Graham Cummins: It's not a good sign if Dundalk are already talking about winning ugly

The Lilywhites reminded me a lot of the Cork City team I was part of in 2019. They looked a side that felt sorry for themselves

 Michael Duffy, left, and Cameron Dummigan of Dundalk during the SSE Airtricity League Premier Division match between Dundalk and Bohemians at Oriel Park in Dundalk, Louth. Photo by Ben McShane/Sportsfile

WHEN you’re used to winning, then suddenly you can’t buy a win, it’s not easy to turn things around. Dundalk have dominated Irish football for years, winning trophy after trophy but they are struggling this season and it’s up to manager Shane Keegan to arrest the slide. It can’t be easy for Keegan with Filippo Giovagnoli in the background — it’s difficult to say who has the final say when it comes to picking the team.

Whoever picked the team against Bohemians should come under scrutiny. There was no balance to Dundalk. We often see teams select wingers like Michael Duffy who play on the opposite wing to their stronger foot, so they can come inside onto their stronger foot to get a shot off. I never feel it is a good idea for managers to take a similar approach when selecting their full-backs. Playing Cameron Dummigan — a right-footed player — at left-back meant that he wasn’t comfortable overlapping Duffy which made it easy for Bohemians to defend.