QuoteFar too early to call where anyone will be at next season. Good business by Bohs and Rovers to get the bulk of their squads done early.
Shels will be strong, and hard to beat based off early signings.
Other than that, who knows.
My take on 2022 is that it is going to be super competitive.
Dundalk:
Appear to have a competitive budget and assuming SOD can persuade the core of the team to stay will be up there.
Sligo:
Bucko will strengthen and if they can avoid the euro hangover they had should be up there again.
St Pats:
If pats are smart the compo dundalk agree will be an understanding that dundalk don't sign any pats players.
On that basis pats will be up there again.
Shels:
Harder to call but you'd imagine persuading duffer to risk his reputation meant a decent budget. That and his pulling power for younger players should make them mid table at least.
Bohs:
007 will be trying to keep as many as possible for next season but if rumours of breslin, Cornwall, Kelly, as well as Tierney are correct it's an uphill battle. Should be at least mid table. The draw for younger players coming back from England to go to Shels for full time football under Duffer will be a problem for bohs as they have done well here in the past.
Derry:
Adding patching , mcl , Duffy to a team that finished 4th should ensure an upwards move, McLean or other signings in dec/Jan will decide if its 2nd or 3rd or challenging for the title.
Harps:
Hard to know with Harps I'd say ucd coming up and drogs being like stripped of some of their better players should mean Harps can target mid table and maybe higher.
Ucd:
Expect Ucd to struggle as there is a big gap from 1st to Premier and will likely lose a few in July if not before....competitive but destined to be 9th or 10th I think.
Drogs:
Lot will depend on signings and keeping players but given the budgets elsewhere I think next season is going to be very tough for them.
Almost forgot about Rovers :
Same squad as last season minus joey plus jack Byrne...
It was a poor enough league and Rovers need to be better next year given other clubs seem to be stepping up.
If we lose Danny in Jan I expect next season to be much closer. Rovers should win the league but we need to be a lot more convincing.
Last edited by sbgawa; 04/12/2021 at 11:50 AM.
Far too early to call where anyone will be at next season. Good business by Bohs and Rovers to get the bulk of their squads done early.
Shels will be strong, and hard to beat based off early signings.
Other than that, who knows.
https://kesslereffect.bandcamp.com/album/kepler - New music. It's not that bad.
Lets call a spade a spade, Rovers have signed very well and there's no doubt they will be up challenging Derry next year.Originally Posted by nigel-harps1954
MD
Calm the hell down fella.
https://foot.ie/threads/271571-Will-...ue-next-season
Wait boy .. . WAIT!
Its a bit early to be opening the xmas sherry is it not?
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I wouldn't be so confident that Derry will finish 2nd next season as seems to be a lot of their fans expectations. They have recruited very well, Duffy for one will add a missing spark to their attack and when on form he is unstoppable.
Patching too been there before and will fit in easy, McEleney missed a huge amount of games for Dundalk in both spells though and will need to keep a lot more fit. Overall there will be a lot of new faces, and it will take time, I just think it will be 2023 before they really challenge.
Rovers on the other hand are very settled, Jack B added to the mix will strengthen them but Towell needs to do a lot better, seemed to go almost unnoticed in a lot of games last year and he's 3 more years left on his contract.
The sides who will take up 2nd to 5th will be of most interest, I think thats really open and bodes very well for a really competitive league next season with hopefully an increased quality standard too.
#DundalkFC - First Irish club to win an away game in Europe (1963), first Irish club to win points in a group stage in Europe (2016).
Agree, Mceleneys fitness leaves a lot to be desired dont think hes someone to be relied upon for Derry. Duffy was the real big signing. Rovers are stuck with a massive deal for Towell , Byrne is miles ahead of him. They are lucky DD is on board because being stuck with a contract like that is something that normally leaves clubs in no-mans land
If this is going to be who’s going to challenge for the league in 2022 instead of Derry fans being optimistic and catching the Fan who talks more about Derry on here than their own club…
Rovers have got Jack Byrne back. If they were to find the likes of a Hoban give them the league already. Free up the wages of some of their other misfiring strikers for a Joey O’ Brien replacement.
Derry have made the 3 big signings now quietly building the rest of the team. Mcgongigle looks to be a steal from Crusaders.
I’d expect Sligo to be up there again, they work hard for each other and will pick out some gems from nowhere.
Bohs and Pats hard to know what either are doing
Rest depends on signings. Drogheda signed well on coming up, Longford were limited by budget. Shels might surprise us all.
Towell and Jack are not competing for a place, the Richie Towell of 2021/22 is a very different player with a very different role than the player who left Dundalk. These days Towell sits beside Gary O'Neill in central midfield as a deep-lying playmaker and midfield anchor. Took him a while to get going but he really came into his own in the run-in and with a rest and then a full pre-season he'll be even better next season.
Jack will play further forward alongside a combination of Watts/Mandriou/Burke etc as an attacking midfielder, completely different animal to Richie Towell.
Also contrary to popular misconception Dermot Desmond does not bankroll losses or fund transfers and wages at Rovers, he invested in the academy, full stop. For those who can't sleep at night worrying about Rovers finances, player sales including the Scales and ongoing Bazunu cash alone almost equals what DD invested. That's our business model not sugar daddy funding.
No One Likes Us, We Don't Care
What you say is correct but for context important to note that DD is owed €2m and if not repaid in a few years then 50% ownership of the club goes to him…. Not saying that the loan won’t be repaid but there’s still a huge amount outstanding to DD…. And whilst the members almost unanimously voted for that deal and it’s been very beneficial so far, there is the potential for DD to own at least half the club but also have control at board level in a few years…. So personally that still concerns me
Honest and transparent so thanks for that CJ. This arrangement was hotly disputed at the time and being prior to the most of the income on player sales was a gamble but it looks to have paid off. I doubt Rovers wouldnt have paid off the 2mil even if it meant dipping in to a loan market but at the time there was a good bit of sure it'll never get to that (giving over 50% ownership) but its collateral for a reason. Its gas how inter company and director type loans get presented as investment in one moment and then loans down the line. It would make sense to keep DD involved in some capacity when this agreement expires - fans owned clubs are great in principle, can pontificate loudly about it but tough to deliver success, but hybrid models can give the best of both worlds.
I have friends who have or had similar concerns but personally I'm not worried, DD doesn't want 50% of SRFC, he wants the investment to be worth his while from a footballing point of view - which is why he invested in the first place. That said you or anyone else are perfectly entitled to doubt his bona fides re his interest in Rovers but I'm also happy to have DD nominees on the board as it brings a new level of corporate expertise and professionalism to a LOI club.
There is definitely an argument to be made that with money so cheap at the moment we could or should borrow the €2m to pay off DD but it's not one I currently agree with and anyway that debate is internal to SRFC.
No One Likes Us, We Don't Care
The 'loan' element rather than pure investment is actually there as comfort for the members club ie as a mechanism to buy back the stake from DD. Also it wouldn't be 50% of the club but again that's our business.
No One Likes Us, We Don't Care
Lads relax
Derry will obviously finish 2nd (we were actually a clear second since Higgins came in last year) then we will win the league for about 50 years solid to the extent that the LOI becomes a pointless exercise and Rovers, Dundalk etc are getting crowds of about 180 because its all a waste of time.
We just need to stop signing players from within Ireland (they are all sh|t) and build properly.
Until the other clubs decide that you need to go back to the Irish League and refuse to play you.
Upwards to the vanguard where the pressure is too high.
Don’t be so partitionist in your mindset boss man we are part of the furniture now, we will win all the leagues, their will be a united Ireland then we will win Europa league and possibly look to join the European Super League I suppose.
Licences have been granted based on less reasonable assumptions I suppose.
.
Upwards to the vanguard where the pressure is too high.
Players from outside Ireland you say? Well look no further, we have contacts with some excellent overseas players for you.
The Dubs who make up most of your Town influencing your attitude of "We hate the Brits or anyone we think is a Brit but we will buy their products and consume their entertainment"
You’re right DCSIL free state snakes no better than the french who fought for the nazis them
lot but us Derry men will show them on the soccer field !!
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