Vinny Perth: Erratic Dundalk yet to find settled side

Former Dundalk manager Vinny Perth attributes the club's "erratic" start to the season to their failure to nail down a settled squad in time.

Stephen O'Donnell's side have mustered only one point from their first two games, being held to a 1-1 draw at home to UCD on the opening night and then losing 2-1 to a buoyant Bohemians at Dalymount Park last Friday.

Dundalk made headlines last week amid reports that Hull City were on the brink of taking a controlling stake in the club, the ownership feeling obliged to issue a statement on Friday afternoon that no deal had been agreed.

The club had also been busy in the transfer market in the early weeks of the season, with a flurry of activity between the UCD and Bohs games, Rayhaan Tulloch (from West Brom), Johannes Yli-Kokko (from Helsinki) and Wasiri Williams (Swansea City) all signing very late in the day.

Perth saw Friday's game in Dalymount as a contrast of two clubs, one who drafted in experienced League of Ireland players early in the window and another which included players unfamiliar with the intensity of Premier Division fare.

"It (the Bohs-Dundalk game) was a tale of two clubs," Perth told the RTÉ Soccer Podcast.

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"There's a lot of teams now who are signing players very late in pre-season. I've been very impressed with Bohs. I did predict them as being capable of pushing Pat's all the way for third position.

"They've great energy. Adam McDonnell from Sligo - I'm not sure why other clubs hadn't gone after him - he gives that team