"It's a little bit concerning." That's Alan Cawley's verdict on the state of play in the SSE Airtricity Men's Premier Division — and coming from a man who won the league with Shelbourne, it's not a throwaway line.
Speaking on the RTÉ Soccer Podcast after attending Friday's seven-goal chaos between Shels and Drogheda United at Tolka Park, Cawley was candid about what he's been watching this season. Attendances are up. Media coverage has never been stronger. The League of Ireland is genuinely building momentum. But the football itself? Not always matching the moment.
"I've seen some poor displays, poor games," he said. "You want games to be of a high standard as well. Of course, the interest is there, the hype is there — but we have to back it up with quality."
One good game a week isn't enough
Cawley was clear that it's not all grim. He pointed to Shamrock Rovers versus Bohemians as a genuinely brilliant game of football, and praised the first half between St Patrick's Athletic and Bohemians. The problem is those occasions are isolated rather than consistent.
"You can't have just one good game every few weeks," he said. "We need to see it across the board — three, four or five teams hitting a good metric every week, not just one game."
Right now, he sees only one or two clubs producing that level regularly. That's a problem for a league that's worked hard to earn credibility and eyeballs. A lack of technical quality is at the root of it, he added — something that doesn't fix itself simply because the stands are getting fuller.
Why this matters beyond the talking points
The League of Ireland's commercial and cultural growth has been real and earned. But a gap between atmosphere and product is a dangerous place to be. Casual fans who show up drawn by the buzz can just as easily drift if the football consistently underwhelms.
From a betting perspective, the inconsistency Cawley describes is already visible in results — lower-table sides shipping goals in batches, form lines that are almost impossible to trust. That unpredictability isn't just an aesthetic problem.
"I'm delighted the interest is there," Cawley said. "But the quality isn't following suit — and that disappoints me."
