Long-Overdue Update

Sorry, I've been really crap recently with this site.

Linfield

Still walking the league, 18 points clear, even though they've apparently been playing poorly, not least due to the manager refusing to rotate the team, meaning that some players have played 43 times already. The players apparently look dead on their feet, highlighted by a jaded display vs Derry City in our first competitive fixture in 35 years in the Setanta Cup, which ended 1-1. An illustration:

Games as Sub Goals

Peter Thompson	F	43		38
Noel Bailie (Capt.)	D	42		2
Alan Mannus	GK	43
Michael Gault	M	43	5	4
Oran Kearney	M	42	2	14
William Murphy	D	42		5
Aidan O'Kane	M	40	21	4
Glenn Ferguson	F	40	2	38
Jim Ervin	D	40	1
Pat McShane	D	39		2
Chris Kingsberry	M	33	17	6
Paul McAreavey	M	34	5	8
Tim Mouncey	M	29	3	6
Mark Picking	M	22	17	3
Davy Larmour	F	23	18	5

DJ heeded the calls on ILF for rotation, rested some players on Saturday, and... we only drew 2-2, fringe players not taking their chance. Some players seem to be on their way out or past it (Larmour, Picking, Special Teams Boy O'Kane).

We play Glentoran tonight in the next Setanta group match without 38-goal Peter Thompson and Jim Ervin, away on international duty.

Oh, and Maccers has managed to get sent off twice in a month and will miss most of the remaining league and cup campaign.


Maccers again. This time no red though, vs Derry. Thanks to South Stand Says (ie Thompo)

Gillingham

We are going down. I see no alternative. I was over in Leeds visiting a friend last weekend, and went along to the Gills Doncaster match (photos to follow). We were dire. 5 shots off-target, 3 closer to the corner flag, injuries (Jarvis, Mulligan) stupid suspnesions (Byfield) and players that just aren't good enough (Black, Shields). No fight, no tactics, no midfield enforcer. How we miss Smithy. We're doomed.

TeBe

No game since Dec 4th due to the winter Break and adverse weather conditions since January. Didn´t stop a "game" taking place on Friday though ;) See TeBe Party Army for full report and pics. Was at a friendly match on Saturday vs. Magdeburg, where we lost 2-0. I can't take German friendly games seriously though, as they play them on ASTROTURF.

Pete Stays!

Thompo scores again

So despite last-minute speculation that an improved bid from QPR was in the offing (the original bid of 50k now, 50k at the end of the season plus another 100k in the unlikely event of QPR going up having been turned down) or even a bid from Luton, nothing happened and Pistol Pete is staying. Good. he scored our winner on Saturday vs. Cliftonville (or Cornerbhoys FC, as they're affectionately known on ILF by some Bluemen) has scored 33 times this season, and he really does have a chance of winning everything.

He still would like a crack at the big time:

Thompson still hopes for transfer

But not yet. Plus the non-move is right for Linfield, 100k for an international striker who's only 21 and is banging in the goals is nowhere near enough.


Elsewhere, TeBe still haven't played in over a month and a half now due to a combination of a Winter Break and the adverse freezing weather conditions in Berlin. Check out Doughnut Boy's fine TeBe blog for an update on the friendlies (played on astroturf!).