Louth neighbours have vastly different goals
- to second spot in the table and an EA Sports Cup triumph.
But the chances of any club ‘doing a Leicester City’ - the 2015/16 version of Claudio Ranieri’s team, that is - are obviously remote and for the fourth season in succession it looks like being a battle between Dundalk and Cork City for the top prize.
John Caulfield’s charges have been the only team who have even come close to derailing Stephen Kenny’s hat-trick winners, and once again they look best equipped to deny the Lilywhites, but that’s not to say they look any stronger than 12 months ago.
Conor McCormack, a Dundalk native, is probably the best known of their five signings, but nine players have left and there’s almost a sense of Cork hoping that the Lilywhites will struggle without 2016 talisman Daryl Horgan.
Perhaps they’re right. Horgan is a big loss, as are Andy Boyle and Ronan Finn, and with all due respect the incoming players at Oriel Park aren’t going to have fans rushing to buy season tickets. But then the same could have been said years ago about the likes of Boyle, Brian Gartland, Dane Massey, David McMillan and Chris Shields, to name just a few. They all become key members of the all-conquering side who starred on the European stage. Who is to say that Sean Hoare, Jamie McGrath and the other signings won’t also reach another level under the skilful tutelage of Kenny.
The way Dundalk seemed to prosper last autumn, amidst the punishing schedule of games caused by their fantastic run in Europe, was remarkable, and all League of Ireland followers will be hoping they can do the country proud again in the Champions League.
A superb new 4G pitch has been laid at Oriel Park in the close season and you would think that would also help the Lilywhites’ slick passing game, while making games a far more attractive spectacle to supporters and TV viewers.
Fans certainly won’t be losing any sleep over last week’s Presidents Cup defeat in Turner’s Cross, although Dundalk will be anxious to reverse the Leesiders’ dominance of their competitive meetings last year.
Can any other club come out of the pack to mount a challenge? Inevitably, thoughts turn to Shamrock Rovers, but Stephen Bradley is an unproven manager and he has the extremely difficult task of moulding his 12 new signings into a squad that will number 30 in total. The experience of Finn at the heart of midfield will help, but it’s surely too much to ask for the Hoops to catch Dundalk after finishing 22 points adrift of them last term.
The battle for European places should be interesting, though, especially if one of the top three clubs also wins the FAI Cup which would see the fourth-placed team also qualify for the Europa League.
Derry and Shamrock Rovers will be favourites to fill those slots behind the top two, but Sligo Rovers and St Patrick’s Athletic will feel they’re in the mix and Bray Wanderers are another club on the rise who could find themselves in the shake-up.
And what of the promoted clubs Limerick and Drogheda United? The Shannonsiders are full-time and on paper look better equipped of the two to establish themselves in the top flight, but they weren’t seriously tested in the First Division and it will be interesting to see how they respond when the going gets tough.
Drogheda have strengthened their squad significantly and there’s considerably more interest around the town this year, thanks to the signings of local trio Killian and Gavin Brennan and Thomas Byrne.
With a third Brennan, Sean, and Sean Thornton already in the squad, and the likes of former international Stephen Elliott and promising left-back Conor Kane also signed up, Drogheda appear to possess a squad that’s well capable of staying up.
If there’s one area of concern, it’s in attack where poor finishing has been a feature of pre-season games, and that weakness will have to be addressed if they are to set the bar any higher than Premier Division survival.
That leaves Bohemians, Galway United and Finn Harps, the clubs who finished above relegated Wexford and Longford last season, and with three teams to be relegated come October it is they - along with Drogheda - who will have to finish at the summit of their mini-league to retain their top-flight status.
A win for Drogheda in Galway on the opening day of the season would represent a great start, as would three points for Dundalk against the once-mighty Rovers.
The time for talking is over. It’s down to business - let the games begin!