Byrne defends Buckley's performance at Sligo Rovers as he calls for realistic expectations

League of Ireland clubs on the west coast of Ireland will always find it difficult to entice the best players to go there, according to Conan Byrne, with the former St Patrick's Athletic star adding that geography hindered Sligo Rovers' pursuit to add further to their squad in the close season.

Byrne, who won a Premier Division title under Buckley in 2013, was casting his eye over the current Bit O' Red squad on the latest edition of the RTÉ Soccer Podcast.

A win away to Finn Harps on Easter Monday ended a poor run for Sligo, which saw them lose three in four, but they were under pressure late on in Finn Park against a weakened Harps outfit.

While Byrne accepts that Sligo's recruitment has been okay, he still feels that they are in a "false position" in the Premier Division table. They currently sit fourth.

Buckled has led the Bit O' Red to fourth and third place finishes in the last two seasons.

"I never thought they would compete," he said.

"They signed Will Fitzgerald from Derry City, who wasn't getting a game. They signed Karl O'Sullivan from Finn Harps. Both of them are regulars because they suit Liam's style of play. They brought in Aidan Keena from a League One team in Scotland, where he wasn't scoring many goals. He's doing well.

"Paddy Kirk came from Longford Town. I'm not saying that these players aren't good enough but they haven't won anything; they have not been close to winning anything.

"It's very difficult to throw them into a side that can go on and compete at the top end of the Premier Division. The recruitment has been very good in signing Nando Pijnaker (on loan from Liga Portugal 2 Rio Ave) - he has been a superb signing.

"Jordan Hamilton seems to fade in games after starting really. He has a brilliant left