Linfield 0 Larne 2: Post Match Show

Jason Burke is joined by David Graham and Haydn Milligan to discuss Linfield 0 Larne 2 at Windsor Park.

Transcript

SPEAKER_02 0:16

This is Jason Burke for the Windsor Way podcast, joining you from Windsor Park, where Linfield have gone down 2-0 to Larne here this evening on a cold, wet, and windy uh Saturday afternoon. Uh Hayden, I want to come to you first. The starting lineup I think caught everyone off guard. One thing I think was clear to all of us is that David Hadey must hate Glenn Torn more than more than even Mo Brown himself.

SPEAKER_00 0:42

Well, it certainly seemed like that. I I got shocked when I came in and somebody said, Have you seen the lineup? And I looked out in the pitch and sort of hardly recognized anyone and then checked it. I did see a lineup uh put online earlier on which involved Mr. Blobby for one. But the lineup uh yeah, I just didn't agree with the lineup, I have to say. Um I think we all hate Glen Toron, but I think we all love Linfield more, and I think we should have put out a uh a proper team today. Because the thing is, what happens next week? Does he put out the same team next week and the following week as well? Um it's just not just not right. And it's not fair to put in a lot of younger players into a team that has got not too many starters in it either. Um yeah, that was just my opinion, not the opinion of everyone around me. Someone thought, oh yes, it's a good idea, you know, put on the Swifts, put on the ladies' team or whatever. But uh no, I wasn't happy about it.

SPEAKER_02 1:40

Yeah, I mean for me I was I was quite shocked at the starting eleven, I have to say. I was thinking about it all week, and obviously all the all the stuff swirling around on social media. It's really difficult to see what way the manager was going to play it. I I I fully expected the manager to come out and say, you know, this club's about standards, we think about ourselves, we want to win the game first and foremost. We're not looking anywhere else outside of what's happening within this stadium today and winning the game. And so I I really was shocked. But David Graham, do you think was there anybody seriously didn't want Linfield to win that game today? Do you think that really is a thing?

SPEAKER_01 2:09

Well, look, I'm going to provide a somewhat contrary view. Um you know, if you look at the likes of John Graham, um, you know, if you look at the likes of of Ollie Wade, you know these are players, whether we like it or not, that will have to be in around the first team next year. Um, the the chairman said we're not going to buy or be in the transfer market, so we know be looking at either I assume then loans or or the old school Boseman. Um you know, if if they're you know if they're good enough, they're old enough, isn't that the old saying? I mean you will recall a period at the end of I think 2023 where Braden Graham, Ian Doherty uh uh and some others played in around that December, you know, Brayden's out Everton, Docks now at Blackburn. You know, we've got to probably take a step back. I think it's been a you know a perfect storm in a way to say, okay, we're playing Lorne, Lorne win, Lorne of One Hand in the Gibson Cup, we're out of it, etc. etc. But I also think that you know ultimately, and we'll not rehearse, I think it was myself and Colin probably the other week were trying to justify or not justify or explain the various ramifications of uh Europe. You know, in reality today is the eleventh of April, we we could have over a month until our most important game of the season if a certain set of circumstances go against us or for us, whatever way you look at it. So there's a lot of water to still run under the bridge. Um we've got players who whose bodies need manage, whether that be Jimmy Mulgrew, whether that be Kyle McLean, Kirk Miller, Chris Jones, Ben Hall, really important players. So you know, for me, I know we've all had a bit of a right, okay, we we don't want the Glens to win the league, but I think it's actually been quite a sound professional move by the manager. Um we talk a lot about how strong our academy is, how successful our academy is. Well, you know, ultimately that's the case. We've got to be bringing players through into our first team. Um from memory, our five-year plan was at a minimum of like three or four players that were academy graduates in the Max Day squad. So we're actually in a way, Mo's not here to analyse every jot and title of the five-year plan, but we've actually ticked up ticked a box today as well. Um and look, let's be honest, with the fourth biggest budget in the league, we're sitting fourth at the minute. In reality, you know, if we see Graham and Brown on the uh the team sheet next year, we'll not be joking that it's Mo Brown and David Graham, but in reality, those are boys that will need to be in the squad.

SPEAKER_02 4:44

It's an interesting way of looking at it, David. I I hadn't considered that, that there is a world where the manager is in the dressing room and in and in the days and weeks leading up to this game, and this is part of a plan for Linfield going forward, and in actual fact, he and what actually played out on the pitch there was in Linfield's best interest in terms of giving boys minutes and getting players on the pitch. With with that in mind, I think I think the team played reasonably well, all things considered. They're up against you know league champions elect there, a very serious uh and professional Lauren team. I thought the first half especially they acquitted themselves very well. Um I thought there was a couple of standout performances. I thought uh Graham uh looked quite good, uh I thought Wade looked quite good, I thought Ross was a young lad, Ross in the in the centre of the park, I thought excellent. And then I think in the second half, you know, fitness, all of that uh comes into it and Linfield faded away a bit. But how did you see the first half in particular playing out where I thought they'd started very well and then came undone to what looked like a a goal with a whiff of offside about it, actually?

SPEAKER_00 5:46

Well, I I looked at it back on the BBC website there on my phone, and it certainly looked offside. It looked offside the time, but it certainly looks offside. Um I probably need to see it on a bigger screen before I can make a final judgment. Um yeah, I agree with certainly with with bringing in the younger players meaning to do that. It's just uh I would rather the they came in, you know, two players came in to a full strength squad with nine other full strength players in it. I think that would be the main thing, which you know you might be able to do on the what we did today on the last game of the season where there's absolutely nothing to play for. But the problem is that uh fine, give players a rest, but like I say, what will happen next next week and the following week, you can't have players not really playing for quite a while, and then as David said earlier on, a gap before we finally find out where where we're playing and when we're playing for the European playoff spot, and then they've got to get back up to match fitness as well. I I don't see that working very well.

SPEAKER_02 6:45

I think uh all of the conversation about all of that, I think, up to a point David Graham is noise because you know if Linfield had came here and won and you know sent the Glen Torrent to the top of the league depending on what happens today, it won't have been because of what happened today. It will have been because of what happened over thirty plus games over the course of the season. Larne up to now have been the most consistent, they've been the best, albeit you know, we stood here watching the last five minutes together and we didn't think that they looked particularly good.

SPEAKER_00 7:13

No, the whole game I I don't think Lorne have been so good this season as like you know they've been winning games 2-1 or something like that, but they haven't been putting out any putting in any outstanding performances. We saw the performance against Cole Rain when they've sort of fell apart. They wouldn't have done that you know, two seasons ago. Um so they were there for the taking. Not pr not there for the taking, but they were we could have got something out of that game, I think, had we really gone for it.

SPEAKER_02 7:37

But ultimately, David Graham, the the league table doesn't lie. Lorna been the most consistent the most consistent, and that's nothing to do with what we we did or did not do today.

SPEAKER_01 7:45

No, and we in many ways have probably been the most inconsistent um Yeah, I actually thought we played very well today at times. I mean we didn't really threaten overall, but in terms of played with ambition, played with a cliche of the sort of the hand break off, probably just didn't have enough quality there to sort of really threaten. And to be fair to Lauren, maybe in another day there was a couple of chances there were a slightly half a yard and it was going to be another goal. So you know it could have ended up a slightly wider scoreline. In reality, um we are where we are because we haven't been able to put together consistent runs, especially away from home. Um and and look, that's more for analysis of the kind of wider season. But what it would say is today's game probably epitomizes just sort of where we are right now as both a kind of squad and and as a club, really.

SPEAKER_02 8:35

Second half Hayden, we showed virtually nothing, it has to be said. Um one of the positive notes, I suppose, if there were any, was to see Robbie McDade uh returning to the st to the fall today. I w what what did you make of the the all-round sort of second half performances, but also Robbie McDade in particular whenever he comes on?

SPEAKER_00 8:54

Yeah, I thought the second half was okay, um, because the match wasn't over, you know, from a learned point of view. You know, they made two subs at half time, which you know gives a message that no from Havaran that no, this isn't good enough. Um and uh you know, and and they put on other subs as well. So they were trying to get more out of it. O'Neill should have scored a couple of times, but um I thought we played pretty well in the second half, but again we made some changes which which probably wouldn't have helped help the team too much. Um so yeah.

SPEAKER_01 9:28

You'd probably just be hoping with Robbie. A couple of games left and obviously a playoff. You know, if Robbie McDade, who has had a torrid couple of seasons, was to score the winner in the playoff to get us into Europe, um I think everybody would be delighted. I have a lot of time and a close personal relationship with Robbie. I've seen him as a professional, I know what he's gone through the last couple of years. And you know, one thing I'd say is that hopefully if we can even start building Robbie's game time up over the next few weeks, that look, I'm not going to come out and say we should give Robbie another year. I I don't know the situation. Um it's a challenging one because if Robbie is even 80% of his capacity, he is more than quality for us to maintain him, whether or not he wants to stay in the club on and keep us a conversation for another day. But again, that is that is actually a positive out of today that we should we should probably cling on to.

SPEAKER_02 10:21

He he he he looked like he was holding back there in many ways in the second half, and probably understandably so after such a long layoff. Uh and I think he did come back earlier in the year in a Swifts game and got injured. The last thing he wants is to get injured in yet another uh meaningless game. Um but I mean as a as a team I just don't think we offered very much in the second half. Uh my daughter Izzy, who's sitting with us here, she was having a bit of a laugh. There was a a congregation of pigeons had sat in our penalty box for quite a while in the second half. And nobody marking them at all. Nobody marking them, but they sat there undisturbed. Such was the threat posed in our penalty area in the second half.

SPEAKER_01 10:54

Yeah, uh see and on the subjects of uh ornithology would that be bird watching a study possibly. There is a a highly intensive group of seagulls now scurrying after whatever rubbish has been laid left in a many ways that probably have uh raised their heart rates quicker than either side had to today. So uh it actually did have a sense of a game of kind of almost pre-season, which was strange given how much is at stake for Lorne.

SPEAKER_02 11:22

That's probably the biggest word that's ever been used on this podcast, David Graham. So thanks very much for that. Just on some other business before we do wrap up, we have, as we suggested on our social media, have extended invitations to the four prospective board members seeking re-election. All four, in one way or another, have accepted our invitation, either via email or or directly through people in the podcast. So we will be we will be trying to tie some of that together over the next couple of weeks and certainly before the AGM where we can sit down either in person or on Zoom and have a chat with these prospective board members and hear what they're thinking in terms of their uh in terms of their re-election.

SPEAKER_01 11:59

Um I I think it's important to acknowledge on the pod that there is an accusation that you know Linfield are a close shop when it comes to kind of accountability and engagement, etc. etc. So I think the fact that all four board members have or sorry, prospective board members have shown such a willingness to come on is good for them as individuals, but it's also it's also good for the Linfield board and it's also good for the Linfield club. So we look forward to trying to get that out uh probably next week or the week after, Jason. We'll see.

SPEAKER_02 12:33

Yeah, I mean and I and I wasn't sure what way it was going to be received, if they were going to accept the invitation or not. But I mean to to me uh it's it from their point of view it's it's an opportunity, you know, and and uh by no means are we trying to throw people under a bus here or anything like that. We're all we're all infield supporters, uh we're all trying to put in the same direction, and really all all we want is to have a have a conversation. And for them, it's it's a platform, it's an opportunity to put their case across and and hopefully uh get all four of them re-elected if that's what they if that's what they want. Trevor Burrus, Jr.

SPEAKER_00 13:00

Yeah, and and also I mean at the IGM they they get a chance quickly to put forward their views. And certainly um last year, you know, I can think of two people who spoke very, very well. But they're not answering questions, they're just giving their their thoughts and so on. So this will be a chance of and we will be asking them all, I believe, all the same questions.

SPEAKER_02 13:19

All the same questions, yeah. And I mean I'm I'm I'm reluctant to let it turn into like a job interview or anything like that, because it certainly isn't that well but uh but in the interest of fairness and transparency and all that, it probably has to be the exact same questions.

SPEAKER_00 13:32

Yeah, I mean, but it's up to them to then turn those questions around and say, well, yes, I am experienced to do this because when I work for ABC Limited, um then this is what I did.

SPEAKER_01 13:43

So I suppose a bit like a kind of pre-election hustling, so to speak, isn't it, in the local town hall? I mean, I think we've asked for listener questions, but we've had the odd one to say, why is the manager playing X in this position and not someone in Y position? So we're not going to get down into that level of detail. To quote the chairman, we leave the professionals to make the professionals' decisions. So I think it is fair to say, yeah, that you're really in a nutshell saying, Who are you, what have you done, what can you do for Linfield? And ultimately uh we we will get behind you uh as as we have as a podcast since January.

SPEAKER_02 14:19

Absolutely, and I mean for me as a member and Hayden as a member and David who who worked professionally for the club, we're we're all vaguely aware of these people and what the rules are, but for the vast majority of our listeners they aren't, and so it's an opportunity for the listeners to hear who these people are, put names to faces, hear about their experience, and you know, importantly submit their questions, and we'll try and put them to them. So um we'll keep we'll keep everybody updated with that. But um until then, we'll probably be back next week after the cold rain game, it remains to be seen. Uh, but certainly we'll try and bring something to you um during the week. So until then, up the blues.