Bohemians manager Keith Long believes his summer signings can change the dynamic of his team and help push them up the table.
Bohs travel to Belfield this evening to take on UCD at the UCD Bowl and for the first time new signings Josh Kerr, Ryan Burke, John O’Sullivan and Declan McDaid come into the reckoning.
Long said: “We have good players at the club but we need to be better.
“Ryan, Josh, John and Declan come into contention for the first time tonight and we are really looking forward to the dynamic the new boys bring to the squad.
“We knew we had to improve in terms of our strength and depth and I feel that they will add to the team.
“We are disappointed with where we are in the table and we have to start winning games to improve our position. It’s as simple as that.
“A little bit of experience coming in will help us, so we hope that it will give us a bit of a bounce. Ultimately we have to try and improve their fitness levels because they have had an off-season.
“We have got to give them time to try and get ready and up to speed to try and impact us because we are crying out for it.”
Long was frustrated with Bohs’ 3-2 defeat to Derry City on Friday, particularly the manner in which the Candystripes scored their second less than two minutes after the Gypsies had levelled the game.
He added: “Every goal we conceded was an error. That has been the story of our season so far. The goals that we are conceding are just far too soft. They are individual errors.
“We got back into the game and Ali Coote gets a cracking goal but we concede in the next phase of play because we didn’t defend the back post.
“That has happened three times this year where we have conceded directly after scoring. Then we give a needless free-kick away in a wide area and again, it’s poor defending.
“Those that have come to watch us week on week have seen that far too often this year and we need to improve.”
TEAM NEWS
Four new signings – Ryan Burke, Josh Kerr, John O’Sullivan and Declan McDaid – come into contention for the first time.
Liam Burt, who was named on the bench last Friday but became ill, is available once more.
James Talbot (shoulder) and Grant Horton (knee) remain out.
