Bohs appoint Fenlon

[CollegeTillIDie]

Just announced as breaking news on Newstalk a few moments ago, former Shelbourne and Derry City manager Pat Fenlon has been appointed the new manager of Bohemians. There is apparently a formal announcement coming out later this evening.

[GavinZac]

oh ffs, mathews it is then :(

[pineapple stu]

Thought his stint at Derry would have made clubs think twice before appointing him. Can see Bohs dropping back on last year's league finish, to be honest.

[Carlin]

Bóllocks:(:(:(

[DmanDmythDledge]

Thought his stint at Derry would have made clubs think twice before appointing him.
Given the problems that he had with the dressing room up there it will be interesting to see what Oman and Brennan will think of his appointment.

[Student Mullet]

Thought his stint at Derry would have made clubs think twice before appointing him. Can see Bohs dropping back on last year's league finish, to be honest.
I can see the proceeds of Dalymount being spent anyway.

[sonofstan]

Given the problems that he had with the dressing room up there it will be interesting to see what Oman and Brennan will think of his appointment.

He's taking over from a manager who lost most of the players about half way through the year, not from a popular predecessor, as in Derry; he's a Dubliner taking over a Dublin club...... should be OK, I'd say

[pineapple stu]

None of that is relevant when you consider he's simply not a good manager.

(Although in fairness, it probably is relevant to dmanetc's point...)

[superfrank]

Plenty of European experience could get Bohs far in the Intertoto.

I'd rate him a lot higher then Connor anyway.

[pineapple stu]

I'd rate him a lot higher then Connor anyway.
Doesn't really say much, does it!

Expect Bohs to play 4-5-1 in the InterToto and get knocked out by an average side.

[superfrank]

Doesn't really say much, does it!

Expect Bohs to play 4-5-1 in the InterToto and get knocked out by an average side.
Average on what scale?

Average on a European scale or on an eircom league scale?

[sonofstan]

official now (http://www.bohemians.ie/index.php/club-news/pat-unveiled.htm)

[Réiteoir]

good appointment with what was out there

I fully support the board on this - and welcome Pat to The Big Club

[Martinho II]

good appoinment for bohs. owen heary and fenlon will be reunited. bohs should go places under fenlon now. what next for sean connor?

[SligoBrewer]

good appoinment for bohs. owen heary and fenlon will be reunited. bohs should go places under fenlon now. what next for sean connor?

Failed job applications in England

[BohDiddley]

Great appointment. A proven winner.

[Red&White Rover]

what next for sean connor?
PA to Steve Bruce

[GavinZac]

here's to jobs for the boys, as the fenlon gang roll into dalymount one last time.

[sligoman]

Sean Connor to manage the Ireland u-23's now:D

[fanatic]

3 cheers for boh's who will be playing the long ball next season !

with any luck ya's might get dave rodgers too, what a talent he was as well !

[GavinZac]

3 cheers for boh's who will be playing the long ball next season !

with any luck ya's might get dave rodgers too, what a talent he was as well !

and moore, and o'halloran. wasn't george o'callaghan looking for a job at shels last season too? right bunch of characters there.

[pineapple stu]

Average on what scale?

Average on a European scale or on an eircom league scale?
Let's say, a team I'd expect a top eL club to progress past 50% of the time.

Fenlon's Euro record isn't great; the La Coruna game is what everyone remembers though. In his first year, they lost to Hibernians of Malta - an awful result which his novice status can't excuse. The next season, they lost home and away to Olimpjia Ljubljana. I was at the home leg, and Ljubljana were a poor team, but Shels were clueless. They stayed 4-5-1 until the hour mark, when they were already 2-1 down at home and the tie was dead.

In the third year, they drew home and away against KR from Iceland - you could argue they were lucky to get through as they were 2-0 down in Iceland with ten minutes to go. Think they played 4-5-1 in both games. Hadjuk was a good win. Depor was another good performance, although the 3-0 in the away leg was never really a surprise. Shels were more than flattered by losing 4-2 to Lille though - they were torn apart repeatedly and were saved by some comical finishing from Moussilou (who's in playing Qatar now, for anyone interested) in particular.

The following year, they beat Glentoran 6-2 on aggregate - to be expected really, as the Glens were out of season. They held Steaua at home (just about, as I recall) before getting hammered away in an awful performance. Then in 2006, they beat Vetra 5-0 - it took almost an hour to go 4-4-2 even with Vetra down to nine players. They then got comfortably beaten in Odense in the end, before winning a dead second leg.

Overall W-D-L record - 6-5-8 - not good enough to "get far" in any tournament. This was with a budget about twice what Bohs' will be (going on their repsective accounts), so I would imagine they won't even do as well as that.

[Réiteoir]

3 cheers for boh's who will be playing the long ball next season !

with any luck ya's might get dave rodgers too, what a talent he was as well !

Pint of bitter - or have you enough already?

[fanatic]

Pint of bitter?

when he came to derry, i believed we got the best man for the job, i also thought he was bring some decent footballers with him as well .....

i still dont understand why people praise him, his tactics and style of football were terrible !

[LeixlipRed]

Great appointment. A proven winner.

here, here. All the rubbish on here about Fenlon is ridiculous. Expect league titles for Bohs and me being sick all round :D

[pineapple stu]

All the rubbish on here about Fenlon is ridiculous.
The exact same thing was said by Fenlon supporters when he was appointed Derry boss. The sceptics were proven right (though most of us didn't expect to be so spectacularly right.)

[Kildare Lad]

Good apointment IMO

[LeixlipRed]

The exact same thing was said by Fenlon supporters when he was appointed Derry boss. The sceptics were proven right (though most of us didn't expect to be so spectacularly right.)

And he spent long enough at Derry to show that he's not a good enough manager did he? It was clear from day one at Derry that it wasn't happening. He was barely in the job a couple of months. The reason you have no time for him is because of his association with the Shels team which bought a team with money we didn't have.

[Student Mullet]

The exact same thing was said by Fenlon supporters when he was appointed Derry boss. The sceptics were proven right (though most of us didn't expect to be so spectacularly right.)

I think he'll do better at Bohs because they're in Dublin and have money so he'll find it easier to buy in players, that's his management style.

[pineapple stu]

The reason you have no time for him is because of his association with the Shels team which bought a team with money we didn't have.
Thanks for telling me what I think; it's very appreciated.

I never said I had no time for him. I said he's a poor manager, and I've given some of my reasons. One of them being that, as you say, from day one, it wasn't happening for him at Derry. But you make up whatever you want to believe; no skin off my nose.


I think he'll do better at Bohs because they're in Dublin and have money so he'll find it easier to buy in players, that's his management style.
Possibly, although I still don't think he'll do as well as some think he will with half of the budget he had at Shels.

[LeixlipRed]

3 titles in 5 years. Which when he retires will still take up more space then the entire UCD senior teams trophy cabinet. But success is all relative of course

[pineapple stu]

With twice the budget anyone else had. I'd have won those itles with that money. But then, the value of money isn't something Shels fans would appreciate.

[micls]

I think he'll do better at Bohs because they're in Dublin and have money so he'll find it easier to buy in players, that's his management style.

He's a lot more competition this time around. With Shels he pretty much ahd free reign in buying players up. With Bohs he'l have Drogs and Pat's able to match if not outbid him.

It'l show what he's made of anyway

[LeixlipRed]

Yes of course you would have Pineapple. There's nothing to management but money

[pineapple stu]

And of course, don't forget the 65% rule, which means Bohs must slash 35% off their wages bill for next season. :)

[Philly]

Despite what the begrudgers say, Fenlon is already up there with the most successful LOI managers ever, and is still fairly young. Good appointment.

[fanatic]

Despite what the begrudgers say, Fenlon is already up there with the most successful LOI managers ever, and is still fairly young. Good appointment.

dont get me wrong..... i think its a great appointment ;)

i support Derry and i welcome a clueless boh's to the brandywell anytime !

[lofty9]

His signings were awful for us. Fenlons football was like that of Dermot Keely's Derry. I was fully behind him but as time went by the supporters got fed up with his long ball tactics. Really really brutal stuff to watch. I honestly can't see this one lasting too long, the Bohs fans will expect their team to play decent football.

As pints of bitter go - hell rub it up Brennan and Oman.

[sonofstan]

The year Fenlon had his biggest, most expensive squad at Shels - 2005- was also their least successful of his reign; Ollie went on a shopping spree at the end of '04 which unsettled the side that had won 2 in a row. And you're right that Pat's and Drogs will be competing next year in terms of spending - if Cork and Derry want to be there or thereabouts they're both going to have to find some money and appoint managers ASAP.

[BohsPartisan]

Fenlon is the most successful manager currently working in LOI football. We'll be title challengers this year.

[GavinZac]

The year Fenlon had his biggest, most expensive squad at Shels - 2005- was also their least successful of his reign; Ollie went on a shopping spree at the end of '04 which unsettled the side that had won 2 in a row. And you're right that Pat's and Drogs will be competing next year in terms of spending - if Cork and Derry want to be there or thereabouts they're both going to have to find some money and appoint managers ASAP.

we have the money. however, our general manager appears intent on staying under the 65% wage cap, unlike a lot of other clubs. how long that will last, if the offenders go unpunished, remains to be seen.

[superfrank]

Let's say, a team I'd expect a top eL club to progress past 50% of the time.
Jesus, you've high expectations.

There's no shame going out to Steua (in the Champions League now), Depor (had reached the CL semis the year before), Odense (disposed of Pats this year so it's not as if beating Shels was a shock result) or Lille (qualified for the CL that season and reached the QF's in 2005/06). I'd rate them a lot higher then any Irish team. The earlier years were bad granted but he did improve on it in later years.

You learn from your experiences and I think his European experience will help Bohs in their Intertoto run.

[fanatic]

Fenlon is the most successful manager currently working in LOI football. We'll be title challengers this year.


stay positive :D !

[pineapple stu]

There's no shame going out to Steua (in the Champions League now), Depor (had reached the CL semis the year before), Odense (disposed of Pats this year so it's not as if beating Shels was a shock result) or Lille (qualified for the CL that season and reached the QF's in 2005/06). I'd rate them a lot higher then any Irish team. The earlier years were bad granted but he did improve on it in later years.
But they're the kind of teams you're going to have to beat to "go far" in Europe, like you suggested. Odense were in fact a team who stopped Shels going far in the InterToto, so it's fair to use them to argue against your point. And he has to do it with half the budget. And results suggest he didn't really learn from his experiences - he was just given more money to go and buy more players. He was still sticking to 4-5-1 in silly situations right to the end.

[niallsparky]

http://bohsfc.blogspot.com/

Fenlon Is The New Bohs Manager

Bohemians have today announced that Pat Fenlon is to become their new manager. Fenlon will replace the outgoing Sean Connor and early reactions are postitive amongst the majority of Bohemians' fans. The official website has announced that a press conference will take place at 1 pm of Thursday, December 27th at Dalymount Park to formally unveil their decision to award him with a 3 year contract.

Fenlon rejoins the Gypsies having spent some of his playing career at The Big Club. Between 1991 and 1994, "Nutsy" made 88 appearances for Bohs, scoring 29 times. Fenlon managed to win the PFAI Player of the Year award in his first season at Bohs.

His managerial career has been a succesful one so far, winning three league titles during his five years at local rivals Shelbourne. He has also managed Derry City in a brief and relatively unsuccessful spell at the start of last season. It remains to be seen whether Fenlon will remain in his position as manager of the Irish Under 23 squad or if he will forfeit it to focus entirely on his new role in "the biggest job in Irish domestic football"*[1] at Bohs.


*Quote courtesy of the one and only Roddy Collins. Rico also said something along the same lines...

[superfrank]

And results suggest he didn't really learn from his experiences - he was just given more money to go and buy more players. He was still sticking to 4-5-1 in silly situations right to the end.
So he just bought the players for a laugh then?

Ollie was the kind of chairman who was willing to give his manager more money and Fenlon used it to improve the team, like any manager would. And as your summary of his European results shows the results did improve. He believed in his tactics, whether they were adventurous or not, and the side did go further as the years went on.

They may not have reached the heights of 2004 again but the side had still improved on that showing against the Slovenian side that you saw.

That's why I believe he learnt from his experiences in Europe.

[niallsparky]

So he just bought the players for a laugh then?

Ollie was the kind of chairman who was willing to give his manager more money and Fenlon used it to improve the team, like any manager would. And as your summary of his European results shows the results did improve. He believed in his tactics, whether they were adventurous or not, and the side did go further as the years went on.

They may not have reached the heights of 2004 again but the side had still improved on that showing against the Slovenian side that you saw.

That's why I believe he learnt from his experiences in Europe.

Seconded. When judging a manager, you judge him on his most recent performances. As regards Europe, his most recent results are very impressive.

[pineapple stu]

So he just bought the players for a laugh then?

He bought the players because he's a chequebook manager, and that's how he manages. With better players, obviously he got (slightly) better results. A good manager would improve the current players; Fenlon just bought in more. You're continuing to ignore the fact that he won't have anything near the same budget at Bohs as at Shels, which is a very important factor.

Bohs won't go far in the InterToto. They'll get through one round at best (easy draws pending, obviously)

[CollegeTillIDie]

His signings were awful for us. Fenlons football was like that of Dermot Keely's Derry. I was fully behind him but as time went by the supporters got fed up with his long ball tactics. Really really brutal stuff to watch. I honestly can't see this one lasting too long, the Bohs fans will expect their team to play decent football.

As pints of bitter go - hell rub it up Brennan and Oman.

Pat Fenlon could not attract the players he actually wanted to , at The Brandywell. As Estate Agents are wont to say, '' location , location, location''. Because it is expected that players who line out for The Candystripes, will live in the area and the frozen Northwest just didn't appeal to a lot of players that Pat had on his wish list.

Also another aspect is , in order to do well at Finn Harps, Derry City or any Irish League club for that matter, and not be from the area, you need to understand the mindset. I had three grandparents who were either born or raised North of the border so I speak from personal experience on this issue. Fenlon never came to terms with that principle and didn't succeed largely for that reason. Stephen Kenny seemed to have cracked that particular nut and was much more successful as a result.

[Dazzy]

Fenlon is the most successful manager currently working in LOI football. We'll be title challengers this year.

Just 12 months ago we said that:o


And you're right that Pat's and Drogs will be competing next year in terms of spending - if Cork and Derry want to be there or thereabouts they're both going to have to find some money and appoint managers ASAP.

Best Derry could do would be 4th/5th and it would be stupid for us to be throwing money away trying to compete with Drogheda.