St. Patrick’s Athletic suffered a first home defeat of the season against defending champions Shelbourne last night to leave their title chances in tatters. The club are now 12 points behind league leaders Shamrock Rovers after 21 matches.
The summer transfer window may be key to getting their title challenge back on track, and manager Stephen Kenny has issued an update on their plans following the defeat to Shelbourne.
Stars Under-Performing as Pats’ Title Challenge Stutters
Ten consecutive wins in all competitions as part of a 12-game unbeaten run at the end of 2024 had installed Pats as a serious contender for the Premier Division crown in 2025. However, they appear to be miles off the team that had looked unbeatable in last season’s run-in.
Sean Hoare and Simon Power were brought in from Shamrock Rovers and Sligo Rovers, respectively, to add to a squad that possessed some of the best technical operators in the League of Ireland Premier Division. Unfortunately for the manager, few of their stars have reached the levels required for the side to be a major contender at the top.
The likes of Zachary Elbouzedi and Jake Mulraney have been ineffective at times, with the latter a particular disappointment after some excellent displays in 2024. Mulraney has just two assists in 19 appearances and is averaging just 0.3 shots per match, a stark contrast to the player who lit up Tallaght Stadium in September en route to St. Patrick’s Athletic smashing the Hoops 3-0.
Mason Melia, who is set to join up with Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur in January, has only provided glimpses of his immense talent. The 17-year-old has six goals but has missed some big chances in key moments and has struggled to lead the line when Aidan Keena has been absent.
Pats have arguably the best keeper in the Premier Division in Joseph Anang and boast the likes of Keena, Brandon Kavanagh, Christopher Forrester and Joe Redmond in the team. If the poor results continue, former Republic of Ireland manager Kenny may come under pressure.
Kenny Not Expecting Major Changes at St. Patrick’s Athletic This Summer
Despite winning just eight of their opening 21 matches, the team are within touching distance of the top three, sitting just one point behind Drogheda United. Qualifying for Europe would likely be seen as a minimum requirement, but fans should not look to the summer transfer window for a solution.
According to the Irish Mirror, Kenny admitted he does not expect big changes in the summer transfer window while also bemoaning the loss of Romal Palmer. The creative midfielder has made just one start this season due to a hamstring injury.
“There won’t be wholesale changes. I’ve got to consider that Romal Palmer’s been a big loss.
“That really hurt us because he can play 6, 8 or 10 – a critical area for us – so we’ll have to see. But there won’t be too many anyway.”
Palmer is a major loss as his creativity and technical ability in the middle opens up opposition defences almost at will. However, Pats may need to look to the market to bring in another advanced midfielder, with a winger potentially required to help up the goal output on both sides.