying that about his players in public. Garrett it's interesting what Ben says about the

defense as well because listen they've conceded a few goals in the last few games but they

they're still getting results there like the draw against the Shamrock Rovers. They got a win

against dryly united and fair enough beaten by St. Pat's rules only the odd goal in a

in a five goal trailer. You got to wonder how long can they keep doing this limping along with

that patch of defense. Yeah it's a it's a problem and I tell you what it's a problem. I mean

haven't spent all that money on Casey for how many get injured and party bars. It's almost you

could have you could have got away with one of them being injured and the other one slot on and

then you could patch it up a little bit with lead wichon and and a few others but it's it's right

down the spine of it you know the partnerships takes a while to get going as well so the

current center half partnership they've had a few games now they will be better for that as well

I mean a low Shamrock Rovers scored a couple of goals. I don't think they played overly bad

it's just the goals that they're leaking if they can just sure it up a wee bit then I think

they'll be fine and coming up the brandy well that patch it's given rain so the ball should move

a little bit better for for the players. Well that tells Karate think. What's the angle?

I think that this has to be wet Steve it's like it's like two different sports whenever the

brandy well patches dry and whenever it's wet when it's wet and it's so can wet and it stays wet

throughout the game it's a much better surface it's it's there's very little wrong with it

and that's that's the whole reason that they're trying to get a sprinkler system on the it

they can't get the sprinkler system on the it's so they got to wrap it up but it will help them

and it will sit shells wear plan football. And so you're going to say about Terry well look

the thing about that we my 7th video we're there on Friday just really on inspiring you know

I don't know we won't go over the James McLean thing again I think we've said

all the needs to be said there he just didn't contribute very much in sentiment fields

James Kirk is the one I'm kind of puzzled over the last while as well he just he looked

okay you look good in the presence coach I say and then you know we just I don't know if you

kind of any idea if you can put your finger on what's up with James Clark there's obviously six

injuries as well that Ternan Lynch has to deal with and he actually interestingly said today in

a press conference that he noticed the difference between Fridays game against Rovers and the

presence cup was they weren't as good without the ball. Yeah 100% and they haven't been Steve

on and I'll keep coming back to it Ternan Lynch is not comfortable playing forward the back

he will go to three at the back if you look at the last 10 games of last season

Terry was probably top of the league within that time period they played three at the back

and they were very comfortable and every player knew the position and it was natural to them

he is trying to shoehorn too many players and right now and the players individually

and there you mentioned James Clark James McLean we're talking about other players I feel sorry for

them like young Josh who was taken off and half time the other night I mean he to say that he was

working off scraps was an understatement everything just looks so disjointed and I can see the

players starting to get frustrated as well so they needy sit down as a squad as a manager and

needy need need to get a formation and an away of playing they're not doing a low block they're not

doing high press they're not doing a mid block they're not doing they're not playing the transitions

they're not playing high tempo I honestly don't know what their what formation they're playing or

what type of identity or philosophy that they're using he needs to go back to what was

successful last year and if that means upsetting a few people then that's what he has to do because

at the end of the day it's not working no I'm not saying that this group of players or this manager

is not working I'm just saying what they've come up with together is not working they need to get

something they're all comfortable with because they they haven't started a game I mean they're

getting into this habit and I don't want to make this sound bad they're getting into this habit

to make every team the plays against them they look good slag will look brilliant for an hour

don't talk we're very good water for we're excellent for 50 minutes bow or rovers bows look good

solid then fit rovers looked unbelievable in the first half or first half the other night

like that has to stop there we're brilliant at frustrating people in that formation that they

were comfortable with hitting teams on the break we make it offy and now they've got Josh now

they've got Clark with a little bit of pace or or capitalise not a mistake or getting a set pace

and I said it before I don't think Tiernan plays this free flow and attractive way of playing

but he's really good at playing the way they played in the last 10 games it's really effective

and it gets ones so I would like to see him get back to that with tempo and intensity especially

at home he's not using the pitch he's not using the fans properly and it started in the first 10

minutes of the first home game I have never seen the brand new well as ready for a season as I

did that night and there he allowed slag will be possible back and forth to keep the center half

for 10 minutes and it's just the whole thing just deflated right away so the teams the teams got

to give the crowds on this talk about and they've got to got to get the intensity and tempo back

under the way they're playing yeah very well said guys listen time is against us I'm afraid folks

we've had it had to go with a slightly truncated death podcast this week just because we had

a limited time to record in the studio but we will maybe focus a little bit more on Bowe's

and Goal United those two meets at Daily Mail Park and of course Slegg or Overs will be in

action against Shamrock Overs as well on Friday night so we might get folks in those four clubs

a little bit more next week Bowe's of course coming into this game top of the table

Salo Diallo came off the bench last week in their game Chris Twardick playing against his

favorite former club I should say he's got a goal in the system already this season it should be

interesting to see how he gets on at Daily Mail Park and look the meeting of the Rovers that's

you'd be kind of thinking Shamrock Overs should be the favorites there especially with Jack

Burn if he can continue the type of form he has been on over the last couple of games but lots to

look at next week on the podcast and we will come back next week to our as the experts Gareth

hopefully Vinny will be back in action Ben Symes you'll be going to a you're not going to

game this Friday nice but we will have L.O.A. late nice won't we are Friday we will have L.O.A. late

no yeah Shane Keegan and Barry Murphy would be in the hot seat I'm taking a week off looking forward

to Monday's game so it should be at a I'll be at Pats on Monday so Pats on Monday nice yeah

yeah hopefully down at Talka Park Gareth McGinn you'll be taking out all the games I'm sure

over the weekend yeah I'm going to I'll be at Richmond and Monday and I'll be in the brand

one Friday to make a week for day we at home to draw her then on Friday great stuff listen Ben

assured me he's got to get your curry chips down a Russian park on Monday night so I'll

enjoy that great stuff Lads and thank you for listening we'll be back next week with the L.O.A.

pod on afterball here's meant

the L.O.I. pod on off the ball catch live an exclusive national radio commentary of the men's

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