2021 Season , Arrivals and departures

The artificial pitch was still new enough and every damn injury, including a turned ankle at an away game seemed to have the blame lay on the oriel pitch. Less that it was an injury risk and more that some players just didnt like it. Byrne was one of those iirc. A bit earlier, having Declan O'Brien on the books showed that not all players do the professional thing and play for those paying the wages rather than getting balled up in the local rivalry stuff.

It was a feature of Dundalk signings for ages that they were great...years before. Costello, Goeoghan, Doolin, Byrne, Hawkins, O'Brien, i'd even through Haylock in tbh.

Sean Hoare confirmed for Rovers, not a bad 5th choice CB I suppose. Not too fussed with the signing personally.

Chris mcCann signs too.

Not sure about Chris McCann, another signing that could easily fall into the Patrick Cregg, Owen Garvan, Damien Delaney category of footballers past their best. That being said they've got great use out of Joey O'Brien who I would have thought about the same.

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Originally Posted by Asterix

Sean Hoare confirmed for Rovers, not a bad 5th choice CB I suppose. Not too fussed with the signing personally.

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He’s a decent player but I’m not distraught that he’s gone. With a new centre half already signed apparently, there was always a good chance he’d go.
Are any of Rovers current centre halves leaving? I know they play 3 at the back but 5 centre halves seems like an unnecessary extravagance.

Nobody flagged as leaving yet but O'Brien will be 35 when the season starts and has been playing on the right-hand side of the three like Hoare.

Chuffed with that tbh Hoare is excelent imo.
Sean Callen who played CB a couple of times and was on the bench a bit has left the club (saw it on twitter)
5 CB in the club when we have Joey pushing on seems reasonable.
If we didnt sign Hoare then we would be only 1 injury away from having no cover at all.

No idea about McCann hopefully another Joey rather than the other type.

Wouldn't be pushed about the Hoare signing for the league champions. He's a good player, no doubt about that, but has a howler in him every few games.

McCann is interesting, comes with a lot of experience at a high level. Rovers have a pretty packed midfield though. I wonder is he a replacement for Lafferty as a left wing back?

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Originally Posted by nigel-harps1954

Wouldn't be pushed about the Hoare signing for the league champions. He's a good player, no doubt about that, but has a howler in him every few games.

McCann is interesting, comes with a lot of experience at a high level. Rovers have a pretty packed midfield though. I wonder is he a replacement for Lafferty as a left wing back?

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Replacement for Greg Bolger, McCann will challenge Gary O'Neill for the defensive midfielder role in the formation. Left wing back is already covered with Sean Kavanagh and Farrugia.

Finn Harps announced the signing of Ryan Rainey.

Last with Bonagee United in the Ulster Senior League, previously played with Wolves.

https://www.finnharps.ie/post/ryan-r...ins-finn-harps

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Originally Posted by nigel-harps1954

Wouldn't be pushed about the Hoare signing for the league champions. He's a good player, no doubt about that, but has a howler in him every few games.

McCann is interesting, comes with a lot of experience at a high level. Rovers have a pretty packed midfield though. I wonder is he a replacement for Lafferty as a left wing back?

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Decent player McCann I seen him play for Atlanta United once. I was a bit shocked to see he had no international caps.

Hoare is a good player, had two great seasons with DFC in 2018 and 2019, went off the boil a bit in 2020, but huge contribution to winning the cup, and nice memory for him to leave with his other last goal too last Thursday.

The LoI Facebook page had Hoare, Mountney (to Pats?) and Flores (to England) as all likely Dundalk transfers. if Hoare has happened, then probably the other two are close to done?

Sean Hoare is a Good player who could excel at Rovers, but was probably the weakest of the Dundalk Centre backs this season.

Oriel fans will be expecting an improvement in this position with a player whose skillsets are more suited to 3 at the backi

Wasn't all that keen on Hoare when the rumour popped up but he is a bit like Pico was when he joined - athletic and committed but prone to errors. Pico turned into the best defender in the league over the past year so maybe it will work out. At worst he is good cover for Joey.

McCann sounds great on paper and covers us where we need it with Bolger gone and Lafferty likely off. Can even do a job at centre half apparently. Might be good to have another very experienced senior head in the dressing room as well.

Need cover for Greene now and to sit nervously through Christmas and NY waiting to hear something from Jack / waiting to see who we have lined up to replace him.

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Originally Posted by ontheotherhand

Wasn't all that keen on Hoare when the rumour popped up but he is a bit like Pico was when he joined - athletic and committed but prone to errors. Pico turned into the best defender in the league over the past year so maybe it will work out. At worst he is good cover for Joey.

McCann sounds great on paper and covers us where we need it with Bolger gone and Lafferty likely off. Can even do a job at centre half apparently. Might be good to have another very experienced senior head in the dressing room as well.

Need cover for Greene now and to sit nervously through Christmas and NY waiting to hear something from Jack / waiting to see who we have lined up to replace him.

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Is it certain that Jack Byrne is leaving ?

There was always going to be interest in Flores as he did fairly well in putting himself in the shop window. If he stays he needs more consistency. Hoare will do very well at Rovers, He got stick for some performances but mostly when playing a right full which was at times harsh and was really only very exposed when playing against top sides/Europe. That said losing him doesnt sound alarm bells bar it being greater strength in depth for a rival squad. If Mountney goes to Pats it will be a good signing, I think people underestimate the impact he has from just the amount of graft he puts in, also versatile. He was often noted as a player that the Dundalk squad would outgrow on technical ability angle, but a player you could always rely on, gives resilience if a team is tiring or is still going after 90mins, ye need those with the more technical gifted players. In fear of it sounding like one of those patronising football cliches, he is good squad player and could be missed for that.

It wouldnt be unusual to hear little news out of Oriel before Christmas, as with the year p6 bought the club, the change or addition to staff like DoF, this year will delay announcing signings especially if casting the net wider than usual. I half expect a squads worth of trialists from the US!

To D24Saint - No, but I wouldn't be confident of him staying. Family and stability might win out in the end, especially given the pandemic, but I think he will want to test himself again at a higher level and he's won the league and cup here already. I think he'd be gone in a flash if an Eredivisie side came in for him. England may have lost it's lustre and I can't see him going to America. Too far for a lad who has benefited a lot by coming home to be with his people. That said, money is money so a big offer from any club who will actually play him will be the end of our hopes of keeping him.

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Originally Posted by Ezeikial

Sean Hoare is a Good player who could excel at Rovers, but was probably the weakest of the Dundalk Centre backs this season.

Oriel fans will be expecting an improvement in this position with a player whose skillsets are more suited to 3 at the backi

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Harps have loads of lads who play three (five!) at the back.

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Originally Posted by D24Saint

Is it certain that Jack Byrne is leaving ?

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He says he's still weighing up his options but it sounds like he's decided to move abroad.