The article from the Echo

Neil · 12/02/2002, 5:07 PM

Ollie Cahill is set to sign for Dublin rivals Shelbourne at the end of the season for free under the Bosman ruling.

The flying winger is out of contract with City at the end of the current season and despite the best efforts of Liam Murphy and the club, their most prized asset is set to depart for the capital on a three-year deal.

While City and the 27-year-old midfielder are still claiming they are in negotiations, they are simply not in a position to compete financially with the Dublin giants who have put a package on the table that will make Ollie one of the highest paid players in the eircom League.

Added to that, Shelbourne currently lead the eircom League are the favourites to lift the title. They can offer Cahill a better chance to win silverware and guarantee him top class European football.

Cahill�s impeding departure will place further pressure on manager Liam Murphy, who already admitted that his team lacks the kind of creativity that Cahill can offer and that they depend on him too much.

�We�re not creating too many chances at the moment,� said Murphy.

�It�s not for the lack of trying but we�re relying on Ollie Cahill a lot to create from wide areas and we�ve struggled to get a player on the right as effective as Ollie�s been over the years for us on the left. We need someone to take a bit of pressure off him,� Murphy added.

City are currently in the middle of a very poor run of form, which has seen them score just one goal at home in their last six games and they are out of both cups and the loss of the fans favourite and the club�s player of the season would be a huge blow for the fans.

by John McHale (Evening Echo)

**niamh** · 12/02/2002, 5:13 PM

I don't think anyone didn't see this one coming...

**pete** · 12/02/2002, 5:26 PM

Added to that, Shelbourne currently lead the eircom League are the favourites to lift the title. They can offer Cahill a better chance to win silverware and guarantee him top class European football.

Why is this the case?

As i've said already when your best player leaves it hardly encourages others to stay if they offered anything.

**Casegrande** · 12/02/2002, 5:29 PM

Of course Shels can offer him a better chance of silverware. Ollie aint thick. He can see aswell as the rest of us that CCFC are going nowhere fast. I don't blame him for a second for leaving.

**pete** · 12/02/2002, 5:34 PM

Sorry didn't phrase that properly.

Why SHOULD this be the case?

At least if he was going to go the Shamrock Rovers could go along 'n watch him along with Woods & Cronin.