More departures from Dundalk leaves confidence low for season ahead

Dundalk continue to search for new players as the new season approaches. There have been more departures since my last article which does not give me great confidence for the season ahead.

Pat Hoban, at the time of writing is Derry City bound. It's understood that the Dundalk all time record goal scorer will go to City for a nominal fee. That was reported in the media a week ago and Hoban was due to depart by the weekend. I have no doubt that Hoban will go.

I am surprised that he is not going for the going rate of transfer fees. That would mean that Dundalk would be looking for a relatively high transfer fee. That they are not is a surprise. But I would fully accept that they want Hoban off their books which will give them extra money needed to bring in an extra player or two.

I believe it's time for supporters and reporters like myself to move on and accept that Pat is history as far as continuing as a Dundalk player.

The manager told the Dundalk star that he could move on at the end of the season and find another club. It became apparent that the reason why Hoban was being told he could go was not financial when the new owner Brian Ainscough told the media in December that it was not a money saving exercise that was causing the problem. Indeed Ainscough said he would be happy to see Hoban staying as long as the manager Stephen O'Donnell was happy with that.

But it's clear that Hoban is now on his way out of Oriel. I believe that people should respect the manager's decision now and move on. Hoban will become the eighth Dundalk player to join Derry City since Ruaidhri Higgins joined City in 2020. One supporter on social media in despair said that Dundalk had become a feeder club for Derry in the past few seasons.
It's a fact that many Dundalk personnel have moved to Derry who were successful at Oriel.

Derry have won the cup under Higgins. But there is no doubt their manager will be under huge pressure to deliver a first league title at the Brandywell for the first team since 1997. I do not think Derry will do it and instead it will be either Pats or Shamrock Rovers. We all also have to understand that the club is bigger than any one player. That is why the sooner Hoban joins Derry the better.

Dundalk began their pre-season training last Tuesday. There were only eight players present at the session and amazingly no goalkeepers. It had been thought that Nathan Sheppard had been signed. But it's believed that up to eight days ago that had not happened. The former Welsh under 21 keeper is believed to become increasingly frustrated with the way talks were going at Oriel. Nathan it was reported was looking to England again for a club.

Then at the weekend I was told that Nathan was going to sign. I'm not standing over this new report. But it's nonsensical that Dundalk have let the Sheppard situation go to the wire. You will not get a better keeper anywhere in the League of Ireland. Hopefully this situation will be resolved.

Dundalk have seen John Martin, Keith Ward, Daniel Kelly, Greg Sloggett, Darragh Leahy, Robbie McCourt, Connor Malley, Alfie Lewis  and Mark Byrne depart the club. Peter Cherrie was being linked to a goalkeeping coaching position at Drogheda United. Those reports have gone silent. I can not understand why Stephen O'Donnell has not tied Cheerie up as the club's goalkeeping coach. The position has been vacant since November as Dermot O'Neill has also left the club.

It makes sense to keep Peter on as a coach and he could also act as a reserve keeper. The departures continued at management level with news that the club has lost Tiarnan Mulvenna to Drogheda United. Tiarnan was a highly talented player with Dundalk and Drogheda United. He was head coach of the under 19 academy team. This is a vital position. To lose Tiarnan is a major blow. He has been working with the Dundalk academy for the past seven years. l find it seriously worrying that Dundalk are losing so many players and a coach.

On the plus side, Dundalk did sign Dutch midfielder Koen Oostenbrink during the week. The 23 year old came through the ranks at PSV Eindhoven. He recently played with another club FC Eindhoven. He is the second new arrival at Oriel Park in pre-season. Stephen O'Donnell told the Dundalk club website that Koen has an excellent pedigree.

He says he came up through the PSV academy and helped FC Eindhoven to the play-offs in the Dutch second tier last year. O'Donnell says Oostenbrink is a cultured midfielder who can play off both feet. He says the new midfielder is also a good strong physical player. He was called up at under 17 level for the Netherlands .He moved on to FC Eindhoven in 2021 and went on to make 36 appearances for the Dutch second division club. He scored just two goals.

I was amazed to see that Stephen O'Donnell allowed Connor Malley to transfer to Sligo.This happened since my last article was written. Malley is a midfielder who got three goals last season. I always remember the winner he got last summer against Drogheda United in the league in the final minute. Malley is a young player who will mature. He is strong and physical and I have no doubt that he would have turned out to be a good player for Dundalk.

Why the manager and Brian Gartland let Connor go is beyond me. Sure he had some poor games. But who does not. Dundalk can not afford to allow in contract players like Malley to walk. But that's exactly what Gartland and O'Donnell have allowed happen. They also allowed in contract Darragh Leahy to go. And the two players have gone to clubs that I think Dundalk will be struggling against towards the bottom of the table next season. Make no mistake,

The exodus of players from Oriel will considerably weaken Dundalk in the forthcoming season. Anybody who thinks Dundalk will be competing for Europe again next season, should think again. That's just my opinion. I may well be wrong. I sincerely hope I am. I even believe that next season such is the strength of the Premier Division that Dundalk will be battling to stay up. There are many who will say I am wrong. Well take a look at the teams in the Premier Division and how they have all strengthened. Take a look at the exodus of players from Oriel and you maybe will see what I mean.

Dundalk have also lost a number of academy team players. Some have been signing for Dublin clubs. This is not good news. The academy players are the lifeblood of any club's future. To lose their head coach and now see players not staying with Dundalk is not good. Why is this happening? Everybody has their own opinions as to why. But there is something fundamentally wrong.

Meanwhile former Glenavon defender Paddy Byrnes spent last week training with Dundalk, It's not known whether or not Brian Gartland will sign him. Dundalk are of course in need of defenders and midfielders. Senan Mullen was part of the Dundalk FC academy last season. Mullen played for the first team in some of the last few games of the season. It's doubtful he will be returning. He is in the UK at the moment and it's very likely he will get fixed up with a lower league side.

Dundalk have not as yet been able to find a club for in contract Darren Brownlie. He was signed in the summer window by Brian Gartland and Stephen O'Donnell.The manager has decided Darren is surplus to requirements and is letting him go. But as he is a Dundalk player he remains on the books at Oriel Park.

I am stunned by Dundalk's inability to sign League of Ireland players this season. The club's record speaks for itself. They were guided to European football two years ago. In the seasons before that Dundalk were the top club in the country. They have one of the best indoor training facilities in the country at the Youth Development Centre. But the 3G plastic pitch is seen as a risk of easy injury to players.

The seven year old carpet was put down in 2017. It can not be proved that it caused the injuries many of Stephen O'Donnell's side got last season. But it is looked upon by many to be the reason. Last season both Ruaidhri Higgins and Stephen O'Donnell raised concerns at a Dundalk, Derry game in Oriel that both sides 3G plastic pitches were partly responsible for the many injuries both sets of team's players picked up. Both clubs had very high injury lists going through the season. It did not compare to any injury list any other clubs got.

Dundalk have re-signed John Mountney for next season. John has been with Dundalk since 2011. He was away for two seasons in 2020 and 2021. He has been a huge asset to Dundalk. He has given everything. However John's career has been dogged by injury. He missed almost a complete season when he was with Pats when he picked up a career threatening injury at Oriel playing against Dundalk. Stephen O'Donnell took John to Oriel when he returned to Dundalk in December 2021. John's injury kept him out of football in 2022 for a good part of the season. He fought so hard to recover from his injury that amazingly he was able to play a number of games at the latter end of season 2022.

He helped Dundalk to gain a place in Europe as his form returned. Sadly he picked up a bad injury in a pre-season friendly at the FAI headquarters in Abbotstown in Dublin shortly before the start of season 2023. John missed the entire season. It must have been sickening for John to know that all his efforts to return for that season were gone by picking up another injury similar to the one that hit him over two seasons. 

But John battled his injury and has now fought himself back to full fitness. John is a very brave young man willing to return for Dundalk again. But I am worried about John. Another bad injury could have an impact on him and on his life when he quits football. Players who pick up serious injuries at times have to deal with a condition called chronic pain. Chronic pain means that a person is in pain twenty four hours a day, seven days a week. The pain is caused  usually a result of the effects of a serious injury that a person has been hit with at some stage in their lives. The medical world now give serious recognition to such a condition. Hospitals have pain control clinics.

They have proved to be very effective for some, not so for others. I would just ask those close to John to ensure he is fully aware that with his history of injuries there is a risk in the future he could be hit by chronic pain. John has to mind himself. I am sure he knows that. My advice to him is not to put himself at risk for another season. He should get out now while he still can. I'm not against Dundalk giving John a contract. I would be delighted to see him back.

But I do not want to see him put himself at risk of getting chronic pain in the future. It's an illness that lives with you for good. For many it is a living hell. I would give the same advice to anyone prone to serious injury. Robbie Benson has also been hit with a lot of injury. But he has not been missing from teams as long as John. I would also say many get chronic pain after maybe getting one or two serious injuries in their lives.

Last Saturday week was the sixth anniversary of the death former Dundalk boss Sean McCaffrey. Sean was a very quiet man who was an absolute gentleman. Sean managed Republic of Ireland underage teams. He was very successful at this level. It was just unfortunate that things did not work out for Sean on the pitch results wise in 2012. His stay at Oriel only lasted seven months.

The new owner Brian Ainscough deserves great credit for how hard he is working at bringing in much needed change to the internal workings of Oriel Park. Since last writing the club have formed a much needed partnership with the Halpin Sport company. The local business once again assumes responsibility for the club's commercial activity.

The company was founded over 12 years ago by Peter Halpin. Peter is from Dundalk and was general manager of the club in 2006. His company has a client portfolio including several English Premier League and Championship clubs. He also has some Spanish clubs as clients including La Liga side Real Betis. Peter has strong family connections with Dundalk.

His great, great grandfather Peadar Halpin was on the Dundalk board from the 1930's up to the early sixties. Peadar was also chairman of the club for a period. Halpin Sport Sponsorship has a proven track record in the development and delivery of shirt-sponsorships, stadium naming rights and official partner deals across the a variety of sectors within the game.

Halpin Sport Sponsorship began it's commercial activities with Dundalk eight days ago. They are being spearheaded by the company's commercial manager, Nita Williams. Brian Ainscough says he has worked with Peter and his company in the past. He says he always found Peter to be the ultimate professional. He says that he is very happy to acquire the services of Halpin Sport. Brian says they will play a big part in how the club moves forward.

Former Dundalk boss John Gill has taken over as manager of Irish League Third Division side Warrenpoint. John has been a coach at the club for a number of years. He takes over from Barry Gray who is the new manager of Newry City. Warrenpoint gave Linfield a huge scare in the Irish cup last Saturday at Windsor when they led 2-0 at one stage. Linfield eventually won through on a scoreline of 4-2.

Have a great week and remember to look after each other.