Jon Daly’s attempts to make capital at Waterford have been hindered by a trend of his targets hankering for Dublin.
The former St Patrick’s Athletic and Dundalk manager was appointed by the Blues’ Fleetwood Town owners in November and begins his third job by welcoming Shelbourne to the RSC on Friday.
It took a narrow playoff victory over Bray Wanderers to preserve Waterford’s Premier status, leaving Daly facing an overhaul.
Keeping hold of golden boot winner Pádraig Amond amid interest and turning Conan Noonan’s loan permanent marked his first triumphs and the incoming pack is led by Evan McLaughlin and Benny Couto, both part of Cork City’s relegated squad last year.
Shopping for other established staples was complicated. Not necessarily by players shunning Waterford the club, more a city beyond the Pale.
“What I have learned from going after players is that plenty like to stay near Dublin and be close to Dublin,” explained Daly, a former U21 international who spent most of his playing career in Scotland.
“That’s probably the central kind of hub. It’s only when you become manager at a club like Waterford that you realise and understand that. We’ve had to manage that which has been an eye-opener.
“Throughout my playing career, travelling two hours was nothing so I find it difficult to buy that as an excuse. Waterford is not a million miles away.”
Their network of contacts through Fleetwood has enabled them attract talent from the UK, although the 43-year-old stresses there is no pressure from the mothership to accept recommendations.
“It was a complete rebuild and it was probably a bigger job than I anticipated when I went in,” he outlines about the off-season.
“We lost 15 players and have brought in 11. We’re light by a couple which I hope to sort by the deadline (on February 22).
“That I worked with a few players at previous clubs helps but with such a new group, forming new relationships can take time.”
Patience will be essential in a division where money is talking, Wealthy benefactors are investing in players, while the Blues are, along with Drogheda United, are bracketed in the increasingly prevalent multi-club sphere.
Relying on developing a unit superior to the sum of its parts is Daly’s calling card. The ninth position of 2025 must be bettered.
“We know where we are in terms of budgets,” he noted.
“There’s a bit of a split when it comes to the budgets and how much other clubs are offering players but we’ve got to believe we can compete with anyone.
“I genuinely believe that we can overachieve and punch above our weight. First and foremost, we must ensure that we’re nowhere near where we were last year.
“I know that we can win any game. When you look at the league, 40% of the league will qualify for Europe every year with the FAI cup included.
“That’s a high percentage and something we should be looking towards.”
