Four months after he carted the National League title, and whatever piece of silverware they thrust into his arms, back from Kilkenny to the streets of Inchicore, Pat Dolan's missionary zeal is still as powerful as ever.

The St Patrick's Athletic manager still intends to win the world over to his way of thinking and is still stunned when the rest of the planet won't take in the message. It's becoming one more thing that simply doesn't change at the highest level of Irish football . . . one of the nicer things.

Twelve months ago Dolan was discussing his views on the subject of the forthcoming season with The Irish Times when the conversation hurtled (conversation never drifts with this man) on to the subject of the league's sponsors. Harp, at the time, were running a promotion based on selling cheap Premiership shirts to customers and Dolan was perplexed.

This week the brewers were again on his mind. They have, on first glance, taken a step forward by producing posters promoting their links with the league, but the company's catchphrase leaves Dolan bewildered.

"You should see it," he says with a generous helping of astonishment. It's a whole lot better than you think "I mean what are they talking about - the league or their product? No wait a minute, I don't think they'd use something like that on their beer, would they?" Looks like the Pat Dolan mission to persuade may still have a way to go.

Such things, of course, are out of the young manager's control, but what he may be able to decide over the coming months is the destination of this year's National League title.

Nobody has successfully defended it since Shamrock Rovers in the mid-1980s but Dolan reckons his team can break the record. "After all, the great teams can always win it three and four times on the trot."

Though he intends to increase his panel over the coming weeks, Dolan hopes that the professionalism which the club displayed during his first full season in charge will see them through again. Martin Russell will come in handy but even with him it's obvious that Eddie Gormley and co will have to do something different if they are to achieve what none of their recent predecessors could, for they are substantially the same team as last year.

The competition, if anything, will be more cut-throat than last year. Dermot Keely's Shelbourne, with Pat Morley fit again, a bigger squad and a little bit of their manager's grit are widely perceived as the greatest threat but Cork City, Bohemians and Shamrock Rovers all have good reason to believe they can mount a challenge over the months ahead.

Sligo, Finn Harps and 1997 champions Derry all profess to be stronger this time too although none look capable of a tilt at the title with their current squads while the remaining two of last year's 10, UCD and Dundalk, must hope that players who were at the clubs last season perform a good deal more strongly this time if they are not to find themselves in deep trouble next spring.

Bray and Waterford, as is the norm for promoted sides, begin the campaign as favourites to go down but, as Tommy Lynch insists, runs like this can't last forever. Nervous days ahead at both ends of the table then, and let's face it, what fool would have it any other way?