Lynch hopes new-look Saints can thrive
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After suffering one of their worst ever seasons last year it is no surprise that St Patrick’s Athletic have been making sweeping changes at Richmond Park.
Only six players from the squad that avoided relegation from the Premier Division on the last day of the campaign were offered new contracts, while there has been a shake-up behind the scenes too.
Jeff Kenna, once hailed as the best young manager in the league, lasted only eight months in charge as he was replaced by Pete Mahon with eight games to go last season.
CEO Richie Sadlier, who appointed Kenna, also left and the Inchicore club are now attempting to restore its battered reputation after what former Saints boss Brian Kerr described as ‘one of their worst seasons in years’.
One player who has stuck around is Damian Lynch. The experienced defender is expected to wear the captain’s armband this season and he knows that a lot more will be expected of the team, especially with Mahon on-board as permanent manager.
The 30-year-old is quick to admit that the Saints underperformed last year, despite enjoying a good run in the Europa League qualifiers, although he refuses to lay all of the blame with Kenna.
"There is no hiding from it because it was one of the worst seasons for me in the League of Ireland and also for the club," Lynch told Extra Time.
"For a number of different reasons the group of players we had didn’t work out. There was some bickering and a clash of personalities, which didn’t help matters.
"But I don’t think Jeff [Kenna] was the issue. A lot of people used him as a scapegoat, but the poor form goes back to the players, who simply didn’t give their all in every game.
"It is no surprise that a lot of the players that were here last year are not here any more."
Kenna has struggled to get back into management since leaving St Pat’s and currently works for Birmingham City as a Community Development Coach, but there is little sympathy for the ex-Ireland international.
The club’s supporters turned on him quite early in his reign as they slipped from title challengers to relegation battlers. Although it was clear that disharmony in the dressing-room didn’t help matters as numerous players simply didn’t perform.
Lynch believes that things will be different this season as Mahon has built a new squad that has a core of young players eager to prove themselves in the top flight and ready to put the work in.
With the 2009 campaign treated as a taboo subject, the expectations for St Pat’s this season are simply to re-emerge as a competitive force and get the fans talking about the football again rather than the off-field drama.
Only six players from the squad that avoided relegation from the Premier Division on the last day of the campaign were offered new contracts, while there has been a shake-up behind the scenes too.
Jeff Kenna, once hailed as the best young manager in the league, lasted only eight months in charge as he was replaced by Pete Mahon with eight games to go last season.
CEO Richie Sadlier, who appointed Kenna, also left and the Inchicore club are now attempting to restore its battered reputation after what former Saints boss Brian Kerr described as ‘one of their worst seasons in years’.
One player who has stuck around is Damian Lynch. The experienced defender is expected to wear the captain’s armband this season and he knows that a lot more will be expected of the team, especially with Mahon on-board as permanent manager.
The 30-year-old is quick to admit that the Saints underperformed last year, despite enjoying a good run in the Europa League qualifiers, although he refuses to lay all of the blame with Kenna.
"There is no hiding from it because it was one of the worst seasons for me in the League of Ireland and also for the club," Lynch told Extra Time.
"For a number of different reasons the group of players we had didn’t work out. There was some bickering and a clash of personalities, which didn’t help matters.
"But I don’t think Jeff [Kenna] was the issue. A lot of people used him as a scapegoat, but the poor form goes back to the players, who simply didn’t give their all in every game.
"It is no surprise that a lot of the players that were here last year are not here any more."
Kenna has struggled to get back into management since leaving St Pat’s and currently works for Birmingham City as a Community Development Coach, but there is little sympathy for the ex-Ireland international.
The club’s supporters turned on him quite early in his reign as they slipped from title challengers to relegation battlers. Although it was clear that disharmony in the dressing-room didn’t help matters as numerous players simply didn’t perform.
Lynch believes that things will be different this season as Mahon has built a new squad that has a core of young players eager to prove themselves in the top flight and ready to put the work in.
With the 2009 campaign treated as a taboo subject, the expectations for St Pat’s this season are simply to re-emerge as a competitive force and get the fans talking about the football again rather than the off-field drama.
About Gareth Maher
Gareth Maher is an award-winning journalist who has covered domestic, international and women's football for the best part of a decade. Previously a columnist for the Irish Daily Mail and Football Editor for Setanta Sports, … View Full Profile