I certainly wouldn't be as pessimistic as some peaple on this site, i think the manager is still trying to find his best 15 and if you take into account that there are a number of players coming back from injury and that this team is still a work in progress then there is scope for optimisim.
I think Cribben did want promotion but he was also hoping that options would present themselves to solve some troubling areas of the team.
For one thing Cribben has partially sovled the problem at the back by bringing back in Joe Quinn, perhaps in a year or two young John Maloney will be mature enough to bed in but in the meantime Quinn will bring a steadying influence at the back untill more options are found.
In midfield if Sunday's performance proved anything its that Niall Smith should be the first name put down on the team sheet while one bad performance does not make Connor a bad player.
Up front, wheater he has stumbled onto it by chance or by design Cribben has found a Chemistry up front with Allan, Sullivan, and Guilfoyle.
I see Sullivan being the key to making the forward line tick, he brings the others into player more than the likes of Casey and Mcnamee for me <- (sacrelege though it is to say
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He has mentioned in his interviews as well that he intends to bring along some of the younger players over the next year or two as well.
There are a number of players that could come in over a period of time like, Maloney, Spain, NAG, ect...
People are looking at this team as the finished artical where as i would say that you need to see it as more of a team that is developing.
Don't forget it was only last year that we were staring in the face of relegation to division four so progress has been made and mabye at the end of the day, another season in division 3 may be good for the team.
If you look at Antrim and Sligo, they are currently struggling at the tail end of division 2 at the moment so it could be a blessing in disguise.
I think a bit of perspective is required by people at times.
I'm not one to look back often but if you look at the last time we won Sam, way back in '82 it took Eugene Magee six years to get it right and even then he had an ageing team that had the experience of winning an All ireland in '70 and '71 at his disposel to build on.
Having said that i do have my doubts about Cribben.
His tactical nous is questionable so for me the big test will come in the championship.
It will all depend on if he has learned from the lessons gained in the league or not.