New faces not ruled out
VINNY Perth hasn’t ruled out adding to his squad once again before the restart of the league or ahead of Europe but insists any new signing must be good enough to go straight into the Dundalk first team.
While the manager is content with his squad at present having already added Stefan Colovic, Nathan Oduwa and Joshua Gatt after the start of the league back in February, he admitted the Lilywhites were continuing to monitor the market for top talents.
‘There’s no urgency to add anybody,’ he said.
‘Our first team keeps getting better and improving so there’s no urgency to fill spaces but, like anything, we’re always watching and we have our fingers on the pulse.
‘We’re offered players on a regular basis and if it was someone who we felt would make us better then we’d take them in but if we’re signing anybody at this stage then they’ve got to come into our first team because the squad at the minute is more than adequate to deal with what is ahead of us.’
One possible addition to the squad is Irish underage goalkeeper Jimmy Corcoran, pictured. The Kells man has been training with the squad in recent weeks following his release from Preston North End and could be added as cover for Gary Rogers and Aaron McCarey.
Asked about him, Perth said: ‘Jimmy is a current Irish U-19 international goalkeeper. He’s there or thereabouts when it comes to being first choice.
‘He has been released by Preston and we’re talking to Jimmy, his father and the people who look after him. We’ve set no date for anything but he has been asked in to train with us for a couple of weeks.
‘We’re very close to doing something but as it stands we’re very happy with him.’
Perth also said it was ‘too early to know’ if Cameron Dummigan would be staying on as part of the squad following his recent return from a loan spell at Crusaders.
‘Cammy has come back in and been really good around the place in the last two weeks. We’re in no rush to move Cammy on at the moment.’
Perth also said he had mixed views on plans to allow for five subs for each team when the season resumed.
‘I’m not sure that it’s confirmed yet because we haven’t had official confirmation on it. Like everything in Irish football, it’s leaked first before clubs are let know for sure.
‘The only problem with five subs is that 10 subs can be made in the second half and it is about how that is managed. That has to be monitored because teams can’t be allowed use it to take the flow from a game.
‘There’s no doubt that it could help a side like us because we have such a strong bench though,’ said Perth.
Last week it was confirmed that Dundalk physio Danny Miller would be joining Stephen Kenny’s Republic of Ireland setup with new assistant Alan Reynolds also named as new U-21 assistant manager to Jim Crawford but both will be fulfilling their roles for the national team alongside their duties at Oriel Park.