IT’S A CASE OF evolution not revolution for Bohemian’s new manager Keith Long in his first season at Dalymount Park.
The 40-year-old, who enjoyed spells with Dundalk, St Patrick’s Athletic and Bray Wanderers as a player, was brought in to replace Sligo-bound Owen Heary at the end of last season after less than a year in charge of Athlone Town.
Before departing, Heary succeeded in steadying the ship after they had narrowly avoided the drop in 2013. As well as a seventh-place finish in the table, the North Dublin club also reached the last eight of the FAI Cup and a Setenta Cup semi-final.
Speaking at the launch of their new away kit yesterday, Long said the offer to take charge of the club was too good to turn down and before explaining that he will look for “continuity” within the dressing room.
“When a club like Bohemian Football Club come knocking on your door, you don’t have to be asked twice, he told The42. It was a no-brainer for me to take this job. It’s a big club and a great challenge so from that point of view it’s a massive honour to be manager.
My predecessor Owen (Heary) did a really good job last year. He stabilised the club and got them to a reasonable position in the table so it was important coming in that there was continuity in terms of the backroom staff.”
With Eoin Wearen, Steven Beattie, Kevin Devaney and Dinny Corcoran all following Heary to Sligo, the new Bohs boss has had some recruiting to do.
He raided former club Athlone for Derek Prendergast, James O’Brien Kealan Dillon and Dylan Hayes, while strikers Dean Kelly and Marc Griffin arrived from Shamrock Rovers and Dundalk respectively.
Defender Lorcan Fitzgerald joins from St Patrick’s Athletic and ex-UCD midfielder Robbie Creevy has also signed up.
“I think the balance of the squad is quite good between some of the more experienced players and some of the younger comes coming through,” Long added. “We don’t have huge money to throw around but at the same time there is still good value out there.
“Dean Kelly is coming in and he has always scored goals when he plays. We brought in Marc Griffin from Dundalk — he didn’t have a huge amount of game-time last year with the champions. He has a point to prove and I believe if Marc plays games and is given the freedom to express himself then he will get goals for us also.
“We have Jason Byrne who has been a top goalscorer in the League of Ireland over the last number of years. Young Adam Nevin is also coming back from the UK so we believe we are well-served and we’ve got goals in the team.
It’s not only the strikers, we’re looking for players in all areas of the pitch to chip in with goals.
“While we’ve lost some goals we feel we have replaced them and we have the next six weeks to get ourselves right in pre-season and when the season starts I’m sure we’ll be ready.”
The Gypsies, celebrating their 125th anniversary this year, are away to Limerick at the recently-developed Markets Field in the opening round of fixtures on 7 March before hosting newly-promoted Galway United the following Friday.
And Long insists his players will not be lacking when the season kicks off in six weeks’ time.
“We want to finish as high as we possibly can in the league. Any run in the cup can be good for the club. They had a good run in the EA Sports Cup and the FAI Cup last season so it’s important that we try and improve upon it.
“Our lads will be fit, they will be organised and they will be hungry. They will want to be successful and put on performances that the fans will be proud of and that is all we can guarantee.”
Mr Green, the award-winning online casino, has renewed its successful sponsorship of Bohemian FC, as the club celebrates its 125th anniversary this year. Visit mrgreen.com and get your game on this season.
No excuses tonight, just beaten by a much better and quicker side. Fingers crossed they can win the tie in Dublin and do well in the Conference group stages.
@Brian Murphy: was a freeroll anyway group stages already secured.
@John Kelly: I’m sure they’d rather be in the Europa Leage group stages though. Plus, a hiding like that is not good for confidence.
@John Kelly: that kind of attitude is why Irish teams do so poor in Europe
@Paul Doyle: it’s a step up in fairness to play the likes of ferencavros Paul obviously Europa would of been better but guaranteed conference won by Roma last year and some really good teams is not too shabby as a consolation don’t you think
@Brian Murphy: of course they would I’m not disputing that but they can have a good craic off them in tallaght and again in the conference group. Another great achievement for the club.
@John Kelly: That’s literally what I said in the comment you replied to. We’re agreed so!!
@Brian Murphy: I actually didn’t meant to reply to your comment just meant to post mine :) but yea totally agree either way it Was a win win imo
@John Kelly: Ha, that explains that. Anyway, agreed.
@Paul Doyle: Irish teams have historically done poor in Europe because Irish barstool fans would rather go to Liverpool or Manchester than support their local team
@Declan Clancy: It’s slightly more complex than that!
Christ it was a tough watch, rovers at the back were shambolic its a miracle it was only 4 nil realistically shud of been 8 or 9.cant knock rovers for gety9ng this far but a hiding like that just shows how far the league of Ireland is behind pretty much all other European leagues.
@Sean Mccabe: apart from maybe the other leagues that Irish clubs have knocked out the teams from those leagues. Surely that makes us better than them?
@Sean Mccabe: Jesus Christ… are they not in the conference league group stage no? I’m bohs fan defending rovers here, yea they were poor tonight but the objective was already achieved. Look at the teams just in the conference playoff rd and rovers already there. Credit where it’s due sean
@Kevin: I wasn’t gonna mention North Macedonia come on now,im thinking along the lines of Hungary,Turkey,Greece,Bulgaria to see if we could match up against them those leagues are hardly world beaters now r they.irish league is light years behind any half decent league in Europe and that’s just the hard truth we were never gonna be them tonight.
@John Kelly: I was giving them credit I said they did really well to get this far.ya can’t deny thst was painful to watch tonight,irelands best team getting mauled by some minnows themselves it just highlights how far irish football is behind others.theres no shame in that just a tough watch
@Sean Mccabe: what are you on about? West Ham, Fiorintina AZ Alkmaar Villarreal FC Tewnte are all still trying to qualify for a tournament rovers are already in the group stage for….. thunk about it
@John Kelly: come on now look at who rovers have played 99% of people wud never of heard of them. I say again I give them credit for getting this far but they were like U 12′s out there tonight out muscled and outclassed. Tallaght cud be even worse
@Sean Mccabe: I kind of agree with you, but in our defence we were missing a good few key players. When Jacko came on he made a big difference. I think Burkie was sorely missed too.
@Sean Mccabe: minnows? They were in the champions league group stages two years ago. Had a crowd of nearly 20,000 there tonight. Bought a player for nearly 2m recently. Why on earth do you think Irish teams should be able to compete against that? Seriously.
@Sean Mccabe: but your not listening it doesnt really matter much. Yes no Europa league but they have 6 more games in Europe 3 home and 3 away against possibly some big European heavyweights that I’ve already mentioned. That’s 6 more chances to showcase the league of Ireland on the big stage and how much it’s progessing. Again think about it for a minute…. But unfortunately we have people like you always willing to pull it down
@Sean Mccabe: Conference League is what Irish clubs can reasonably hope for. If we has 2/3 teams getting to the league stages it would bring much needed money into our league.
Probably once in decade a team could make the Europa given a favourable.
@John Kelly: take off the blinkers pal call a spade a spade that was shocking out there tonight judge tonight’s game not that they have 6 more to come be real that wasn’t a good advertisement for us tonight now was it
@TL55: I agree pal that is our level rite now and that’s a harsh truth but that’s the best we can hope for, that rovers team is shit hot but my god they were woeful tonight
@Kevin: so ur telling me you knew full well rovers were gonna get spanked bad before a ball was eve kicked tonight
@Philip Fox: Jack Byrne tried his best just struggling big time with injuries but he’s a deadly player when 100 %. Shocking at the back tonight they shud of had 8 if they took there chances
@Sean Mccabe: They played poorly and took a hiding but it doesn’t detract from all the excellent results Irish teams have enjoyed in recent years, including Rovers this year. Even good teams play really poorly some times, no point in writing off the whole LOI because of one result.
@Brian Murphy: not writing them off pal just a harsh reality check on were our league lies in European standards hard to watch but it’s been a good adventure for rovers so far.lets hope they can avoid a drubbing though next week
@John Kelly: I think you are overplaying the objective already achieved card by getting to Conference League group. That’s giving them a free pass for poor performance. Their objective was to get to Europa League group stages and they will be gutted to have failed.
@Sean Mccabe: I think they made woeful errors and learned that you can’t hope to compete with a much better side in Europe with no pace in side. They have a chance to rectify in Conference League group stages and will no doubt get a result or two that will make us rethink that place in European standards. Fingers crossed.
@Brian Murphy: I’m just defending the league more than anything else Brian.
@John Kelly: I’m with you on that one!
@Brian Murphy: yes mate nail on the head
@Brian Murphy: only joining this conversation late I honestly thought Rovers did well and missing 5 serious players it could have been a tighter game
@Sean Mccabe: wouldn’t call them minnows look at the facilities they have beautiful stadium and a squad valued at €40million
@ed: never heard of them. Wikipedia nails it though. – Ferencváros has been the most successful Hungarian club in European football competitions having won the 1964–65 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup.
I think that says it all really.
@Bernard Connolly: They were torn apart. Had more ball in second half but never threatened and Ferencvaros looked like scoring every time they broke. They were happy to give them ball at times as Rovers were so slow and doing nothing in possession. A hiding.
R.T.E . Euro jinx strikes again.
In fairness Tetteh looked very good when he came on, and only 17
I’m afraid Rhasida Adeleke(not sure of spelling),is the only one in tallaght who can cope with best in Europe,but the rest try their best
Genuine question what is the last big game for rovers against half decent European opposition that they haven’t bottled?
@Sean Newberry: genuine question, who do you support? Didn’t see you comment on any of the articles over the past few weeks when rovers were winning games.
@Kevin: Against the mighty shkupi and hibernians unreal. Time to close the gap tomorrow.
@Sean Newberry: Ditto most LOI teams down the decades. Exceptions I can think of : Athlone v Inter, Limerick v Real Madrid and Dundalk v Liverpool. No victories there but good shows and entirety amateur players not semi-pro like Rovers today. Says a lot !!
Playing high calibre opposition makes loi sides look poor at times….valuation of each ferencvaros player is double what the opposite rovers player is…pity with the result but is it a big surprise?