2021 Season , Arrivals and departures

[lofty9]

Byrne would have hoped McCarthy would have been there for another couple of months at least though, to help him settle in a bit better.
They go and hire a Cypriot manager now, and he has to fast track learning the language, no familiar faces around, and is a long way from home. Becomes a lot more difficult all of a sudden

I'm sure there's more than a few that can speak English. Big Dave their centre forward was in Sheffield long enough, he'll be a help.

[DCWA]

English is very widely spoken in Cyprus, almost universally so. That coupled with it being the primary language in football and a few players in that squad having spent time in England language will be no barrier.

Didn’t Byrne play a season in the Eridivisie as well? He should be in good shape as a footballer and a person for playing abroad imo.

I am also inclined to feel that McCarthys early departure could be a blessing as he can quickly shake of the shackles of being McCarthy’s man from Ireland, and as well as he clearly gets on with McCarthy, Mick’s style of football is probably not to Jack’s benefit overall or particularly suited to him.

If he doesn’t succeed at Apoel there will be very few mitigating circumstances or excuses and I feel it will be more the case that he just isn’t up to scratch, but I don’t think that’ll be the case and believe it remains an excellent move.

[oriel]

Jack B still on a 2.5 year, some say up to 12k a week, great deal. Regardless if the new man likes him or not, he will still have the contract. He needs to play though to be considered for Ireland.

He has the talent though to give himself as good a chance as the rest to make it, plus its the squad before him that got them into this mess, they are currently 11th from 14.

In local news, Brian Gartland signed new deal with DFC this am, although not confirmed, would appear he will be the last of the 2020 squad to get offered a deal.

[Nesta99]

English is very widely spoken in Cyprus, almost universally so. That coupled with it being the primary language in football and a few players in that squad having spent time in England language will be no barrier.

Didn’t Byrne play a season in the Eridivisie as well? He should be in good shape as a footballer and a person for playing abroad imo.

I am also inclined to feel that McCarthys early departure could be a blessing as he can quickly shake of the shackles of being McCarthy’s man from Ireland, and as well as he clearly gets on with McCarthy, Mick’s style of football is probably not to Jack’s benefit overall or particularly suited to him.

If he doesn’t succeed at Apoel there will be very few mitigating circumstances or excuses and I feel it will be more the case that he just isn’t up to scratch, but I don’t think that’ll be the case and believe it remains an excellent move.

Good point! I think myself that the sudden change in manager can be downheartening for a player who has just signed. I hope the new manager will be openminded to signings of previous coaching staff. It could be unsettling initially but hopefully then his ability will see him in to the first 11.

I vaguely remember I think it was Padraig Staunton signing for PNE by Moyes and days later Moyes took the Everton job and Staunton was immediately out in the cold, loaned out (Leonidas FC?) and then ended up back at Dundalk and ultimately in GAA. It was a strange one as Dundalk didnt get a fee in the end as the new manager at PNE stopped outstanding transfers but something like player registration had changed hands so Staunton was hence a PNE player. DFC officials travelled over to try and sort it out but its never been down as a transfer fee in for Dundalk. Im open to correction on details there if any Dundalk fans happen to know what the complications were - maybe he wasnt on a contract that demanded a fee and it would have been a goodwill fee or something!? Im pretty sure Dundalk were told to get lost though!

[pineapple stu]

I am also inclined to feel that McCarthys early departure could be a blessing as he can quickly shake of the shackles of being McCarthy’s man from Ireland, and as well as he clearly gets on with McCarthy, Mick’s style of football is probably not to Jack’s benefit overall or particularly suited to him.
You can argue the case it either way, but a manager suddenly leaving can often be a real problem for a player - a new manager could take a dislike to you and you're frozen out entirely.

Wouldn't be entirely confident this is good news for him. But sure we'll we see how it goes I guess. I know the Cypriot league is unstable, but I don't think anyone expected Mick to be sacked quite that quickly!

[DCWA]

You can argue the case it either way, but a manager suddenly leaving can often be a real problem for a player - a new manager could take a dislike to you and you're frozen out entirely.

Wouldn't be entirely confident this is good news for him. But sure we'll we see how it goes I guess. I know the Cypriot league is unstable, but I don't think anyone expected Mick to be sacked quite that quickly!

Oh yeah agreed 100% and I wouldn’t be sure it’s good news myself, just equally unsure it’s particularly bad news.

[pineapple stu]

Yeah, that's fair for sure.

Worst case scenario is I'm sure Rovers would take him back. Though it's not great for the LoI to be seen to be taking back too many of its transfers (McMillan, Boyle, Hoban, Burke, McEleney) cos it makes it hard to argue for a decent fee in future.

But he's a decent player who can do a job more than pretty much any LoI player of the last few years

[Martinho II]

Good point! I think myself that the sudden change in manager can be downheartening for a player who has just signed. I hope the new manager will be openminded to signings of previous coaching staff. It could be unsettling initially but hopefully then his ability will see him in to the first 11.

I vaguely remember I think it was Padraig Staunton signing for PNE by Moyes and days later Moyes took the Everton job and Staunton was immediately out in the cold, loaned out (Leonidas FC?) and then ended up back at Dundalk and ultimately in GAA. It was a strange one as Dundalk didnt get a fee in the end as the new manager at PNE stopped outstanding transfers but something like player registration had changed hands so Staunton was hence a PNE player. DFC officials travelled over to try and sort it out but its never been down as a transfer fee in for Dundalk. Im open to correction on details there if any Dundalk fans happen to know what the complications were - maybe he wasnt on a contract that demanded a fee and it would have been a goodwill fee or something!? Im pretty sure Dundalk were told to get lost though!

Think I might have heard about this one. Is this Steve Stauntons brother by any chance?

[Martinho II]

English is very widely spoken in Cyprus, almost universally so. That coupled with it being the primary language in football and a few players in that squad having spent time in England language will be no barrier.

Didn’t Byrne play a season in the Eridivisie as well? He should be in good shape as a footballer and a person for playing abroad imo.

I am also inclined to feel that McCarthys early departure could be a blessing as he can quickly shake of the shackles of being McCarthy’s man from Ireland, and as well as he clearly gets on with McCarthy, Mick’s style of football is probably not to Jack’s benefit overall or particularly suited to him.

If he doesn’t succeed at Apoel there will be very few mitigating circumstances or excuses and I feel it will be more the case that he just isn’t up to scratch, but I don’t think that’ll be the case and believe it remains an excellent move.

Yeah Jack played in Holland before cant remember the club though?

[Martinho II]

Nephew and to my knowledge went from Maiden City straight to Sheff Utd where he has had a couple of loans. Only played junior football here apart from the loan at Derry.

Thats mad this. How long ago did Stephen play for Derry City ? Is it early noughties by any chance?

[Longfordian]

Aaron Dobbs back at LTFC after a year at Shels. Not too sure why to be honest. He didn't do much in the First Division in his last spell.

[nigel-harps1954]

Thats mad this. How long ago did Stephen play for Derry City ? Is it early noughties by any chance?

Played for Derry twice. Also played for Harps and Sligo. Bit of a cult hero around Finn Park too, where he played 2007 and 2008 seasons.

[nigel-harps1954]

Aaron Dobbs back at LTFC after a year at Shels. Not too sure why to be honest. He didn't do much in the First Division in his last spell.

Didn't score a goal all last season for Shels either.

[Longfordian]

He's still young maybe he'll come good yet. Won't be holding my breath though.

[2 Year Contract]

Oh yeah agreed 100% and I wouldn’t be sure it’s good news myself, just equally unsure it’s particularly bad news.

I agree with this. With Apoel appointing their FIFTEENTH manager since 2015 today, it’s likely that Byrne would’ve been aware that it would be unlikely Mick would be the only manager he played under out there. Granted he obviously would’ve expected to have played more than 5 minutes under Mick but still. As said in the thread by someone, his ability should see him get a run in the team at some stage and if he performs well then he will build his reputation in Cyprus

[Nesta99]

Think I might have heard about this one. Is this Steve Stauntons brother by any chance?

Yup the youngest lad. Had bags of potential, like Steve but with some more pace - never got the breaks going for him at key times and packed it in for intermediate club gaelic football in Louth....

[Nesta99]

I agree with this. With Apoel appointing their FIFTEENTH manager since 2015 today, it’s likely that Byrne would’ve been aware that it would be unlikely Mick would be the only manager he played under out there. Granted he obviously would’ve expected to have played more than 5 minutes under Mick but still. As said in the thread by someone, his ability should see him get a run in the team at some stage and if he performs well then he will build his reputation in Cyprus

There is so much about the origins of money in the Cypriot league that is said to be dodge, paying off managers could help launder a few quid... If they were in lockdown they'd be getting desperate as gate income often came in at much higher than ticket sales and attendances, lots of cash on the gate paid to get in, premium hospitality tickets given out... and its tip of the iceberg!

[DCSIL]

John Mountney has signed for Pats.

[D24Saint]

John Mountney has signed for Pats.

Happy with that, been rumoured for a while so wonder why it took so long to make it official.

[total hoofball]

Aaron Dobbs back at LTFC after a year at Shels. Not too sure why to be honest. He didn't do much in the First Division in his last spell.
He didn't do much for Shels either and I wouldn't have been convinced much would have changed for next season at a lower level. Still young enough to improve so good move for him and for Shels

[sbgawa]

Dobbs was seen as a kid with lots of potential when at rovers, i remember him as a strong powerful runner. Hit the bar in the last game of the season against rovers for shels but needs to start hitting thd net one of these years

[Nesta99]

Happy with that, been rumoured for a while so wonder why it took so long to make it official.

Rumoured for the last 4 seasons so for sure it took some time! Its a good signing for Pats, losing his versatility and pure work ethic is something we might live to regret. That said if a side like Dundalk is to kick on then workman like with good technical ability is a next step. Another long serving player that has moved on and tinged with regret on that, himself and Shields lasting from the McCaffrey days. At least the Ridleys and Brubaker lads out on the pull can breathe easier now;)

[Longfordian]

Dobbs was seen as a kid with lots of potential when at rovers, i remember him as a strong powerful runner. Hit the bar in the last game of the season against rovers for shels but needs to start hitting thd net one of these years

I won't say I watched him every game but whenever I did see him he used to miss too many good chances. There were flashes of ability.

[Neish]

Played for Derry twice. Also played for Harps and Sligo. Bit of a cult hero around Finn Park too, where he played 2007 and 2008 seasons.

Acceleration in moderation

[Martinho II]

Rumoured for the last 4 seasons so for sure it took some time! Its a good signing for Pats, losing his versatility and pure work ethic is something we might live to regret. That said if a side like Dundalk is to kick on then workman like with good technical ability is a next step. Another long serving player that has moved on and tinged with regret on that, himself and Shields lasting from the McCaffrey days. At least the Ridleys and Brubaker lads out on the pull can breathe easier now;)

You ave lost me on the last sentence Nesta. Elaborate if you dont mind? It sounds familar but Im not sure why!

[joey B]

Dane Massey confirmed hes leaving Dundalk ,not sure if that was known already or not......

[ger121]

Wonder where Massey is off to

[sbgawa]

Rovers obviously

[Nesta99]

Magilton on a bit of a raiding spree with Stephen McDonnell in as FT youth academy manager. Great to see him back at the club!

[joey B]

Raivis Andris Jurkovskis Latvian International left back signed for Dundalk, good luck making a song for that fella!

[Mr A]

Raivis Andris Jurkovskis Latvian International left back signed for Dundalk, good luck making a song for that fella!

The big name signing fans have been waiting for!

[Nesta99]

You ave lost me on the last sentence Nesta. Elaborate if you dont mind? It sounds familar but Im not sure why!

lol ummm It wasnt just his footballing ability honed while at Dundalk but with the ladies also (and more power to his elbow!) so mere mortal men out and about town have the playing field levelled...

[sadloserkid]

The big name signing fans have been waiting for!

So we have a guy from the Faroese league, another from Albanian second tier and now somebody from the fifth best team in Latvia? They could all turn out to be masterstrokes of course but it's not been an overly inspiring set of acquisitions so far for Dundalk.

[Mr A]

So we have a guy from the Faroese league, another from Albanian second tier and now somebody from the fifth best team in Latvia? They could all turn out to be masterstrokes of course but it's not been an overly inspiring set of acquisitions so far for Dundalk.

I am just doing the same joke about a footballer with a long name I do every year, you might be reading too much into my comment.

[nigel-harps1954]

Korean lad to arrive, American and Canadian too apparently. The overseas Dundalk supporters club are going to be interesting.

[Sonny]

Korean lad to arrive, American and Canadian too apparently. The overseas Dundalk supporters club are going to be interesting.

How many of these are just completely wild punts?? How much actual long term scouting can be involved in these signings? I thought Magilton would bring some stability to the situation but this all really sounds like the Buffalo Bill circus is carrying on in earnest.

[placid casual]

I get the sense from the various posts on here that people are fairly dismissive of the new overseas signings made by dundalk.
Given the real lack of proper quality available in the LOI at present, its no major drastic measure in dundalk looking outside the league for recruitment.
These signings could be a real game changer in the league if even some of them succeed..

[oriel]

How many of these are just completely wild punts?? How much actual long term scouting can be involved in these signings? I thought Magilton would bring some stability to the situation but this all really sounds like the Buffalo Bill circus is carrying on in earnest.

Jurkovskis has 13 full caps and seems to be first choice for Latvia and played last game for them, he was being tracked since end of last season, looks a very good signing. New keeper also tracked from around the same time, but no idea how he will work out. On the striker signed pre xmas, Midtskogen, not sure why they went for him given Hoban and McMillan onboard for 2021, but he might be useful.

Still 9 at the club who played in cup final, including subs, but not including Hoban and Murray who were injured, so still good panel from 2020 and before at the club.

Now as for the South Korean linked, no idea about that one!

I'd disagree on Bill signings as seems Magilton heavily involved already and completed each of these deals, local paper this week he confirmed he's moving to the town shortly.

Best signing so far was still Duffy, but I wouldn't rule this Jurkovskis lad out, as ever with all of them, need to see them playing.

[joey B]

Karl O'Sullivan signed back at Harps,showed some promise last season but faltered a bit after the restart, hopefully he can kick on now.............

[DCSIL]

Rovers obviously

Drogheda.

[boynemunich]

Drogheda.

I don't think I've ever been so surprised from a signing. Did not think he was on our radar whatsoever. Brilliant signing and testament to the great work going on behind the scenes.

[oriel]

Raivis Andris Jurkovskis Latvian International left back signed for Dundalk, good luck making a song for that fella!

Consider the poor lads on Dundalk FM, one of them is 80+, a legend he is, but he'll have some craic with that name!

[pineapple stu]

Yoyo Mahdy from UCD to Shels.

Thought he'd get a Premier club to be honest. He'll be worth an extra place or two in the table for Shels

[DCSIL]

Jase Kabia off to Scotland with Livingston.

[2 Year Contract]

Yoyo Mahdy from UCD to Shels.

Thought he'd get a Premier club to be honest. He'll be worth an extra place or two in the table for Shels

Very apt that Shelbourne have signed a Yoyo

[pineapple stu]

I remember being annoyed when UCD were mentioned in yoyo club comments on here. Now I'm annoyed we're not being mentioned... :p

[oriel]

I don't think I've ever been so surprised from a signing. Did not think he was on our radar whatsoever. Brilliant signing and testament to the great work going on behind the scenes.

Super player is Massey, there will be few DFC fans that will not wish him well, brilliant record and performances with us, 5 leagues and 3 cups, 2 EL group stages. Although he didn't feature in 2020 cup final / EL group stages, he more than did his part for both. Best of luck to him at Drogs.

[nigel-harps1954]

Good signing for Drogheda, if only for experience and presence in the dressing room. Might not be the same player he was three or four years ago, but will definitely add massively to that dressing room. Been a mad off-season so far.

[Sonny]

Jurkovskis has 13 full caps and seems to be first choice for Latvia and played last game for them, he was being tracked since end of last season, looks a very good signing. New keeper also tracked from around the same time, but no idea how he will work out. On the striker signed pre xmas, Midtskogen, not sure why they went for him given Hoban and McMillan onboard for 2021, but he might be useful.

Still 9 at the club who played in cup final, including subs, but not including Hoban and Murray who were injured, so still good panel from 2020 and before at the club.

Now as for the South Korean linked, no idea about that one!

I'd disagree on Bill signings as seems Magilton heavily involved already and completed each of these deals, local paper this week he confirmed he's moving to the town shortly.

Best signing so far was still Duffy, but I wouldn't rule this Jurkovskis lad out, as ever with all of them, need to see them playing.

On the one hand you are saying these players have been tracked since before Magilton came on board, but on the other hand you are suggesting that they aren't Buffalo Bill's signings because Magilton seems heavily involved? How big is Dundalk's scouting department? There is absolutely no way all of these signings are the product of long-term monitoring and scouting; LOI clubs do not have that sort of infrastructure. 99.9% of these deals will arise through approaches from agent networks or various contacts and then signed on the basis of some background research and watching footage.

Perth was waxing lyrical last preseason about a radical new approach to recruitment to cast the net wider and bring in a higher calibre of player to push Dundalk on. What came from that? Colovic (on massive wages), Oduwa, Gatt, Patching et al. None of the signings/targets in this off-season have the pedigree to suggest they are levels above the top level of this league. The full-back looks the most promising, and 13 international caps are not to be sneered at, but he is also coming from the fifth place side in a league ranked below the LOI! On paper it looks questionable as to whether goalkeeper and Norwegian striker will even be up to the LOI at all. These signings smack of wild punts as opposed to some new revolutionary approach to recruitment in the league. Dundalk's recruitment has been absolutely awful the last couple of years, and if I were a Dundalk fan I would be seriously, seriously concerned about the current recruitment process and the profile of player they are bringing in.

Maybe some of them will work out, maybe most of them will, but it seems far more likely to me that replacing tried and trusted league winners with complete unknown quantities will end badly.

[Martinho II]

lol ummm It wasnt just his footballing ability honed while at Dundalk but with the ladies also (and more power to his elbow!) so mere mortal men out and about town have the playing field levelled...

Its like when Eric Lavine was with us he was legendary for his exploits with his female admirers. I used to work with a girl in Carrick on Shannon and when she heard I was a huge Longford Town fan she told me that her sister got made pregnant by Mr Lavine! Hence we had our own song about Lavine from Section O " Longfords baby making machine!"