Jim Magilton can bang on all he wants about player clearouts but I’m not sure what purpose it will serve.
It’s the club that needs to get its house in order first and foremost.
Sure, the players have to take responsibility for what’s happening on the pitch but that’s no easy task when everything around them is a circus.
The people in power should lead by example.
It doesn’t take much to dent the confidence in a dressing room. I’ve said it before, but once uncertainty starts to seep in, it can rip through a club like a virus.
But rather than threaten players with the door, those running the show at Dundalk could do their staff a few favours.
Depending on who you listen to, owners Peak6 are torn on whether to continue bankrolling the whole operation.
Disgruntled fans protested against the American owners outside Oriel Park last week, but what is it they want?
Do they realise the repercussions if Peak6 just fold up the tent and move on in search of a new play thing?
Who will pay the bills in that event? Who will pay the wages of their expensively assembled, global squad? They think they have problems now….
Confidence has been shot at that club all year and it stems from the ludicrous appointment of Filippo Giovagnoli last year.
It’s six weeks since the Italian left and - rumours aside - there’s still no sign of his permanent replacement.
The players must be wondering if the club just isn’t arsed any more. They have every right to question how slow the process is as it must be unsettling.
I can’t imagine Magilton is finding it a barrel of laughs either. He answers to the owners and they’re clearly calling all the shots.
As for the player clearout he promised after the rout at Dalymount, well, that’s already happening.
It started over the winter and there’s speculation that Linfield are in for Chris Shields and Pat Hoban this summer.
I’m all for subtle changes here and there but the radical overhaul of the Dundalk squad is precisely why they’re struggling on the pitch.
To me, a clearout is just acceptance that you have to go back to scratch and start again.
Generally, you only see them at clubs who have been relegated or hit serious financial difficulties. It’s a reaction to a situation that can’t be saved.
Irish football is full of cyclical tales of clubs going from boom to bust - think Shelbourne, Cork City and Drogheda. Hopefully it’s not Dundalk next.
People have always slated the Lilywhites over the artificial pitch at Oriel Park or for the state of the dilapidated ground.
It was neatly glossed over because the team was performing so well. But that’s not happening any more and every little problem is magnified.
There’s nothing positive to talk about, which is remarkable. Dundalk need clarity and it should start with the owners.
CHAMPS HAVE TO ACT FAST
Once seeds of doubt are sewn, you start to lose your aura.
And that’s why it’s vital for Shamrock Rovers that they return to winning ways in Longford tomorrow.
They should have won in Dundalk last week but didn’t. That happens. You rub it off and go again.
Talk of unbeaten runs can also play on your mind so it’s no harm that has disappeared too.
But the reaction against Sligo Rovers on Monday was poor. They were outplayed by the new league leaders and that should worry them.
Rovers only need to look at Dundalk to see what a crisis of confidence does to a squad. And being champions doesn’t make them exempt from it.
Rovers are an ultra confident team. And that’s not cockiness, by the way. They just have a belief that they can beat anyone.
But you lose that aura if doubts linger and that’s why they need to win tomorrow for no other reason than to boost their confidence.
MANY MUST FANCY CLANCY
Hats off to Tim Clancy who has been a revelation at Drogheda - and not just this season but since late 2017.
They were always knocking on the door for promotion before making the breakthrough last year.
And they have turned heads in the Premier Division with their rise to fourth and I’m delighted for my old club.
Their derby rivals Dundalk could do worse than consider Clancy for their vacant position but you don't always see what’s hiding in plain sight.
Drogheda's players are enjoying their football and that’s a wonderful thing. They’re on a crest of a wave, getting the breaks and making their own luck.
Not to take anything away from Clancy, but Drogheda are not expected to do anything so it’s easy to be carefree.
Expectation is a game-changer. Look at Dundalk who suddenly can’t cope with it and everyone is coming down on them like a ton of bricks.
Drogheda’s enthusiasm is infectious but that’s the bare minimum you'd expect. Let’s see if they can do it consistently.
OPPORTUNITIES EXIST HERE
It upsets me when I think of the calibre of players I played with and against who didn’t get a sniff of international recognition.
Back then, League of Ireland players were a million miles away from it but how the times have changed.
Danny Mandroiu hardly played for Bohs last year but is flying with Shamrock Rovers and got his call-up for the Andorra and Hungary games.
It’s another reminder for players in this league that if you’re doing your stuff to a high level, you’ll be considered and that’s how it should be.
It only makes the League of Ireland more attractive to play in.
TOLKA STILL FEELS LIKE HOME
Tolka Park still feels like home.
At Shels-UCD last Friday, I was chuffed that I could still read the pitch with all its various little mounds and undulations that can send a ball this way or that.
I thought the First Division would be highly competitive but Shels look far stronger than the rest and my old club is already in pole position for promotion.
Ryan Brennan is banging in the goals and this is Shels’ time. It’s about showing no mercy and racking up the points while you can.
