All of this waiting around isn’t doing any of us any good is it? Can we just sign all the players we’re going to sign, announce the manager and start the season tonight?

This time of the year, the transfer window, drives me mad. I can’t stand it.

You hear rumours of players signing, you get your hopes up, you’re told it’s a done deal, then they sign for someone else, your hopes are dashed, back to the drawing board, you think about deleting the tweets you put out about them praising them thinking they’d be playing for you.

When a player leaves to sign for another club? They instantly become the most talented player you’ve seen in the last six months. Now, having said that, Dundalk have lost four of their most talented players over the last while so that one makes sense.

Patience. Take a deep breath. Rome wasn’t built in a day. Or in one transfer window. I assume when Rome was being built they didn’t lose four of their best builders to some place up the north and they had a site manager in place but look, I wasn’t there.

It’s very easy to panic, to get worried, but let’s all just wait and see. We have no idea what we will look like when we kick off the 2022 season. I know that in itself is a cause for panic but let’s just try to remain this side of calm.

Added into the mix this season is the managerial change. We all know who it’s going to be but when it hasn’t been announced yet, here comes the doubt! Here comes the fear! Here comes the paranoia!

Suddenly when someone sends you a message that says their mate met another mate in Centra and they heard Stephen o Donnell was abducted by aliens and that’s why he hasn’t signed yet? You know it’s nonsense but…maybe…I mean it has to happen to someone eventually right?

Patience, give me some of that sweet patience Lord.

We all need to be patient. Everything will work out, everything will make sense, everything will become clear.

There are no certainties next season, we don’t know anything that’s going to happen…Well there are some things you can be certain of.

The first successful five yard square pass completed by Jack Byrne will lead to an avalanche of “He has to be in the Ireland squad” tweets from Rovers fans.

An incredibly cordial and gentlemanly clash between St Pats and Drogheda where before kickoff they will have a one minute of boos and abuse directed at the giants of the North East.

Some 14 year old makes his debut for Bohs.

Patience is a virtue and we all need a bit of it right now and will need more of it when next season gets underway.

Patience.

I have to manage my own expectations. I’m excited about what’s coming next season but what happens if there’s teething problems or recruitment doesn’t work out or god knows?

We need to keep our expectations in check and remember what’s important.

“It’s not all about money and medals, not all the time. First and foremost you want the club to have class and dignity that we carried ourselves with for so many years and for the people of the town to be proud of it”

Brian Gartland – Future President of Ireland

We need to build. We need to be patient and let that build happen.