Kenny Will Be Hoping Anang Provides Timely Boost

After it was announced that Stephen Kenny had made goalkeeper Joseph Anang his first signing since taking over at Richmond Park, the former Ireland manager will now be hoping his new number-one, a familiar face to many, will provide a timely boost as he looks to change the fortunes of St Pats.

As far as the Premier Division goes, St Pats have one of the worst defensive records in terms of how many goals they’ve conceded this season, and that’s something that has to change and fast if Saints are to start moving in the right direction under their new boss.

It’s obviously something Kenny had recognised as he looked to move quickly to secure Anang’s services following his release from West Ham. At one stage, there were high hopes for the Hammers’ youth product, but with Premier League betting online tipping West Ham to have a good season in 2024/25 under new manager Julen Loepetegui, a parting of ways suited both parties, as he was too far down the pecking order to trouble the likes of Alphonse Areola and Lukasz Fabianksi.

Anang, who called the League of Ireland and Richmond Park home in 2022, has already proven he’s got what it takes to perform at the level. In thirty appearances for St Pats previously, Anang managed to keep twelve clean sheets, which is impressive, to say the least. And now that he’s older and has a bit more experience as a professional under his belt, you can see him eclipsing what he managed to achieve before.

At 6’2, Anang is an imposing figure and will be able to deal with balls coming into the box comfortably from wide positions and corners, which will be an immediate benefit. Anang’s passing ability, especially long-range, has been spoken about positively in the past, and this could help Kenny craft a style of football that he believes will turn St Pats into a real force moving forward.

Anang is eligible to sign for Saints officially on July 1, as this is when his contract with West Ham will end. Of course, the first task is for Anang to force his way into the reckoning, with Kenny highly unlikely to drop current number one Danny Rogers without warning, especially when the gloves have been his for the vast majority of the campaign.

What will eventually work in Anang’s favour and Kenny’s too is that Rogers is only contracted until the end of the current season, with his deal running out on November 30. It could be a case of Kenny getting Anang up to speed until then, as well as making further additions before the revolution really begins in pre-season ahead of the new campaign.

Anang is a great first building block to put in place and certainly will provide a timely boost, with fans welcoming “Joe” back to the club with glee. Kenny will now be eager to continue the good work in recruitment and push for more signings as he gets the wheels in motion for Project St Pats.