2014 season can finally be just about the football

Trying to predict what way a domestic season will unfold is a fool’s errand so let’s buckle up and simply enjoy what the SSE Airtricity League throws at us.

Tales of financial mismanagement and match-fixing may have plagued the league in recent years, but 2014 can be different; it can finally be just about the football and how good it is.

Yes, the league does produce an entertaining brand of football and evidence can be seen in the highlights reels of St Patrick’s Athletic’s Premier Division title triumph or Sligo Rovers’ gripping FAI Cup victory.

Neutrals are starting to pay attention to the league, especially since the Republic of Ireland management duo of Martin O’Neill and Roy Keane revealed they will be regular visitors to grounds countrywide.

And there will be no shortage of talent on show: from experienced internationals (Stephen McPhail, Keith Fahey) to players on the cusp of that next big step (Richie Towell, Ryan Brennan), and through to promising youngsters (Danny Morrissey, Luke Byrne).

Most eyes, though, will be fixed on the champions. St Pat’s have bulked up what was an already-impressive squad, but manager Liam Buckley knows retaining the trophy won’t be easy.

“I don’t see it as two in a row but as winning this year’s league. We can push on from last year and we have strengthened, but so have the other teams around us. It’s going to be competitive and challenging,” he said.

Before a ball has been kicked, there has been one setback, with RTÉrebranding Monday Night Soccer and moving it to late-night slot.

However, the national broadcaster will be showing several live games, starting with Shamrock Rovers against Derry City this Sunday.

It will be up to the teams to reel in new supporters by producing entertaining football and thinking outside of the box when it comes to marketing. If they both fail, then a couple of positive results in European action could do the trick.

The beauty of this season, though, is that there are so many teams holding realistic ambitions of silverware — St Pat’s, Shamrock Rovers, Dundalk, Sligo Rovers, Derry City and Cork City — and nobody wants to finish second best. “We look forward to a league campaign that we feel we can really do well in — we have nobody to be afraid of,” said Sligo boss Ian Baraclough, stirring things up straight away.

Just how we like it.