2024 Season, Arrivals and Departures

**Jd2793** · 17/11/2023, 1:39 PM

Originally Posted by joey B

Brandon Kavanagh heading to Pats from Derry for a fee…..

higgins transfer dealings get worse by the day...

**placid casual** · 17/11/2023, 4:46 PM

Brandon's a very capable,tidy signing.
And Higgins gets in a crocked, flakey dundalk player instead. Derry appear to be going backwards, although when is young Colm Whelan scheduled to return,he could potentially make a big difference.

**sulywaterfordfc** · 17/11/2023, 5:58 PM

Originally Posted by Another Bohemia

I'll give you a gentle warning regarding Long so. One of his biggest weaknesses was being overly loyal to underperforming players. So if he is in charge of re-signing players expect there to be fewer changes than you might expect. Player motivation for games where you aren't the underdog was also a big issue for us pretty much throughout his stint but that might not be much of a concern for yourselves next year but if you had some baffling performances last year against teams you should beat I'd chalk it up to that.

Only a handful of the squad was signed by Long though. If he was being loyal to players Cantwell is one that would have been kept on in that case. Not to mention Long is potentially going to be forced to replace our two best players. Our highest rated youngster signed a long term deal, but is attracting a lot of interest from across the pond. There’s an expectation he’ll go for a big fee in the summer unless an European club comes calling in the winter window.

I think right now there’s 10 players under contract.

**Jd2793** · 17/11/2023, 6:14 PM

Originally Posted by placid casual

Brandon's a very capable,tidy signing.
And Higgins gets in a crocked, flakey dundalk player instead. Derry appear to be going backwards, although when is young Colm Whelan scheduled to return,he could potentially make a big difference.

yeah spot on. im surprised derry didnt try MK Dons for Darragh Burns. probably too young for what higgins wants mind you. would love to see him back in the league

**joey B** · 17/11/2023, 6:24 PM

6 figure bid from a Championship club for Afolabi per Dan McDonnell…

**Jack B** · 17/11/2023, 6:33 PM

I think Derry will probably make some more statement signing(s) that make it make more sense that they'd let Kavanagh go, though I do agree that for their money and ambition they do make some terribly underwhelming signings overall.

Happy with Pats signing him if it happens. We've got some talented players but think it's fair to say not enough that are able to look after the ball and keep things tidy when necessary, which he'll help with. Makes me question how nailed-on Coote actually is considering they're relatively similar players.

Good money coming Bohs' way by the looks of things. Seemed quite apparent that Afolabi wants out so will be interesting to see how much they can get if a bidding war occurs. Would be surprised if he hit it off at that level myself.

**pineapple stu** · 17/11/2023, 6:35 PM

Big boots for Bohs to fill, given their form in the last two-thirds of the season or so

**ger121** · 17/11/2023, 6:47 PM

Originally Posted by joey B

6 figure bid from a Championship club for Afolabi per Dan McDonnell…

Bid of €250000. Says not rejected yet but waiting for counter bids. It’s probably when not if he goes, so the only upside is to maximise any transfer fee.

**Martinho II** · 17/11/2023, 8:26 PM

Ex Cobh GK Lee Steacy has joined Shamrock Rovers. Very interesting move..

**MU1889** · 18/11/2023, 2:33 AM

Originally Posted by Shearer

James Doona gone to Glenavon. Must have some agent.

Seems to have had a somewhat promising start to his career with Shamrock Rovers and St Pat's, but has dropped off significantly in recent years. Any particular reason behind this - injury, bad attitude or just an overall loss of form?

Stephen McDonnell took over the reigns at Glenavon in September, which has seen a marked change in style of play and slight improvement in results, but we're woefully short upfront and not too hot defensively, so we'll need to be active in the January transfer market. I expect Doona be the first of many recruitments from the League of Ireland; the recent influx of investment at other Irish League clubs has greatly inflated wages, relative to the quality of player available.

**2 Year Contract** · 18/11/2023, 7:16 AM

Originally Posted by MU1889

Seems to have had a somewhat promising start to his career with Shamrock Rovers and St Pat's, but has dropped off significantly in recent years. Any particular reason behind this - injury, bad attitude or just an overall loss of form?

Stephen McDonnell took over the reigns at Glenavon in September, which has seen a marked change in style of play and slight improvement in results, but we're woefully short upfront and not too hot defensively, so we'll need to be active in the January transfer market. I expect Doona be the first of many recruitments from the League of Ireland; the recent influx of investment at other Irish League clubs has greatly inflated wages, relative to the quality of player available.

He was a great young talent at Rovers and was on trial with Tranmere and expected to sign for them so when Pats got him it seemed a bit of a coup at the time. 3 seasons with Pats later and you could probably count on one hand the number of good games he had for the club. He’s spent the last 3 seasons in the second tier with Athlone, Cork and Longford and hasn’t pulled up any trees at any of his 3 clubs. Based on his time at Pats, it seemed he wasn’t a great professional or putting his 100% dedication into his career. Stuff like uploading instagram stories of his massive takeaways as his dinner the night before a game spring to mind

**total hoofball** · 18/11/2023, 8:16 AM

Originally Posted by MU1889

Seems to have had a somewhat promising start to his career with Shamrock Rovers and St Pat's, but has dropped off significantly in recent years. Any particular reason behind this - injury, bad attitude or just an overall loss of form?

Doona struggled at Pats but there is a Rovers U19s to First Team curse. Not one player in the past decade out of Rovers u19s have established themselves beyond short term in their first team, there is an evident pattern of young players at Rovers who are not destined for England that Rovers try to push through get hyped up and then struggle to establish themselves at Rovers and then don't reach their potential with other LOI clubs or elsewhere

There was lots of hype about Doona, Aaron Bolger, Aaron Dobbs, Sean Boyd (though he has had a recent resurgence with Shels), Dean Williams (could go either way at Bohs) and a number of others, you can see why Sam Curtis bailed out early from Rovers as the likes of Pats/Bohs have had more better success establishing players from u19s into LOI first teams and potentially later onto England

**Burnsie** · 18/11/2023, 8:54 AM

how did Sam Curtis come to leave Rovers anyway? on the podcast during the week Dan McD mentioned in passing "there's a story there"

**culloty82** · 18/11/2023, 7:09 PM

On Dennehy's departure, the League have tweeted that at 25, Conor McCarthy's the youngest manager in LOI history.

**Martinho II** · 18/11/2023, 10:40 PM

That beats by 1 year the time Stephen Kenny took over Longford Town in 1998.

**legendz** · 19/11/2023, 8:02 AM

Originally Posted by culloty82

On Dennehy's departure, the League have tweeted that at 25, Conor McCarthy's the youngest manager in LOI history.

A very underwhelming announcement of the new Head Coach as well. The statement must have been written by Billy! It was all about Billy focussing on sporting director and then a bit of a paragraph at the end on McCarthy taking up the role of Head Coach.

**ontheotherhand** · 19/11/2023, 12:30 PM

Originally Posted by MU1889

Seems to have had a somewhat promising start to his career with Shamrock Rovers and St Pat's, but has dropped off significantly in recent years. Any particular reason behind this - injury, bad attitude or just an overall loss of form?

Stephen McDonnell took over the reigns at Glenavon in September, which has seen a marked change in style of play and slight improvement in results, but we're woefully short upfront and not too hot defensively, so we'll need to be active in the January transfer market. I expect Doona be the first of many recruitments from the League of Ireland; the recent influx of investment at other Irish League clubs has greatly inflated wages, relative to the quality of player available.

Doona ain't the brightest even for a footballer. Famously so. Seems to lack the bit of cop on needed to buckle down as well. But he was young at Rovers, maybe he's matured a bit.

**ontheotherhand** · 19/11/2023, 12:34 PM

Originally Posted by total hoofball

Doona struggled at Pats but there is a Rovers U19s to First Team curse. Not one player in the past decade out of Rovers u19s have established themselves beyond short term in their first team, there is an evident pattern of young players at Rovers who are not destined for England that Rovers try to push through get hyped up and then struggle to establish themselves at Rovers and then don't reach their potential with other LOI clubs or elsewhere

There was lots of hype about Doona, Aaron Bolger, Aaron Dobbs, Sean Boyd (though he has had a recent resurgence with Shels), Dean Williams (could go either way at Bohs) and a number of others, you can see why Sam Curtis bailed out early from Rovers as the likes of Pats/Bohs have had more better success establishing players from u19s into LOI first teams and potentially later onto England

It's because we are winning leagues. Pat's can blood young players because they aren't expected to. It's working well at the moment but realistically the players they bring in who have them somewhat competitive will go before they have a chance to win the league unless the standard drops dramatically. So we are both cursed! Yahoo.

We really need a better solution for the u21 age group.

**Shearer** · 19/11/2023, 1:07 PM

Originally Posted by legendz

A very underwhelming announcement of the new Head Coach as well. The statement must have been written by Billy! It was all about Billy focussing on sporting director and then a bit of a paragraph at the end on McCarthy taking up the role of Head Coach.

I did have to read it a second time to see if they'd appointed a replacement and even then I wasn't sure.

I assume this Shane Guthrie's quiet retirement also.

**SwanVsDalton** · 19/11/2023, 1:35 PM

Originally Posted by placid casual

Brandon's a very capable,tidy signing.
And Higgins gets in a crocked, flakey dundalk player instead. Derry appear to be going backwards, although when is young Colm Whelan scheduled to return,he could potentially make a big difference.

I like Kavanagh a lot and would have played him much more than Higgins did - but he's not going to displace McMullan or Duffy (never mind Kelly) and Derry are coming down with mercurial ballplayers of his type when what they really need is pace, physicality and goals.

Would have been tough to keep him after two years of mostly coming off the bench. Good luck to him though, good player.