Here’s the Long and short of it.. Bohs must back the boss and it has to happen now, not later
BOHEMIANS fans should be careful what they wish for.
Some – and I stress it’s only some – feel Keith Long has run out of road and fancy a change of boss.
That’s all well and good but it’s hard to get a good manager and, anyway, they already have one.
Manchester United are the biggest club in the world but couldn’t pick a manager to save their life.
Shelbourne were in the doldrums for 15 years and look at the shambles Waterford have become because they can’t get the right man.
Frankly, I think Long is being disrespected. He deserves huge credit and should be given more rope as he’s being strangled.
As a club, Bohs deserve the plaudits for reinvigorating the gameday experience at
Dalymount Park. But that doesn’t matter a damn if your team isn’t moving forward all the time and knocking on the door.
The social justice crusade, the climate change initiatives and the Bob Marley jerseys are what they are.
It generated interest and got people through the gates.
Those fans have engaged with the club and are energised by it. That’s the commercial enterprise but, if it works, it should also free up resources for the manager to spend on the team.
Long has worked wonders on a shoestring since 2014 and the
European nights last summer created great memories for the fans. They were then a penalty kick from winning the FAI Cup, only to come out the wrong side.
So Bohs are at a crossroads.
Long sounded hugely frustrated after last week’s derby defeat to Shamrock Rovers when he said new signings were a priority. The lads calling the shots at Bohs need to decide right now if they’re going to back him or not. Long feels there’s potential to get something out of the season – and he’s right because third and fourth are up for grabs. But if you’re setting sights on that, you need to act now.
Long’s problem is that – despite losing key players – expectations remain high at Bohs because of last year.
Yet in the blink of an eye, it all became yesterday’s news as Derry City and St Pat’s kicked on and stole their thunder.
Long missed out on players that he wanted. Why? Because they’ve a better chance of being successful elsewhere.
But Bohemians are a big club. Dalymount is still a fabulous place to play and the club has a state-of-the-art training facility, so what’s missing?
Backing – that’s what.
Bohs need to back their manager quickly because, while Keith Long deserves a proper crack off this, his team is in danger of becoming irrelevant.