16 November 2023
By Roger Kennedy
roger@TheCork.ie
Nine months in and ranking second from the bottom out of ten teams—Cork City FC certainly had a poor season this time around, which will directly affect their future matches and league performance. The team’s current form is far from ideal.
Of course, the team has some work to do. And what better time to be inspired and get better than the current season of internal football mania?
Getting Better Systematically
There’s an electrifying feeling in the air at the moment with the Premier League in full swing. The odds would suggest that Man City is all but confirmed to take home the win this time around (placed at 4/9 compared to Arsenal and Liverpool at 11/2 and Tottenham at 16/1) according to the most reliable bets on football.
Back here, Cork City seems to be ready for an overhaul or at least some systematic improvements in their ranks.
Whether you’re following all the action from the familiar green lens and keeping up with football tips or not, there’s one thing that you’d certainly know: Cork City is in poor condition, regardless of which angle you look at it.
Statistically, Cork City FC was the second weakest in the entire league, coming at ninth just above UCD. Overall, the team won eight matches and lost 21 (seven were a draw). Cumulatively, this gave the club 31 points. Compare that to Shamrock’s 72, Derry’s 65, and St Patrick’s 62.
The idea this time around is to get better systematically, one step at a time. And that just might work. Sligo Rovers, the Bohemians, and even Drogheda are all teams comparable to Cork City in more than one aspect. Surpassing these closest competitors should be the priority for the team.
Things to Improve
Almost every match-up highlighted a fault or shortcoming of the team. Whether it was the defensive mistakes in the Dundalk vs. City match that ended with a 5-0 pummelling or the lack of a good defensive strategy in Drogheda United vs. Cork City that ended with a crushing 3-1 defeat, we learned something from every match-up.
To take all of this into account and improve in the coming months is the only objective that the higher-ups as well as the players have.
Attack and defence aside, the team also lacks overall synergy and coordination, which are both key and will need to be improved remarkably.
Only by going after these fundamental changes can the management expect results to be visible by the next season, at a minimum.
The Bohemians vs. Cork City match that ended in a 4-0 defeat for City was especially important, as it highlighted multiple problems that the current line-up has.
So, where do we go from here? Of course, the team has to learn a thing or two from all the matches. And that’s what the players as well as the management seem to be doing right now. Only time will tell what fruits will their labours bear.