EXCITEMENT AND NERVES AHEAD OF NEW TERM
UCD v BOHEMIANS
(Friday March 7, SSE Airtricity League, Belfield Bowl, 7.45pm & Monday March 10, EA Sports Cup, Belfield Bowl, 7.45pm)
Bohemians start their league campaign against UCD with manager Owen Heary feeling both “excitement” and “nerves” about his team’s prospects for the season, writes BRIAN TRENCH.
“There’s excitement at having got the players in that I was looking for,” Heary said. “But as we come to the start of the season there’s also nerves and there’s pressure on me as manager.
“Expectations are rising because of the players we’ve signed and sometimes you have to curb those expectations not to put too much pressure on the players.”
With the same budget as last season Heary has a squad that is “better than we anticipated we could get together”. Every position is covered at least twice and there will be “game-changers” on the bench.
Heary has a good idea already what is his strongest starting XI. “The hardest part is probably picking the bench and getting the balance right for the particular game we’re playing.”
The manager is aiming to have Bohemians finish “a lot higher” this season than last and to build on that in the next season or two, so that the club is once again competing for titles.
The new signings include young players Heary has watched progress (Philly McCabe, Jack Memery, Craig Walsh) and former Bohemians (Aidan Price, Jason Byrne) with long experience.
Heary was himself surprised to secure Paddy Kavanagh’s signature. “He’s a massive talent and could be an important link between midfield and the forwards.”
Kavanagh and a couple of others could have expected a higher salary elsewhere, according to Heary, but they have come to Bohemians for the chance to play regularly and to take a leadership role.
The Bohemian manager is approaching Friday’s and Monday’s games against UCD with a clear purpose to win both.
Heary sees UCD as “a good side, well organised and with lots of good players”. By a strange twist, he starts the league season against his former boss, Aaron Callaghan, now UCD manager, while Callaghan starts in his new role as Heary did last summer – banned from the touchline.
Defender Anto Murphy has a hamstring strain and will be out of action. Other than that, Heary has a full hand to choose from. In general, he will not adopt a rotation strategy. “If a player has earned his place and is putting in a performance, I will not be asking him to step aside, unless it’s for tactical reasons and, if that’s the case, I will explain it.”
Last week’s victory over Bray Wanderers in the Leinster Senior Cup was good preparation for the league season, although it was made easier by Bray’s 2014 squad being at an earlier stage of development than Bohemians’.
Heary was pleased that his team showed good fitness levels already and by the fact that the five goals were scored by strikers and attacking midfielders. “There were lots of positives, and it was clear that the players enjoyed the way they were playing.”
