Watts ready for electric atmosphere after controversial move

DYLAN WATTS can expect a hostile reaction from the away section in Tallaght tonight after making a “selfish” decision for the sake of his own career.

The talented Dubliner starred for Bohemians when they made a successful visit to Dublin 24 in April but he will be wearing Shamrock Rovers colours for this clash after opting for the Hoops in the summer when he faced a decision on his future.

Watts spent six months on loan with Bohs as his contract at Leicester ran down and while Keith Long was desperate to keep him, a full-time offer from Rovers was his preferred choice.

When asked if he was concerned about the reaction, the 21-year-old said: “Maybe. (But) in football you have to be selfish.

“As a player, these things happen. You need to make selfish decisions sometimes. That’s what it is.

“Bohs were very good to me,” continued Watts, discussing the likely mood towards him in the away section.

“When you are on the pitch, you try to play your game. You don’t tend to hear anything when you are in that zone. Hopefully it will be the same.”

His dressing-room colleagues Roberto Lopes and Luke Byrne will give him an idea of what to expect and it will be hard for the midfielder to shut it out.

As it happens, the Rovers players were taking flak from their own supporters seven days ago following their shock FAI Cup exit at the hands of Drogheda.

That placed the pressure back on manager Stephen Bradley after a strong run of results in the league carried him through a rough patch around the mid-season break.

An overdue win against their arch rivals would certainly help his position. Rovers have taken just one point from their three meetings this term despite going ahead in each of the matches with Long’s part-time team.

Dundalk will go back to the top of the table if they take full points from their visit to the Carlisle Grounds where Bray boss Gary Cronin presides over his first league game in the dugout.

Bray’s new owner Niall O’Driscoll says they brought Cronin in with the long term in mind, with the odds stacked against the Seagulls avoiding the drop – they are nine points behind second-from-bottom Limerick with eight matches to go.

“There’s a lot of good managers around who’ve been around the block 10 times but we felt what we needed to do was change the culture,” said O’Driscoll, who spoke to the LOI Weekly Podcast.

“We need to change how clubs are run and how they are perceived and Gary’s personality, drive and enthusiasm is a massive one for us.

“Would I love to stay up? Yes. The reality is we’ll end up where we end up. Whether that’s starting off in the First Division or fighting for survival, we’ll deal with what’s in front of us.” To heart he full interview with O’ Dr is coll, a chat with Tim Clancy on Drogheda’s shock win over Shamrock Rovers, and Lee Lynch on the Sligo Rovers’ decision to hand wages back after their cup loss to Longford, then visit independent.ie/podcasts or search LOI Weekly on iTunes