Randy Lerner Posted February 29, 2008 Author Share Posted February 29, 2008 Thursday, 7 June 2007, en route to London Air temperature: 10 degrees. Atmosphere: anticipation. Forecast: one hell of a weekend. They say flying can do strange things to your mind and, on an aeroplane cruising at 550 mph at 37,000 feet, stuck in a middle class seat between two fat American women who seem to know every last detail of American idol, and after going almost six hours without my last meal, I’m at my wits end. The tantalizing smell of breakfast and freshly brewed coffee was coming down the galley just down the aisle, and I sat up to give my full attention to this full-english I have heard so much about. Last night I was in downtown Sydney, finishing off some work in my school where I was finishing and now, barely twenty hours later, I am mid-Atlantic, travelling with the rest of the Sydney FC diehards on a preseason jolly to the UK, guaranteed to lift the spirits. But also I have the extra incentive of travelling to the UK as I am due for an interview for the Head of PE at Queens University Belfast and thus taking up the managerial reigns at the college side. We landed in Heathrow at 5pm and the plan was to book ourselves into the Great Southern Hotel a short cab drive from the airport for a couple of hours sleep. I don’t think I actually slept a wink – nor did the rest of the lads come to think of it –, what with the adrenalin still pumping from sprinting half the Sydney airport to make the flight and one ear cocked for our alarm clock set for 10pm, and then we showered, dressed up and dashed downtown to sample the great British atmosphere. All very rock ‘n’ roll, and why not? The three other lads have just taken three weeks off work for the summer, while I’ve recently finished and we’ve been living like monks for the past couple of months. It is time to let off some steam. There was a great feeling when we took off east with the Sydney posse some hours ago; I was almost light-headed and I couldn’t stop smiling to myself. Best of all, hardly anybody knows what we are up to, four lads in their thirty-somethings, still with little or no responsibilities, apart from Rob who has a pregnant wife at home but he intends to take it easy, fat chance of that. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randy Lerner Posted February 29, 2008 Share Posted February 29, 2008 Thursday, 7 June 2007, en route to London Air temperature: 10 degrees. Atmosphere: anticipation. Forecast: one hell of a weekend. They say flying can do strange things to your mind and, on an aeroplane cruising at 550 mph at 37,000 feet, stuck in a middle class seat between two fat American women who seem to know every last detail of American idol, and after going almost six hours without my last meal, I’m at my wits end. The tantalizing smell of breakfast and freshly brewed coffee was coming down the galley just down the aisle, and I sat up to give my full attention to this full-english I have heard so much about. Last night I was in downtown Sydney, finishing off some work in my school where I was finishing and now, barely twenty hours later, I am mid-Atlantic, travelling with the rest of the Sydney FC diehards on a preseason jolly to the UK, guaranteed to lift the spirits. But also I have the extra incentive of travelling to the UK as I am due for an interview for the Head of PE at Queens University Belfast and thus taking up the managerial reigns at the college side. We landed in Heathrow at 5pm and the plan was to book ourselves into the Great Southern Hotel a short cab drive from the airport for a couple of hours sleep. I don’t think I actually slept a wink – nor did the rest of the lads come to think of it –, what with the adrenalin still pumping from sprinting half the Sydney airport to make the flight and one ear cocked for our alarm clock set for 10pm, and then we showered, dressed up and dashed downtown to sample the great British atmosphere. All very rock ‘n’ roll, and why not? The three other lads have just taken three weeks off work for the summer, while I’ve recently finished and we’ve been living like monks for the past couple of months. It is time to let off some steam. There was a great feeling when we took off east with the Sydney posse some hours ago; I was almost light-headed and I couldn’t stop smiling to myself. Best of all, hardly anybody knows what we are up to, four lads in their thirty-somethings, still with little or no responsibilities, apart from Rob who has a pregnant wife at home but he intends to take it easy, fat chance of that. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randy Lerner Posted February 29, 2008 Author Share Posted February 29, 2008 Friday, 8 June 2007, somewhere in London Air temperature: 15 degrees. Forecast: partly cloudy. Atmosphere: chilled. Wow, that was a night and a half. Where did that come from? Must have been brewing for a good while. Sweet Jesus, do I feel tired but happy and chilled. Too hung-over to even contemplate what we got up to last night, I crawled out of bed and dragged myself into the kitchen for a fresh coffee. “Kettle’s already boiled mate†said Daniel Jones, aka Dano, from the sitting room. I winced in pain as I carried the cup inside to join my long-term buddy; my ribs - I had just noticed – were killing me, not from the flight but from all the laughing in the Irish pub we found last night. We lounged around for the day, briefly surfacing to the pool around lunchtime before we agreed that the British weather would do our Aussie tans no good. The previous twenty-four hours were beginning to catch up on me so I retired back into bed for a few hours before we discussed our plans for the night over an Italian, as English food, we were discovering, is not all it is made out to be. You always need a plan when aiming for a big night. Apparently we were going to start at the Brass Monkey and then move on to a hot new nightclub called Marquee. Despite sticking to my usual corona – I find I don’t get too wasted or obnoxious on it when the big session is on – I felt pretty shabby the next morning, sorry, lunchtime, when I woke up. Another day was spend sightseeing and strolling around London before we hit our stride again and crashed early the following morning. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randy Lerner Posted March 2, 2008 Author Share Posted March 2, 2008 Saturday, 9 June 2007, Craven Cottage, London Air temperature: 17 degrees. Forecast: sunny. Atmosphere: idyllic. First up in our preseason British tour for our lads is Fulham, an ideal game to test ourselves against a side currently playing in one of the best leagues in the world. We arrived as Oceania Club Champions and one of the sides bidding for the Aussie league title but Lawrie Sanchez’s side looked fit and technically very good, and in reality we bore no real threat in front of goal. Da Silva‘s snap shot from the edge of the box on the hour was arguably our only decent chance in a game in which we were totally outplayed. A brace from Brian McBride and another from Steven Davis gave the London side a convincing 3-0 win, on the back of a highly polished performance. Next up is the journey to the highlands of Scotland to face Edinburgh giants Hearts before we continue northwards to tackle the might of Rangers. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randy Lerner Posted March 2, 2008 Author Share Posted March 2, 2008 Sunday, 10 June 2007, en route to Edinburgh Air temperature: 13 degrees. Forecast: a long train trip across the length of England. Atmosphere: reflective. “Hello?†“Hi, Ryan is it?†“Yeah speaking, who’s this?†“It’s Kyle Stevens here from Queens University, we spoke earlier in the month about the job vacancy, are you still available to meet us on Wednesday?†“Yeah that’s no problem†I replied “We are actually on the way to Edinburgh now so I’m planning to get a flight to Belfast on Wednesday morningâ€. “Great Ryan, enjoy your stay in Scotland, I have relatives there and it’s a lovely part of the world†“Will do, Kyle. We’ll talk on Wednesday, thanks†I was looking forward to thrashing out the final details of my job move to Queens University Belfast where I would be taking over as Head of Sport and Manager of the Senior University team which plays in the third tier of the Northern Irish League. After some recent success with the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) soccer team back home in Australia, I wanted a new experience of teaching abroad and, you’d never know, maybe even taking charge of a professional team in this neck of the woods one day. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randy Lerner Posted March 2, 2008 Author Share Posted March 2, 2008 Wednesday, 13 June 2007, Belfast Air temperature: 8 degrees. Forecast: interview with the QUB principal and a guided tour around the 150 year old building. Atmosphere: nervous and excited. After watching Sydney slump to a disappointing 4-1 defeat to Hearts, I caught a short flight from the Scottish capital and made my way to Queens University with the help of my Sat Nav. I arrived at University road, South Belfast not quite knowing what to expect. I spent a couple of nights last week preparing some answers for the interview and I also managed to gather some basic information on the University. Located in southern Belfast, Queens University was established in 1845, formerly as Queens College, Belfast before it became known as Queens University of Belfast some four years later. At its opening in 1849, QUB it had 23 professors and 343 students and since then it had managed to cater for 19,165 undergraduate students and a growing number of postgraduates. After years of deliberation, Queens University joined the Northern Irish Second Division in 2005 but failed to capture any honours or develop to compete at a higher level, their 11th place finish in 06/07 was a record highest finish. Despite competing in the All-Ireland Colleges Cup every year since its foundation in 1953, QUB has only two titles to its name, winning in 1954 and again almost fifty years later in 2001. Unfortunately all of the cup winning team of ’01 have now left the college and moved onto greater horizons. “Well, given your experience at coaching in a similar system in Australia†continued school Chancellor George J. Mitchell “your application is certainly what we are looking for. “The school term doesn’t start back until September but, as the Antrim Cup is starting in the middle of August and the Colleges Cup at the end of July, you should get the lads back for a couple of session beforehand" “Yeah about that†I replied “what kind of numbers are we looking at with regards to the squad?†“Well Ryan, as you probably know the University caters for about 20,000 students, so to be honest you could name a thousand man panel if we wanted to but only a fraction of these will have the ability to compete in the league. If you want, we can organise entering a reserve team into the local league to keep some of the lads interested and it would help you keep an eye on some younger players. “With regards to ‘outside’ players,†he continued “we can allow you a wage budget of about 1.9k per week, which basically means that you can bring in players on part-time contracts and afford to pay them although we cannot offer you a transfer budget.†“Fair enough, and would it be possible for me to bring in coaching staff as well?†“Well, there are already a number of staff at the school involved in the team who would do it for free, but if you wish, you could use some of the players budget to pay people to come in and get involved†From there we moved onto the topic of friendlies and we arranged games against a number of local teams, as well as a preseason get-to-know each other tour to Wales to play some senior teams over there. We pencilled in a ‘trial day’ for the following Monday and George J. sent out notices to all players who were involved in soccer in the university. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randy Lerner Posted March 2, 2008 Author Share Posted March 2, 2008 Wednesday, 13 June 2007, Belfast, evening Air temperature: 6 degrees. Forecast: cloudy. Atmosphere: tired. Later that evening, George introduced me to a member of my coaching staff who has been coaching soccer in the University for almost five years. Aaron Magill is a thirty year old Northern Irishman who loves his football and he seems to have a real aura about him. He has been registered to play on the side for the last number of years so he doubles up as a central midfielder. “You must be the new manager,†he offered, sizing me up in the process before stretching out a hand. “Yes, nice to meet you,†I answered, sizing him up in return and conscious of my Australian accent ringing down the broad corridor. He looked young and fit and he wore an old QUB tracksuit with Colleges Cup Champions 2001 written underneath the crest. We had a good chat about where football was going in this school and told me that along with the Northern Irish Second Division campaign and the various cups that went with it, QUB also competed in an annual college’s competition, with the other footballing colleges on the island. It was a very important tournament for the school who compete with the likes of UUJ, UCD, DCU and UCC in the tournament. “It’ll be our first tournament this term†he added “It usually kicks off at the end of July so we need to prepare well for itâ€. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
M0nk3yFac3 Posted March 2, 2008 Share Posted March 2, 2008 i really like this, il be watching it for updates. keep it up. i need to start a story Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murrayzoster Posted March 2, 2008 Share Posted March 2, 2008 Good Start Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spav Posted March 2, 2008 Share Posted March 2, 2008 Are you a meteorologist, Randy Lerner? KUTGW mate. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donners Posted March 2, 2008 Share Posted March 2, 2008 Quite an interesting style. Nice start. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amaroq Posted March 2, 2008 Share Posted March 2, 2008 I'll add a to the general consensus: you've found a unique voice and style, and I'm looking forward to seeing where you take us! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randy Lerner Posted March 3, 2008 Author Share Posted March 3, 2008 Monkeyface3, Murrayzoster - Thanks for the kind words, Spav - No unfortunatley I'm not a meteorologist mate , Amaroq - your comment meant alot as you are widely regarded as one of the best writers on the site, Hopefully I can keep you all interested as the story develops Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randy Lerner Posted March 3, 2008 Author Share Posted March 3, 2008 Saturday, 16 June 2007, back in Belfast Air temperature: 10 degrees. Forecast: partly cloudy. Atmosphere: excited. On the back of two hectic days of travelling back home to Australia and packing up to touching back down in Belfast and getting my accommodation sorted in a spacious flat on Stranmillis Road, I am finally ready to take up my new position. Earlier today I met with George J., Professor Peter Gregson, who is the university’s vice-Chancellor, and with Aaron to discuss our plan for the year. I wasn’t surprised to find that we weren’t carrying any loans or debts but I was disappointed by the minuscule amount that they were allowing me for ‘outside players’, just 1.9k per week. We also managed to finalize the tour to Wales. We organised fixtures against Llanelli, Gap Queen’s Park and Welshpool, with Connah’s Quay first up on the 24th of June. George J. confirmed the trial games for Monday which all players are invited to and I managed to put an advertisement in the paper for a head scout, a physio and a coach who I want to add to my backroom team. Finally, he turned to the matter of expectation. “With a University of this size and stature we expect you to bring some glory days to University Road. The least we hope for is a comfortable mid-table spot and an All-Ireland Colleges cup run and we hope you can begin about the process of establishing us as a major footballing power in Northern Ireland for years to come,†Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randy Lerner Posted March 3, 2008 Author Share Posted March 3, 2008 Monday, 18 June 2007, Trial Day – Belfast, Malone Playing Fields, morning Air temperature: 12 degrees. Forecast: bright, sunny. Atmosphere: hectic. After arriving early in the University this morning, Aaron, coach Mark Law and I had a mini-meeting to organise the days activities. At around 11, seventy or so lads arrived for the trial games and after taking a count, we split them into ‘keepers, defenders, midfielders and strikers before forming six teams – United, City, Rovers, Athletic, Albion and Villa. The Malone Playing Fields are located just two miles down from the main school building, situated almost identically to Craven Cottage which over looks the Thames, the University grounds are sited on the periphery of the beautiful River Lagan. The complex comprises of 17 pitches which cater for a wide range of sports from Gaelic Games, Rugby and Soccer to sports such as cricket and bowls while in addition are 3 netball courts, 9 tennis courts, an athletic arena and four all-weather pitches for winter training. The main pitch is set on the west side of the grounds accompanied by a recently erected seating area capable of holding almost 4,000 spectators while the opposite touchline has a slightly smaller twin capable of holding around 3,000 fans. It was a warm sunny morning and the main pitch looked in immaculate condition as United and City got under way. Behind the smaller stand Rovers and Athletic were playing while on the third pitch Albion faced Villa. I took my place in the stand as the players trotted onto the pitch and my nerves about the occasion were soon replaced by excitement – my first view of the players I would be managing! I’d pay close attention, of course, to see who performed and who didn’t and who folded under the pressure of the Trial. The whistle, the kickoff! And two minutes in, the first of my younsters to make an impression was United winger Shane Lennon, who ran down a long ball along the right wing, dribbled past two defenders and flicked it over the oncoming keeper for the opener. A quick tick beside Lennon’s name on my notepad indicated he was all but assured a spot on the plane for the Welsh tour! Three minutes later, Lennon’s team mate Andrew Magill, , who was playing in the hole behind the main striker and a younger brother of my assistant Aaron, picked up the ball in midfield with his back to goal and turned to run at the City defence. Then, a yard inside the box he produced a classy step-over which left the defender on his arse but out of nowhere came full-back Andrew Kelly who upended the striker. Penalty! Striker Paul Kennedy stepped up and confidently slotted the ball into the corner, 2-0 to United! By the 20th minute it was 3-0 when Magill skilfully made his way through the defence once more and set up midfielder Stewart Cherry for his first. City briefly made a game of it as the half drew to a close when Polish midfielder Andrej Kluczkowski curled a free kick past Sean Boyle between the United posts. Keeper Boyle also impressed not least when he tipped away an almost certain goal from Kluczkowski ten minutes into the second half. However United had far the better team and they ended up running out 6-1 winners over sloppy City side who were duly punished for some school-boy defending. Despite the defeat, I noted that Gavin Higgins, the talented right-full, and Matthew McManus, a brave centre-half, stood out alongside midfielders Michael McCready and Kluczkowski for City. On the United side Magill and Lennon did well in attack as did Paul Kennedy, who netted twice. Stewart Cherry showed some good touches in midfield and though he seemed very comfortable in possession, at times he seemed reluctant to track back. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
M0nk3yFac3 Posted March 4, 2008 Share Posted March 4, 2008 nice update. very intresting to read, like the style Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
soupaman Posted March 4, 2008 Share Posted March 4, 2008 Looks good. Nice to see a fellow Aussie in the managerial circuit. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randy Lerner Posted March 5, 2008 Author Share Posted March 5, 2008 Thanks very much Monkeyface, I agree Soupman, more of us Aussies should be given the chance in the UK, Donners- sorry I forgot to mention you above, thanks for the praise, Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randy Lerner Posted March 5, 2008 Author Share Posted March 5, 2008 Monday, 18 June 2007, Belfast, Queens University, evening Air temperature: 12 degrees. Forecast: bright. Atmosphere: reflective. After the three games I took the opportunity to chat with Aaron and Mark about the performances in the other games. I intended to see if we could sort through the potential squad lists and perhaps pencil in a 30-man squad for the Welsh tour. Of the seventy, only about twenty-four seemed up to scratch and out of them Magill rated full-back Stephen O’Neill as my best defender. Defence was probably our strongest position, Magill added, with eleven other youngsters impressing during the trial and looking likely to make the tour squad. David Turmitty was reportedly my best midfielder. Turmitty, a first year student, caught Magill’s eye during the match due to his leadership and fitness. Magill also indicated that the young midfielder would be an ideal candidate for the captaincy although we agreed that it would be best to wait until a later date to appoint such a crucial role in the team. In attack Law felt that although we could do with some improving, Richard Crymble was the most talented athlete in the squad. He suggested that Wayne Vaughan and Lorcan Fairmichael be given a fair amount of preseason game time as they too had the ability to unlock defences. We discussed the option of signing ‘outsiders’ as George J. had put it and Mark said he would scout around the North for transfer listed talent, although he remarked not to expect any signing before the trip to Wales. Eventually we decided on twenty-seven players for our four games as the rest wouldn’t really stand a chance of making the side for the season. We still went ahead and booked thirty-four seats on our flight, one for each of the current coaching staff – myself, Aaron Magill, Mark Law and physio Seán Tumilty – leaving three seats available for ‘outsiders’ if they had signed in time. We turned our attention to training for a bit – with the Colleges Cup fast approaching after our week in Wales we decided that it would be best to devise a fairly tough schedule intended to get the players to a maximum level of fitness. “We have plenty of players to call up if some lads aren’t putting in the effort†noted Mark. He certainly came across as a no bullsh*t coach since I met him earlier in the day. We decided it was best to organise a training programme once we had returned from Wales. As the players all attended lectures during the day and most worked evenings or weekends, it would turn out to be very difficult to devise a routine suitable for every one, and with fitness in mind! Aaron also introduced me to physio Seán Tumilty who would be joining us for the season, he told me that young striker Wayne Vaughan had picked up a thigh injury in the trial game but should be fine for the Welsh trip. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randy Lerner Posted March 5, 2008 Author Share Posted March 5, 2008 Tuesday, 19 June, 2007, Belfast, Queens University Air temperature: 14 degrees. Forecast: cloudy. Atmosphere: busy. I spent the morning settling into my new office and familiarising myself with the university. After pouring myself my second cup of coffee of the morning, a fax came through from the All-Ireland Colleges Cup fixtures secretary. <BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content"> To Whom It May Concern: All-Ireland Colleges Cup Qualification Round 1: All fixture on 30th June at 3.00pm unless otherwise stated, The side drawn first plays at home, Extra time and penalties if necessary must be played: DCU v QUB NUI v GMIT UL v Trinity College UUC v Armagh City College UCD v Carlow IT Sligo IT v UCC Waterford IT v Athlone IT Griffith College v UUL If a side is unable to fulfil a fixture, please contact the fixture office. Yours Sincerely, James Gilmore All-Ireland Colleges Fixture Secretary </div></BLOCKQUOTE> So it was Dublin City University for us in the qualifiers first round, winners of the competition on fifteen occasions with their last success coming in 2005 when they beat rivals UCD (University College Dublin) on penalties. They were sure to be no pushovers and as expectations were always high in this tournament, I began to get the sort of nerves I’m sure all managers get when they realise the mammoth of the task ahead of them. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randy Lerner Posted March 6, 2008 Author Share Posted March 6, 2008 Tuesday, 19 June, 2007, Belfast, Queens University Air temperature: 12 degrees. Forecast: partly cloudy. Atmosphere: stressed. I spent most of the afternoon in a meeting with Aaron and Mark in which we discussed the team in detail in order to familiarise ourselves with the depth and talent of the squad. It ended up lasting longer than expected and with a few arguments along the way but nevertheless it was a conversation we needed to have. I then spent the evening making phone calls to the respective players selected for the trip and organising the travel arrangements with George. Here is the squad we decided on for Wales and the side I start off with: Goalkeepers: GK Sean Boyle, 22, Northern Irish: My coaches are in agreement that Boyle will be a key player for us this season. They suggested that he has all the technical skills required to become a key player for a Premier Division side although according to Law some of his metal skills such as concentration and decisions are lacking at times. A student in his third year in the University, studying Business and Commerce, Boyle has spent the past two years as the first-choice ‘keeper for QUB and should remain in the first eleven for the forthcoming season. GK Kevin Isaac, 22, Northern Irish: Magill reckons that Isaac isn’t far off Boyle in terms of potential and he seemed far more determined and brave than his only rival for the no.1 spot. The fourth year student lacks the technical quality of Boyle although he will make for a solid back up keeper when called upon. Both will be given two games each opportunities during the Welsh tour to confirm our views. Defenders: SW DRC/WBR Mark Prenter, 21, Northern Irish: At just 21, Prenter is a senior member of the backline and his versatility will ensure him a spot on the bench. He is a natural leader though, and determination, composure and teamwork make up his better qualities. On the down side he lacks technical ability but I am willing to put up with that in exchange for his leadership and mental acuity in central defence. A squad player. DRC Robbie Budden, 18, English: Another first year student at the college, what Budden lacks in heading ability he makes up for in abundance with positioning and good man marking ability. His height makes his better suited to the central defender role than Prenter and the coaches agreed that he has all the qualities to become a leading player in Premier Division. DRC/DM Odhran Leneghan, 22, Northern Irish: Leneghan has good teamwork, pace and marking but standing at just 5’10â€, his heading is quite mediocre and Law described him as a player worthy of a rotation place in the squad. DLC/WBL Matt Monaghan, 21, Northern Irish: ‘Mono’ seems to be a front runner for the left-back position but don’t let that fool you. At 6’4†he looks too awkward in possession to pose a threat going forward, and in defence he seems more suited to a centre-back role. He lacks pace and his inability to put in a decent tackle epitomises our need for an ‘outsider’ in this position. DC Paul McGuckin, 19, Northern Irish: At the moment Magill deems the nineteen year old to be our best centre-back and he combines decent pace with great determination and tackling. The driven defender certainly looks like captain material, he’s a natural leader and judging from the trial game, Magill reckons he already has the respect of his fellow team-mates. DC Matthew McManus, 21, Northern Irish: Both Law and Magill rate McManus as a quality defender although he reportedly took some persuading from his team-mates at the college to attend the trial game. He is on the books of Derry City and he reckoned that he was going to be called up to the senior squad during the remainder of the year, as the Irish season runs from February to October, but eventually he ‘settled’ on QUB. His pace will make him a dead cert for the position and he also possess the technical attributes required of a centre-half. D/WBR Gavin Higgins, 19, Northern Irish: Higgins is unfortunate that O’Neill is also at the University as he is pacey and technically very talented. Will provide a reliable back-up for O’Neill and may even force his way into the team if performances go his way. D/WBR Stephen O’Neill, 17, Northern Irish: Aaron Magill rates O’Neill as the best defender at the club, and Law agrees that he should play an important role for the side. Watching him during the trial game, his defensive game and tactical understanding are reasonable, while he possesses good pace and stamina. Studying accountancy in his first year at the University, O’Neill seems to be fairly assured of a starting berth although Higgins will provide stern competition. D/WBL Andrew Kelly, 23, Northern Irish: I immediately remembered Kelly from his upending in the penalty box of Andrew Magill in the trial game, so I was surprised when the lads informed me that tackling is arguably his best attribute. He is a very likable lad and he couples good work rate with determination and fine team work. His superior touch and technique should get him in ahead of ‘Mono’ at left-full. D/WB/M RL Conor McWilliams, 22, Northern Irish: McWilliams has good acceleration and agility but he seriously lacks the quality to make in even in this division. His versatility will help him earn decent game time his season. Central Midfielders: MC Stewart Cherry, 21, Northern Irish: The coaches agree that Cherry lacks the technique required by a quality midfielder but he is quick and strong and may be suited to a defensive midfielder role in the team. MC Aaron Magill, 30, Northern Irish: Player/Assistant is definitely one of the best passers in the side, he’s not the fastest player in the squad but he is fit and he likes to put himself about on the field. I’m expecting him to provide stability and leadership – there’s nothing like having a coach on the field to help the vastly inexperienced side we possess. MC Conor McLister, 23, Northern Irish: McLister is rated as my third best centre midfielder, after ‘Andy’ and David, and he is technically more gifted than rivals Cherry or Smart. He is a fine team player and he proved in the trials that he is comfortable sitting back allowing a more creative midfielder to attack. MC Gavin Smart, 19, Northern Irish: Both Magill and Law agree that Smart is the weakest midfielder on the plane to Wales but he is the youngest also. Cherry matches him in every department so it will make for a bit-part role for the young midfielder this season. MC David Tumilty, 23, Northern Irish: Tumilty played schoolboy football for Northern Ireland, Under 16 according to Law, and he combines good shooting and technique with fitness and acceleration. The fourth year student who has been studying journalism, will be a key player and hopefully he can produce a headline or two for the right reasons this season! AMC Andrzej Kluczkowski, 21, Polish: ‘Andy’ as he is becoming known to his team-mates is similar to Tumilty but disappointingly he lacks the technical ability you would expect from a continental midfielder. Still, he has great pace and stamina and if we opt for a 4-5-1 he could feature alongside Tumilty with McLister or Magill holding the middle. AM/F C Eunan Donnelly, 21. Northern Irish: Donnelly could threaten Andy for that position however, he is a better dribbler and finisher and the AMC role might suit him more than his Polish counterpart. Wingers: AM RL Michael McCready, 25, Northern Irish: Mike has the speed required of a winger alongwith great flair and aggression. His crossing may let him down at times but he does give us a different option on the left as a right footed left winger. AMR FC Richard Crymble, 23, Northern Irish: Crymble is not your orthodox wide midfielder, standing at 6’2†he lacks pace but he does have a wicked shot. My coaches are not convinced of him, Lennon will certainly start ahead of him but his decent technique should assure him of a spot on the bench. AMR FC Shane Lennon, 23, Northern Irish: Over twenty yards, Lennon can outsprint anyone in the college, including myself, and he is a tricky player, but his inconsistent crossing and average dribbling lets him down. He’s far better than Crymble but we may need to beef up both wings with ‘outsiders’. AMLC FC Andrew Magill, 19, Northern Irish: Like all of our other wingers, Magill can’t regularly hit a telling cross but my coaches rate him as a key player of the squad and his mental strength is quite advanced for a nineteen year-old. Strikers: ST Lorcan Fairmichael, 21, Northern Irish: Fairmichael has mightily impressed his two coaches with his lightening pace and decent finishing. At 5’9†he’s better with the ball at his feet than in the air and he is a very good reader of the game. The coaches are pretty keen on him and he will offer good a option from the line. ST Paul Kennedy, 19, Northern Irish: Kennedy is a quality finisher and penalty taker and he doesn’t hit a bad free-kick either. He impressed me yesterday in the trial and he will pose a threat up front. ST Wayne Vaughan, 17, English: Vaughan, as the youngest player in the squad, is also the most promising as he is a quality finisher and is of a different quality than his competitiors for the front spot. If we do go with one up top he would defiantly be my favourite for the position at the moment and at such a tender age, my coaches inform me that he has a bright future in the game. ST Padraig Wallace, 23, Northern Irish: Wallace is the second best finisher in the squad and he too has good pace but his similarities with Vaughan may fall victim to our potential necessity for a different option up front. He did hit the target repeatedly in the trial but if I can bring in some better players, he really won’t have a place in the side. Summary: It’s a squad which is fairly covered in most areas of the field. The defence is strong and has depth although left back may be a problem judging on the trial performances of the lads in those positions. Elsewhere in midfield it lacks creativity in the middle barring Tumilty who seems to be the shining light of the team. In the striking department we also seem to be well covered although Vaughan is the only striker who really looks like he has the ability to take the league by force this season. Our lack of wingers may be a problem especially in the next few weeks as we only have four lads capable of playing there and both my preferred formations rely heavily on strong wings sending in the crosses and supporting the striker, which looks like a doomed at the moment Central midfield is certainly well covered so it won’t hinder the use of the 4-5-1 I was thinking of installing, although at the moment it is difficult to see a striker who would strive in the ‘lone striker’ position. I’m already toying with the idea of using two DMC’s defensively and allowing my two wingers and an AMC to press forward and join the attack quickly although I will certainly need more strength in those two positions. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
M0nk3yFac3 Posted March 6, 2008 Share Posted March 6, 2008 another nice update, enjoying reading this Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randy Lerner Posted March 8, 2008 Author Share Posted March 8, 2008 Cheers Mate, Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randy Lerner Posted March 8, 2008 Author Share Posted March 8, 2008 Friday, 22 June, 2007, en route to Connah’s Quay Air temperature: 10 degrees. Forecast: Squad trip to Wales . Atmosphere: The Season Starts here. I might have to assign Mark as a full-time scout! Less than a week after instructing him to scout Northern Ireland for available talent, he reported back with centre-back Stephen Munn. Law rates Munn as a commanding centre-half and after watching him playing for Bangor reserves on Wednesday night, he went with his instinct and offered the 21 year old a two week trial. I spoke with him on the phone this morning, telling him to have his bags packed for our trip to Wales. “Just don’t expect it every time,†laughed Mark. In other news today I met with John Dickson, father of young defender Wayne Dickson. He informed me that Wayne missed the trial because he was on holidays and he would love to join the squad tour. I agreed, not looking to fall out with players parents in my first month in charge at the side. So the day before our departure we have but one seat left on the flight with two new additions to strengthen our backline. DC Stephen Munn, 21, Northern Irish: Munn arrives after struggling to break back into the Bangor side after fracturing his ankle last October. Physically he is finely built at 6’2†and along with strength he has the pace and stamina to become a quality centre-back. He hasn’t bad heading and he is a top tackler, a short conversation with Premier Division side Bangor made it clear that they would grudgingly allow him to leave on a free if we can fund his wages. I will decide following our last game against Welshpool on the 2nd of July whether or not he has the quality to challenge for a place in the first eleven. SW DC Wayne Dickson, 18, Northern Irish: Dickson will offer something different in defence according to Magill, he is a better header and tackler than Munn but he hasn’t got the same physical presence as his rival. He will travel with us to Wales although at maximum he may only get 90 minutes to be fair to the players who turned up for the trial. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randy Lerner Posted March 8, 2008 Author Share Posted March 8, 2008 Sunday, 24 June, 2007, Friendly at Connah’s Quay, Wales Air temperature: 17 degrees. Forecast: Wet, breezy. Atmosphere: nervous. Very well, I thought to myself. The tour opener at Connah’s Quay. Because of our lack in match fitness I’d start with our ‘best’ eleven and make changes at the interval with the intent to use the opening two games as practise games and play the latter two with competitive rules. This I felt, would best serve the players ahead of the Colleges Cup First Round at DCU five days after our return. The town itself is a friendly place, located on the River Dee near the English border. It’s the largest town in Flintshire, North Wales and the local football side are improving greatly after years in the wilderness in Welsh football. Deeside Stadium wasn’t exactly jumping prior to kick-off, with an announced 81 diehard fans braving the summer shower to cheer the on Welsh Premier Division side. The game itself was a debut for my 4-5-1 which I had worked on during the week. We decided to leave Munn and Dickson on the bench and opt for what Aaron and I felt was our best eleven: Sean Boyle in goal, Stephen O’Neill, Matthew McManus, Matt Monaghan, and Andrew Kelly across the back line, David Tumilty and Aaron himself at the DMC positions, Andrzej Kluczkowski in the AMC role, Shane Lennon and Andrew Magill on the wings, and Lorcan Fairmichael on his own up front. O’Neill was given the captains armband for our opener. After just seven minutes I was holding my head in utter dismay. Left-full Andrew Kelly was caught ball-watching on the halfway line and he was punished when winger Collister raced by him down the flank and whipped a telling far post cross. Adam Dickinson converted the cross when he nodded home unmarked from six yards to put the home side 1-0 up. In fairness to the lads, we battled back after that and managed to force our way back into the match. In the twenty-third minute we had our first chance, with Kluczkowski’s 35 yarder forcing Alan Evans into an improvised save but Fairmichael’s follow up effort was gobbled up by the ‘keeper on the second time of asking. 1-0 at halftime, and we played the first half with no real edge to it. I was reasonably happy with how we responded after the goal, but he lacked creativity in midfield and Fairmichael looked stranded on his own up front at times. Versatile Conor McWilliams replaced the ineffective Kelly and Eunan Donnelly was introduced in place of ‘Andy’. As the half progressed, we continued to mount more and more pressure, but could not convert. Around the 60th minute, a routine corner kick which should have been dealt with, landed at the feet of Tumilty who miss-controlled the ball for defender Gary Pinch to smash home. Two defensive lapses, two goals down! Immediately we reverted to a routine 4-4-2 and after a brief warm up we subbed both Tumitly and Lennon, who was abstract, for Kennedy and Crymble, with the former accompanying Fairmichael up front. With the change of tactics, our play improved – perhaps these lads are solely used to 4-4-2 – and in the third minute of stoppage time Fairmichael was clipped chasing down a long ball and sub Kennedy reliably stepped up and sent Evans the wrong way, 2-1. QUB 1-2 Connah’s Quay Kennedy 93 (pen); Dickinson 7, Pinch 56 MoM: Dickinson. The bright spot was definitely our second half revival, barring Tumilty’s 56th minute mistake, when we reverted to 4-4-2 we posed a better threat although still looked susceptible to the counter attack. Still, the defeat and under-par first half leaves with me with a lot to ponder as we face Gap Queen’s Park tomorrow. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randy Lerner Posted March 9, 2008 Author Share Posted March 9, 2008 Tuesday, 26 June, 2007, Friendly at Gap Queen’s Park, Wales Air temperature: 14 degrees. Forecast: Gusty. Atmosphere: expectant. It was a warm sunny Monday evening, and after a bus drive from Connah's Quay we arrived in high spirits and hoping to improve on yesterdays performance and result. It was a fine summers day, yet the crowd was a paltry 80, mostly made up of family and friends of the Gap Queen’s lads and one or two die-hard fans. I decided to revert back to a familiar 4-4-2 and with the lads from yesterdays game tired, a totally different side lined out. Kevin Isaac, Boyle’s rival for the number one spot was given a chance to impress today between the posts while the backline comprised of Higgins, Munn, McGuckin and McWilliams. Crymble and McCready started on the flanks while Cherry and Smart made up the numbers in midfield. In attack with Vaughan still not recovered from injury, Wallace and Kennedy were given a chance in attack. After some initial problems with the floodlights, the game kicked off and from the start it was clear that the Welsh side miles ahead of us technically. Gap Queen’s early pressure paid off after just five minutes, John Fisher’s cross finding Mark Courtney on the edge of the area to drill home past a sprawling Isaac. The goal was an indication for things to come and in the 14th minute Courtney was denied a second by the post after a good home move. Seeing the threat Courtney was posing, I moved trialist Stephen Munn to mark him and relieved McGuckin to mark Lewis, a striker less likely to cause us problems. By the 31st minute the lead was doubled as some slack marking from a corner allowed Damien Darty to head home from Preece’s delivery. It was an unnecessary corner though, Richard Crymble had plenty of time to turn and clear the ball from his own third but instead he drilled it out for a corner, the least I would have expected was the concession of a throw-in. I gave the lads a bit of a talking at half-time, and resorted to my favorite 4-5-1 with midfielder Conor McLister replacing Paul Kennedy to give us more bodies in the middle. We decided to soak the pressure and try to hit the opposition on the break, making best use of Wallace’s pace. In the 61st minute, as we began to string some good stages of possession together, Gap Queen’s broke and Courtney produced another fine finish from the edge of the box, albeit against the run of play. So 3-0 down, lesser men would have thrown in the towel but in fairness to the young lads, like the previous game, they dug deep and were rewarded four minutes later when a Crymble cross was deflected into the net by Mark Hobson, who was under pressure from Wallace. The well had run dry, however, and we didn’t get another shot off despite my late tactical adjustments to try and get more players involved in the attack. QUB 1-3 Gap Queen’s Park Hobson o.g. 65 ; Courtney 6, 61, Darty 31 MoM: Courtney. For the second consecutive game, the opposition striker was given the man of the match accolade and we had to surrender a lead before we went about trying to restore the damage. We also conceded from a corner in both games, something we will have to work on in practice tomorrow. Our second defeat on the trot didn’t make for good reading and I was anxious to get at least one win on our tour as I was sure Mr. Mitchell was keeping up to date with our results online. The games bright spot was definitely the performance of trialist Stephen Munn, who was head and shoulders above his team mates and he certainly did his chances of a transfer no harm with a commanding display. He played the full 90 minutes and led both team in tackles and headers won. “You played well today, son,†I told him. “Yeah well, it’s no good playing well if we don’t win†was a response I would have expected from a man with twice his experience and years. He certainly was showing the attitude required by a captain. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jart Posted March 9, 2008 Share Posted March 9, 2008 You've got another fan here, Randy. KUTGW Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randy Lerner Posted March 13, 2008 Author Share Posted March 13, 2008 Much appreciated Jart, mate Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randy Lerner Posted March 13, 2008 Author Share Posted March 13, 2008 Saturday, 30 June, 2007, Friendly at Llanelli Air temperature: 16 degrees. Forecast: Breezyt. Atmosphere: relaxed. On the back of a couple of days rest and relaxation we entered Saturday’s friendly match at Llanelli fully confident of pulling off a performance, and even a result! With Vaughan still out injured, we continued with our 4-5-1 and in the dressing room I informed the boys that I expected a good performance. “Your playing for placing now lads, we have DCU in exactly a week from today,†154 singing Llanelli fans greeted us as we made our way onto the Stebonheath Park; the home side had a good fan base and, as they were due to compete in the qualifying rounds of the UEFA Cup in the coming weeks, so I wasn’t surprised when I read the strong eleven that was named against us. Paul Kennedy was given his second consecutive start up front, and had us in front in the second minute! His free kick was ten yards in from the touchline and his miss-hit cross dipped over the hapless keepers’ head and into the net, 1-0! It was the signal of a tremendous first half – real end to end stuff and plenty of chances for both sides. Kennedy was on hand to double his tally a half-hour later when Magill and McLister linked up for the latter to send the striker through to finish well. I had to rub my eyes when I looked at the wooden scoreboard in the corner of the ground, HOME 0-2 Visitors . I made a few changes at half-time and told the lads to close out the game. In the 53rd minute it was 2-1 after Jerry Hughes did really well to leave Wayne Dickson for dead and curl into the top corner past Boyle. Just as the goal went in Llanelli introduced seven subs including a change of midfield and attack. It paid off ten minutes later when Hughes benefited from a Griffiths flick-on to finish between Boyle’s legs, now the scoreboard didn’t look too good, 2-2. By now we were at sixes and sevens in defence and there was nothing I could do except grimace when Griffiths controlled a long ball from defence, turned and shot past Boyle to give the Welsh side the win, 3-2. QUB 2-3 Llanelli Kennedy 2, 36 ; Hughes 53, 64, Griffiths 76 MoM: Hughes. Again the opposition’s striker was named Man of the Match although I felt if Kennedy had continued in his first half form he could have bagged another brace. The youngster has been one of the players to really step up to the mark and although I felt he mightn’t be good enough to start before the tour, he has scored 3 in a game and a half and he looks like a decent prospect for the start of the season. Despite the defeat, I was also impressed with Crymble and Boyle. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randy Lerner Posted March 14, 2008 Author Share Posted March 14, 2008 Monday, 2 July, 2007, Friendly at Welshpool, Wales Air temperature: 17 degrees. Forecast: Dry. Atmosphere: expectant. For our final tour game I went for Boyle in goal, O’Neill (capt), Munn, McManus and McWilliams across the back four, Cherry and Smart in defensive mid, Tumilty in central mid, with Lennon and Magill on the wings, and Vaughan had recovered enough to start up front. Before 120 fans, our final preseason matchup kicked off. Just as in the earlier games, we conceded from a corner when there was little danger. Somehow Steven Fowler made his way unmarked into the six-yard box to head home after just 8 minutes. The game settled down after that and we won a couple of free-kicks and corners but they were to no avail. Just as in the previous games, Welshpool broke against the run of play and Fowler was put through to make it 2-0. I told the lads to settle down, and reminded them of the game in five days, and that they were playing for places. It didn’t work however. In the 48th minute Owen Field slotted home a penalty that Fowler had won to put them three up. Our response, as in all the previous friendlies was positive and rewarded. In the 68th minute we finally made a breakthrough when Dickon sent through sub Fairmichael who was tripped in the bos and Dickson stepped up and converted the penalty. It was 3-2 two minutes later when Dickson again, from centre-back, curled a ball over the top for Fairmichael to chase and the striker shrugged of the defender before smashing it past the ‘keeper, 3-2, game on! Despite bringing on an array of attacking options and altering our game plan to a more attacking style, we couldn’t close the gap and but for some fine goalkeeping by Boyle, it could have been 4-2 at least. They weathered an injury time counter attack, and then the ref blew his whistle on another QUB defeat, our fourth on the trot. QUB 2-3 Llanelli Dickson (pen) 68, Fairmichael 70; Fowler 8, 28, Field (pen) 48 MoM: Fowler. Despite the result, with a decent second half performance I was upbeat. I figures we were ready for DCU on Saturday, and at least we were scoring goals. I told the lads that I had expected little more from games against Welsh teams playing in the top divisions and that I took heart from the way we responded in all four games. I told them to drink heartily tonight, and tomorrow and Thursday off – I’d see them Friday where we would have a light session and a discussion on tactics before our opening All-Ireland Colleges cup first round tie against DCU. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
adam426 Posted March 14, 2008 Share Posted March 14, 2008 you've got another fan here great stuff Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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