The Commentary Box: Contract talks heating up at Oriel while Stephen Kenny struggles with Ireland

The FAI terminated their contract with Umbro’s Irish Parent company JACC Sports four weeks ago, one which was due to run up until 2026. British manufacturer Castore are set to replace Umbro as kit supplier for all Republic of Ireland teams.

Payment arrears led to the premature action by the FAI with Umbro’s Irish parent company, JAAC Sports, despite having another four years left of their partnership. A liquidator has been appointed by the High Court to address JACC’s €13 million debts.

The Republic’s potential new kit sponsor Castore is backed by tennis star Andy Murray and the Asda owning billionaire ISSA brothers. The company have been anxious to expand their club portfolio to the international sphere.

Glasgow Rangers became their first partner in 2020. The Manchester company have signed up three English Premier League sides, Newcastle United, Wolves and Aston Villa.

The departure of Umbro not only has had implications for the Republic of Ireland sides. It has also had implications for most, if not all League of Ireland clubs.

Locally Dundalk have moved very quickly to avert any problems, re a kit supplier for next season. Their new kit sponsor is Newry Company Playr-Fit. 

As the club’s new kit supplier Playr-Fit will supply a new club jersey. Playr-Fit are also believed to have been signed up by more League of Ireland clubs other than Dundalk as a result of the UMBRO demise.

The Newry company supplies kits to many GAA clubs in Louth. They operate in different sports, right down to the schools and underage level and to sides all across the country.

I think this is a great move by Dundalk. They have opted for a company just a few miles away from Oriel Park as their new kit supplier. Supporting local companies is the way to go.

But obviously they Lilywhites didn’t just go with Playr-Fit because they are a local company in Newry. They offered the club the best deal that will benefit them. The Playr-Fit merchandise is top quality. I’m looking forward to seeing it as the new club jersey.

The company will also be supplying the team with additional merchandise for every underage team in the club and also supporters from early next month.

Paul Doyle

On the player front Dundalk announced last week that Paul Doyle had signed a new two-year contract. The 27-year-old Westport native is a terrific player.

The midfielder was one of Stephen O’Donnell’s first signings last season. Paul made 27 appearances in all competitions last season. He scored three goals and helped Dundalk to a top 3 finish.

Paul says he is delighted to be at Oriel for the next two seasons. He told the club website that he knows what the expectations and demands are at Oriel Park. He says it’s all about pushing on and trying to compete on all levels.

He stressed he wants to challenge for titles and cups but is also looking forward to big European games in the future.
The 24-year old’s season came to a premature end when he sustained a hamstring injury last August in the FAI Cup game at the RSC, a tie which Waterford won 3-1. However, Paul confirmed that he is on course to return to full fitness for pre-season.

Manager Stephen O’Donnell says he is really excited to have Doyle staying with Dundalk for another two seasons at least. The Galwegian believes there is a lot more to come from the midfielder.

The boss believes he can develop into a talisman and a leader for the club. That is due to the personality traits he has noticed in him.

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Contract Negotiations

Sam Bone looks set to depart the club. Darragh Leahy will be re-signed, as will Andy Boyle and I’m sure sub keepers Mark Byrne and Peter Cherrie will also write their names on the dotted line come the end of contracts negotiations with Dundalk.

Peter Cherrie told me recently that he wants to stay at the club. I would be very surprised if Stephen O’Donnell does not give him a new contract. I hope Mark Byrne stays on as well.

But the young keeper from Knockbridge will find it next to nigh on impossible to break into the first team with Welsh under 21 keeper Nathan Shepperd staying at Dundalk next season.

Mark was terrific while playing with Warrenpoint in the Irish League for two seasons. I saw Mark play in every home game at Warrenpoint in the Northern top flight.

I’m sure that Stephen O’Donnell would not want to lose Mark. But if he is to progress for the future, he needs to be getting game time every week. That will not be happening while Nathan Shepperd remains Dundalk’s net minder.

I won’t be surprised if Brian Gartland steps away from playing football next season. The Dundalk legend has only managed to play around five games for the past two seasons with the first team.

If Brian decides to play on, then I’m sure it will be with another club. He’s been a great player at Dundalk, but now it’s time for him to move on if he wants to continue to play.

But if the wily defender was instead available to join Stephen’s backroom team, I think Dundalk should jump at the idea. During the Covid era, I remember when Dundalk played Pats at an empty Inchicore.

The lilywhites won the game convincingly. Jim Magilton was in charge. But Brian organized the Dundalk defence through his coaching from the stand. To see the young players hang on to his every word was fascinating.

I said it last year and I will say it again. Brian has a future at Oriel. But sadly, not as a player. It’s a chance for him to join Stephen O’Donnell’s backroom team.

By the time you read this I’m sure there will be more announcements from Oriel about players staying and new players coming in. The Galwegian was rumoured to have signed 19-year-old Pat’s midfielder Ben McCormack.

But there was no confirmation from the club. There is no doubt that Stephen is chasing the young Dubliner. Whether he wins the battle for his signature, only time will tell.

Another young midfielder O’Donnell is chasing is Dylan Duffy from UCD. With Runar Hauge, Lewis Macari and Stephen Bradley all returning to Scotland, O’Donnell must fill these places. He must also sign two centre halves.

He has Andy Boyle, but O’Donnell was never able to replace the hole in the Lilywhites back four when the club lost Mark Connolly to Derry City at the end of June.

Lewis Macari was a centre half with Stoke. O’Donnell played him at right full. He did a fine job in that position, but when Connolly went to Derry Macari stayed at right full, with Sam Bone coming in at centre half.

Sam was not the answer. Yet Stephen O’Donnell only started playing Macari at centre half after Waterford put Dundalk out of the cup in August.

Dundalk need two full backs as well. This is in addition to keeping Darragh Leahy. The boss needs to get his defence right. From a strong defence, he can build a strong team.

Stephen needs to strengthen the team at midfield. It is vital the club has a strong centre midfield, along with with two good wingers. These would be added to the squad and the options he already has around the middle of the park.

Up front, the side needs another striker. The fact that Pat Hoban was the club’s leading scorer despite missing the last 12 games of the season through injury speaks volumes. Pat is a fabulous player.

John Martin is also staying. But given the fact that Dundalk were down eight first team players for a good part of the season and that the club will be in Europe, O’Donnell needs to make up to eight or nine new signings on top of keeping most of the players from last season.

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The FAI Cup Final

I was delighted to see Derry City win the cup. This despite the fact half their team were seemingly at Oriel the season before. Derry is a city that suffered so much in the troubles.

It was great to see the joy on the people of Derry at Guildhall Square when the team presented the city with the cup. Patrick McEleney, Michael Duffy, Mark Connolly, Cameron Dummigan and Will Patching all played their part in bringing the trophy to the North-West.

Ruaidhri Higgins plays an exciting brand of football. They went on to beat Shelbourne in the cup final 4-0. It was the heaviest defeat inflicted on any team in cup final for many years.

On Friday Shelbourne released five of their players. Damian Duff has done a good job with the Tolka Park side this season. He has consolidated their place in the Premier Division, having just come up from the first Division.

Duff will have the cash to strengthen his side considerably next season, as a minority shareholder in Southampton comes into the club in the coming weeks. Cork City are also expected to have considerable cash at their disposal, through a new owner who is based in Dublin.

The National Team

The pressure is growing on the Republic of Ireland manager Stephen Kenny after another poor result at the Aviva. The attendance was top class at 41,000. Kenny has drawn good attendances at the Aviva, with the team playing attractive football.

But the 2-1 defeat by Norway was not good. Ireland conceded both goals via two set pieces. The first half was awful, with Ireland’s performance being so flat.

The ghosts of Martin O’Neill, Trappatoni and Mick McCarthy seemed to hang over the stadium as flashbacks of their terrible style of football returned. It was not what one would expect from a side managed by Stephen Kenny.

Ireland played good football in the first 15 minutes of the second half. Alan Browne got a terrific equaliser, although Norway took over again from there to the finish. Five minutes from time, they got a late winner, again from a set piece.

Last Sunday the Republic played Malta in the last game of the year. The result is not to hand at the time of writing. But the coming European Championship qualifiers does not give me any confidence, seeing what I am seeing from this Irish team.

With France and the Netherlands favourites to occupy the first two places in the group, Ireland will realistically be hoping to finish in third. But with Greece in the group, I see them getting that spot and ending the campaign ahead of us too. I hope I am wrong.

Kenny’s Thoughts

Stephen Kenny told the press after the game that he did not think Norway deserved to win. He said the game was very even overall. The former Dundalk boss was disappointed Ireland did not create any chances in the first half.

Yet he was defiant and despite the poor showing remains adamant Ireland will trouble France and Holland. He says the team did a lot of things well against Norway. And he told the assembled media that the World Cup games in March will be very different. But Kenny did admit that the defending from set pieces was poor.

The time will arrive, starting in March, when Stephen must do a good job and get Ireland to the finals. He has been in charge for two seasons and rightly has been given a contract to take Ireland through the Euros.

Despite being placed in the group of death, the Dubliner will have to step down as Irish manager should he fail to get Ireland to the Euros in Germany.

Results are what Stephen must get for Ireland from March. And he knows that too. The FAI will not renew his contract if he does not get the results with Ireland.

And they would be right. I want Stephen to do well. I love his brand of football. But if he can’t get the results, I’m afraid he will be going through the exit door at Abbotstown after the qualifying stages of the Euros are complete. Have a great week. Look after yourselves and please be careful out there.