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From:
garethmaher
Date:
02-Nov-2009
The trophy will not be raised aloft until Friday evening in the Carlisle Grounds, but Bohemians know that the Premier Division title is on its way back to Dalymount Park for another twelve months.
Last week, the Dublin-based club coasted to a 3-1 victory over Sligo Rovers to move onto 76 points. And with Shamrock Rovers failing to beat Galway United on the same night, it became clear straight away that the champions had retained their league crown.
It has been a long season and a memorable one in many ways for Bohs. From talk of a possible quadruple to Champions League heartbreak to a transfer embargo to the threat of slipping into administration, the club truly deserve some time off.
They will be able to rest a little easier over the next two months with the knowledge that they finished the 2009 campaign as double winners (let's not forget about their EA Sports Cup triumph) and not many would begrudge them the title that they have just won for the second year running.
Success begins with strong management
A team can only so far with a manager that is limited. It is true that average managers have indeed won trophies in the past, although 'average' is not a word that would be used to describe Pat Fenlon.
The Bohs boss has yet again proved himself to be the best manager in League of Ireland football by guiding his team past the aforementioned obstacles and into top spot in the league despite strong opposition from city rivals Rovers.
An argument can be made that there was already an excellent squad there when he arrived, but it is up to the manager to get those players to gel as a team and to be successful. Plus he has brought in players like Brian Shelley, Paul Keegan, Glenn Cronin, Joseph Ndo, and Jason Byrne, who have all made a huge difference.
It is not just his team selection, infamous tough pre-season schedule, or eye for a good player that allows Fenlon to build winning teams - it is his cleverness in adapting to every situation. When all of his centre-backs were injured, he improvised by setting up specific training drills with players that were more familiar with other positions. And it worked.
This season, Bohs have used a few different systems and have played in a variety of different ways. They have responded to the other team's tactics by exploiting certain weaknesses and focusing on their own strengths. Fenlon knows how to change things around at the right time and how to convey his masterplan to his players.
The start of something special
Never before have Bohs won back-to-back league titles. That is quite an amazing statistic considering the size of the club and its history. Yet when one goes to see the current team play, they will understand why they were always destined to win the league this year.
Despite the double success, there is still a feeling of unfinished business. It lingers from the cruel exit that they made in the Champions League when Red Bull Salzburg were gifted a late goal in the second leg of their qualifier. It is a defeat that still stings today, whether anyone wants to admit it or not.
Progression on the European front is the last great frontier for Fenlon. He came close with Shelbourne, but he knows that this current Bohs squad (if he can keep it together for next season) are capable of going even further. Just maybe, it could be the start of something special.
Some may question whether Owen Heary or Glen Crowe can still hack a long season, or if Brian Murphy and Gary Deegan will stick around. But those who have doubted Fenlon in the past have been proved wrong and this team are eager to elevate their outstanding league form of the past two years onto a new stage.
Perhaps it is premature to already start speculating about European runs. Instead, this blog entry should simply end by saying 'Bravo to Bohs - worthy champions'.
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