New recruits finding life tough

DURING this break in the season with half the league games completed, it is entirely understandable that Dundalk supporters should be trying to compare the qualities of the new players recruited prior to the start of the season with the stars who departed.

In total, manager Stephen Kenny signed seven new players, namely Michael Duffy, Jamie McGrath, Sean Hoare, Niclas Vemmelund, Conor Clifford, Stephen Kinsella and Thomas Stewart for the departing Daryl Horgan, Andy Boyle, Ronan Finn, Alan Keane and Dean Shiels.

That comparison might seem harsh given the fact that the new players were for the most part replacing established players who were at Dundalk for more than one season, and who were well versed with the playing patterns that had been honed by the manager over four seasons. In addition the new players were asked fill the boots of three players in Boyle, to Horgan and Finn who would be widely regarded as three of the best players to grace the League of Ireland in recent years, with Boyle and Horgan not looking out of place when they quickly forced their way into the Preston North End Championship team mid-season and gained international recognition with Ireland.

While supporters do concede these points, it is only natural, given the team’s inconsistent start to the season, and after a defeat like the one inflicted by league leaders, Cork City at Oriel Park recently, that supporters should start to question the quality of the newly recruited players.

The manager, and others, would argue that we haven’t seen the best of them because injuries at the start of the season severely disrupted the early games and led to changes being forced on team selection that saw almost a different team taking the field every week.

In defence, for example, Dane Massey is the only regular from last season to play in almost every game as Gary Rogers, Sean Gannon, and Brian Gartland have both been missing for long periods.

Because of this, both Sean Hoare and Niclas Vemmelund have been pressed into action sooner than anticipated. Vemmelund had to fill in for a lengthy period at wing back when Gannon was out, and while he showed his qualities as a defender, his support play in terms of passing and pace was exposed.

The former Derry City player looked more comfortable as a central defender in recent weeks, although both himself and Paddy Barrett failed to cope with Sean Maguire in that Cork game.

Hoare came with a big reputation from St. Pat’s and was flagged as a potential target for English clubs. His cause was not helped by a pre-season injury that clearly hampered him in settling into the team, but when he did get his chance he failed to make the impact expected, especially with his distribution of the ball.

In midfield the unexpected departure of Ronan Finn to Shamrock Rovers has left a void in terms of linking the play that none of the players seem capable of filling. The big disappointment in this regard has been Conor Clifford, but the question must be asked if the former Chelsea starlet was ever capable of filling that role.

In the games he has played with the team he looks more like a holding player, and thus competing with Chris Shields and Stephen O’Donnell for that role. His absence from the team in recent weeks would indicate that the manager sees Shields and O’Donnell as better options.

In attack, the manager’s preferred options on the wings appears to be Michael Duffy and Jamie McGrath. Duffy has, it must be recognised, impressed most of all the players, and he clearly has the potential to make a real impact. At times he lacks the determination in his play that supporters would like, but his eye for goal is a real asset.

McGrath, like Duffy, has youth on his side and again shows real potential. However, is he a winger or wide player, and could his pace and finishing be more suited to a central role?

Both Thomas Stewart and Stephen Kinsella haven’t had sufficient starting time to assess their value. Stewart has been sent in late on, generally when Dundalk are chasing the game, while Kinsella has been hampered by injury. However, in one of the EA Cup games he started, against Waterford, the former Everton player looked an exciting prospect.

At the start of the season the view was offered from within the club that Dundalk had a better panel of players than last season. That may eventually be the case with young players, like Duffy, McGrath, Hoare, Kinsella and to a lesser extent Clifford need time and patience to settle into a new environment before they can realise their full potential.

Let’s hope that is the case.