Four improvements the LOI title challengers will seek

The record books don't differentiate between league titles won by 15 points and by grinding out a 1-0 win on the final day.

History will show that Shelbourne were the league’s best team of 2024.

That is all in the past now and a new 2025 season means Shels and nine other teams start again in search of glory. Every team, even the champions, have been working hard over the off-season to improve their side. But, what key improvement must the top teams make to bring themselves to title success?

The champions, Shamrock Rovers, St Patrick's Athletic and Derry City are viewed as most likely to challenge. After the tightest season since 2003 with just 37 points from top to bottom (the average the previous five full seasons was 64), many other teams may believe they can contend with the right improvements.

However, the last two seasons saw those same clubs finish in the top four places.

That is only the fourth season (also 2005-06, 2014-15 and 2016-17) where the top four remained the same for consecutive seasons. Each can have legitimate confidence of staking a title claim. Shamrock Rovers have 11 straight years in the top four with Derry and Pat’s doing so each year since 2020.

So what are the key improvements Damien Duff, Stephen Bradley, Stephen Kenny and Tiernan Lynch will be seeking?

Shelbourne won the 2024 league title with a goal difference of just +13. No team has won the league with a number that low since previous Tolka Park side Drumcondra did so in their last ever league title win in 1965 (a 22-game season).

The last team to win with lower was also Drums in 1949 with +11 over a season, with exactly half as many games as are currently played. In the summer era, the average for a league champion is +39.

Looking at the six lowest