Fenlon sets sights on retaining title
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Follow that: Premier League and FAI Cup champions; just two defeats in the league all season; 26 wins out of 33 games; unbeaten on the road; and a meagre 13 goals conceded. Follow that indeed.
Having swept aside all and sundry last season, that's exactly what double winners Bohemians have to try and do in 2009. While the Gypsies grabbed the headlines for their dominance on the park last season, their close season has been dogged by tales of financial strife and court cases.
With the club's lucrative deal to sell Dalymount Park seemingly dead in the water, Bohs have had to seriously revise their off-field strategy over the past few months. Not only did that mean that several of last season's double winning squad could not be offered new contracts, but it also seriously restricted manager Pat Fenlon's efforts to add new faces. As well as fringe players such as Harpal Singh, Thomas Heary and Chris Konopka, several stalwarts from last year, including Stephen O'Donnell, Liam Burns and Mindaugas Kalonas have now left the club.
Fenlon was only able to add to his squad in the final few weeks of pre-season after the players who were still under contract at the club agreed to take a paycut to free up some cash for their manager. A total of eight players from last season are no longer at the club, with only five new faces coming in.
Despite the smaller squad going into the new campaign, Fenlon remains content with what he has at his disposal. He said: "We're happy with the squad we've got. If we can keep them all fit we'll be ok. I think we're strong enough again. Like everybody else, we're probably not as strong in terms of numbers as we were last season, but we're definitely as strong quality-wise."
He added: "It's a completely different situation for us this season. We won it last year and now we're there to be shot at if you like. What happened last year was enjoyable, but it's gone now and I'm not interested in last season anymore. We'll enjoy it again in a few more years when we've retired or whatever, but for now it's all about retaining trophies."
The Gypsies have enjoyed a relatively successful pre-season, winning five of their six friendlies, the last of those being a 2-0 home win over local rivals Shelbourne last friday night. According to Fenlon: "Pre-season has been decent overall. We probably haven't been tested as much as I'd like, but we've had some good training sessions and some decent games, so we're happy enough going into the new season. We haven't picked up too many injuries either, so I guess that's the major plus for us.
"We may have won the game against Shels, but we didn't play well. We didn't work hard enough for most of the game, but then we've got quality players who we know can win games, and that's what happened," he added.
The opening night of the new campaign sees Bohs make the trip north to take on newly promoted Dundalk. Looking ahead to that game, Fenlon said: "We would have loved to have had a home game. We were away first game last season and you would have thought with us being champions we would have been at home first, but the powers that be have decided otherwise and we'll just have to get on with that. We've got to play everybody home and away anyway, so we'll just try to win the game."
Much has been said and written over the past few weeks about how the game will see new Dundalk boss Sean Connor come face to face with his old employers in his first game in charge. While others hype up that aspect, Fenlon is determined to only focus on the game. "I'm not interested in that bit. People have done enough talking in that respect. What does matter is that they've got some quality players and it'll be a tough game for us. They are going to be a good side this year."
While the bookies are convinced that Bohs will again be the team to beat once more this year, Fenlon diplomatically states that several clubs have squads capable of mounting a challenge. He said: "It'll be the usual suspects around the top of the table, and then I think Sligo and Dundalk and probably Rovers will be contenders too."
Having swept aside all and sundry last season, that's exactly what double winners Bohemians have to try and do in 2009. While the Gypsies grabbed the headlines for their dominance on the park last season, their close season has been dogged by tales of financial strife and court cases.
With the club's lucrative deal to sell Dalymount Park seemingly dead in the water, Bohs have had to seriously revise their off-field strategy over the past few months. Not only did that mean that several of last season's double winning squad could not be offered new contracts, but it also seriously restricted manager Pat Fenlon's efforts to add new faces. As well as fringe players such as Harpal Singh, Thomas Heary and Chris Konopka, several stalwarts from last year, including Stephen O'Donnell, Liam Burns and Mindaugas Kalonas have now left the club.
Fenlon was only able to add to his squad in the final few weeks of pre-season after the players who were still under contract at the club agreed to take a paycut to free up some cash for their manager. A total of eight players from last season are no longer at the club, with only five new faces coming in.
Despite the smaller squad going into the new campaign, Fenlon remains content with what he has at his disposal. He said: "We're happy with the squad we've got. If we can keep them all fit we'll be ok. I think we're strong enough again. Like everybody else, we're probably not as strong in terms of numbers as we were last season, but we're definitely as strong quality-wise."
He added: "It's a completely different situation for us this season. We won it last year and now we're there to be shot at if you like. What happened last year was enjoyable, but it's gone now and I'm not interested in last season anymore. We'll enjoy it again in a few more years when we've retired or whatever, but for now it's all about retaining trophies."
The Gypsies have enjoyed a relatively successful pre-season, winning five of their six friendlies, the last of those being a 2-0 home win over local rivals Shelbourne last friday night. According to Fenlon: "Pre-season has been decent overall. We probably haven't been tested as much as I'd like, but we've had some good training sessions and some decent games, so we're happy enough going into the new season. We haven't picked up too many injuries either, so I guess that's the major plus for us.
"We may have won the game against Shels, but we didn't play well. We didn't work hard enough for most of the game, but then we've got quality players who we know can win games, and that's what happened," he added.
The opening night of the new campaign sees Bohs make the trip north to take on newly promoted Dundalk. Looking ahead to that game, Fenlon said: "We would have loved to have had a home game. We were away first game last season and you would have thought with us being champions we would have been at home first, but the powers that be have decided otherwise and we'll just have to get on with that. We've got to play everybody home and away anyway, so we'll just try to win the game."
Much has been said and written over the past few weeks about how the game will see new Dundalk boss Sean Connor come face to face with his old employers in his first game in charge. While others hype up that aspect, Fenlon is determined to only focus on the game. "I'm not interested in that bit. People have done enough talking in that respect. What does matter is that they've got some quality players and it'll be a tough game for us. They are going to be a good side this year."
While the bookies are convinced that Bohs will again be the team to beat once more this year, Fenlon diplomatically states that several clubs have squads capable of mounting a challenge. He said: "It'll be the usual suspects around the top of the table, and then I think Sligo and Dundalk and probably Rovers will be contenders too."
