FINN Harps come into their second season back in the First Division and new manager Darren Murphy is expecting a much closer and more competitive league this season.
The Finn Park men finished second bottom last year, only ahead of newcomers Kerry as Dave Rogers departed in September, nine months into a four-year-deal.
However, they were 27 points clear of the bottom club, while they were 10 points adrift of the play-offs.
And Murphy admitted it was a difficult year for all involved at the club, however he has kept the majority of the squad together, with the starting 11 in Finn Harps’ final game all signed up for this season.
The manager, who was appointed last November on a permanent basis, didn’t want to be subject to another rebuild and spoke to his players before taking the job and found out who wanted to stay on board, with a large majority keen to make up for the season past.
Conor Tourish, David Cawley, Success Edogun and Mark Mbuli were also signed ahead of the season while Chris Lotefa has signed on loan from Bohemians to bolster the squad.
Expectations will be for the Ballybofey-based club to make the play-offs, but boss Murphy isn’t setting any definite targets yet with plenty of changes across the league in managerial roles and transfers in and out.
“Before I accepted the role I spoke to the senior players within the changing room to get a feel of where they were and what their thought process was,” Murphy said at the Finn Harps press conference in Letterkenny on Monday.
“Once I had the backing from some of the senior players it made my decision easier because I knew what I’d be working with and that was hugely important.
“We break the season down into four nines, the first nine games will be about everybody sussing each other out. Then after the first nine, you’ll know where you are.
“That’s not to play it down but there are a lot of unknowns, Kerry have a new manager, Cork City, UCD, Finn Harps have a new manager. There are four or maybe five new managers that will have a fresh brand and new ideas.
“Last year was well documented and for me it has been and gone. There was a lot of good that went on last year when you take the likes of Sean O’Donnell, Oisin Cooney, Aron McLaughlin, Kevin Jordan, Shane McMonagle, boys that have had a year of senior football and I expect them to have a really good season this year because they understand the league now.
“But I’m happy, I like what I have, they’re a good bunch and I get on extremely well with them.
“There is a close bond there because we have been through it together last year and it was tough at times. I openly said it was one of my toughest years in football in my 33 years in the game.
“But in tough moments you learn a lot and I think these guys will have learned a lot and if they can go out and perform to a better level than last year then we’ll be okay.
“Regards to where the bar is, I’ll not be setting one.
“Last year you had two runaway trains in Galway and Waterford and they were so far ahead of everybody else both on and off the field.
“Then the two that have dropped down, everyone is going to look at Cork because they have been an iconic club.
“You look at the rest and it’s very much of a muchness, it’ll be who is able to string a run of results together.
“I think it’ll be a more competitive league this year and I don’t see anybody doing a Galway and running away with it.
“There are huge changes and I think the First Division is very hard to call and I believe the other managers are thinking the same as me.
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