Linfield Exile: October 2008

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Cliftonville 0 Linfield 4

Well I didn't see that coming. Our first Sky TV win, and how.

Our first half performance was awesome, i could tell right from the off that we were up for it and wanted it more; it helped that Climville, as predicted, were pure muck.

Top performers? I think I love Carvill. Curran was excellent, I'll lay off the slaggings till I see him next. Munster was hungry and sharp. Garrett battled for everything, I thought he was going to walk 1st half, but he kept at it. Noel held it all together well. Thought Harkness did rightly, O'Kane and Winkie (save one shocking 'backpass' at the end) were ok. Spike wasn't really at it, but battled.

My only fear (negative fugger that I am) is that DJ thinks the 4 results were just a big blip, and that he's still the daddy. Encouraging as it was that he brought Spike and Noel off relatively, he'll still stick with them, justified by this result, much as I'd like to see Munster and Carvill up front.

However, I was (to quote DJ) proud of my team tonight. The most uplifting 45 minutes in a long, long time. Cliftonville are a poor side with some unpleasant individuals, none of whom did anything apart from try to kick the shit out of us. How that classless oik McMullan stayed on the pitch, I'll never know.

Slap it up you Chokenville!

DJ interview (slightly worrying he picked out the old guard for praise when 3 new boys were our best by a mile)

Oh, and the reason Linfield failed to sell out their allocation for this game yet again is that many fans are fed up with the double standards applied to us in order for us to attend this fixture, 10 years after going back to Solitude, it's a nightmare to get hold of a ticket, fans have to get to a nearby leisure centre car park one and a half hours before kick-off to travel 5 minutes down a road, there's not been a hint of trouble since we've been back and we're the only set of fans who have to go through this. Of my crowd of 8 who are all season ticket holders, only 1 went. I'd have given it a miss too.

Saturday, October 25, 2008

The Overall Decline of Linfield FC - Part 2- The Official Site

The Official Site of Linfield FC has its moments, and some hard workers who put long hours into the club. Some of their interviews (despite the manager's buck-passing, something the web team can do nothing about) and match reports are excellent (see Gary Peebles interview).

However, there are many things that have gone on on it recently that have been unprofessional and downright embarrassing. The number of 'filler' items has gone beyond the cringeworthy stage. This week alone, we've had

Praise for LinfieldFC.com

and

Advice from 2 supporters [to get behind the team on the back of 4 defeats]

This follows on from

100th defeat for DJ

One wonders if they'd be as quick to post and address criticism? Mr Conn's Chairmanship juggernaut rolls on unashamedly.

2008/9 Clusterf*ck of a Season Continues

11.10.08 IPL Ballymena (3 points prior to game, worst team in league, 0 wins) 2 Linfield 0

18.10.08 IPL Linfield 0 Distillery 2

22.10.08 CIS QF Linfield 0 Dungannon Swifts 3

Jeffrey's on borrowed time, and his cringeworthy interviews, stubbornness, arrogance, and passing the buck fool no-one with 2 eyes in their head and half a brain. We've been saying it since the Clean Sweep season, and we're told to 'look at his record'. Well, his clinging on to past glories and the players that delivered them (Bailie, Spike, Winkie, legends in their own right, but so clearly done) has meant Jeffrey sacrificing a long-term long-lasting empire for short-term success. I've plenty more to say, but not now, I'm too sad and depressed. It could take a lot more clusterf*ck results like this before the Fat One is removed.

Never has the suspicion been more apt: In Spite Of, Not Because Of.

Wednesday, October 8, 2008

Derry City 3 Linfield 0

Setanta Cup Matchday 6

So that was that then. Our fine Setanta record destroyed in the space of 2 weeks. Our first non-qualification. Dire's first win over us. Glentoran's first Santa progression. All most depressing. Watched it in the pub in Liverpool. I was the only one, fortunately.

Tonight showed us up finally for the average side that we are. We were second best all night long. The fact I thought we well deserved it and that we didn't play that badly says it all.

We just have too many journeymen players and off-form regulars. Let's be honest, Carvill aside, our injured players would have made little difference.

We are suffering the side effects of

1. Too many aging players in key positions
2. Too many new players expected to integrate too soon, and
3. The lack of players to glue the two together

Let's be clear here. Noel, Winkie and Spike may well win another Irish League, but they're done, despite Noel's many last-gasp interceptions (most bailing out the woeful Harkness) and Spike being our only real footballer.

Gault cannot be fit. A shadow of the player I saw in Zagreb.
O'Kane should never play LM for us again.
Harkness was very very poor.
Munster was anonymous.
Noel and Winkie are too slow nowadays, we were pulled apart tonight by quick interplaying strikers (Farren and Morrow were excellent).

Other than that, I thought we played ok, considering. Curran didn't do much wrong; I still think he's too slow to make a difference. Maccers at least tried to make things happen. Garrett was the only player who excited me when on the ball. Hagan was just ok.

I'm a bit depressed right now. Time for more alcohol.