Bohemians have arrived at probably the most important part of the season and it is during this period that they will have to rely on key players.
The reigning Premier Division champions will take on Red Bull Salzburg (twice), Derry City, and Shamrock Rovers over a three-week stretch as they look to advance on both the domestic and the European front.
They are huge games for Pat Fenlon’s men, but these type of fixtures only come around with such importance attached when a team has been successful and is aiming to taste further glory.
Bohs are going into these crunch games knowing that they have the ability to come out on top because they have so many quality players.
It is games like these when the best players prove their worth, so expect Joseph Ndo to make his presence felt.
Ndo has not yet been able to feature consistently for The Gypsies since joining the club at the start of the year, although he hopes that his injury problems are now behind him as he sets about making a difference in these big games.
Having forged a reputation as one of the League of Ireland’s best imports during his time with Shelbourne, the 33-year-old still feels that the Bohs supporters have yet to see the best of him and he wants to change that.
So what is so special about this former Cameroon international? Well, Ndo is a player that can change a game with an individual piece of skill, a defence-splitting pass, or a wonder goal. If he were playing in the U.S., he would be tagged as a ‘difference maker’ or a ‘marquee player’.
The former RC Strasbourg man can play anywhere across midfield or as a second striker. He links play well, ignites counter attacks, and also finishes moves off. For any manager, he is the kind of player that they are always on the look-out for.
When Shelbourne set about defending their league title in 2004, they searched for a player that could act as their creative fulcrum and were eager to bring Ndo in. The Reds did get Ndo, they did win the league that year and their manager at the time was the current Bohemians boss – Pat Fenlon.
As Fenlon prepared to defend the league crown with Bohs this year, he knew straight away who his main transfer target was and wasted no time in sealing a deal for Ndo.
In the very first game of the season against Dundalk, he made the type of impact that Fenlon always knew he was capable of.
It was a very physical game up at Oriel Park and it was looking as though Bohs would not be able to get the goal that their constant pressure deserved. Then Ndo stepped up.
Brian Murphy fed the ball out to Owen Heary on the right and he swung a perfect cross into Ndo, who jumped up between two towering centre-backs to power a header into the back of the net. It was a superb goal and proof that he was capable of scoring all kinds of goals.
The Bohs fans will be hoping that he can produce similar moments of magic as they look to progress in the Uefa Champions League Qualifiers and open up a gap at the top of the league table.
While Bohs do have a squad packed with players that can emerge as game winners when it matters most, there is no doubting that Ndo is one of them.
History tells us that he can make a difference in the biggest games, so let’s hope he can do it this month.