Bohemians
Can Declan Devine re-energise the club?
The news this week that Dublin City Council has given the green light for the €40 million redevelopment of Dalymount Park was a much-needed boost.
Not just in terms of continuing to future-proof one of north Dublin’s most important community assets, but providing positivity in the short-term ahead of the visit of Sligo Rovers tonight.
A disappointing result will make it feel as though the disappointment of the second half of last season is just continuing after missing out on Europe through the league and losing the FAI Cup final.
Devine got off to a flyer with Bohs last season and he could really do with a similar injection of enthusiasm.
With goalkeeper James Talbot taking time away from the game for mental health reasons, centre back Kacper Radkowski signing for Waterford, captain Keith Buckley continuing his recovery from a cruciate knee injury, and their top scorer in 2023, Jonathan Afolabi, sold to Kortrijk in the Belgian Pro League, Devine is without the spine of last season’s side.
Opening fixture: Bohemians v Sligo Rovers, Dalymount Park, 7.45pm.
Derry City
Will this be their year?
Manager Ruaidhri Higgins has taken a less is more approach in his bid to stop Shamrock Rovers doing the five-in-a-row.
The Candystripes’ two winter signings both came from Dundalk, winger Daniel Kelly and striker Pat Hoban making the move to the Ryan McBride Brandywell.
The reasoning behind the latter’s arrival was simple; Derry averaged 17 crosses a game in 2023 – the most in the Premier Division – and Hoban is a forward who thrives around the six-yard box.
Higgins also pointed to the fact that half of Hoban’s goals for Dundalk were the first for his side in the game, either to put them ahead, equalise or get them back in contention for a point.
“He’s a big-game player,” Higgins said.
That is what Derry will need to prove the difference, and also much-needed consistency. Other than a four-game run in May, Derry didn’t win more than two on the spin in the league last season. That kind of form won’t sustain a serious title challenge.
Opening fixture: Derry City v Drogheda United, Ryan McBride Brandywell, 7.45pm.
Drogheda United
Will Frantz Pierrot be the difference-maker?
Drogheda have shown in recent years that it is more than just one player they rely on to continue to defy the odds.
Take last season, for example.
Freddie Draper arrived on loan from Lincoln City and banged in eight goals before returning to England where he was rewarded with a new long-term contract.
Manager Kevin Doherty also stepped up to the main job following the departure of Tim Clancy the previous season and his nous ensured the Drogs remained a solid outfit with flashes of skill – think Darragh Markey and Dayle Rooney – to prove the difference.
The latter has left for Bohemians but there have also been bigger changes in Louth.
The arrival of American Investment firm Trivela as new owners has allowed for Doherty to take a career break from his job as a postman to commit full-time.
It remains a hybrid set-up for most in his squad, though, who will continue to have day jobs.
The signing of Frantz Pierrot makes Drogheda an even more intriguing prospect. The 24-year-old Haitian striker scored 22 times for Athlone Town in the First Division last season and could be a wildcard for a side who have usually got by with a steady hand.
Opening fixture: Derry City v Drogheda United, Ryan McBride Brandywell, 7.45pm.
Dundalk
Will the new owner keep the faith?
One thing you cannot accuse Brian Anscough of since his takeover was completed is being blind to the issues facing the club both on and off the pitch.
“The place was a pigsty and I feel sorry for that. I can only apologise, because I don’t want to see anything like that,” the Dubliner, who made his fortune in America, said after attending Oriel Park.
A revamp has also been required on the pitch for head coach Stephen O’Donnell. Last season’s top scorer, Pat Hoban, headed to Derry City along with winger Daniel Kelly. Gregg Sloggett joined Cheltenham Town on a short-term deal while Waterford brought in Darragh Leahy and a deal to bring goalkeeper Nathan Sheppard fell through.
Eleven new players, including a handful of arrivals from Scotland, have come through the door and the undisclosed fee paid to Raith Rovers for striker Jamie Gullan will have hopes raised that he can fill the void left by Hoban.
“There is a freshness about us that I don’t think was there over the last two seasons. That brings a bit of the unknown but all we can do is be attentive to everything that we do in our detail and try and gel as quickly as we can,” O’Donnell said.
A positive result away to Shamrock Rovers tonight would set them up perfectly for games to come at home to Galway United, away to Bohemians and then the visit of Sligo Rovers.
O’Donnell has already shown his ability to improve players and galvanise squads in his managerial career and the new owner will do well to keep the faith if there are early teething problems.
Opening fixture: Shamrock Rovers v Dundalk, Tallaght Stadium, 7.45pm (Live RTÉ 2).
Galway United
Can John Caulfield really awaken the west?
When The 42 visited Galway for a training session in the build up to their return to the Premier Division after seven years, it was interesting to hear the manager speak about needing to change the culture in order to become a mainstay in the top flight.
Having won the Premier Division with Cork City, not to mention a couple of FAI Cups, Caulfield felt as though a dramatic shift in behaviour was required.
“It’s the Rebel City for a reason because they’re anti-everyone. I saw it all around me. Here is totally f***ing different. It’s a festival city, a party city, there is huge wealth here with people. Some great people, fanatical. But for a lot it didn’t matter if the team lost.
“Now we’re on track, it took a few years but it’s about standards and bringing that mentality to the whole club.”
Caulfield has turned to one of his old reliables from his days on Leeside to provide added grit – defender Garry Buckley joining from Sligo Rovers.
Attacking midfielder David Hurley scored 24 times last season as Galway cruised to the First Division title and also reached the semi-final of the FAI Cup.
At 25 he may well be another to come to the fore under the guidance of Caufield, and assistant Ollie Horgan.
Opening fixture: Galway United v St Patrick’s Athletic, Eamonn Deacy Park, 7.45pm.
Shamrock Rovers
Will Stephen Bradley’s winter reflections pay off?
In the build up to the new campaign, the Hoops boss explained how he took seven weeks off after winning the fourth title in a row.
He made sure the players did too.
For the best part of two months he banned them from returning to their training ground to do any work. As he said himself, he wanted them to have a clean break from him as well as each other.
The decision was taken having seen the impact that just three weeks off had heading into the 2023 campaign. Rovers were sluggish and struggled to impose themselves like previous years.
As well as keeping hold of important players like Markus Poom, Jack Byrne and Rory Gaffney, the return of midfielder Aaron McEneff and signing of attacker Darragh Burns should also provide added impetus.
The first real sense of whether Bradley’s re-jigged pre-season plan has paid off will be seen when his old Arsenal youth teammate Stephen O’Donnell comes to Tallaght Stadium.
Opening fixture: Shamrock Rovers v Dundalk, Tallaght Stadium, 7.45pm (Live RTÉ 2).
Shelbourne
Where can Damien Duff take this team next?
Shels have been on an upward trajectory since Duff was given the job following promotion to the Premier Division under Ian Morris in 2022.
As well as safely establishing the Tolka Park club in the top flight in his debut season, they also reached the FAI Cup final. Not even a demoralising 4-0 defeat on the big day was allowed fester into the following season.
Shels continued to improve, players grew in stature and confidence with Duff and his assistant Joey O’Brien driving the standards.
Jack Moylan’s emergence as a central figure in attack, a vocal point to deliver goals and assists rather than just sporadic moments of flair, was testament to the work of Duff and his staff.
The player explained as much before he signed for Lincoln City having helped Shels qualify for Europe.
The bizarre nature of the short-lived Turkish takeover seems to be behind them with Duff again leading the way.
You only have to look at last season’s points’ total to see they’re well in the mix among the chasing pack – they finished five off second spot – but the question now is whether Duff’s demands can lead to something even greater.
Opening fixture: Waterford v Shelbourne, RSC, 7.45pm.
Sligo Rovers
Is almost two decades of consecutive Premier Division football under threat?
The nature of the Bit O’Red’s struggles last season – finishing just six points clear of the promotion/relegation play-off spot – marks them down as potential relegation candidates.
Sligo have been a consistent presence in the top flight since promotion in 2005 – winning the title in 2012 – and the pressure will be on boss John Russell to maintain their status.
This will be his second full season in charge - he took over from Liam Buckley in May 2022 – and the experiences of the last 12 months should stand to him.
Two standout signings at both ends of the pitch could well prove decisive.
The return of goalkeeper Ed McGinty and striker Max Mata – the latter arriving just yesterday – should at least bring an element of positivity.
“That was one of the main reasons I decided to come back to Sligo. I tried to eliminate the problem of adapting again, so Sligo was the perfect option for me,” Mata said after coming back to the Showgrounds on loan from Shrewsbury Town.
Mata scored 11 goals in 23 games last term before earning his summer move and his stay this time will also be cut short. If he can hit the ground running and help Sligo build momentum it could well be a much less fraught season.
Opening fixture: Bohemians v Sligo Rovers, Dalymount Park, 7.45pm.
St Patrick’s Athletic
Will Jon Daly keep Inchicore bouncing?
The nature of last Friday’s President’s Cup defeat to Rovers highlights one of the major issues facing the Saints boss as they bid to mount a title challenge.
Losing 3-1 in such a lacklustre fashion certainly gave Daly cause for consideration, but you only had to examine the respective starting XIs to get a sense of where both clubs are at in terms of development.
Stephen Bradley was able to rest almost a full starting XI of players who would be in line to feature every Friday night, while Pats lost five of the side that began November’s FAI Cup final – goalkeeper Dean Lyness, right back Sam Curtis, centre back David Norman Jnr, winger Mark Doyle and striker Conor Carthy – as well as talented midfielder Adam Murphy who was a regular all season and joined Bristol City in the English Championship.
Pat’s have had to bring in a raft of players – among them striker Ruairi Keating and former Manchester City academy midfielder Romal Palmer who also has considerable experience in the Championship with 70 appearances for Barnsley.
Daly galvanised the club pretty sharply when he took charge from Tim Clancy last May and the hope in Inchicore is that he can do so again with a relatively new crop that could feed off the momentum of a successful end to 2023.
Opening fixture: Galway United v St Patrick’s Athletic, Eamonn Deacy Park, 7.45pm.
Waterford
How will the young and old mix?
Padraig Amond made his debut in the League of Ireland Premier Division for Shamrock Rovers in March 2006.
A little over four months later Romeo Akachukwu was born in the July.
Tonight they are teammates, two players at opposite stages of their career but with a shared objective to establish Waterford in the top flight after two seasons away.
Akachukwu, the Republic of Ireland youth international who starred in the Euro U17 Championships last summer, already did his part with that stunning hat-trick during the promotion/relegation series.
He turns 18 this summer and considering there is reported interest from the likes of Manchester City, Arsenal and Southampton, he may well depart when he reaches that milestone birthday.
How much of an impact he will have in the months to come remains to be seen, but the onus will most definitely be on those more experienced around him to ensure Keith Long’s side prosper.
Amond has returned to these shores after a fine career in the UK and the striker, who turns 36 in April, will be keen to show his predatory instincts have not diminished.
Opening fixture: Waterford v Shelbourne, RSC, 7.45pm.
