Vinny itching to prove all the doubters wrong

NEW Dundalk head coach Vinny Perth will begin a mission to show that he and his players are better than some people believe when they host Sligo Rovers in Friday night’s league opener at Oriel Park (kick-off 7.45pm, live on RTÉ Two).

There’s an element following the League of Ireland who feel the double champions will struggle to cope without Stephen Kenny, who left the club last November to take up the Republic of Ireland U-21 manager’s job.

While Kenny undoubtedly had a huge impact at Oriel, Perth says the staff and players played a big part in the successes of recent years too and wants to show everyone that it’s business as usual on the Carrick Road despite the change in management over the winter months.

‘We probably feel as a group that we’ve something to prove to the rest of the country to say we can continue to be successful despite what people think,’ he said.

‘At the end of the game on Saturday the lads took a photograph, more for the fans. I was roped into that photograph and it’s not something I would have done before but all the staff were in the photo and all the players so there is this sort of ‘we’ element about what we’re doing.

‘The whole lot of us feel we’ve something to prove. We were sort of left behind a little bit over the last couple of months in terms of what happened with the change in the club so everybody feels we’ve something to prove.

‘There is a ‘we’ about us. It is about continuity and it is about the people who have achieved so much over the last five or six years saying it’s our time to shine now.

‘We played a huge part in the success over the last five or six years and some people have probably forgotten that a little bit. Certainly I know the previous manager hasn’t forgotten it but I’m just making the point that we feel we have something to prove by saying we can be successful on our own two feet as a group,’ said Perth.

First up are Sligo Rovers, with new boss Liam Buckley recruiting a number of players from outside the league as he shapes his squad in the North West. While admitting to not completely knowing what to expect from the Bit O Red, Perth expects a tight affair on the opening night.

‘It has been difficult to assess them because they’ve brought a few new players in from outside the league,’ he said.

‘Their squad is small at the moment but Gerard Lyttle did a really good job there of bringing in a lot of good young players so they have a nucleus there.

‘They’re certainly a threat. Particularly away from home we’ve had difficult games agianst Sligo. I know we had one handy game against Sligo last year but generally we’ve always found it difficult to break them down and particularly because it’s live on television and the first game of the season I’d expect it to be more of the same this week.’

Perth said the fans will have a role to play on the night and asked for a big turnout for the opening game of the season.

‘The support has been superb,’ he said.

‘I think it started with the open day last month. It was phenomenal in terms of the amount of people that turned up. The support down in Cork was phenomenal and I think just generally around the town, the amount of goodwill that myself John and Ruaidhrí have got is great. Even the players are really feeling it. There’s a good vibe around the club at the moment.

‘We probably need the support for the likes of this game more than anything. The bigger games look after themselves but it’s the likes of Sligo in the first game of the season live on television that we need a big show of togetherness from everybody in the club to say things has changed from last season and the figure head is gone but Dundalk is still the same club, the same fans, same ground, same players and we’re looking to achieve the same goals as last year.

‘It’s massive for us and we really feel a big crowd will help the team get off to a positive start.’

The new head coach is looking to add to his squad before the transfer deadline on Friday week but said nothing was in the pipeline as yet.

‘Just in general the squad is a little bit lighter than where it was this time last year because some people chose to leave and we chose to let some lads leave as well.

‘We’d like to tidy that up a little bit because there’s a lot of games to be played, particularly in the first half of the season. There’s nothing concrete or nothing a couple of days away but like anything in football that can all change very quickly so we’ll see where that goes.’

He also explained the decision to let Karolis Chvedukas depart for Waterford FC last week.

‘When he signed for us he was an international player but he’s had the injury and a lot of bad luck. Between us we probably felt he was behind Chris (Shields) and Robbie (Benson) and he felt he was potentially behind the two new guys who came in as well. He has a lot to prove in terms of his fitness so it was just the perfect opportunity for him.

‘He’s such a good lad but we just felt we were holding him back in terms of his own career and it’s probably the best time for him to go play some football and see where he stands,’ said Perth.

The club have been linked with a move for UCD defender Liam Scales with The Irish Independent suggesting Dundalk could buy him before loaning him back to the First Division champions for 2019. While reports at the weekend suggested UCD were blocking a deal, it’s understood that it’s the player’s agent Pat Devlin who is holding up the potential move.

Asked about a player who was in Stephen Kenny’s home based U-21 squad last week, Perth said: ‘We’re always going to be linked to good young players at different clubs but he’s connected to UCD so I wouldn’t want to comment publicly on another club’s player.

‘At the moment it’s just all speculation.’

Unlike his predecessor, Perth said he will be more open to squad rotation this season - something he feels has been aided by a stronger calibre of player coming in.

‘As much as the squad might be short one or two, we’ve more strength in depth than we ever had,’ he said.

‘Jordan Flores and Sean Murray are arguably as good as what we already have, therefore you can’t have a fella sitting around waiting every week especially with the amount of matches we have. We were very lucky because an injury to Chris Shields or Robbie Benson last year would have cost us dramatically. Fellas have to be ready to play.

‘In previous years Chris Shields would have played certain games and Stephen O’Donnell would have played certain games so that sort of thing is going to continue.’

Between Friday’s match against Sligo Rovers and Monday’s Leinster Senior Cup match at home to Athlone Town (kick-off 7.45pm), Perth is hopeful that all squad members will get minutes under their belt this week with new signing Jordan Flores poised for a debut against the Midlanders.

‘We planned Monday’s game three or four weeks ago. We want it so that after the first weekend everyone has played close to 90 minutes. It’s a great game to have and we should have a strong team out on the pitch.’

Perth also said that PFAI Young Player of the Year Jamie McGrath, who has yet to feature in pre-season due to a groin injury, could also return on Monday.

‘It might be a little bit touch and go but we’re hoping to have him for Monday,’ he said of the 22-year-old.

‘He needs some game time now. He’s had time off to let his injury settle down but he’s very close to coming back.’