Footballers in the League of Ireland have either returned to work or are preparing to d0 so, with clubs beginning pre-season training around now ahead of the new season which kicks off in March. Those left behind, and there are many of them, will be put through their paces by Shamrock Rovers coach Trevor Croly at PFAI-organised sessions which start on Monday.
With 90 per cent of players out of contact at the end of last season, it’s a buyers’ market and – unlike in previous years, when many clubs have done their business before Christmast – most have decided to wait until January for two reasons. One, because it means they can avoid paying them wages in the interim (although few will be handing out 52-week contracts anyway) and, two, they are waiting for players to drop what they regard as unrealistic demands in the current climate.
While Croly will no doubt provide excellent preparation for the job-seeking footballers, there is one out-of-contract star getting rather better practice and exposure as he looks for a new employer, Romuald Boco. The Parisian-born player spent the 2008 and 2009 seasons with Sligo Rovers and, despite some woeful finishing, he made a big impression in a variety of positions.
It is testament to how he looks after himself that he was chosen to start Benin’s African Cup of Nations opener against Mozambique on Tuesday despite the fact that his last competitive game was the FAI Cup final in November, when Sligo were beaten by Sporting Fingal. It’s a pretty good shop window for him, although he cannot be too proud of the fact that he was part of a team which threw away a 2-0 lead and ended up with only a point. Having watched most of the game, they were the better side. And, so, they seem generously priced to defeat Nigeria - who were poor in the 3-1 defeat to Egypt - on Saturday at 11/2. I’m going to put €10 on that and €10 on the draw at 3/1.
Closer to home, Stoke City have been backed in from 4/1 to 5/2 to defeat Liverpool in the wake of their FA Cup defeat to Reading and injuries to Fernando Torres, Steven Gerrard and Yossi Benayoun but I don’t see them losing here. I’m backing them in an accumulator in which I’m also hoping for aways wins for Linfield, Portadown and Rangers in the Irish and Scottish Cup competitions. €15 would pay out €99.22. And I’m going to back Wolves to beat Wigan and Birmingham to defeat Portsmouth with €15. It would pay out €86.25
