Season Preview 2017 - Sligo Rovers

Manager: Dave Robertson

Stadium: The Showgrounds

Players In: Shaun Patton (Derry City), Kyle Callan-McFadden (Orlando City), Chris Kenny (Wexford Youths), Matthew Stevens (Peterborough United), Jonah Ayunga (Brighton & Hove Albion – loan).

Players Out: Jimmy Keohane, Achille Campion (Cork City), Gavin Peers (St. Patrick's Athletic), Philip Roberts (Chelmsford City), Ciaran Nugent (Galway United).

Extratime.ie Key Man: Micheál Schlingermann and Kieran Sadlier.

Both players performed exceptionally well in their respective positions last season. Both came in to Sligo when the club was in transition and settled in very quickly, to both the team and the way of life around the county. Both players will need to perform to the best of their ability this season to keep Sligo in the hunt for silverware.

Extratime.ie One To Watch: Tobi Adebayor-Rowling

By his own admissions the young right back took time to settle in to the League of Ireland last season. This season though, the young English right back will look to hit the ground running and start the season as he finished last season, in top form.

How they did last season:

Sligo finished last season in fifth place in the league. This in itself was a master stroke by Robertson. A relatively new squad was brought in and the players gelled together quite quickly and produced some fine football on the pitch. Robertson will be hoping to do better in both the FAI Cup and the EA Sports Cup than his team did last season where they crashed out just before the quarter-final stage of both competitions, losing to Wexford Youths and Derry City respectively.

What to expect this season:

For some, finishing around fifth and having a good run in the cups could be defined as a good season; for others, if Sligo don't reach Europe the season will be deemed a failure. Robertson, in his second year in charge of the club, has no excuses if things don't go right on the pitch. He has kept the nucleus of last seasons team together and will need to start better than last season. Players like Sadlier, Rodden and Rowling now know the league and it will be on them to perform again and keep Sligo battling towards the top of the league all season long. A cup win wouldn't be a bad thing either.

Title Odds: 40/1

First Game: Sligo travel to the Markets Field to play newly promoted Limerick. This game will be a real test, as Limerick were rampant in the First Division last season. Sligo manager Dave Robertson will be hoping his side can pick up all 3 points and start the season off with a bang.