The Commentary Box: Hard work begins as Dundalk look to bolster their ranks

Oriel Park is a very busy place to be working this Christmas, as the countdown to the new season continues. With the League fixtures out this coming Friday, Stephen O’Donnell will be able to see what lies ahead of him for the forthcoming year.

O’Donnell is currently shaping his squad for the new season. On the administrative side, with a new owner now in place for over a week, the club has been able to begin the sale of their season tickets.

The new jerseys both home and away, will be on sale very shortly at the club shop in Oriel. They will make fine presents for the festive season for all supporters. The club has obtained major sponsorship in place of Bet Regal.

Their name will be on the front of the home and away jersey. It’s believed it’s a substantial sponsorship which is a huge boost for the club.

Meanwhile as all of this goes on, supporters are keeping an eye on player recruitment for next season’s team. John Martin departed the club last Thursday for Damien Duff’s Shelbourne. John was used as a striker and midfielder last season by Stephen O’Donnell.

Like so many players, he missed quite a number of games through injury. He came off the bench 16 times and was still able to find the back of the net six times.

I always rated John as a talented player. Whether he decided to leave the club himself as he was out of contract or if he was told he was not being retained by the club, I think his departure is a loss to the squad. Damian Duff would not have moved for him were he not to believe Martin has plenty of potential.

It may well have just been the case that after two seasons that John decided to move on to new pastures. He is only 24 years of age. Shelbourne are in Europe next season while of course Dundalk are not. Who knows what made him come to the decision to leave?

Daniel Kelly was also another player Dundalk lost as his contract had expired. Dundalk would not have been able to compete with what Derry were offering him.

Add to that the fact that he has spent four seasons at the club, there is no doubt that the young Dubliner wished to move on to a new club. He has gone north west to a club that are tipped to topple Shamrock Rovers as League Champions next season.

They missed a great chance when they failed to do it last season.

Robbie McCourt was not retained by Stephen O’Donnell at the end of the season. He has been at the club for the last season and a half. Robbie has gone to Waterford. Dundalk paid Sligo Rovers a considerable transfer fee at the time of signing him.

But he never impressed and did have the misfortune of being out for long spells through injury. A move to a new club is just what Robbie needs as he re-launches his career.

Meanwhile Cameron Elliott will be staying at Oriel after extending his contract in the middle of last week.

The Scottish youngster showed some potential last season. He did miss part of the season through injury. The striker came from the East Kilbride in Scotland.

His goal tally as a striker came to just one from 28 appearances. Stephen O’Donnell is very lucky not to have been left with the burden of recruitment all by himself. Last January Brian Gartland was given the role of Head Of Football Operations at Oriel.

Brian had just completed 10 years as a player in the most successful era of the club. Last season he was heavily involved in player recruitment.

Now heading into a 12th successive season at Oriel, the popular Dubliner is right in the middle of a phase where I am sure his phone never stops with agents wanting to get their own players signed up with Dundalk. It has to be a very onerous task.

Brian works very closely with the club owner, Martin Connolly and head coach Stephen O’Donnell. He works with all three on all aspects of football related activities, including as already stated player recruitment, scooting, analysis, technical and medical support, player welfare and planning.

I am sure this time of the season sees Brian working especially closely with the manager as they decide what players they want.

Dundalk supporters have one thing they want to see sorted and that is the future of the club’s all time record goal scorer Pat Hoban.

Before the end of the season Pat Hoban says he was called in to the manager’s office and told he could find another club for next season.

The club would not comment on the issue at the time, failing to deny or confirm that this was indeed the case. Supporters were stunned and angry.

But last week new owner Brian Ainscoff confirmed there was no financial reason why Hoban could not stay on. He has another year of his contract to run.

The owner told the media last week that as far as he was concerned, he could see no reason why Hoban would not be leading the Dundalk charge at the start of the new season.

He said he was now aware of any problem. But he accepted that ultimately Hoban’s future was a decision for Stephen O’Donnell.

There was no doubt to me that the owner wanted Hoban and O’Donnell to meet and try to resolve the problem if there was one.

In the end it is the manager’s decision whether Pat Hoban stays or goes. it is of course also Pat’s decision as well.

He was very angry at what had taken place between himself and the Dundalk boss. He was adamant he would be back scoring goals in Oriel, but with another team. Hopefully, the problem can be sorted. It’s vital Dundalk hold on to their best players.

They can ill afford to lose the top striker in the league. But in the end it’s the manager who makes the decisions and if he sticking to his opinion that Hoban can go then he will leave.

I would be very surprised if Brian Gartland is not involved in discussions with Hoban or will be. This, I am sure, would be in a support role to O’Donnell.

The owner will back the manager in whatever decision he makes. That’s how it should be. No player can ever be bigger than the club.

But if Dundalk do lose Hoban next season, it will be a massive blow to their hopes of making it into Europe.

A second key player Dundalk must be very worried about losing is Nathan Shepherd. A tweet by his agent last week must have caused serious worry amongst the powers that be in Oriel.

It suggested that Shepherd was looking at other clubs apart from Dundalk. Stephen O’Donnell and Brian Gartland must get Shepherd back to Oriel. He is the best keeper to have come through the gates of Oriel for many years.

Dundalk could have got Shepherd on a new contract last season. But that did not happen. O’Donnell and Gartland must get their keeper to sign on the dotted line over Christmas. Failure to do so will once again put a serious dent in their hopes to qualify for Europe next season.

Greg Sloggett will not be returning next season. Sam Durrant signed an extended contract last week.

The midfielder will more than likely be a fringe player next season. Stephen O’Donnell is hoping to have three to four Academy players drafted into the senior squad for next season.

Even here, he will have other clubs chasing their signatures. Last season Dundalk lost Emmanuel Adegboyega to Drogheda when they should not have. He went on to sign for Norwich for a fee of 90,000 pound sterling.

Drogheda have been very active in the transfer market in recent weeks. They had their jersey launch on Saturday morning. Aaron McNally signed a new contract for Drogheda this week. Mathew O’Brien also extended his contract with the club.

Adam Foley signed an extended contract with the club. They also signed young Franz Pierrot from Athlone.

It’s believed he is a very promising young striker. If I was a Dundalk supporter I would not be worried about the amount of signings other clubs are making.

There is plenty of rime for Stephen O’Donnell and Brian Gartland to get their squad together. I am very confident they will.

But again I repeat, they must sort out the Pat Hoban issue if not already sorted and ensure Nathan Shepherd is back in goals. Stephen O’Donnell needs a strong defence and midfield next season. Dundalk had anything but last season. On many occasions, it was just too easy for the opposition to rip the team asunder.

The oldest competition in Irish soccer is the Leinster Senior Cup. This week it was given a new look with teams being ranked into groups.

Malahide United, Bohemians and Drogheda are all in Dundalk’s group. While it’s always good to see subsidiary competitions getting a boost, I just think this move to boost this competition is not a good move.

Premier and First Division teams have enough on their plates at the moment without being asked to play in what is in effect a meaningless competition.

Let the Leinster Junior clubs battle out for it. It makes no sense that this competition is back in a new format and the EA Sports Cup has been left on the shelf since 2019. The trophy was never played for in 2020 when the pandemic struck.

Dundalk were the last team to win it. It is recognised as the third national senior competition in Ireland. Dundalk won the League and the EA Sports cup in 2019.

They just missed the treble when Shamrock Rovers beat them on penalties in the FAI cup final. It meant that Derry City remain the only team to win the treble.

It is a magnificent achievement. That’s why the EA Sports cup should be brought back.

The competition was brought back last season for the first time since Covid. Instead of the daft groups now being introduced, it was only a one off game in each round.

The statement that Dundalk were going to be a major force in League of Ireland soccer under Stephen Kenny came when Dundalk won their first trophy, the EA Sports Cup in 2014.

They beat Shamrock Rovers in a thriller at a packed Oriel Park in the final. There were huge celebrations among supporters.

It was like winning the FAI cup. It was the launch pad Dundalk needed to go on and win the league three months later for the first time since 1995.

The EA Sports Cup was very important when it allowed a team entry to European competition. That only lasted for one to two years. The trophies predecessor, the League of Ireland Shield, allowed teams to enter the European Inter City Fairs Cup. This was later replaced by the UEFA cup and even later still by the Europa League.

In the days when the League of Ireland Shield was played for, teams started their season with this competition.

It was run on a league basis. It involved all teams playing each other. The winner of the competition was the team who had the best goal difference and, of course, the most points.

The League of Ireland Shield produced the highest ever crowd to attend a domestic game in Oriel in October 1966.

It involved Dundalk playing Shamrock Rovers in front of a crowd of over 10,000 people. Dundalk won the game by one goal to nil.

The great Ben Hannigan scored the only goal in the game. It brought the Shield to Oriel and guaranteed Dundalk European football for the following season.

But Dundalk went on to win the league in April 1967. The team was managed by the late great Alan Fox. The Shamrock Rovers shield game was played while Oriel was under major redevelopment.

There is a photograph of that Shield game with supporters standing or hanging on to the steel girders of what was then the initial part of the new main stand. It was an incredible sight on the day.

These days, this would never have been allowed for health and safety reasons. So maybe the FAI would consider bringing the EA Sports Cup back, even if there is no European spot at the end of it for the winners.

There was a major surprise at the Soccer Writers Banquet in Dublin last Friday when Liam Brady addressed the Irish media, after getting a special merit award. Brady amazingly said that Brian Kerr should be given the Republic of Ireland job if Lee Carsley does not take the job.

Brady went on to say that Kerr’s assistant could be Damian Duff, or Stephen Bradley. I was gob smacked by what he said.

I never heard anything more ridiculous. Kerr was sacked as Ireland manager twenty years ago. During his reign, Kerr was criticised very often by Brady. Twenty years later, he is suggesting Kerr should come back as Stephen Kenny’s replacement.

It was an absurd statement. Brady might as well suggest John Gyles or Eoin Hand return to the job of managing Ireland. I was surprised Brady did not suggest Eamonn Dunphy as assistant manager.

At the awards itself Karren Duggan claimed the Women’s Personality of the Year prize. Karen is a midfielder with Peamount United. Derry city’s Brian Maher won the Des Casey Goalkeeper of the Year award.

Stephen Bradley won the Men’s Personality of the Year award. Bradley now joins two former Dundalk managers, Jim McLaughlin and Stephen Kenny as a three time winner of the award. He created history by winning it two years in a row.

A young Dundalk soldier, Sean Rooney, who last year died in a shooting in South Lebanon. Sean was part of the Irish Army Peacekeeping force serving in one of the world’s most troubled spots.

Sean died a good few months before war broke out in Gaza in October. A memorial cup final in Sean’s memory took place last Saturday in Oriel Park.

It involved a Rooney’s Eleven made up of Sean’s family and friends, taking on an Irish Army Select Team.

The game was followed by a function afterwards. The whole afternoon was a good tribute to a very brave young Dundalk man and Irish Soldier.

The Irish National Anthem was sung officially for the first time at Windsor Park in Belfast last Thursday.

It happened before the Women’s international game between the North and the Republic. The Republic won the game easily. But it was an event filled with symbolism.

It’s amazing that the Irish National Anthem has never been played in Belfast before at a senior international game involving the Republic.

It shows just how far the Women’s game has come. It’s time the men’s senior team can also have the same anthem played on their next visit to Windsor. God save the King is the anthem played for the North.

Nobody had a problem when it was played in the Aviva when the North’s women’s team played the Republic there in September.

I want to see the Irish National anthem played similarly for the next visit of the men’s team to Windsor.

The FAI held their AGM and an EGM in Dublin on Saturday. The gender balance issue regarding the number of women required by the government to be allowed on the Board of the FAI was resolved.

It was agreed quite rightly that the proper gender balance be allowed. A couple of months ago, the government stopped funding for the FAI until the issued was resolved.

That has now happened. More details to follow on other issues to report at what seemed a very fractious meeting at times.

So Stephen O’Donnell sets out this week to continue his building of a new Dundalk squad for next season.

I have said it many times before. Stephen is a good manager, and he is lucky to have Brian Gartland there to help him in his search for getting the correct recruitment balance in.

Both men have identified Ben McCormack a 20-year-old midfielder from St Pats. He is also an under 19 international.

He is out of contract at Pats. As reported last week in this paper, Dundalk tried to sign Ben last season. The signs are Dundalk could get their man this time round.

Have a great week. Please remember to look after yourself and others. And remember to be careful out there.