2018 Transfers

[placid casual]

Dundalk burning through the money it seems. If you got it flaunt it, I suppose.
Thankfully for the rest of the league only 11 allowed out on the pitch at one time.
A lot of talent on the bench scratching their ar$es.

Extra pressure now on Kenny & backroom staff to deliver constant silverware & European success?

The pessimist in me sees the bedsheet coming back out in the next 10 years..

[Ezeikial]

Dundalk burning through the money it seems. If you got it flaunt it, I suppose.
Thankfully for the rest of the league only 11 allowed out on the pitch at one time.
A lot of talent on the bench scratching their ar$es.

Extra pressure now on Kenny & backroom staff to deliver constant silverware & European success?

The pessimist in me sees the bedsheet coming back out in the next 10 years..

I doubt if making two signings actually delivers any extra pressure on Stephen Kenny or his backroom team - the expectations are high and that has been the case for a number of years.

The issue of managing a large squad is probably a more pertinent one - in the past the manager seemed to prefer to work with smaller squads, but he does not appear to have had any obvious issues with managing and motivating a large squad so far this season. I also expect some departures to happen in this window.

If the ambition of the club is to regularly compete at the group stages in Europe the quality and depth of the squad is important. Winning this years league championship is obviously a crucial milestone target and these signings can only help with trying to achieve both those aims

Will the added investment cause the club to crash and burn or will it simply lead to achieving success and the huge financial returns available from European football? Time will tell, but the level of confidence in the new owners is increasing as the season progresses

[Longfordian]

Doesn’t sound like Kelly is going back to UCD on loan just yet so that’s good news for us and the others in the promotion shake up.

[pineapple stu]

He didn't help us on Friday in fairness!

[brendy_éire]

Danny Seabourne signs for Derry from Exeter.

https://www.derrycityfc.net/2018/07/danny-seaborne-joins-candystripes/

A experienced centre-half. That's what we need.

[sbgawa]

I doubt if making two signings actually delivers any extra pressure on Stephen Kenny or his backroom team - the expectations are high and that has been the case for a number of years.

The issue of managing a large squad is probably a more pertinent one - in the past the manager seemed to prefer to work with smaller squads, but he does not appear to have had any obvious issues with managing and motivating a large squad so far this season. I also expect some departures to happen in this window.

If the ambition of the club is to regularly compete at the group stages in Europe the quality and depth of the squad is important. Winning this years league championship is obviously a crucial milestone target and these signings can only help with trying to achieve both those aims

Will the added investment cause the club to crash and burn or will it simply lead to achieving success and the huge financial returns available from European football? Time will tell, but the level of confidence in the new owners is increasing as the season progresses

50k is the fee apparently which while it might seem high if you spread it over 3.5 years isn't a lot when you think about it

[ger121]

The Mac is back, on a 3.5 year contract.

Dundalk FC is delighted to announce that Patrick McEleney has become a Lilywhite for the second time in his career, after signing a contract that sees him committing to the Club for the next three and a half seasons.

https://www.dundalkfc.com/mceleney-re-joins-lilywhites/

Not the last signing of the day apparently.

We’re back baby!

[RathfarnhamHoop]

We’re back baby!

All we need is for the Tramway end to be sold and we can say it's official

[total hoofball]

Greg Moorhouse has signed for Shelbourne from Sligo Rovers

[bluemovie]

Blues confirmed the signing of Angolan international midfielder Carlos 'Rudy' Wilson which gives us yet another ska song to chant

[White Horse]

https://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2018/0703/976027-caulfield-we-cant-compete-with-dundalk-transfer-deals/

John Caulfield commenting on Dundalk's transfer activity.

Oddly, he doesn't comment on why he signed another ageing centre back rather than adding the type of striker his team is crying out for.

[dundalkfc10]

https://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2018/0703/976027-caulfield-we-cant-compete-with-dundalk-transfer-deals/

John Caulfield commenting on Dundalk's transfer activity.

Oddly, he doesn't comment on why he signed another ageing centre back rather than adding the type of striker his team is crying out for.

A Centre Back who "Played in the Premier League"

He hardly signed on low wages!

Patrick in the paper states "It’s been in the media about us not being paid right so that sort of had an effect as well. I wanted out and they agreed. It all rolled really quickly and I’m just happy to be here.”

Seems he mighten be on as much as is in Caufields head

[Brusher]

I just never got why fans of clubs give out about other clubs spending policies. As a Bohs fan, I used to love the transfer window and rumours about new signings, but these days...ah well !! But on the other hand, I'm delighted for the die hards of the more successful clubs, that they're in a position to get a better quality of player.

[White Horse]

I just never got why fans of clubs give out about other clubs spending policies. As a Bohs fan, I used to love the transfer window and rumours about new signings, but these days...ah well !! But on the other hand, I'm delighted for the die hards of the more successful clubs, that they're in a position to get a better quality of player.

I remember the days when we would get excited at getting a player on a six month loan from Drogheda.

[El-Pietro]

A Centre Back who "Played in the Premier League"

He hardly signed on low wages!

Patrick in the paper states "It’s been in the media about us not being paid right so that sort of had an effect as well. I wanted out and they agreed. It all rolled really quickly and I’m just happy to be here.”

Seems he mighten be on as much as is in Caufields head
He did though. He called JC and said he wanted to come home, said he had no interest in playing in the Championship again. He also specifically said "its not about the money"

[RathfarnhamHoop]

https://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2018/0703/976027-caulfield-we-cant-compete-with-dundalk-transfer-deals/

John Caulfield commenting on Dundalk's transfer activity.

Oddly, he doesn't comment on why he signed another ageing centre back rather than adding the type of striker his team is crying out for.

Lets be honest, any club in the league would love to have Delaney in their defence

[sbgawa]

I'm already starting to worry about the 4 in a row.
Thank God the Langers won last year or this season would be the 5th.
I was talking to someone at the Rovers Dundalk game last night who asked me "do I think the Dundalk fans will get any satisfaction out of dominating the league as they have such a Financial advantage"?
I almost spat my chips out laughing and asked him how would he feel if we were 10 points clear and on the way to a second 4 in a row :)

[DFCForever]

Lets be honest, any club in the league would love to have Delaney in their defence
Well he'd be behind Garts, Cleary and Hoare in the pecking order so no not really.

[Buller]

https://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2018/0703/976027-caulfield-we-cant-compete-with-dundalk-transfer-deals/

The Cork boss said there is a misconception stemming from the confirmation of their UEFA prize money that they have increased spending power.

"The pot hasn't changed. It's just the information that has come out recently has given the impression that the club are getting more money again. That is not the case. It's misleading"

"It's unfortunate, even our own supporters, that they have all got misled by information of the UEFA money. The €800,000 figure going around, this is the same money that we were planning for since we got the league title, which you don't get until September.

"The pot hasn't changed. It's just the information that has come out recently has given the impression that the club are getting more money again. That is not the case. It's misleading. We are owned by the supporters. We work off the budget and don't have the money to go out and compete like other clubs do."

I'm very confused about this. The prize money has increased over previous years.
That they have already spent it in their budget already is irrelevant!

[Ezeikial]

Lets be honest, any club in the league would love to have Delaney in their defence

Possibly, but I heard similar stuff previously about Damien Duff, Joey O'Brien, and Stephen McPhail from Rovers fans.

I'll reserve judgement on the impact he will have on a team that has only conceded 16 league goals this season. Cork are crying out for attacking reinforcements

[Charlie Darwin]

He did though. He called JC and said he wanted to come home, said he had no interest in playing in the Championship again. He also specifically said "its not about the money"
How do you know McEleney's not playing for free too? We're lucky Joey O'Brien agreed to sign for three bottles of lucozade a week as we can't afford to keep up with the big spenders like Cork.

[El-Pietro]

How do you know McEleney's not playing for free too? We're lucky Joey O'Brien agreed to sign for three bottles of lucozade a week as we can't afford to keep up with the big spenders like Cork.

I didn't comment on McEleney or Joey O'Brien. I don't really care what they are being paid, except that I would worry about the general creeping wages being paid in the league and whether that might put teams in trouble.

I commented on Delaney who based on what he and JC have said I have reason to believe hes on a much lower salary than a player with his track record might otherwise attain.

Damien Delaney has explicity said he didn't come home for money, I have no reason not to believe that. In the article quoted above JC mentions that Delaney is replacing the salaries of Howard and Tobi. I doubt either was on more than a few hundred a week, if we were even covering Howards wages.
He has also said he won't be signing anyone else unless he can move someone first. I'm sure hes trying to find a home for Campion for example to free up some wages, and perhaps Aaron Barry too.

Every single thread on this forum that mentions money descends into the same ridiculous comments like yours above. Can we not have an genuine conversation without trying to score points off each other for once? I'm sure our overall wage bill is competitive based on our crowds, sponsorship and prize money. I'm sure the likes of Cummins, Sadlier and Sheppard for example are very well paid relative to other players in the league. JC has said hes used his budget and that there is no more money available (hence the reference to the Euro money which was already budgeted for and whatever portion of that was available to him was spent/accounted for already).

That doesn't change the fact that Delaney specifically isn't being paid huge money. Hes already a millionaire you would imagine, he wanted to come home, if he wanted to top up his savings he could have earned thousands a week in the Championship, is there really a difference to him between (for example) 500 a week and 1000 a week? He was probably going to retire if we didn't sign him.

[El-Pietro]

I'm very confused about this. The prize money has increased over previous years.
That they have already spent it in their budget already is irrelevant!

Then you clearly haven't rad what hes said - hes saying that the prize money was recently made public and people (including Cork City fans) expect that because of this that he will be able to go out and sign new players. Hes saying that the announcement changes nothing and he has no extra money to spend.

[Ezeikial]

Then you clearly haven't rad what hes said - hes saying that the prize money was recently made public and people (including Cork City fans) expect that because of this that he will be able to go out and sign new players. Hes saying that the announcement changes nothing and he has no extra money to spend.

It appears that he might be saying a little more than that-

1) That the club were aware of the full €800k last October and planned the budget accordingly.
2) All Cork supporters were misled by reports in June of the increases in UEFA prizemoney


"It's unfortunate, even our own supporters, that they have all got misled by information of the UEFA money. The €800,000 figure going around, this is the same money that we were planning for since we got the league title, which you don't get until September.
https://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2018/0703/976027-caulfield-we-cant-compete-with-dundalk-transfer-deals/


Maybe what he is saying is factually correct, but as far as I am aware UEFA signaled intentions to increase the prizemoney, but did not confirm the numbers until well into this season.

[mcgonigle]

It's clever from Caulfield, he's setting up his excuses. Lose the league and he can talk rubbish about not being able to compete. Win the league and he looks like a genius working on a shoestring. He constantly mentions it so that it's fresh in everyone's mind

I've no doubt our budget is the biggest in the league. I do doubt that there is a big difference between ours and Corks. Caulfield knows the fans will buy his bull as can be seen from El-Pietro above

[Ezeikial]

Every single thread on this forum that mentions money descends into the same ridiculous comments like yours above. Can we not have an genuine conversation without trying to score points off each other for once?

I'm not sure that declaring someone's comment as "ridiculous" is compatible with your request for a "genuine conversation" and absence of point scoring

[El-Pietro]

It appears that he might be saying a little more than that-

1) That the club were aware of the full €800k last October and planned the budget accordingly.
2) All Cork supporters were misled by reports in June of the increases in UEFA prizemoney


https://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2018/0703/976027-caulfield-we-cant-compete-with-dundalk-transfer-deals/


Maybe what he is saying is factually correct, but as far as I am aware UEFA signaled intentions to increase the prizemoney, but did not confirm the numbers until well into this season.

I think you are getting into semantics here. We would have had an estimate for what the prize money was likely to be. Maybe we've got an extra 20 or 50k for example now that its been announced and in theory an extra 20k based on the Europa league by but Caulfiled most likely won't see much if any of that money. His budget most likely hasn't changed or hasn't changed by any significant amount based on this announcement. He will talk to the CEO and the board and try to get as much money as he can but as you might imagine based on our history our board are typically cautious about expenditure.


It's clever from Caulfield, he's setting up his excuses. Lose the league and he can talk rubbish about not being able to compete. Win the league and he looks like a genius working on a shoestring. He constantly mentions it so that it's fresh in everyone's mind

I've no doubt our budget is the biggest in the league. I do doubt that there is a big difference between ours and Corks. Caulfield knows the fans will buy his bull as can be seen from El-Pietro above
See we're doing it again. You are trying to score cheap points by pretending I said something I didn't.

Where did I say your budget was bigger or much bigger than ours. I said our budget is likely competitive. I spoke specifically about Damien Delaney. I even said that several of our players are likely among the highest paid players in the league. I have a rough idea about the size of our budget as I attended our AGM, but I have no idea what your budget is. I'm sure its probably higher than ours and I expect it will increase relative to ours over the coming seasons as you attempt to reach the group stages on a regular basis, signing Kelly and McEleney is the another step along the way to this but I can't say for certain if it is bigger, or by how much.

I do think its funny if McEleney is now earning more money and you had to pay a fee to being him back from a not so great spell at Oldham though. I'm sure I'm not the only one. I'm sure you don't care if he helps you win the league.

I mostly ignore what Caulfield says in these interviews, I recommend you do the same.

[El-Pietro]

I'm not sure that declaring someone's comment as "ridiculous" is compatible with your request for a "genuine conversation" and absence of point scoring

He said O'Brien is signing for three bottles of lucozade a week. I think its fair to call that a ridiculous comment.
Edit: My point scoring comment was in reference to each others clubs by the way. That may not have been clear. If you want to have a go off of me for something I've said feel free and I'll defend it if I think its defensible. But I'm tired of the comments about budgets and my club is better than yours because... even though all our clubs behave in almost exactly the same ways.

[Ezeikial]

I think you are getting into semantics here. We would have had an estimate for what the prize money was likely to be. Maybe we've got an extra 20 or 50k for example now that its been announced and in theory an extra 20k based on the Europa league by but Caulfiled most likely won't see much if any of that money. His budget most likely hasn't changed or hasn't changed by any significant amount based on this announcement. He will talk to the CEO and the board and try to get as much money as he can but as you might imagine based on our history our board are typically cautious about expenditure.



You have an irritating habit of banding about accusations - in this case a charge of being semantic - and then provide your own semantic interpretation.

What I'm suggesting is fairly clear, and one you actual appear to agree with
- Cork City will actual receive more prizemoney that what was originally budgeted.

What Caulfield is suggesting is quite different
- Cork City knew the full prizemoney available last year and this was factored into his budget and therefore no cash in the kitty.

It is understandable that he wants to reduce the pressure from fans to make much needed additions his squad - but like much of what he says, it appears to be inaccurate or misleading




I mostly ignore what Caulfield says in these interviews, I recommend you do the same.

That probably makes sense, although you seem to be ignoring your own recommendations

[El-Pietro]

You have an irritating habit of banding about accusations - in this case a charge of being semantic - and then provide your own semantic interpretation.

What I'm suggesting is fairly clear, and one you actual appear to agree with
- Cork City will actual receive more prizemoney that what was originally budgeted.

What Caulfield is suggesting is quite different
- Cork City knew the full prizemoney available last year and this was factored into his budget and therefore no cash in the kitty.

It is understandable that he wants to reduce the pressure from fans to make much needed additions his squad - but like much of what he says, it appears to be inaccurate or misleading



That probably makes sense, although you seem to be ignoring your own recommendations
You yourself said he was possibly factually correct. It seems we agree that his budget probably hasn't been increased. Most likely if CCFC underestimated the increase that money will be put towards next seasons budget, especially as we won't see the money until after the window closes.

[dundalkfc10]

El-Pietro the gift that keeps giving

1. I commented on Delaney who based on what he and JC have said I have reason to believe hes on a much lower salary than a player with his track record might otherwise attain.

2. I mostly ignore what Caulfield says in these interviews, I recommend you do the same.

Does this mean you only listen to the parts you want to listen too?

[mcgonigle]

FFS, every time you try to edit a post it get deleted. Anyone else have that issue? Couldn't be arsed re-writing it

[El-Pietro]

FFS, every time you try to edit a post it get deleted. Anyone else have that issue? Couldn't be arsed re-writing it

Think its a mobile issue.

[El-Pietro]

El-Pietro the gift that keeps giving

1. I commented on Delaney who based on what he and JC have said I have reason to believe hes on a much lower salary than a player with his track record might otherwise attain.

2. I mostly ignore what Caulfield says in these interviews, I recommend you do the same.

Does this mean you only listen to the parts you want to listen too?
Pretty much yeah, clearly you do the same with my posts :)

[Nah Nah Nah Nah]

Apologies to interrupting the traditional Cork / Dundalk arguments

https://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2018/0703/975962-sligo-rovers-sign-canadian-international-twardek/

[mcgonigle]

Think its a mobile issue.

I'm not on my mobile though, maybe a chrome issue?

It was a good reply too, basically pointing out how wrong you are. You got away with that one!

[sbgawa]

What is it with you Sligo boys and hard to pronounce players....
Any chance of a phonetic on that for the benefit of the stadium announcers :)

[Ezeikial]

You yourself said he was possibly factually correct.

It's a very remote possibility, but I doubt that UEFA gave JC the heads up 9 months ahead of others:



Maybe what he is saying is factually correct, but as far as I am aware UEFA signaled intentions to increase the prizemoney, but did not confirm the numbers until well into this season.


It seems we agree that his budget probably hasn't been increased. Most likely if CCFC underestimated the increase that money will be put towards next seasons budget, especially as we won't see the money until after the window closes.

I suppose if he was more open or honest about it and acknowledged that the club were going to receive more UEFA money then originally budgeted, there would be understandably be more pressure on the club to increase his budget and on him to recruit players now

[dundalkfc10]

Pretty much yeah, clearly you do the same with my posts :)

No I read everything you write, some of it can be pretty funny tbh

[El-Pietro]

I'm not on my mobile though, maybe a chrome issue?

It was a good reply too, basically pointing out how wrong you are. You got away with that one!

Darn! I'll pretend I read it and I'll hang my head in shame for the rest of the day!

[Mr A]

Just because the UEFA money was increased doesn't mean it is immediately or automatically allocated to the playing budget.

[outspoken]

Just because the UEFA money was increased doesn't mean it is immediately or automatically allocated to the playing budget.

One of the biggest misconceptions about LOI teams in Europe. Sure you don’t even get the prize money until the next season. Obviously when you know the money is coming you can spend it but I’m sure clubs have plenty of other bills the money goes towards

[Charlie Darwin]

Every single thread on this forum that mentions money descends into the same ridiculous comments like yours above. Can we not have an genuine conversation without trying to score points off each other for once?
A conversation about what? Made-up figures reinforced by managers who pretend they've got peanuts to spend and other clubs are throwing money around like confetti. You can't have a serious conversation about money when nobody has a clue about what's being spent.

[sidewayspasser]

What seems to be overlooked is that City could indeed expect something in the order of 800k, even before the figures were released.
Why is that? Well, most of the increase is just for being parachuted into the EL qualifiers and playing a round there, and it was known for quite a while that this parachute would be introduced this season.
If you take the sum that Dundalk were due last season for playing one round of CL qualifiers (something between 550k and 600k, if I'm not wrong) and add to that the amount that clubs were due for playing one round of EL qualifiers (slightly above 200k), you end up somewhere around 800k. So JC may actually be right in saying they expected this amount and shaped the budget accordingly.

[sulywaterfordfc]

https://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2018/0703/976027-caulfield-we-cant-compete-with-dundalk-transfer-deals/

John Caulfield commenting on Dundalk's transfer activity.

Oddly, he doesn't comment on why he signed another ageing centre back rather than adding the type of striker his team is crying out for.

The annual crib about how he doesn’t have a penny to sign players I take it....

[Ezeikial]

Just because the UEFA money was increased doesn't mean it is immediately or automatically allocated to the playing budget.

Agreed, but I don't think anyone has suggested that.

The point is that John Caulfied appears to be pretending that Cork already factored in the full UEFA money when the playing budget was originally compiled last year and that there has been no change in the UEFA "pot" since then


"The pot hasn't changed. It's just the information that has come out recently has given the impression that the club are getting more money again. That is not the case. It's misleading"
"It's unfortunate, even our own supporters, that they have all got misled by information of the UEFA money. The €800,000 figure going around, this is the same money that we were planning for since we got the league title

[Longfordian]

On a semi related note I saw a tweet earlier today (now apparently deleted) from Stephen Henderson commenting on some young lad going back to Cork after a loan spell where he said “x improved in his time with us, not that Caulfield will acknowledge it”. Didn’t realise there was tension in that relationship.

[RathfarnhamHoop]

Possibly, but I heard similar stuff previously about Damien Duff, Joey O'Brien, and Stephen McPhail from Rovers fans.

I'll reserve judgement on the impact he will have on a team that has only conceded 16 league goals this season. Cork are crying out for attacking reinforcements

Only rovers players? Not know any other clubs. McPhail was brilliant at Rovers and I'll hear nothing else, duffer was a player you'd love to have due to the publicity and to be a coach, everyone knew he wouldn't be too much on the pitch, for long anyway had a few moments, obriens only getting match fit so you can hold out on judging him thanks

[Ezeikial]

Only rovers players? Not know any other clubs. McPhail was brilliant at Rovers and I'll hear nothing else, duffer was a player you'd love to have due to the publicity and to be a coach, everyone knew he wouldn't be too much on the pitch, for long anyway had a few moments, obriens only getting match fit so you can hold out on judging him thanks

Rovers are probably the best recent example of a League of Ireland club taking in former Irish internationals with Premiership experience in the twilight of their career and those players failing to meet expectations - but they are not the only ones

Similar to the earlier comment that most teams would want Damien Delaney in their team, there was a lot of bluster from the media and supporters about each of Duff, McPhail, O'Brien and to a lessor extent Keith Fahey.

Duff and Fahey barely managed a dozen games each; at least McPhail played intermittently for 3 seasons although he was injured as often as fit and maybe played in up to half the matches during that time. O'Brien has struggled to get fit, although there is a slim possibility that he could yet find fitness and form

I won't hold my breath about Damien Delaney lighting up the League of Ireland at 37 years old, although if he can play at full back he might sort out a problem position for Cork

[sbgawa]

Does it ever occur to you that these guys all had other options and chose to put something back in by playing in loi and coaching kids....your writing off and belittling of them says more about you then anything else. .....Sad but predictable stuff......as for Delaney he wanted to come back to cork and fair play to him could have made more anywhere else.