 You're welcome back to our look ahead to the start of the new SSC Artistry season. Felix Haley and Kevin McHugh are with me in the studio. And Felix Dundalk, reigning league champions, Stephen Kenney is already suggesting that perhaps the feeling is that Dundalk will do well to retain their title this year that this could be their most difficult season in terms of trying to win the league for a few seasons because the other clubs are beginning to close in Cork City, perhaps Shamac Rovers even? Well I think Stephen Kenney would say that if I was in his position that's what I would be saying. I don't think there's any, Stephen Kenney's problem is the players he's lost. Even when you look over the last couple of years he's lost a couple who've gone depressing. How you replace them, Andy Boyle and Hogan have gone, there's talk that Hogan's going to make possibly make the Republic of Ireland make his debut there soon. There's also Ronan Finn who's gone back to Shamac Rovers. So there's three guys in toil the year before. It's how Stephen Kenney consolidates what he has as opposed to everybody else playing catch-up. I mean there's comments in going to Cork and you know Shamac Rovers, it's sort of seem to be like one or two other, there's always somebody that's going to throw some money at a football club at any given time and particularly with Rovers the way they are. You know the league of Ireland is better when Shamac Rovers are doing well. There's no doubt about that. It's better when Shamac Rovers are doing better. There's more people that go to matches and everything else and gives the whole league up whether you like it or whether you don't which you're not going to get at some clubs. It's how Stephen Kenney tries to maintain what he has. I don't think that anybody everybody else will be that much better. I don't think they'll be that much better because to be perfectly honest there's not a great bunch of talent there and no matter what I'm talking about the different levels are the levels of Stephen Kenney, Kenny Shields and Ollie the levels at the top aren't particularly brilliant. So if you can get your own team right which has been the case with Stephen Kenney, if you can get your own team right there isn't a great deal else to be beat but that's always been the case in football. If you can get your own team right which and he's the best manager in the league if he can get his own team right it's keeping the hunger there. Keeping the hunger in the players that he has and just bring in one or two others. It is yes it is going to be difficult to replace those other guys but it's keeping the hunger within the squad that he has because when you've won the leagues that they've won and you've achieved what they've had over the last couple years once you lose that real desire to win it can be the difference from 10, 15, 20 points a year and it's the difference between you being champions when you've been third or fourth and that's the challenge for him and it's a challenge for everybody that wins and when you've won twice there's a very good reason why people in this country don't win a lot of leagues all the time. The reason is when you win people get greedy and they don't have the same enthusiasm and that's what Stephen Kenny did remarkably well last year when they won the league and won it quite well although I do think that Cork over the last couple of years have suffered where they've had a basis of people who've gone to England and come back and they had four or five players who were all older experienced guys and they got to a state that come August they ran out of steam and Joan Coffield has tried to bring in some new blood and new legs but having said that Chumwick Rovers have seemed to be trying to to go with that extra mile how was Stephen Bradley fair out whoever else has pulled in the strings at Rovers how they're going to marry it together because they've brought in an awful lot of new players and it's very difficult unless you're really really top class players in the top class system how that's all going to marry and it takes you time even it does and my feeling is that if Stephen Kenny can just consolidate and worry has they're going to be hard to beat but if I was him I'd be saying the same thing well Kevin Chumwick Rovers Felix mentioned them they really flattered to deceive this last couple of seasons St. Pat's always promised so much they have a big year ahead of them you may say Bowles as well you know given the structures they have they could be doing so much better perhaps Slager Rovers could be included in that no I wouldn't include St. Pat's or Slager whenever needed at the top I think three that Felix mentioned it on Doc, Cork and Chumwick Rovers and I think Chumwick Rovers will come probably a long way out in third and I think it's between Cork and Doc and I suppose the one thing Stephen has done really well over the last couple of years when he's lost likes a tile he went and signed Robbie Benson and Patrick Michelini usually he likes to if he can't get one to replace one he likes to sign in two players that can maybe take the take the pressure off and and he done the same this year when he's lost Hargan he's from Michael Duffy and Young Boy Clufford from Chelsea so that's what what was the story what was the story was Ronan Finn I wasn't crossed it was a strange I know he's a Chumwick Rovers fan and that's where he's from but that was a big one to me obviously was nothing to be money because then Doc's budget I would say could stretch as far as they wanted to but that was a strange one he went and he went almost he was right away that took Stephen by surprise I can tell by his interviews on the paper that really I think had really hard time because you see that would suggest that would suggest to me that somebody at Rovers is paying money yeah oh there's no doubt about it I mean that would suggest to me if it was if it was done and Doc's it was like that I know Stephen Kennedy's a big fan of Ronan Finn and he and he's wanted him for quite a while before he got him at the end of it because the way that Stephen worked he wanted him in the team so for him to leave the double champions in Europe and everything else and go to Chumwick Rovers you don't do that unless you're Mark Clattenburg only Saudi Arabia yeah yeah you do you think the big long season as well that they nearly touch 60 games I think that has to come in to play this season I don't like you can personally say it and talk it around the change in the view of the hunger and we're going to do this but yeah it's a long time yes maybe mentally I think it could be a wee bit too much for them and I do fancy a cork they wanted this show with the signings they've made as well young kormick and qan and your man champion coming in from slaggle they're they're really really good top signings so can I ask you about slaggle Rovers Kevin and Dave Robertson it's a new season for him a new a new challenge for slaggle Rovers they have new players in as well a couple that only got signings Sean Patton the goalkeeper Kyle Callan McFadden have slaggle got two good players they've got two really good players um with obviously potential but as that but slaggle needs right away I don't think so I think they need players that are coming in they're improving for the last four or five years slaggle's been used to winning cups and been up around the top and maybe won the league four years ago so I think the fans are expect not a minimum of Europe um but I think they're in my demise away from it um with the players that they've lost and the players they brought in they're good young players and may take them a couple of years they they develop on the top players but I think slaggle need players that are already proven um I can't see them fighting for a european place this year and I think Braier more quit they they they push they push on this year um looking at the clubs looking at it as I call it the stairs of the bottom three race there's about at least seven clubs involved including obviously we our own club from harpsin ball but I think slaggle will be dragged on that bose will be dragged on that and then obviously we've got Trajada, Limerick and Galway on top of that so yeah well I did suggest to Ollie Horgan and I don't think he took the the question too well but I suggest the time that harps supporters last year were looking at Longford town and Wexford and if harps could stay above those two you know that was their challenge last year yeah this year you know Limerick are coming up from the first division they are well set up in terms of their structures and finance and squad do you reckon there would be it could be as many as six or seven I have no doubt about it I think a lot of those clubs that voted for this 10 team league are are going to be maybe thinking in three or four months time going Christ should we have done this because they're going to be dragged and there's no doubt about it now looking at the budgets there's no doubt about it from harps has got the smallest budget of everybody in the league and so if we already do the league out in paper yes you could really get from harps but um no one Ollie is I know Ollie well and Higsey they'll be up for that challenge it's right down their street to be relegated before a ball is kicked to love that kind of carry on and they'll motivate the players and that gives them something to prove and obviously if your carc's and rover's not going for the league but that's that's that's a and it sent off on his own to try and stay out of that bottom three as Felix says it's going to be a massive task massive task but um a lot of those clubs there I'm looking around and obviously some parts we're able to keep Christy Fagan and teams together and that will help them and stay out of that bottom gap but do I see them fighting for Titan now but I do see the likes of Slago and draw it up and dragged on there and trust me well Felix the the new structures that are in place you know there's people have opinions there's a lot of disillusionment and I don't even think the first division clubs were were consulted on this process is that something that we should be surprised about no no nothing should surprise you with with the FE I I remember interviewing uh Fran Gavin on satanta sports one night uh before before game at St Pat's and all the Slago Rovers people were Slago playing St Pat's and all the Slago Rovers uh the chairman and and a few of their uh people on their selection committee or whatever committee it was at the time and they were bombarding me with questions to put to Fran Gavin before the program even started and when I interviewed Fran I was able to tell Fran things about the FE I the Fran didn't know uh and uh that does not surprise you that's been the case forever more men made a lot of people suggest the FE I put up with the League of Art is they're only interested in the international setup and there's some grounds to it I don't think there's any doubt about that there's some grounds to it as far as some of the people are there it it is it is then more into the international setup the the one thing that I've always said and I've said this I've said this even when when I was managing at the brandy well a long time ago and I've said this a lot of many occasions here a lot of the problems within League of Art and football have been caused by the clubs yeah it's been caused by the clubs it's the clubs who are spending money they don't have it's not the it's not the FE I it's not the League of Ireland committees going back when it was a separate entity it's the clubs who have been causing their own problems there's no doubt many teams on the primary division this year 12 yeah 12 right okay I will guarantee that there's probably three of them who can actually pay what they're supposed to be able to pay everybody else on a weekly basis is looking for scraps here scraps there trying to pay wages trying to do this certainly other you know what when I was appointed the horse manager I was a Gary Beckett's wedding and I got a phone call in and and uh Higgsie was at the same wedding and him and I were chatting afterwards when you but my first match was was the fall of the night in the brandy well against Terry and I didn't even know who the vast majority players were but the first time I met that the entire harp spoke players I asked them could they go with other wages for two weeks yeah that was the first thing I said to the players no nothing's changed yeah nothing's changed and you can criticize all you like of the FE I there are serious problems within the FE I in terms of the League of Ireland but it's the clubs themselves who have created the problems German but surely things have improved Felix have they have they I'm not sure that they have because all it takes is what's happening at Waterford yeah somebody's come in and thinks they're going to reinvent the wheel they've struck oil down at Waterford Pat felons and it's the new CEO director of football Alan Reynolds and they're paying one or two players I didn't find out what they're paying players it's outrageous to do what because you run around chasing your tail but it's a different that that's to a certain extent German is is going off and a tangent which I tend to do times but a lot of the problems within the FE I get a lot of flak but an awful lot of the problems within League of Ireland football and it's been the case for 30 years have been the clubs themselves okay they're paying out money they don't have and it's been the case but Finn Park and it's been at the case at the brandy well they've been paying out what they don't have yeah canastias would probably need to be winding up fairly soon but yeah German just getting started they're already getting going Felix a lot of talk about and a lot of people wondering about the future of Paddy McCourt he's a player that both of you guys know very well he's not with any club he's a free agent some suggestions that harps might still be involved in terms of what would be a surprise move for Paddy McCourt is that something that could happen I'd be very surprised if Paddy took up that offer to be honest is he the answer for harpsum but they're going to need a doubt it and he would have been probably suited direct to Dundalk when they're going to be in topping games but only Paddy can answer that I'm not sure Paddy's come back home now I'm not sure he has the hungry play yeah and he knows League Ireland as well as anybody and it's unforgiven and well if you if you don't have that hunger you end up making an announcement to yourself so I don't know I don't I can see Paddy coming back playing to be honest yeah well he would he would he's one personal problems with the he he's wife in that and that's why he's come back home so I think I think he wants to take a break from football you know yeah well if I mean if the ball wasn't if Paddy McCourt had a choice he could have done doc if he hasn't signed for Dundalk then there has to be a very good reason Stephen Kenney doesn't want him doesn't need him doesn't think he's going to have anything to it if you look at what Paddy's done over the last four or five years he's played a couple of games here he's played a couple games there he's injured he's played a couple games here and he's not he's not a spring chicken anymore he's the last thing Herbstead all right he's the last thing Herbstead I think I believe there was talks the week before last I'm very surprised that that happened because I would have thought I'd been a non-starter I don't think Paddy McCourt for me at this minute of time has got to go into a good team a really good team that's going to play and need somebody that's going to produce something at the end of it Herbst is going to be a team that's going to be dogged hard working harder breakdown and hit people in the brick you don't want Paddy in your team well are Herbst good enough to stay up Felix the million-dollar question well Kevin thinks it's going to be a few teams involved in this I'm not too sure there'll be as many as seven there'll be the usual three tier there will always be somebody who will do better than expected one or two who won't do as well as will go the other way again I'll go back to the same thing as I said last year how do you start the season you've seen the way when the wheels come off last year it was a real real struggle and eventually clung on if they start well this year you never know you never know but it is going to be incredibly it's more it's it's obviously going to be a lot more difficult this year than it was last year home farm's going to be key yeah well you you'll be there to watch them Kevin I'm sure exactly growing man yeah home farm's going to be key it's a new it's a new situation for yourself too because you're involved now at underage level with Herbst and you're back playing again also senior not in the Donegal League Premier Division so what can wish you good luck with that I think it's key as well if they can keep those 12 to 14 players fat that's massive two or three injuries and Ollie Ollie always have no choice to throw in 19 year old now sometimes as Felix knows sometimes you throw in young fellas they they end up coming up trumps nine times out of ten so something maybe that's what the one guy the one thing I wanted to say is this the best defender there has been at Finharps for the last 10 years is no longer there it's Keith Cowan okay people tell me Keith Cowan can't do this and he can't do that and he can't do this nobody has ever been picked for what they can't do Keith Cowan's an out and out defender big lad will always do this as honest as a day's long and he's a defender he's a defender and and he's gonna be missed a big loss and he's gonna be missed this year I'm telling you I'm right and saying he was one of your sayings when you were at Herbst well I I like Keith I mean I when I won the league of dairy the one of the first people I signed is the I signed when the boss man came in I signed Gavin Dykes in March and he played his first match for dairy in August but I literally signed him in March and I wanted Gavin Dykes in because he was the best defender in the country now he gets Dykes he used to say don't give me the ball yeah I don't want the ball I did not understand the ball the best defender there's been the league of iron the last four years was Darren McKeeley couldn't pass water but he was the best defender because he organized everybody else Jim McLaughlin he asked Jim to pick his best team in League of Iron history first man these team was Darren McKeeley because he organized it's everybody else I'm not saying that Keith Cowan can organize everybody else but he doesn't have to defend Kevin you played against well trained with Keith Cowan and played against him I'm sure many's a knight in training well tough tough ticked off defender yes he's a big strong lad he's well put together he's quick for a defender which he don't usually have and he there's no doubt about it and as the year went on he definitely matured as the Premier Division footballer and there's no doubt about it if he was fit all they could have maybe had something on his hands they to keep him I would say other applause would have been looking at him but he will be a big loss and there was a few other people who who head behind them a bit you know yeah you know come on you out yeah come to stop hiding in there you know yeah okay go and help them you know and they're going to have to step up to a bit there's a couple of people there who have re-signed who are not kids anymore yeah and they didn't have great years and if and if harps are going to stay up they're going to have to have some of those guys come on let's see if you really want to play and show you know you've got ability but it ain't just a piece here when you said this enough it's not what you have it's what you do what you have yeah well we'll see we'll see how things progress over the next few weeks and months the new season almost upon us it all kicks off next Friday night harps at home to Cork City in their first game dairy awaited bohemians in their first match and we can just say thanks very much to Felix Healy and Kevin McHugh for joining us this evening for what was a very enjoyable look ahead to the new snc electricity campaign for myself jim on the hearty thanks for listening