2020 Season Preview: Bohemians

Manager: Keith Long

Stadium: Dalymount Park

 

Players in:  Kris Twardek (Sligo Rovers), Anto Breslin (Longford Town), Ciaran Kelly & Glen McCauley (Both St. Pats), JJ Lunney (Waterford United) Stephen McGuinness (Cabinteely), Dan Casey (Cork City) Callum Thompson (Wolverhampton Wanderers). 

Players out: Derek Pender (Retired), Scott Allardice, Robbie McCourt (both Waterford FC), Darragh Leahy (Dundalk), Ryan Swan (Warrenpoint Town).

 

Extratime.ie Key Man: Daniel Mandroiu

Last season’s PFAI Young Player of the Year, it’s fair to say, Mandroiu is no longer an unknown entity in the league.

One of the most exciting talents in the league and an Irish under-21 International, it will be very interesting to see how he deals with the extra attention teams will now afford him.

Scorer of quite extraordinary goals and producing magic moments, the young star will be no doubt be central to the Bohs attacking threat yet again.



Extratime.ie One to Watch: Kris Twardek

The exciting 22-year old winger will look to hit the ground running at his new home, despite a lot of competition in the attacking areas.

One of Sligo Rovers stand-out players, having won the clubs player of the month in both july and August last season, the Toronto native brings both league experience and a varity of options across the front line that will no doubt have the fans on the edge of their seat.

 

How they did last season:

League: 3rd



‘Twas the week before kick off,

And all through the D.7 streets,

The only sound that could be heard,

Was the clammering for seats!

That’s right, following last seasons against-the-odds third place finish, the majority of the tickets for the famous Jodi stand are being snapped up in unprecedented fashion.

To put it into perspective, the uptake of adult season tickets in 2016 was just 48 and in 2017, a slight increase to 88 before it has skyrocketed to record levels in 2020.

And to put it bluntly, their 2019 heroics certainly will have a large determining factor in this regard, as the Gypsies earned a third placed finish – a superb achievement for a club expected to struggle last term.  

FAI Cup: Semi-finals

One that will live long in the memory of the Phibsborough faithful was the disappointing 2-0 home defeat to arch-enemies Shamrock Rovers, who would go on to win it.

But there was a real belief that it was their year, and having come so close the year before, Keith Longs men fell just short at the semi final hurdle yet again.

EA Sports Cup: Semi-finals

The Gypsie young guns saw their run in the EA Sports Cup come crashing to an abrupt halt as a ruthless Dundalk side hammered six past them, with Ross Tierney getting a consolation for his side.

 

What to expect this season:

To mount serious challenge in the European race again, and potentially give their fans “the big day out” at the Aviva in the FAI Cup. 

The excitement of a European run will hopefully not distract from the bread and butter of the league and Cup, but with a healthy looking 26-man squad should be able to cope with what lay ahead.

 

Title Odds: 16/1.

First game: Shamrock Rovers (Home).