2024 Season, Arrivals and Departures

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Originally Posted by nigel-harps1954

Said it when the two signed for Shels but Dervin is a poor man's Mark Coyle.

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Agreed Dervin wasn't disciplined with the ball while Coyle is everything you want as a calming presence in the middle of the park with the ball and a tiger without the ball. Duff hasn't wasted time moving on players that don't fit his footballing discipline and he has been proven right with every player moved on so far, with Dervin he was actually re-signed for the 2023 season before he was strangely sent out on loan to Longford before the season kicked off I never heard any stories on how that came about but it sounded something pretty sudden happened

Fittingly Dervin's final Galway appearance was at Tolka in June getting sent off recklessly against Shels

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Originally Posted by Another Bohemia

Some fans love a crest kisser. What more needs to be said but he has as many red cards as goals in a Bohs shirt so no great loss. I do think there needs to be some cover brought in for the wings. McDaid isn't up to it. Rooney is just a free kick specialist, not much else and Grant (who has contributed more that Connolly) is looking limited since he came back.

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Harsh on Rooney. He’s a the best footballer out of that list at the moment by a distance.

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Originally Posted by Philosophizer

Harsh on Rooney. He’s a the best footballer out of that list at the moment by a distance.

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Agreed Rooney is our best winger but that's a bit like me being the best footballer out of my mates. It's a pretty low bar. Rooney has a great cross/set piece but he can't beat a man whether it's with pace or a trick so it means from open play he's very limited. I'd start him solely for his set pieces though.

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Originally Posted by RealJohn91

Shockingly limited footballer, I feel like I'm going mad seeing other Bohs fans upset that a fella with one goal and two assists in over 50 appearances is a big loss. We need someone with some end product instead to improve.*

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It’s something I looked up and flagged on here when he signed for Bohs but if it’s goals you’re looking for from a winger then Connolly was never going to be the man for that. Since leaving Dundalk 6 years ago he’s now scored 7 goals in 203 appearances in all competitions. Averages at a goal every 29 games, so more less 1 a season

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Originally Posted by Another Bohemia

Agreed Rooney is our best winger but that's a bit like me being the best footballer out of my mates. It's a pretty low bar. Rooney has a great cross/set piece but he can't beat a man whether it's with pace or a trick so it means from open play he's very limited. I'd start him solely for his set pieces though.

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As you mentioned yourself, Rooney is all about his deliveries. Saw him up close against Sligo last weekend and he put in plenty of very dangerous deliveries into the box. Not his fault nobody could finish.
He doesn’t necessarily need to be pacey or tricky. If they had a winger like that on the other side it would be a fine balance - a young Danny Grant would be lovely.

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Originally Posted by 2 Year Contract

It’s something I looked up and flagged on here when he signed for Bohs but if it’s goals you’re looking for from a winger then Connolly was never going to be the man for that. Since leaving Dundalk 6 years ago he’s now scored 7 goals in 203 appearances in all competitions. Averages at a goal every 29 games, so more less 1 a season

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Without looking at the stats even, people know Connolly is a knock it past and burn for pace player and not a whole lot more. His pace does scare defenders to sit deeper and frees up space for other to exploit, a useful impact sub. But converting to striker was a real long shot and he'd have been straight forward enough to counter tacticlly even if he was a winger with an eye for goal.

I know it was 10 years ago and in the First Division but when Connolly was 19 years of age he scored 12 goals in 22 appearances that season for Shels, some of his finishing and attacking instincts in or around the box was by far the best I had seen at Tolka since our the mid-00s heavy days, add in his pace to burn he was very exciting just needed a bit more strength and polishing, at worst he should have been a top LOI Premier Division attacker and at best UK with potential for the Championship or SPFL levels

I really think there was a top top player there but 10 years on no doubt he regressed instead of developing. Him and Adam McDonnell both left Shels to go Ipswich that season for peanuts when Mick McCarthy was there and Ipswich then seemed to chew young players to bits, but now look at Ipswich aswell 10 years on how different they look

'The 72' site has picked up the Irish Mirror story about Shamrock Rovers' young midfielder Ryan Kelly attracting the interest of both Millwall and Torino. Having released 10 players at the end of last season (and possibly selling Emakhu to PSV), Millwall have a kitty and some gaps to fill.

Goalkeeper Harry Halwax gone to Longford Town after losing their first and second choice 'keepers.

He had spells with Derby and QPR. I might have seen him once with Cabo but can't remember anything about him.

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Originally Posted by total hoofball

I know it was 10 years ago and in the First Division but when Connolly was 19 years of age he scored 12 goals in 22 appearances that season for Shels, some of his finishing and attacking instincts in or around the box was by far the best I had seen at Tolka since our the mid-00s heavy days, add in his pace to burn he was very exciting just needed a bit more strength and polishing, at worst he should have been a top LOI Premier Division attacker and at best UK with potential for the Championship or SPFL levels

I really think there was a top top player there but 10 years on no doubt he regressed instead of developing. Him and Adam McDonnell both left Shels to go Ipswich that season for peanuts when Mick McCarthy was there and Ipswich then seemed to chew young players to bits, but now look at Ipswich aswell 10 years on how different they look

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I agree, the tools were there, a lower division Kilbane of work hard and make the most of what youve got but he needed add some footballing intelligence. Dundalk paid a significant LoI transfer fee so he was rated well enough and then got our money back from AFC Wimbledon. But yeah if he wasnt poorly coached, there are some players that cant be coached and remain a raw talent.

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Originally Posted by Shearer

Goalkeeper Harry Halwax gone to Longford Town after losing their first and second choice 'keepers.

He had spells with Derby and QPR. I might have seen him once with Cabo but can't remember anything about him.

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Think he was most recently with Maynooth Town

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Originally Posted by 2 Year Contract

Think he was most recently with Maynooth Town

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Yeah I believe he played against us when we played Maynooth in LS Cup earlier this season.

A few of you owe Rooney an apology :)

Hopefully Bohs aren't finished but there has been some amount of people in and out of Dalymount in the past few weeks

In:

Leigh Kavanagh (Brighton)
Archie Meekison (Dundee)
Liam Smith (unattached/Cheltenham)
Dawson Devoy (MK Dons)
Ross Tierney (Motherwell)
Jake Carroll (unattached)
Alex Grieve (St Mirren)

Out

Luke Dennison
Bart Kukulowicz
Michael Lilander
Luke Matheson
Dylan Connolly
Sten Reinkort

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Originally Posted by Another Bohemia

Hopefully Bohs aren't finished but there has been some amount of people in and out of Dalymount in the past few weeks

In:

Leigh Kavanagh (Brighton)
Archie Meekison (Dundee)
Liam Smith (unattached/Cheltenham)
Dawson Devoy (MK Dons)
Ross Tierney (Motherwell)
Jake Carroll (unattached)
Alex Grieve (St Mirren)

Out

Luke Dennison
Bart Kukulowicz
Michael Lilander
Luke Matheson
Dylan Connolly
Sten Reinkort

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I just hope the revolving door there at Bohs is being greased by eco friendly olive oil and not some nasty WD-40

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Originally Posted by placid casual

I just hope the revolving door there at Bohs is being greased by eco friendly olive oil and not some nasty WD-40

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Thankfully metaphorical doors don't need to be greased. They are as green as can be ;)

Keith Ward released by Shels.

Is is Dundalk's turn to sign him next, or or Bohs?

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Originally Posted by Burnsie

Keith Ward released by Shels.

Is is Dundalk's turn to sign him next, or or Bohs?

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Only played 16 minutes of football for shels. For some reason I can see him signing for either Drogheda or Bray

Fair play to Ward anyway,got a wee sun holiday and decided that was that !

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Originally Posted by joey B

Fair play to Ward anyway,got a wee sun holiday and decided that was that !

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Yeah normally when a player has had about 10 touches of a football all season they’d get out the door on the 1st of July. By sticking around he’s got a European win bonus I’m sure!