Donegal Arsenal Season 16 Preview

Two seasons in management for Michael Barrett and two straight promotions have left Donegal Arsenal fans in an ambitious frame of mind as they begin life in a difficult Division 3.6. The club are still an infant in TM terms but Barrett has already proved himself to be a very canny young manager and he will relish being in the more competitive surroundings Div 3 will offer. The squad has a good mixture of youth and experience but strength in depth is still an issue. The question is, will it affect their chances in Season 16...

Goalkeeper

Jack Kennedy provides a fantastic last line of defence and is a keeper who is more than ready to compete in Division 3. He rarely turns in a bad performance and at only 25, has his best years ahead of him. With Lyons and Dooley as backup, Donegal have little to worry about in between the posts.      

Defence

With numbers short in defence, Donegal don’t have a huge variety when it comes to choosing a back four. Although players like O’Connor and O’Donovan provide a solid foundation at the back, Arsenal are always an injury or suspension away from a mini defensive crisis. Barrett will have to have one eye on the transfer market to bolster.

Midfield  

The pool to choose from in midfield is far more impressive. The star of the midfield, and indeed the team, is 29 year old Paul Conway. 64 games and a career average of 6.41 gives you an indication of the quality and consistency we are talking about. The talented right sided maestro is just as comfortable attacking as he is helping out the back four. Philippino winger Fonseca  provides the attack on the opposite flank and with the likes of Lynott, Firaij and Castanyer  competing for the two central roles, Barrett is spoiled for choice.  

Attack

Squad numbers again become an issue with only three recognised strikers available. 28 year old Gavin Drennan is a solid forward who is more than equipped for life in the 3^rd Division. 31 year old Yi Y joins him in the attack, with veteran 33 year old David Furey an able backup. But again, Donegal are only a few injuries away from an attacking meltdown.

While Donegal Arsenal do have some very talented players, strength in depth is something that they are lacking, particularly in defence and in attack. In the short term they do have enough to remain competitive in Div 3 but in the long term, new signings have to be made. They have a good chance of making it 3 promotions in 3 seasons but as it stands, the squad they have would really struggle in Division 2. Squad size put to one side, Barrett will no doubt be going all out to secure that promotion!

Prediction –  Top 5 finish with a very strong possibility of sneaking a promotion spot.