CHARLIE FROM THE STANDS: Half-term report on a bizarre season

It’s just past half-time, and with most League of Ireland clubs now approaching the mid-season break and further evaluations about to occur around the League, I want to take a look at where each club is. Who is performing well? Who’s exceeding expectations? Who has work to do?

This week, I give you the League of Ireland Half-Time Review. Let’s start at the top…

Shelbourne - WINNING

It’s been an excellent opening half of the season for Damien Duff and his Shelbourne side, notching 10 wins, seven draws and just two defeats in their opening 19 games.

Not initially looked at as potential title challengers, Shels sit top of the table with a six-point cushion to second-placed Derry City, and nine points ahead of Shamrock Rovers. Though their form is good, the question bears - when can we start taking this Shelbourne side as one that can win the League title?

A couple of weeks ago, I said that the longer Shelbourne were able to stay at the front of the pack, the more likely they would be pull away and win the League. Now, that sounds obvious, but if they are caught in a bad run of form, and find themselves being hunted down by the momentum of a Derry or Shamrock Rovers, then I feel their style, confidence and belief will start to unravel. Since then, they managed to pick up seven points from a possible nine in fixtures against Derry, Shamrock Rovers and St Pat’s - no mean feat.

The positives for me are their injury record, late goals (which comes directly from their fitness levels) and their leaders like Mark Coyle, Paddy Barrett, John O’Sullivan and JJ Luney. Sprinkle in goals from Sean Boyd and magic from Will Jarvis and you have a nice mixture of steel, mental toughness, class and clinical finishing in the final third.

Then you look at the influence of Damien Duff on and off the field. He is firmly at the wheel at Tolka Park, and you would imagine that Europe may be nothing but a distraction over the coming weeks. How far will they go and will the players start smelling themselves after playing in Europe? All eyes are on Tolka Park.

Derry City – ON COURSE

Derry’s start to the season has been a bit of a mixed bag, with some impressive showings and some very disappointing ones as well. Eight wins, seven draws and four losses see the Candystripes there or thereabouts in the table, chasing down Shelbourne.

Derry City and Shamrock Rovers are both underperforming, but are both still involved in the title race. (Photo: Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile)

I was asked at the beginning of last season if Derry were going to win the league, and my answer was simple: Derry City’s mission should not just be to go out in one season and win a league - they should be making small incremental changes on and off the pitch to make sure that when Shamrock Rovers regress (which will inevitably happen), that they are primed and ready to take advantage and create longer-term success.

The draw against a weakened Sligo Rovers (minus Max Mata, Will Fitzgerald, John Mahon, Nando Pijnaker et al) on Friday night raised serious questions about this Derry side. I was in the Showgrounds the Friday before watching Bohemians easily dismantle Sligo 3-0, and to say it was a one-sided affair was an understatement. This made watching Derry struggle even more concerning, especially given the fact that Shelbourne and Shamrock Rovers were playing one another, so one or possibly both would drop points. Considering all the twists and turns to date, Derry City only find themselves six points off Shelbourne.

With Europe coming up and so many key players coming back from injury, it could be a real opportunity for Derry City to kick on and put purpose in their pursuit.

Shamrock Rovers - LOSING

Perhaps it is because of the benchmark they have set over the past four seasons, but with seven wins and draws, alongside five defeats, it represents a poor opening half of the season for the champions. Forecasting if Shamrock Rovers were to continue this form, they would accrue only 53 points - a tally miles off what it will take to win the league. So there is a burning question - is the hunger finally gone from the machine that has won four leagues in a row?

I thought Shamrock Rovers were running out of steam last year, only to be spurred on in the last few months by emotional charge, to win the coveted fourth title in a row. The emotion and physical energy needed to get over the line last year seems to have taken its toll this season, with the majority of the squad still in place, and aside from Darragh Burns, no real impact being made by their other new additions. I find it strange that Burns has been their star man, a player that has come back with a point to prove – arguably shining brighter than his much more experienced team-mates.

It seems like they are struggling with mental fatigue, unable to get themselves motivated for games this season.

This is evident through their distinct lack of first-half goals and the fact that in the last 10 games, they have only won three, two of which were against Derry City - when it's much easier to get yourself motivated.

That steely ability to put a winning run together seems to have left the Tallaght side. Combine that with the unrest within the shareholders during the off-season, I am thinking all is not well with Shamrock Rovers. With Jack Byrne, Neil Farrugia and Aaron McEneff making their returns, that may prove a catalyst for Stephen Bradley’s side. Lord knows they need one.

Galway United - WINNING

There’s a famous clip from Ollie Horgan’s tenure at Finn Harps when you can hear the affable Ollie screaming ‘Work, work, work, work’ at his side. This attitude appears to be in situ in the west, as Galway United have put together a very strong opening half to their return season in the Premier Division.

After 17 games, John Caulfield’s side sit in fourth, with two games in hand. Win these, and they move to second. To think that the Caulfield-Horgan duo were considered dinosaurs, surplus to requirements and possibly tipped for the League of Ireland museum, they have definitely shown they are still as astute as ever.

Conceding only nine goals so far this season, they find themselves dreaming of European nights in Eamonn Deacy Park next season. But can they keep up these levels having only come up last year? I don’t see why they can’t.

Ollie Horgan and John Caulfield have led Galway United to the top four of the Premier Division. (Photo: Michael P Ryan/Sportsfile)

They have taken their First Division winning side, avoided an overhaul and added quality, which has rewarded them with cohesion and balance. A team with an ethos of ‘attack together’ and ‘defend together’, Galway have taken that to the next level.

The other thing that stands out is their fitness levels, considering they played in the second tier last season.

The intensity levels between Premier and First Divisions are chalk and cheese, but the Tribesmen look super-fit and that has been the base they have used to effectively press sides, finish matches strongly and score some late goals in the process.

Waterford - WINNING

Like Galway, should Waterford win both of their games in hand, it would bring them to one point ahead of Derry in the league - an incredible first-half of the season for Keith Long’s side. From the outset, I envisaged Waterford fighting relegation, but they are now 13 points clear of bottom side Dundalk. The secret is a highly efficient defence with Premier Division experience, a dynamic midfield with pace and power and a clinical marksman in Padraig Amond.

One player that sums Waterford up right now is Darragh Leahy. Deemed surplus to requirements at Dundalk, Keith Long picked him up and has instilled confidence in him that has helped him reach the levels he was at when playing for the Republic of Ireland U21’s. Superb recruitment has also seen the acquisition of Maleace Asamoah from Fleetwood Town, and the emergence of Christie Pattison who looks to be finally reaching his potential at the age of 27.

The big question is: Will Waterford be able to sustain the levels they have reached so far?

Bohemians – ON COURSE

Seven wins, seven losses and three draws in between, a new manager and a generally unsteady start means Bohemians will be hoping for nothing more than improvement in the second half of the season.

With the new management team of Alan Reynolds and Stephen O’Donnell being supported by Pat Fenlon as Director of Football, it seems like Bohemians have a strong setup both on and off the pitch now. Between the trio, they know all about success and what it takes, and supported by an innovative Board with plans approved for a 8,000 seater stadium, Bohemians seem to moving in the right direction.

The only thing when I look at Bohemians is they have too many of the same type of player. For me, Dylan Connolly, Declan McDaid, Dayle Rooney and Danny Grant are not consistent enough over a 36 game season.

All very talented, but never reliable, it has taken the emergence of James Clarke and a handful of James Akintunde goals to drag Bohs out of a relegation dog-fight. I honestly see Bohemians fighting it out for Top Four until Alan Reynolds gets through the off-season and stamps his authority on this squad.

The problem there is that moving players nowadays can be difficult and expensive for clubs. Add to this the cost of players and competing with Rovers, Shels and St Pat’s for signatures, it will be an interesting second half of the season to see who makes the cut.

St Patrick’s Athletic - LOSING

Sitting precariously in seventh position having played 17 games and suffering nine defeats, it's not exactly the situation Stephen Kenny thought he would see himself in when he left the Ireland job in November 2023. But yet here we are.

Jon Daly’s miserable start to the season was compounded by his sacking earlier this month, and the Inchicore find themselves in the kind of position I had thought they would be in. Having overachieved last year, and subsequently losing keys players in the off-season, it was always going to be an uphill battle.

Although bringing Stephen Kenny in changes things, results may not be evident until next season after he gets through a pre-season and two transfer windows.

With work to do, and the three teams below them having only played 17 games each, it may be the case that Stephen is looking down the table rather than up, should his side fail to start picking up points. Can Stephen mount a challenge for fourth position with this squad? I don’t think so. Then again, he loves proving people wrong.

Sligo Rovers – ON COURSE

I was torn between ‘on course’ and ‘winning’, because believe it or not, I predicted Sligo would finish bottom of the league this year considering the 40% reduction in budget. And having recorded four wins, seven draws and six defeats, Sligo have done just okay.

The biggest thing for Sligo this season was always going to be their lack of squad depth and the importance of keeping their key players fit. Against Derry City recently, they had 18 year-old Conor Reynolds at center-half, and 20 year-old Kailin Barlow leading the line, with the bench filled with a number of other teenagers.

The mid-season departure of Max Mata – returning to his parent club (a ridiculous move) – was something that Sligo probably hoped would never happen as they watched the calendar perilously. What it means though is that they desperately need bodies, but as the other teams will know, the summer window is one where it can be difficult to find or add quality.

I hope Sligo are in the Premier Division next year as one of the few fan-owned clubs left in the Premier Division. I don’t think they get enough credit for continuing to raise capital through their loyal support, whilst remaining competitive.

Drogheda United - LOSING

Anyone that reads my articles regularly will know I am a Kevin Doherty fan. He continually recruits well and develops players - you only have to look at the amount of players that have gone through Drogheda during his time at the club to play for the bigger wealthier clubs in the league or further afield. Doherty has done this whilst ensuring that his Drogheda side are a difficult side to play against, home or away.

Admittedly, I didn’t see them in this position at this stage, despite there being loads of time for them to turn it around.

I still think they will be fine and climb above Sligo over the 36 games. They are playing well and have the makings of a decent side that will give anyone a game, but as we know, it’s a results game and Drogheda need to start getting results.

Dundalk – HAVING A NIGHTMARE

What can I say about Dundalk? I suppose he best way to sum them up at the halfway point is that they are on their third manager, have sacked their Director of Football who signed all the players, and look an absolute shambles so far this season.

Jon Daly has become Dundalk's third manager of the season. (Photo: Sam Barnes/Sportsfile)

Then, out of the blue, they are presented with a quality manager that knows the league inside and out in Jon Daly. The Dundalk faithful must have thought it was Christmas when he was appointed. Personally, I didn’t see any open letters to the owner after this appointment?

I still think Jon Daly has a fight on his hands to get Dundalk out of the bottom two. Despite being seven points behind Sligo, I can see them catching them, before entering a full-on scrap for survival with their local neighbours Drogheda United. At this point, if it’s not relegation they are staring at, then it is the playoffs. You would think that surely Drogheda and Dundalk would have far too much for the First Division teams that get to that stage. Time will tell.