National League: Premier Division team-by-team guide

Bohemians

MANAGER: Roddy Collins (first full season).

LAST FIVE SEASONS: 4th, 2nd, 2nd, 5th, 10th.

PROSPECTS: Nobody can accuse Roddy Collins of not stamping his own personality on his team but then Joe McGrath's extensive shopping had everyone predicting great things for the gypsies 12 months ago too.

This summer the club is losing some fairly solid performers but Collins clearly thinks that he is improving the side. Whether he is right or not there should be enough quality to haul the Dublin club up into a more comfortable mid-table placing.

IN: Jamie Harris (Swansea), Mark Dempsey (Barry Town), Wayne Russell (Glentoran), Gareth O'Connor (Shamrock Rovers), Stephen Caffrey (Glenavon), Michael Crawford (Belgium), Glen Crowe (Wolves).

OUT: Tommy Byrne (Shelbourne), Brian Mooney (UCD), Peter Hanrhan (UCD), Glen Wade (Crusaders), Donal Broughan (St Patrick's Athletic).

Cork City

MANAGER: Dave Barry (fourth full season).

LAST FIVE SEASONS: 7th, 9th, 4th, 3rd, 2nd.

PROSPECTS: Liam O'Brien's arrival will certainly add weight to City's title challenge but then the loss of the versatile Brian Barry Murphy may take its toll if there are problems with injuries at the back or in midfield. Still, there is plenty of quality and the young players should be that bit better than last time around. The experienced ones, however, will be that bit older but if O'Brien fits-in and the likes of Pat Morley, Patsy Freyne, Dave Hill and Declan Daly all reproduce the form of last season they just might sneak the title.

In: Liam O'Brien (Tranmere Rovers), Thomas Daly (Wimbledon).

Out: Brian Barry Murphy (Preston NE).

Derry City

MANAGER: Kevin Mahon (first full season).

LAST FIVE SEASONS: 2nd, 6th, Champions, 9th, 5th.

PROSPECTS: Repeated slashing of the budget for players has taken its inevitable toll on City's performance since they won the league three season ago and while Kevin Mahon has at least managed to add to his squad this summer, it's difficult to see the signings improving things dramatically. The club should, however, be more settled and if they can finish in the upper reaches of mid-table while things continue to improve in the off the field areas then this will be remembered as a period of healthy transition.

IN: James Quigley (Glentoran), Joe Harkin (Waterford Utd), Johnny McIvor (Crusaders), Andy Moran (Tranmere), Roddy McDowell (Glentoran).

OUT: Marty McCann (realeased), Stuart Gauld and Michael Kelly (Omagh Town).

Drogheda United

MANAGER: Martin Lawlor (third season).

LAST FIVE SEASONS: First: 2nd; Prem: 11th; First: 2nd; Prem: 12th; First: Champions.

PROSPECTS: For six successive seasons now Drogheda have either passed the latter end of their league programme fighting a losing battle against relegation or coasting towards another promotion party. They'll be hoping to break the cycle this year but despite the presence of so much young talent in the squad they might have had to go closer to breaking the bank if they were to avoid another nine month struggle.

IN: Stephen Roche (Millwall), John Butler (Monaghan Utd), Mikey McCann and Mark Byrne (both Belvedere Boys).

OUT: Roy Fox (Monaghan Utd), Michael Gahan (free), Danus Kearns (Home Farm).

Finn Harps

MANAGER: Charlie McGeever (fourth season).

LAST FIVE SEASONS: First: 3rd, 2nd; Prem: 9th, 8th, 4th.

PROSPECTS: The club has made steady progress since arriving from the first division and suffered mainly from a lack of consistency last year when they had a habit of slipping up against much weaker sides. Still, to end the season with nothing must have been heartbreaking and it is difficult to imagine any group of players being motivated this time. Mark Hutchison and in particular Johnny Kenny look good signing and if the league is tight then a crack at the title may be within their capabilities.

IN: Mark Hutchison (Sligo Rovers), Johnny Kenny (Newry Town), Hugo Laresemee (USA, trial), Jason Lydiat (Blackpool).

OUT: Ruairi Boyle and Eamonn Kavanagh (both Omagh Town) Donal O'Brien (Glenavon).

Galway United

MANAGER: Don O'Riordan (third season).

LAST FIVE SEASONS: Prem: 9th, 12th; First: 6th, 4th, 2nd.

PROSPECTS: Like Drogheda, Galway have to balance their determination to stay up with a sensible approach to the use of the chequebook which is a tough one to call for a club with United's potential and ambition. The club has steadily built up a formidable young squad as last year's cup run clearly showed but this year will be hard for them as they attempt to get the experience they need before it is too late.

IN: Eddie Hickey (Limerick), Scott Morgan (Dorchester), Ciaran Foley (NUIG), Alan O'Donnell (NUIG), Conor Killeen (Salthill Devon), Nick Flower (England).

OUT: Ryan Lucas (Barbados), Ian Rossiter (Sligo Rovers), Ricky O'Flaherty (released), Ronan Killeen (Salthill Devon).

St Patrick's Athletic

MANAGER: Liam Buckley (first full season).

LAST FIVE SEASONS: 5th, Champions, 5th, Champions, Champions.

PROSPECTS: Three titles in four seasons have clearly marked the Dubliners out as the side to beat and, having improved their squad over the break, they look certain to be there again this year. Pre-season may not have gone so well but if Marcus Hallows and Ian Gilzean are both fit all year and the younger players brought in over the summer fit in well then they could well make it three in a row.

IN: Donal Broughan (Bohemians), Marcus Hallows (Sligo Rovers), Dessie Byrne (Stockport), Shane Harte (Sunderland), Robert Hannon (Portsmouth), Aaron O'Callaghan (Crusaders), Ger McCarthy (Tolka Rovers), Alan McNevin (Cherry Orchard).

OUT: Martin Reilly (Crusaders), Keith Long (Australia), Jeff Clarke and Leon Braithwaite (both out of contract), Warren Parkes (Athlone Town).

Shamrock Rovers

MANAGER: Damien Richardson (first season).

LAST FIVE SEASONS: 6th, 5th, 7th, 4th, 8th.

PROSPECTS: Mick Byrne's buys were, for the best part, quite good and so there were few enough dissenters when Damien Richardson arrived in Tallaght and announced that all was basically well in the Rovers camp. Not so well, you may have thought, that they club, despite chairman Joe Colwell saying when Richardson was appointed that money would be available to him, would head into the new campaign without recruiting a single new player. They may do yet, of course, but as it stands things will scarcely improve enough to necessitate the hiring of any open topped buses.

IN: Shane Robertson (Waterford Bohemians), Stuart Holt (Home Farm), Brian Byrne (Dundalk).

OUT: Gareth O'Connor (Bohemians), Robert Forde (released), Paul Whelan (Dundalk).

Shelbourne

MANAGER: Dermot Keely (second season).

LAST FIVE SEASONS: 3rd, 4th, 3rd, 2nd, 3rd.

PROSPECTS: If the signings perform then Shelbourne should be right back up there challenging this season although there may be a few too many of them shooting straight into the first team for it all to go smoothly from the outset. If Haylock and Stephen Geoghegan both produce their best up front then there won't be a goalkeeper in the land sleeping well before visiting Tolka Park but in every department the squad looks stronger than a year ago and should be the difference between challenging and trying to lead the chasing pack.

IN: Steve Williams (Dundalk on loan), Neil Ogden (Sligo Rovers), Garry Haylock (Panionios), Carl Van Der Welden (Stoke City), John Powell (Sparta Rotterdam), Tommy Byrne (Bohemians).

OUT: Alan Gough (Glentoran), Dean Fitzgerald (Newry town), Tony Sheridan (Portadown), Liam Kelly (Glentoran on loan).

Sligo Rovers

MANAGER: Jim McInally (first season).

LAST FIVE SEASONS: 8th, 3rd, 6th, 7th, 9th.

PROSPECTS: Assessing Sligo's chances is, as usual a bit of a guessing game for there is, as usual, a new manager and, consequently, still a little bit of uncertainty on the playing front.

The loss of Hallows to St Patrick's is obviously a blow while the incoming Scots are unknown quantities. On the face of it they'll struggle again but assuming they stay up again the growing number of young local players being brought through is a positive sign.

IN: Darren McGee (Dundee), Paul Bonner (Ayr Utd), Ian Rossiter (Galway Utd), Khalib El Kiliffi (Holland).

OUT: Neil Ogden (Sligo Rovers), Marcus Hallows (St Patrick's), Mark Hutchison (Finn Harps).

UCD

MANAGER: Theo Dunne (sixth season).

LAST FIVE SEASONS: First: Champions; Prem: 8th, 8th, 10th, 6th.

PROSPECTS: There's a lot of brave talk around Belfield Park about avoiding the perennial springtime scrap for survival and Mooney and Hanrahan have presumably been brought in to help with the goal supply. The average age of the players means that there are only the likes of Ciaran Kavanagh and Mick O'Byrne to scare the youngsters with tales of life in the first division so the new arrivals may prove useful. It's still hard to see them being completely clear of the play-offs more than a month before the final games, though.

IN: Peter Hanrahan and Brian Mooney (both Bohemians).

OUT: None.

Waterford United

MANAGER: Mike Flanagan (first full season).

LAST FIVE SEASONS: First: 5th, 8th, 3rd, 1st, Prem: 7th.

PROSPECTS: Mike Flanagan was a bit like a man waving a wad of cash but unable to get service in a pub last season when continuous efforts to strengthen the squad came to nothing. Given the level of activity around the club, in fact, it is a little surprising that only three new players have been brought in. Regardless of the changes, of course, a defence even close to as mean as United's was during last season's run in would guarantee survival but that's unlikely and so the goals better start coming from somewhere if they are to avoid the need for more post Christmas miracle working.

IN: Gerard Stirling (Motherwell), Christian Hislop (Southend Utd).

OUT: Joe Harkin (Derry City), Mark Reid (Dundalk).