‘He made us believe’ – St Pat’s skipper Joe Redmond praises Jon Daly after boss’ exit

While Daly’s arrival 12 months ago yielded a third place finish and an FAI Cup triumph last term, the 2024 season is a different animal altogether. Redmond, however, insists the players must take responsibility for their poor start to this campaign.

The likes of Ian Baraclough and Stephen Kenny have been linked to the vacant post at Richmond Park, but the players haven’t heard anything more themselves, according to the centre-half.

Despite a rocky start to 2024 with seven defeats in their opening 15 games, the Saints captain credits Daly with making the team believe again.

“The news that Jon was gone was tough. It is for any group to see your manager leave. As players, we take responsibility too as we weren’t good enough,” said Redmond, speaking at a PFA Ireland/Sports Direct event announcing an equipment voucher for every League of Ireland player this month and again next season.

“Yeah, of course you are always surprised. Jon put in so much hard work, day in and day out. He never left a stone unturned and gave everything to the club. He put everything into us, made us believe again. He got us an FAI Cup in his short time at the club. I’ve the utmost respect for Jon.

“You do have to look at that but it doesn’t always go that way (Daly’s success last season). With the league this year, everybody is saying there’s no easy games. It’s such a tough league, you have to fight for one point, never mind three. You can’t look at last year as that, because this year has been a whole different spin.

“I spoke to Jon on Tuesday and thanked him for everything he did for me, how much trust and belief he had in me. He did a lot of good things for us on the pitch and off it, he was someone you could talk to about personal problems. Hopefully Jon goes on to have a great managerial career.

“Obviously [Jon was] disappointed. He did want to take us to the next level. He never stopped, right up to the last whistle of the Sligo Rovers game (last Monday). He’ll be disappointed as he believed in the group. That’s one thing he instilled in us, to believe. And it was cut short.”

The 24-year-old was asked about how ruthless the game can be, with Daly dismissed less than six months after leading the Saints to FAI Cup glory.

“Football is that type of way, you see that from the Premier League right down to us. It’s results-based,” said Redmond, who is currently sidelined with an ankle injury.

“As a team we need to regroup. We’re nearly half-way through the season and we need to start picking up points.

“No, the club haven’t spoken [to us] about appointing a manager. The next game is so important that we can’t sulk or moan about anything. We have to be together in this situation to take anything from the game [at Shamrock Rovers tomorrow].

Elsewhere, former Dundalk and St Patrick’s Athletic boss Stephen O’Donnell has been appointed as assistant manager of Bohemians. The news came a month to the day after he was sacked from the hot seat at Oriel Park, following the club’s worst ever start to a season.

The 38-year-old won a league and cup double as a player at Dalymount in 2008, and will link up with Bohs boss Alan Reynolds who took charge in March.