Season Preview: Sligo Rovers
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Sligo Rovers enter the 2010 Airtricity League season with a point to prove and Paul Cook will be aiming to guide his team to a strong start to the campaign.
After crashing out of the Europa League in the first round against minnows Vllaznia Shkoder and having league form as consistent as philosophic theory, they need to show that they can emulate both their league form of 2008 and the cup form of 2009 once again and become a force to reckoned with in the league.
Cook has bought very shrewdly in the close season, bringing in Paul Whelan and Padraig Amond to replace the losses of Romauld Boco and Raffaele Cretaro, players who would have proved key to the Bit O'Red cause in 2010 if they had not moved on.
It also appears that John Dillon and Mark Doninger brought in from the UK will be left to fight for the spot vacated after the Chris Turner debacle. Weaknesses in the squad seem to have been ironed out too with Iarflaith Davoren coming in to plug the left back slot that has proved difficult to fill ever since Chris Butler was injured midway through the 2008 season.
What Cook has built is a young squad, peppered with leaders throughout the pitch. Players such as Gavin Peers, Conor O’Grady and Richard Brush will be sure to lead by example, while the youngsters like Dean Marshall, Gary McCabe and Eoin Doyle will be looking to establish themselves as consistent performers.
The partnership between Brush and Peers will again prove itself vital. The pair who both came to Sligo in 2006, have proved themselves to be essential in the Rovers’ defence time and time again. It is not by accident that Sligo’s form skyrocketed once Peers returned to marshal the defence for the latter half of the season, while Brush is up there as one of the best shot-stoppers in the league.
The demise of both Derry City and Cork City has opened a gap to be filled in the top four - a place in the table that could easily be achieved as long as Sligo find the consistency to get them the sufficient amount of points. On their day, Sligo have proven themselves to be a force to be reckoned with, especially in The Showgrounds.
No doubt they will wish to put last year’s season behind them, as being dragged into a relegation dogfight is the last thing wanted on the banks of the Garavogue. That shouldn’t happen however, as Cook has assembled a young, hard-working squad willing to prove themselves and expectations will be a lot higher.
Team: Sligo Rovers
Manager: Paul Cook
Players In: Paul Whelan (Monaghan United), Jason McCartney (Athlone Town), Derek Foran, Gary McCabe (both Bray Wanderers), Iarflaith Davoren (Galway United), John Dillon (Crewe Alexandra), Mark Doninger (Blyth Spartans), Padraig Amond (Shamrock Rovers)
Players Out: Michael Schlingermann (Athlone Town), Jason Noctor (Finn Harps), Romauld Boco (Burton Albion), Joseph Kendrick (Drogheda United), Chris Butler (Droylsden), Owen Morrison (Portadown), Darren Meenan (Dundalk), Brian Cash (St. Patrick's Athletic), Raffaele Cretaro (Bohemians), Rob Turner (Rhyl), Ger Rafter, Eoin Torpey, Martin Camano (all released)
One To Watch: Mark Doninger
Prediction: 5th
After crashing out of the Europa League in the first round against minnows Vllaznia Shkoder and having league form as consistent as philosophic theory, they need to show that they can emulate both their league form of 2008 and the cup form of 2009 once again and become a force to reckoned with in the league.
Cook has bought very shrewdly in the close season, bringing in Paul Whelan and Padraig Amond to replace the losses of Romauld Boco and Raffaele Cretaro, players who would have proved key to the Bit O'Red cause in 2010 if they had not moved on.
It also appears that John Dillon and Mark Doninger brought in from the UK will be left to fight for the spot vacated after the Chris Turner debacle. Weaknesses in the squad seem to have been ironed out too with Iarflaith Davoren coming in to plug the left back slot that has proved difficult to fill ever since Chris Butler was injured midway through the 2008 season.
What Cook has built is a young squad, peppered with leaders throughout the pitch. Players such as Gavin Peers, Conor O’Grady and Richard Brush will be sure to lead by example, while the youngsters like Dean Marshall, Gary McCabe and Eoin Doyle will be looking to establish themselves as consistent performers.
The partnership between Brush and Peers will again prove itself vital. The pair who both came to Sligo in 2006, have proved themselves to be essential in the Rovers’ defence time and time again. It is not by accident that Sligo’s form skyrocketed once Peers returned to marshal the defence for the latter half of the season, while Brush is up there as one of the best shot-stoppers in the league.
The demise of both Derry City and Cork City has opened a gap to be filled in the top four - a place in the table that could easily be achieved as long as Sligo find the consistency to get them the sufficient amount of points. On their day, Sligo have proven themselves to be a force to be reckoned with, especially in The Showgrounds.
No doubt they will wish to put last year’s season behind them, as being dragged into a relegation dogfight is the last thing wanted on the banks of the Garavogue. That shouldn’t happen however, as Cook has assembled a young, hard-working squad willing to prove themselves and expectations will be a lot higher.
Team: Sligo Rovers
Manager: Paul Cook
Players In: Paul Whelan (Monaghan United), Jason McCartney (Athlone Town), Derek Foran, Gary McCabe (both Bray Wanderers), Iarflaith Davoren (Galway United), John Dillon (Crewe Alexandra), Mark Doninger (Blyth Spartans), Padraig Amond (Shamrock Rovers)
Players Out: Michael Schlingermann (Athlone Town), Jason Noctor (Finn Harps), Romauld Boco (Burton Albion), Joseph Kendrick (Drogheda United), Chris Butler (Droylsden), Owen Morrison (Portadown), Darren Meenan (Dundalk), Brian Cash (St. Patrick's Athletic), Raffaele Cretaro (Bohemians), Rob Turner (Rhyl), Ger Rafter, Eoin Torpey, Martin Camano (all released)
One To Watch: Mark Doninger
Prediction: 5th
About Christopher Davey
is a full time Physics student in Trinity College Dublin, but his deep love of all things football is one that simply has to show somewhere. You can contact Christopher on Twitter @ChristopherDavy View Full Profile