2024 Season, Arrivals and Departures

[oriel]

Max Mata returns on loan for Sligo.

https://twitter.com/LeagueofIreland/status/1758129794196140348?t=aRm_2t8v2iAwQetoRa_Raw&s=19

Mata only scored 1 goal in 21 or 22 games in England, not a good return, but he should score a good few at this level, I think they have him until June only, still a good signing for Sligo.

[nr637]

Mata only scored 1 goal in 21 or 22 games in England, not a good return, but he should score a good few at this level, I think they have him until June only, still a good signing for Sligo.

It doesn't Mata to Sligo fans who are delighted to welcome him back to the club! :)

[Jack B]

Will be interesting to see how much of an impact Mata can make. I didn't really fancy him being a hit over the water, he was on a hot streak early last season but I think 4 of his 11 league goals came in two games against UCD and he'd something like 2 in 10 before moving, obviously a handy player but one of those where when you scratched below the surface it didn't feel as impressive as it seemed at face value. Still and all, an issue this Sligo team looked like it was going to have is a consistent threat of goals, so he'll be a boost to that if he can recapture some form.

[Briuk]

Will be interesting to see how much of an impact Mata can make. I didn't really fancy him being a hit over the water, he was on a hot streak early last season but I think 4 of his 11 league goals came in two games against UCD and he'd something like 2 in 10 before moving, obviously a handy player but one of those where when you scratched below the surface it didn't feel as impressive as it seemed at face value. Still and all, an issue this Sligo team looked like it was going to have is a consistent threat of goals, so he'll be a boost to that if he can recapture some form.
Totally agree with this statement, overrated.

[outspoken]

Totally agree with this statement, overrated.
Also agree, decent at linking play though.

[total hoofball]

If this average/overrated Mata bloke finished the season with Sligo he almost certainly would have finished as last seasons top goalscorer

He's probably no Geoghegan, Morley, Crowe, Byrne, Twigg or Hoban etc. but that's a good signing for any LOI team even for a short term loan especially for relegation tipped Sligo

[cláirseach]

If this average/overrated Mata bloke finished the season with Sligo he almost certainly would have finished as last seasons top goalscorer

He's probably no Geoghegan, Morley, Crowe, Byrne, Twigg or Hoban etc. but that's a good signing for any LOI team even for a short term loan especially for relegation tipped Sligo

He's a decemt footballer, as well as goalscorer, and gives te team a good platform. I like him, although I don't think he'll play all that many games.

[joey B]

Romeo Akachukwu moving in the summer to Southampton for €500,000 …

[SPXcyan]

It was bound to happen, a nice chunk of cash to spend on buying more players sure, be grand.

[placid casual]

Just a bit of idle speculation of a Sunday afternoon,but is the Evan Ferguson bubble in danger of bursting (thus denying lambert's puppet theatre at dalymount untold €€€€'s).
He's still only a chiseler in age terms but in a free scoring Brighton side,his goalscoring in conspicuous by its absence.. He has a multi-year contract there but the possibility of a £100M+ transfer doesn't look inevitable at present.

[total hoofball]

Ferguson is still only 19 I think Bohs will get a nice payday out of him sometime in the future. Brighton clearly have not been running him into the ground this season similarly to when Southampton famously managed the gametime of a developing Alan Shearer until he was about 20 and then the goals regularly followed

[joey B]

ACL injury for Rob Cornwall,Bohs will need to dip into the market for a CB.

[Shinkicker]

ACL injury for Rob Cornwall,Bohs will need to dip into the market for a CB.

Bohs didn't buy badly, they didn't buy at all. Shows the importance of buying wisely and early. But it's now a case of taking what you can get and expecting inexperienced Byrne and the new boy to be rock solid, because frankly when Cornwall went off on Friday the rest of the sh1t themselves.

[ger121]

ACL injury for Rob Cornwall,Bohs will need to dip into the market for a CB.

Bit of chatter around Novak coming back. He is without a club. I know he was as quick as an oil tanker but he was solid enough to retain in the squad. Given the deadline is the 20th, I’d bring him back.

[2 Year Contract]

Bit of chatter around Novak coming back. He is without a club. I know he was as quick as an oil tanker but he was solid enough to retain in the squad. Given the deadline is the 20th, I’d bring him back.

The cup final goalscoring hero himself! Was he hoping to secure a club back in Poland or elsewhere that fell through? Always think it’s strange when a player goes 4 months without a club

[joey B]

Harps signed Luke O'Brien on loan from Pats.

[total hoofball]

Bohs didn't buy badly, they didn't buy at all. Shows the importance of buying wisely and early. But it's now a case of taking what you can get and expecting inexperienced Byrne and the new boy to be rock solid, because frankly when Cornwall went off on Friday the rest of the sh1t themselves.
It's going to a busy exciting week for a lucky bunch of unemployed Estonian centre-backs whom Devine/Fenlon will claim they have been tracking for a number of months and not panic signings at all

[Jack B]

Really unfortunate for Cornwall. Hope his recovery goes as well as possible.

Bohs have had a shocker to be in this position though. Injury to Cornwall or not you're asking for trouble going into the season with only two recognised centre backs, and it's not like Byrne is the most proven either. Don't doubt that they tried for the like of Keeley, Turner and whoever else but still no excuse for being this unprepared.

[Nesta99]

Really unfortunate for Cornwall. Hope his recovery goes as well as possible.

Don't doubt that they tried for the like of Keeley, Turner and whoever else but still no excuse for being this unprepared.

Even Dundalk had a plan B and C with siging keepers after plans to extend Sheppard's contract were scuppered. Progress for us, teams affairs playing second fiddle to Thin Lizzy at Bohs!

[Jamesie]

Even Dundalk had a plan B and C with siging keepers after plans to extend Sheppard's contract were scuppered. Progress for us, teams affairs playing second fiddle to Thin Lizzy at Bohs!

I think people conflate the successful marketing arm of Bohs with their so so footballing side. Without that stuff we'd have a first division budget and a lot if good causes would be worse off. We're a different model and people need to move away from the lazy narrative of priorities gone arse ways

[sbgawa]

If your different model is not for success on the pitch I would have thought that was the definition of arse ways priorities for a football club ?

[elatedscum]

If your different model is not for success on the pitch I would have thought that was the definition of arse ways priorities for a football club ?

in fairness, with the infrastructure and financial situation at Bohs - if they simply tried to do what Rovers do, they'd probably be less successful than they are now. all the stuff they do probably bridges the gap to a certain degree - increases jersey sales and ticket sales and ultimately, most years they're able to put out a side that's competitive and in the mix for europe...

[Shinkicker]

in fairness, with the infrastructure and financial situation at Bohs - if they simply tried to do what Rovers do, they'd probably be less successful than they are now. all the stuff they do probably bridges the gap to a certain degree - increases jersey sales and ticket sales and ultimately, most years they're able to put out a side that's competitive and in the mix for europe...
I agree with a lot of what you say, but it's Bohemian FC, football should be the main priority and all the community projects should come second. Every child in in DP got a Christmas gift but the football squad were left short of a centre back. I know the price of the gift won't buy a centre back, but if the same effort was put in to building the squad we wouldn't be in the position we are in after week one of the season.

[outspoken]

I agree with a lot of what you say, but it's Bohemian FC, football should be the main priority and all the community projects should come second. Every child in in DP got a Christmas gift but the football squad were left short of a centre back. I know the price of the gift won't buy a centre back, but if the same effort was put in to building the squad we wouldn't be in the position we are in after week one of the season.

While I've long been a critic of Bohs for putting everything else over football, surely the clubs DOF shouldn't be distracted by such matters? A huge part of his job is recruitment and he's made a mess of it in multiple windows now. I'm sure Bohs have a community officer or someone who looks after the other stuff? Buck stops with the manager and DOF for the state of the FT squad.

[Another Bohemia]

While I've long been a critic of Bohs for putting everything else over football, surely the clubs DOF shouldn't be distracted by such matters? A huge part of his job is recruitment and he's made a mess of it in multiple windows now. I'm sure Bohs have a community officer or someone who looks after the other stuff? Buck stops with the manager and DOF for the state of the FT squad.

Agree with what your saying. The way people go on in here you'd swear Fenlon and Devine were designing jerseys, wrapping gifts and delivering them. That's not the case. People pointing at a jersey and saying that's why there's no players signed is like seeing a 404 message when trying to load twitter and blaming twitters marketing department. Same company but very different roles.

[Nesta99]

Im pointing the finger at the membership! There is a warm fuzzy vibe going round and people patting themselves on the back for a job well done...on jerseys and promotional activity, but more than any club the Bohs model can demand answers to why aspect of the club do so well and the football club doesnt and at a very basic level. One may facilitate the other but Bohs are not operating on a pittance. Sligo seem to be and Drogheda are and both dont think that 2 centre halves are enough, nobody does and it has already backfired. Bohs being the butt of jokes on their holier than thou social conscience is not because that is a bad thing, it is because it has become a more impoartant metric on success than endeavours on the pitch. Long did wonders when Bohs didnt have a pot to pish in, Bohs fans bleat about how great the club has done to turn that around but to what benefit tof the FC. Fenlon is a very experienced football man, would he accept things if he was managing the side. Something is odd, with plenty of contradictions.

[sbgawa]

in fairness, with the infrastructure and financial situation at Bohs - if they simply tried to do what Rovers do, they'd probably be less successful than they are now. all the stuff they do probably bridges the gap to a certain degree - increases jersey sales and ticket sales and ultimately, most years they're able to put out a side that's competitive and in the mix for europe...

I dont buy that poor mouth stuff from Bohs,
Rovers average attendance was 2500 more than Bohs last year average revenue per ticket is around a tenner (load of kids season tickets) so thats 25000 per match addtional revenue times 18 = €450,000
Given the jersey sales they seem to be getting (im sure i heard 2 million mentioned) they should be closing that gap.

I think plucky underdog suits the narrative but its a cop out in my view.

[Another Bohemia]

I dont buy that poor mouth stuff from Bohs,
Rovers average attendance was 2500 more than Bohs last year average revenue per ticket is around a tenner (load of kids season tickets) so thats 25000 per match addtional revenue times 18 = €450,000
Given the jersey sales they seem to be getting (im sure i heard 2 million mentioned) they should be closing that gap.

I think plucky underdog suits the narrative but its a cop out in my view.

I don't think anyone within the club has mentioned budget? The party line seems to be "trying to get better players in over just getting bodies in". I don't particularly buy that much either as you need bodies in before you can get better bodies in.

[RealJohn91]

It's not "poor mouth stuff", it's we can't lose money like other clubs in the league can and get away with it anymore.

[Glen Of Aherlow]

No time to be worrying about new centre backs with the Julian Assange extradition case going on

[outspoken]

No time to be worrying about new centre backs with the Julian Assange extradition case going on

Hahaha

[placid casual]

Probably just as well U2 didn't play at dalymount or boez would have to find a way of having a star of david on their shirts.

In terms of the, frankly comical, lack of onfield success for boez in a decade , a fair minded man would point out that they were only a peno shootout and 2 cup final appearances away from trophy success so its not like their shels or anything- I'm not like that, obviously...:)

[Shinkicker]

While I've long been a critic of Bohs for putting everything else over football, surely the clubs DOF shouldn't be distracted by such matters? A huge part of his job is recruitment and he's made a mess of it in multiple windows now. I'm sure Bohs have a community officer or someone who looks after the other stuff? Buck stops with the manager and DOF for the state of the FT squad.
You are correct the DOF shouldn't be distracted by such matters, my point is, he or the Manager OR both should be held accountable for the signings to date or the lack of. Senior committee must have known the player situation prior to the season starting. I'm sure there were regular meetings to see how the toy thing was going at Christmas but probably no meetings on the player progress. Everyone in their on department is accountable for their job beit paid or voluntary. They must have told the senior committee some porkys, and that's if meetings ever took place. We are signing a good one next, oh he went somewhere else for 100 euro a month more or we couldn't sign him due to the housing crisis. For the sake of a few hundred euro get the man you want, don't make excuses. The housing crisis is the same for all Dublin clubs. I'm sure the wage difference for players does not differ by thousands. Rant over

[Dermobohs]

Buck stops with Devine, he’s the team boss. Biggest ever budget, full time set up, top training facilities. No ****ing excuse this season, none. He was recommended several players by Fenlon and was either reluctant to sign them or moved too slow or in a couple of cases ignored the advice.

[Shinkicker]

Buck stops with Devine, he’s the team boss. Biggest ever budget, full time set up, top training facilities. No ****ing excuse this season, none. He was recommended several players by Fenlon and was either reluctant to sign them or moved too slow or in a couple of cases ignored the advice.
Didn't know that re: reluctant and or slow. I see we possibly have a Polish player/striker coming in from FC Imabari who I think are J League 3. Now we have strikers we'll bang in 4 goals a game, problem is we'll lose 5-4 because we've no defenders

[Another Bohemia]

Buck stops with Devine, he’s the team boss. Biggest ever budget, full time set up, top training facilities. No ****ing excuse this season, none. He was recommended several players by Fenlon and was either reluctant to sign them or moved too slow or in a couple of cases ignored the advice.

If that's true (turning down players & acting too slowly) then Devine's leash may be shorter than it seemed at the start of the season. It's a bold strategy from him, let's see how it works out.

[ontheotherhand]

in fairness, with the infrastructure and financial situation at Bohs - if they simply tried to do what Rovers do, they'd probably be less successful than they are now. all the stuff they do probably bridges the gap to a certain degree - increases jersey sales and ticket sales and ultimately, most years they're able to put out a side that's competitive and in the mix for europe...

I don't think anybody expects them to do what we do.....but they aren't doing the basics on the football side. I like some of the other stuff and wouldn't mind if we released a few more jerseys to be honest. It wouldn't be as hypocritical for clubs without climate officers to do it either....But they are falling apart on the field. They aren't bridging any gaps at all. Since they've increased their budget and put in their DoF they've actually gone backwards. They were 2nd in 2020 and apparently all is rosy on the financial side yet they can't compete above 5th or 6th place now? Combining that with some of the more laughable social/community efforts (beehive painting and trad music cults for example) and they are setting themselves up for backlash from their own fans. You can see it bubbling on social media. It doesn't help that Lambert likes to be front and centre and I'm not sure he fully understands his own critics:

“You’re always going to have detractors, you’re always going to have people saying: ‘Why can’t we just be normal?’ There is a bit of that,” says Lambert.
Innovative
“If we don’t behave innovatively we might as well just sell the club. The members don’t want to sell the club. The merchandise is a way of being innovative.
“But we’re running out of gigs now,” he adds, laughing.


https://www.irishmirror.ie/sport/soccer/you-know-no-matter-what-32149463

I don't think people have a problem with the jerseys.......it's the team being put out in them that's the issue. They'll hammer us now in all 4 games of course.

[Another Bohemia]

Filip Piszczek confirmed to Bohs. Listed as striker but I hope he can also play in defence...

[SkStu]

Its taken me a while to realize that, strategically, we have the right plan. It is sound. Off the field, improve all income streams through innovation and social connection with the stated aim of sustainability and success on the field. However, as many rightly point out, as a football club it will all fall apart (already is falling apart) if you don't get the equivalent success on the pitch. So, I think this funk we are in is not so about a flawed strategy but more so is about holding people accountable to performance on the pitch.

Much like striving for commercial and social success and putting the right people in place off the pitch, holding people accountable to success on the football development and playing side is also the responsibility of the Board/President. Whether the recruitment issues are on Nutsy or Devine, I don't know for sure, but when it comes to winning games, that is on the manager and I do think that Devine can count himself lucky to have survived last season.

[SkStu]

Filip Piszczek confirmed to Bohs. Listed as striker but I hope he can also play in defence...

name like that is a bit of a p!sstake...

[Nesta99]

It's not "poor mouth stuff", it's we can't lose money like other clubs in the league can and get away with it anymore.

Nobody is suggesting you should, and most clubs cant lose money and get away with it. It is Bohs that talk about turning finances around, sell out crowds, raking it in with merchandising, lists of people wanting to become members but then can flip that to the 'cant lose moey'....its a centre half or 2, an investment in a football squad, not handing out money for nothing be it Chritsmas or not. Seems like there'd hve been enough Rovers fans to have whip round to pay for Sean Hoare to move to Dalymount, failng that there is a loan system, maybe Brighton had a player or 2 that could have done with game time or raid UCD like everyone else. To use a British Toryism 'Back to basics' lads!

[D24Saint]

Kieran Freeman a right back is in from Dundee United. That’s the squad complete now , let’s see how the season plays out.

[Kiki Balboa]

Filip Piszczek confirmed to Bohs. Listed as striker but I hope he can also play in defence...

Pretty strange resumé. Played 72 times, scoring 12 times, for Cracovia in the Polish Premier Division, which is a higher standard than here, to go to a team in 3rd division in Japan and only play 5 times, and hasn't played since 2022. Still only 29.

One of those signings you couldn't get in any other league...

[Nesta99]

Pretty strange resumé. Played 72 times, scoring 12 times, for Cracovia in the Polish Premier Division, which is a higher standard than here, to go to a team in 3rd division in Japan and only play 5 times, and hasn't played since 2022. Still only 29.

One of those signings you couldn't get in any other league...

and when you are short on defenders!

Maybe there is some superstar kid coming up through the underage ranks that will get a run and make us all look like idiots. Its seems so complacet by Bohs maybe we are missing something. I still think Lambert is a pretentious wan...gler that could well be the type Dundalk FC need to build that static average attendance - not sure I could cope with Dundalk FC branded beard grooming kits or the Dundalk FC Apiarist Supporters Club!!

[Jack B]

Always near impossible to properly judge these signings when they've not only not played in this league, but in ones that we essentially can't compare in terms of standard. The few goals in the Polish top flight would give you some optimism if you were a glass half full type, but they were a while ago and he's otherwise got an uninspiring record at not too incredible a level. Continues a weird off-season for Bohs.

Freeman that Pats have brought in seems to have some encouraging pedigree at least. Only 23 and 50-ish SPL games to his name. Not sure it says too much for McLaughlin's fitness that we've gotten in a third right-back now, but after seeing how Bolger understandably struggled when having to fill in there in the President's Cup I won't be complaining about it.

[Nesta99]

Always near impossible to properly judge these signings when they've not only not played in this league, but in ones that we essentially can't compare in terms of standard. The few goals in the Polish top flight would give you some optimism if you were a glass half full type, but they were a while ago and he's otherwise got an uninspiring record at not too incredible a level. Continues a weird off-season for Bohs.

Freeman that Pats have brought in seems to have some encouraging pedigree at least. Only 23 and 50-ish SPL games to his name. Not sure it says too much for McLaughlin's fitness that we've gotten in a third right-back now, but after seeing how Bolger understandably struggled when having to fill in there in the President's Cup I won't be complaining about it.

Its does highlight the contrast with how Bohs have so dealt with a similar problem. St Pats have moved quickly to cover a position that was looking very light and could impact on the pitch performance. Bohs fans could point to Kelleher possibly digging a bit deeper than intended as a result, but I dont see how adding a striker is affordable but cover at centre defence is overlooked, at face value anyway. Im sure a shortage of Thin Lizzy shirts would be addressed pretty quickly and securing additional stock would coat around a decent wage for an out of contract/loan player.

[Kiki Balboa]

Always near impossible to properly judge these signings when they've not only not played in this league, but in ones that we essentially can't compare in terms of standard. The few goals in the Polish top flight would give you some optimism if you were a glass half full type, but they were a while ago and he's otherwise got an uninspiring record at not too incredible a level. Continues a weird off-season for Bohs.

All very true... But if Bohs get relegated, I think in hindsight this is will look like a very stereotypical pre-relegation signing.

In saying that - this league is not the highest of standards and I would have zero idea what happened in this lads career. Could easily find his feet in the league.

[total hoofball]

Always near impossible to properly judge these signings when they've not only not played in this league, but in ones that we essentially can't compare in terms of standard. The few goals in the Polish top flight would give you some optimism if you were a glass half full type, but they were a while ago and he's otherwise got an uninspiring record at not too incredible a level. Continues a weird off-season for Bohs.

Hard to tell what's going on with Bohs if it's Fenlon's fault/Devine's fault/Lambert's fault or all of their fault but on the field they don't seem to be adjusting to going full-time professional very well and don't look to have much confidence in their current underage crop which has served them so well in recent years when they were training early evenings

I'm taking an educated guess on LOI imports over recent years it's about 40/60 from the UK if they will be any use and 25/75 from elsewhere for being any use. One way or the other you can't build a squad in the LOI even in the medium term to challenge for anything with haphazard panic signings of international unknowns from agent contacts even the ones turn out to be decent not many settle down or stick around in Ireland

[oriel]

No player IMO over the last 10 years will come even close to the worst 'overseas' quality I have ever seen to Abibi for Dundalk in 2021, GK. He was so bad a FD club wouldn't have taken him yet he played 4 euro games, christ even typing his name brings back nightmares.

[ontheotherhand]

No player IMO over the last 10 years will come even close to the worst 'overseas' quality I have ever seen to Abibi for Dundalk in 2021, GK. He was so bad a FD club wouldn't have taken him yet he played 4 euro games, christ even typing his name brings back nightmares.

He was so good in the President's Cup I'd given up on the league.