A look through the Bohemians squad reveals an entire roster of players that have tasted success at some stage in their career and it is that appetite that keep driving them forward.
Captain Owen Heary has won the league title six times already in his career, yet he still yearns for more. He wants to keep winning and that is what makes Bohemians different to the other teams in the Premier Division.
For example, last week’s game against Bray Wanderers didn’t start off with the kind of dominance that The Gypsies have normally exerted in matches under Pat Fenlon.
The visitors scrapped hard for every ball and closed down space in midfield, but as half-time approached Bohs took the lead with a Killian Brennan free-kick and another goal from Jason Byrne.
When Byrne headed in, the home support rose to their feet and the now familiar chant of ‘That’s why we’re champions’ rang out as they explained to the away fans the difference between the teams.
It is quite simple really – those who have won numerous trophies know what is needed to get through games and come away with the maximum points.
In contrast to this, sometimes that bit of luck evades even the most experienced campaigners. Bohs huffed and puffed against Sligo Rovers a couple of weeks back, but only came away with a point.
Fenlon will say the same about the narrow defeat to Cork City and the draw with Derry City. Those are games that the reigning league champions should have won, although not everything went to plan.
The first round of games have passed by and Bohemians sit on top of the table. They responded in the right way to the defeat against Cork and have been improving ever since.
There is a feeling amongst sections of the Dalymount faithful that they have yet to see their team hit fourth gear, but there are plenty of games still to be played so patience will be key as Fenlon’s team go in search of even more glory this season.
In his debut year at the club, Fenlon won the league and cup double. This year could be even more profitable though as Bohs have, arguably, a better squad and a real hunger to transfer their good form onto the European stage.
While domestic success remains the top priority, the march towards the Uefa Champions League group stages will surely be a huge motivating factor for this talented squad.
They will want to show that the League of Ireland champions are capable of mixing it with Europe’s elite, while the fans will be itching to see their team experience a new kind of success.
With all of the right components in place, not many will doubt Bohemians’ ability or question their hunger. Whether Lady Luck smiles down on them is another matter, but they will continue to work hard to ensure that they can win games without relying on luck.