Tomorrow could be a day that defines our season.

It's the opening of the transfer window, so we could be losing Joe Gamble. The knock on effects of that have been well discussed. We could also be saying goodbye to Colin O'Brien, who's been a magnificent servant to the club. We might lose a few fringe players, Softic, Kelly and Mulcahy if rumours are to be believed. We will hopefully be saying hello to a few players, if Arkaga give Mathews the neccessary financial support.

UEFA Cup first qualifying round will reveal how big a test Alan Mathews will face with a club now expecting some level of european success, even if that's just to get through a round. Last season, our performance away to Hammarby finished the defence of Rico with a lot of people. Carmarthaen won't be acceptable for us.

Then there's a game in the league cup away to Drogs. Personally, I don't care about it, but I'm sure all at the club will want to keep the recent good run going. Since the first series of games ended we've won four and drawn one of our five games and have moved up to third in the table, we've also taken on the mantle of the league's highest scorers.

It wouldn't be a bad day to reveal the new CEO to the public either, the transfer window should be a busy period and it'd be best to have our manager focused on the upcoming games rather than dealing with contracts.

To be fair to Mathews, the club had the team travel over on the ferry! Not excusing it entirely, but the preparation should be a lot better than what Longford as a club could afford/were prepared to pay out for.

getting the ferry would actually be more expensive than flying.

and quicker for getting to that part of Wales...and any players over 6 foot would have been in agony on a flight!

I think Mat is starting to understand the scale of the job here, now we'll get to see is he up to it

The significance of the subject being discussed here, seems to have been overlooked, or ignored by many people.
Alan Mathews will have to have his head in many places tomorrow.
When you manage a football club, you often get your biggest challenges off the field.
There are only so many combinations that you can use & tactics can be limited to the players available to you.
Keeping those players available to you can take up more time than coaching them.

The UEFA Cup draw should bring a certain sense of excitement & anticipation, while the eircom League Cup game should satisfy the needs of the football junkies, but it's likely that the transfer window will command most of the attention.

While the momentum has begun to build on the pitch, it's disappointing to think that the transfer window could take the wind out of our sails.

Alan Mathews will be tested, as a manager, with his performance determining the rest of our season & perhaps his own future at the club.

Searching times indeed. I'm depressed right now. All I can think of is the whole Georgie episode. I wouldn't like to be in Mathew's shoes right now. I mean the whole Georgie episode is out of his hands, worrying about whether Joey and Healy will head off to pastures new, the UEFA Cup draw and what that might bring and on top of that he has a match to prepare for.

Just as well I'm listening to some happy go lucky it-could-be-the-sountrack-to-an-american-teen-show music! Makes me feel good lol!

No for sure, tomorrow is indeed a big day, Mat's gotta get used to them down here, irrespective who's gone before him he'sbig shoes to fill and fans to keep happy. If we keep one of George and Joe I think we can count ourselves happy. A nice draw, no dire FC Nobody but some one we can go to and do well at will make me smile also! Drogs I really not too pushed about but he tends to always play full strength teams?!

Big day, big big day.

Alan Matthews will realise tomorrow how big a job he has (in Irish football terms)

A new CEO would take some of attention off him especially in contract terms. With all their apparent contacts it is ridiculous Arkaga have left the club rudderless for so long.

I wasn't having a go at Mathews with the thread, just highlighting, as Peadar said, how many things he will have to be juggling in the coming days, all for the lack of a CEO.

Anyone have a link for where the draw will be. Cant find it on Uefa.com

click on uefa cup draw right hand side on the main uefa page.