What a refreshingly unpredictable season

NORMALLY the die is pretty much cast by now. Indeed, in recent years the Premier Division has assumed a predictable two tiered appearance - the title runners and the also rans. Admittedly, there has been an intriguing fight among the elite bunch for the title but, if nothing else, this season has been refreshingly unpredictable.

Last year, the elite shrank to three Dublin sides, St Patrick's Athletic, Bohemians and Shelbourne, with Sligo Rovers providing some country competition. Now the league map has changed completely. Sligo, for all their disruptions to playing staff and management, are there again, as are Derry and, with Finn Harps ruffling a few feathers, suddenly it's one Dublin club, Bohemians, against a North East trio.

Meanwhile, the season hasn't started yet for St Patrick's Athletic and Shelbourne, who meet on Friday in a game that has assumed an almost desperate importance. Conceivably, the losers (if there is one) could be 12 or 13 points adrift of Bohemians by 9.30 p.m.

Form gbides, even on a weekly basis, have counted for little. So it was that Dundalk, all gloom and doom after their heaviest defeat in nearly a decade, rebounded with three new signings and a thumping win over Shamrock Rovers.

The unpredictability of it all is best summed up by Finn Harps' response to a woebegone 4-0 defeat at UCD - their second defeat in two games. Since then, they've won four on the trot.

Smiling contentedly at the Carlisle Grounds on Saturday to watch Bray v UCD, Derek Wilkinson, UCD's league representative, was asked whether the 12 points accumulated thus far was an insurance policy against relegation or a launching pad for the title. "You can take it any way you want." They're probably not entirely sure themselves.

Amid all the uncertainty one thing has remained strikingly constant - Bohemians most convincing early season pilgrimage toward their holy grail of a first league title in 19 years. There is now widespread acknowledgment from such wise men as Dermot Keely, Pat Devlin and Billy Young that Bohemians have by far the best squad around.

The hunch is that they could get even stronger. Derek McGrath has yet to play as he can, and Robbie Best has only returned from injury while others such as Maurice O'Driscoll, Kevin Brady and Donal Broughan are on the road to recovery. The key component of it all, seemingly the missing piece in the jigsaw and at this juncture the signing of the season, has to be Paul Doolin.

So wily, so shrewd, attracting the ball like a magnet with a sharp footballing brain that has more than made up for diminishing speed, Doolin has been the biggest influence on pretty much all Bohemians' games so far. Significantly a refreshed and injury free Peter Hanrahan is also coming back to his best in his most effective role, that of striker.

Derry's revival is great to see. Had Liam Coyle marked his return with a winning goal against Sligo in front of 3,500 at the Brandywell on Saturday, then the rollercoaster effect would really have taken hold.

You have to feel a little sorry for Sligo after losing Steve Cotterill, who turned out to be a very promising young manager in his own right.

He grew to appreciate and respect the game here, in turn earning respect, from a host of rival managers. In my opinion, their progressive policy in employing British managers and a mixture of local and British players based in the town is to be applauded. What's the alternative? Go back to a Dublin based manager with a team that arrived on match days from Heuston Station.

Willie McStay, Lawrie Sanchez and Cotterill may not have stayed long but Sligo have been to two FAI Cup finals, won the First Division, the Shield, reached a League Cup final and attained their highest Premier Division placing in four years. It must have its plus points.

The Showgrounds has been a rare oul venue these past three or four years and I hope the club stick with it and the fans stick with them.