Town sign Callum Thompson formerly of Bray and Bohs (briefly it appears). Don't know much about him really other than his being over at Wolves prior to that but he's the first new signing on board anyway.
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Town sign Callum Thompson formerly of Bray and Bohs (briefly it appears). Don't know much about him really other than his being over at Wolves prior to that but he's the first new signing on board anyway.
Wilson is a cracking signing for Bohs.
Galway United team to date:
Goalkeepers: Kevin Horgan(re-signed)
Defenders: Christopher Horgan(re-signed) - Gary Boylan(formerly Cork City & Sligo Rovers) - Maurice Nugent(re-signed) - Killian Brouder(re-signed)
Midfielders: Stephen Christopher(re-signed) - Shane Duggan(re-signed) - David Hurley(formerly with Cobh) - Carlton Ubaezuono(re-signed) - Shane Doherty(re-signed)
Forwards: Padraic Cunningham(back from playing with Galway GAA) - Mikie Rowe (Tormenta FC, USA) - Francely Lomboto(re-signed) - Ruairi Keating (Gateshead FC)
If i could choose who rovers sign from any other clubs in the league id go for duffy and hoare from dundalk, grant and mandriou from bohs, coughlan from sligo, murphy gk from waterford for when big Al retires, forester from pats (he needs a change and class is permanant) and trevor clarke back from engerland. Obviously dont need that many players but thats my christmas wish list.
I asked myself that every time Gerard Doherty put on the jersey, the competition must be bad!Quote:
Originally Posted by Charlie Darwin
In fairness to Gartside though, he’s not made an error when he’s played. Devine hasnt given youth or local lads like Gartside a chance though
Ah now I thought Gerard Doherty was generally excellent for us, at one stage I really couldn’t understand why he wasn’t getting in the NI squad when Mannus (in his first spell at Rovers) was.
Cherrie was a disaster this year tbh, cost us in all competitions.
You could get your wish regarding Hoare. Why him though? He has been error prone of recent, played out of position as cover for Gannon until moving to the 3 at the back. I think he needs a fresh start but as a definite starter somewhere. All sorts of rumours about Duffy leaving. Plenty of players linked with St Pats but tbh if S'OD had been appointed by a local u10 side senior Dundalk players would be linked. Could be something behind the stories but some dont make a whole lot of sense either. On unlikely rumours Dundalk supposedly approched Byrne with a precontract. Even if they had no belief in ever getting him on board it may have boosted his offer from Rovers just for the craic of it, but 2 can play at that game!!!Quote:
Originally Posted by sbgawa
I like hoare when he is played in position and think he suits us better, kelly is a **** and boyle and garts to old. We need cover for joey and we got lucky with injuries this year so need cover.
Duffy is obvious move but i heard he was derry bound , money no object. Rumours obviously
I'd sooner have Roddy back that Forrester. A complete waste of space that Forrester boy is.
Hoare to Rovers is supposedly a done deal already, with Duffy going to Derry.
Is take Leahy from dundalk if available but other than maybe grant & sobawale(?) from Waterford it's slim pickings in the LOI, quality wise.
Leahy is already under contract for next season. Not sure what’s happening with Hoare, I’d like to keep him given Gartlands age. Boyle is 29 so hardly old.
Seems that Duffy and Gannon may have signed on again for next season.
You surprised me on boyle only being 29, he doesnt seem the same since coming back from england. Be funny if gannon does sign back for dundalk hes been getting slaughtered on the basis he was on his way to rovers, shows how much rumour is worth in our league :😀Quote:
Originally Posted by Yossarian
Forrester has been quality when played in the role he flourished in at Peterborough. The more we do that and stop clinging onto the hope that he'll become the type of player he was in his first stint the more you see the type of performances he was putting in toward the end of the season.
You can’t beat this league for rumours. Sure there has been a couple of times since he’s been with us that Gannon has been “already signed by Rovers” only to sign on for us again. To be honest I wouldn’t completely believe he has re signed until I see the club announce it.Quote:
Originally Posted by sbgawa
You’re right about Boyle though, he hasn’t been the player he was since he came back though I think recently he has settled more into the team. I think the three at the back is here to stay for Dundalk with Filippo staying on so hopefully a full preseason will iron out some of the shambolic defending at set pieces that we’ve seen over the last while.
Romeo Parkes signed back at Sligo.
If jack b does leave us forester has that touch of unpredictability about him and if given a free role to express himself in a team where he has a lot of good players around him might recapture some of the old magic.Quote:
Originally Posted by Jack B
What's the story with Mandriou ? Seemed to barely play for Bohs this season but was in the Irish u21's set up consistently. Was he injured or just not getting picked ?
No chance of that happening.Quote:
Originally Posted by placid casual
Fillippo given a two year contract apparently
We had to listen to DFC and bohs fans having a go at Bradser for ages so i dont mind saying i think this is great news for Rovers and the rest of the league.
DFC have been poor under FG and the zonal defending is chaotic.
Winning the cup is a one off match which if Pico had not missed the ball in the 90th minute would have gone the other way.
Most DFC fans prior to the cup final would have been glad to see the back of him, one match later he is here for two years......
Maybe he will work out in the end but i cant help thinking he has been incredibly lucky and dogs that chase cars etc
Ah I dont think it was glad to see the back of him, he is still just an unknown quantity could be a SK with whistles and bells for all we know when he as real time to bed in his ideas and Magilton is appointed upstairs too. The chap who has had a the big stroke of luck is Shane Keegan tbh. Fringe opposition analyst, after leaving 2 manager jobs and is now back at the centre of things. 2 years shows some confidence rather than the 1 year 'we are just not totally convince by you' so already starting off on the back foot.
It may seem obvious, but probably worth pointing out anyway. Dundalk success on the pitch wi be decided by the players not the manager.
A significant portion of their players downed tools last season, for whatever reason. Finishing 22 points behind Rovers after effectively 14 games was the result of something anyway.
If, going on current stories, the vast majority of those players are about to sign back on for next season then, as a Rovers fan, that increases my confidence for next season.
By my amateur eye reckoning dundalk need 4/5 proper quality players to challenge Rovers for the league, and I don't think there is that many available in LOI.
1 real quality player from outside the LOI could theoretically change all that but that's a known unknown, as Rumsfeld would say.
In fairness when Bradley was getting his stick he hadn’t got Rovers into the groups of European competition. So you can argue that Filippo is already ahead of Bradley at the same stage of their respective jobs. I’ve no idea if Filippo will be a long term success or not and questions have to be asked around some of his tactics, but maybe with a DoF in there aswell it will work.
You’re right aswell that if Lopes had’ve scored we’d be talking differently but then if Rovers hadn’t have been handed two ridiculous penalties against Harps then they wouldn’t even have been in the final. So no point talking about what if decisions in games.
The point about players downing tools is valid, but they were downed under Perth’s watch. The second half of the season was a shambles in the league so long arguments there but I think the players have shown overall they were happy under Filippo.
With the way the players very quickly changed from looking like going toe to toe with Rovers, being well beaten by an average enough Celje and collapsing after the resumption of the league, a lot of focus was on the madcap stuff about the chairman. Looking back its seems like more of a smokescreen and possible lead to greater issues with the squad not becoming public. It was assumed that signings were forced on the manager and team selection was being interfered with. The first team named by FG left out entirely the players it was assumed VP was told to play.
It was all very strange, players were devoid of confidence and someone like Sean Gannon, the consummate pro looked particularly like he was going through the motions. Garts as the senior player and at this stage a clubman as much as just a member of a squad seemed very unhappy. He was never a chap that sulked for not getting game time so it wouldnt have been that as his issue. We may never know what was truly going on with the players and that is testament to the professionalism in itself, but within days of FG taking training noise from the camp was that they players were enjoying the sessions. He even added additional training where say Wednesdays were a day off usually and 2 additional sessions were added. It was a bizarre appointment that was a baptism of fire for FG that he coped with.
With some luck in the covid changes in formats he did meet the alleged targets set + the cup. More telling though is that players were playing. McEleney put in some of the better performances for a while, Murray showed his worth, Gannon was not only playing but with some extra bite. Tactics were changed and there were serious weaknesses especially in zonal defence but no player can change to an entirely new system in weeks but the affort was apparent. Work ethic was back. I liked the way the squad was rotated with all players on a clean slate.
For whatever its worth FG also comes across as an honest and genuine person without the ascorbic tone. What other managers said on the sideline didnt become the story of a game for example. We dont know how things will progress for next season but all things considered it wasnt too bad in the short space of time this season. It could have been a lot worse and with a LoI merrygoround managerial appointment that was possible. Overall the players seemed happy and trusted FG which is the important starting point or any appointment. The only down side was the supposed sending of Gatt to train on his own unless a point was being made.
Chris is under contract for another year so that won't be happening.Quote:
Originally Posted by sbgawa
I see Bolger has been released by rovers. Would like to see him back at Pats, he was a top class player with us and his performance levels haven’t dropped at Cork or rovers. Unfortunate to miss so much of the already shortened season through injury this year
I would say he is looking for more game time than "released" if you know what i mean, he is coming to an age where he needs to be playing.
Sorry to see him going, delighted to see him get back for the semi and the final of the cup. Was well thought of at Rovers
https://twitter.com/greggyb6/status/...870988290?s=21Quote:
Originally Posted by sbgawa
Reading this gives the impression that it was the clubs decision rather than his so I based the 'released' off that
Yeah you could be right but it may have been more of a "cant guarantee you lots of game time conversation" rather than we are letting you go.
He was straight back on the bench when fit from the broken leg and came on ahead of others who are staying at the club.
Either way am really sorry to see him go, great signing for someone.
Dinny Corcoran signed for Drogheda.....
Dinny Corcoran to Drogheda and Paddy Kirk to Longford. Seems two great signings for the promoted teams.
Excellent signing. And good experience which we will need in the premier.Quote:
Originally Posted by joey B
Yeah Im surprised with the two moves. I thought Paddy Kirk was highly rated at Bohs I thought?Quote:
Originally Posted by Kiki Balboa
I can see why Bohs let Corcoran go with his age/injury record the last few years but Kirk going to Longford is a big shock for me, great coup for them. Corcoran is a great signing for Drogs too and will do well for them if he can stay injury free
Like all ex Bohs players when they move on, he is guaranteed to score a winner at Dalymount next Season. A good player for the club but unfortunately a bit injury prone and liked to double job with the Gah in the earlier days which I thought should never have been allowed by Long.Quote:
Originally Posted by joey B
He was but they signed Wilson from Waterford so I guess any chance of gametime at full back was even more remote. He's been there a few years and never got a run of games so probably wanted to go somewhere he'll play.Quote:
Originally Posted by Martinho II
If Corcoran was a bit less injury probe I would have gladly welcomed him at Rovers - the guy is a actual real life goalscorer, which are few and far between in this league.
When Rovers won 1nil against bohs in tallaght it was him coming on, not mandriou, that worried me.
If drogs can keep him on the pitch he will keep them up on his own, in my view.
Greg Bolger has signed for us. Delighted with that.
Bolger will be brilliant for Sligo assuming the injury didn't take too much out of him, which it didn't seem to in the couple of outings he got in the cup. Bit gutted with that as I'd have had him back in a heartbeat.
Apart from Dundalk players... Are there many other (big name) free agents left to sign?
Ronan Coughlan and Junior haven’t signed for us yet so they’re still available
Kevin O'Connor signed for Shelbourne from Cork City.