Should I stay or should I go now?
If I go, there will be trouble
And if I stay it will be double
So come on and let me know
Should I stay or should I go?
The lyrics to ‘Should I Stay or Should I Go’ by The Clash came to mind after speaking to Ronan Murray at the FAI Cup final media day on Tuesday.
Signed from Galway United at the back end of last season, the former Notts County star arrived at Oriel Park looking to continue the form that saw him named in the PFAI Team of the Year in 2017.
Things started extremely well for the Belmullet man. A couple of goals against Cork City in the President’s Cup suggested that he could rival his housemate, Patrick Hoban, for the centre forward position.
Things tailed off after that, however, with Murray starting just nine league games between February and May, forcing him into a rethink as the mid-season break came along.
If I go, there will be trouble….
The 27-year-old, who is out of contract after the final, was the focus of attention from St Patrick’s Athletic in the summer but, much to Stephen Kenny’s delight, he decided to stay put and fight for a place in the Dundalk team.
That decision has paid off in kind with Murray picking up a league winners medal two weeks ago and this Sunday he is hoping to capture the FAI Cup at the Aviva Stadium.
“It’s been a bit of a rollercoaster of emotions for me this season,” he told Dundalk Sport. “When I look back, I was frustrated not to be playing but the lads were winning every week and they put in some outstanding performances.
“Now, it feels like it was all worth it. The last four weeks have been really special. We were celebrating the league for a full month! There’s been good vibes everywhere and hopefully we can put on a performance this Sunday and win the cup.”
For Murray and a number of his teammates, Sunday’s final will be their first taste of the national stadium. He was plying his trade with Ipswich Town when the league’s showpiece was moved to the Aviva and after watching a number of finals on the TV, he is now looking forward to sampling it first-hand.
“It’s going to be a special day at the Aviva. I’ve never experienced it myself but all of the lads have been talking about it. They’re talking about over 30,000 tickets being sold for the game,” he added. “If you get that for a League of Ireland game, it’s on TV and it’s the two best teams in the country then it’s got the makings of a great spectacle.”
Murray doesn’t know if he will play a part from the start on Sunday but he insists he will ready and waiting for Kenny’s call.
“I got back into the team recently because of injuries and things like that but that’s why we have a big squad. You need to be ready to go when you’re called upon and I’m hoping I’m involved at some stage at the Aviva.
“We don’t know the team yet. We’re just training hard. Whatever will be, will be. The most important thing is that we win the cup and we’re focussed on the task at hand because it’s going to be very difficult to get over the line.
“It’s a rare thing for a team to do a double,” he added. “When you think of the success this Dundalk side has, they’ve only won the double once so we’ll be raring to go.”
If I stay it will be double?
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