The Title

[Keyser Soze]

So if we win 3 out of 3 ( a massive ask the way we are playing), we still win this terrible league, assuming Rovers don't pip us on GD.

[marcoloco]

So if we win 3 out of 3 ( a massive ask the way we are playing), we still win this terrible league, assuming Rovers don't pip us on GD.

Correct. Likewise if Shels win 3 games they win the league.

[DeeDerry1975]

In all honesty I cannot see Us, Shels or Rovers winning 100% of our final games, I know Us and Shels can't as we play each other. What I can see is Pats winning 100% of their games and finishing on 59 points. That would be really interesting as that would mean Rovers and Shels cannot afford many dropped points over the next few games.

[brandyball]

The man's delusional

Higgins admits there's no room for error now and has challenged his players to stand up and 'lose their inhibitions' if they're to keep their double hopes alive.

"It's been an awful long time since the club won the league. We were and we still are in the best position we've been in for a long time in terms of trying to win one so that will be our focus.

[Keyser Soze]

In all honesty I cannot see Us, Shels or Rovers winning 100% of our final games, I know Us and Shels can't as we play each other. What I can see is Pats winning 100% of their games and finishing on 59 points. That would be really interesting as that would mean Rovers and Shels cannot afford many dropped points over the next few games.

I can see Rovers winning their 3 games.

[da-gama]

Updated

The max Rovers can get is 61 points

The max Shels can get before they play us is 60

The max we can get before we play Shels is 58

The minimum we need from the next 2 games is 6 points. If we get 6 points we need to beat Shels on the last day to win the league, if Shels win their next 2 games

Rovers games
Drogs away - Rovers don't have a good record there, Drogs could still catch Bohs
Dundalk away - Dead and buried but Oriel is a horrible place to go
Waterford home - Waterford don't have much to play for it would take a lot of teams above to lose matches for them to get 4th

Shels games before us
Waterford home - Waterford don't have much to play for it would take a lot of teams above to lose matches for them to get 4th
Drogs home - Drogs might still have a chance to catch Bohs

Our next 2 games
Dundalk away - Dead and buried but Oriel is a horrible place to go
St Pats away - In flying form, could win the league themselves

We now need at beat Pats and we need to win against Dundalk

If we beat Dundalk & Pats we would finish on 61 points by beating Shels, if Rovers win their 3 games they finish on 61. We need to hope that Rovers don't hammer one of Drogs, Dundalk or Waterford

To be honest the way this season has gone its not a given that Shels will win their next 2 or Rovers will win their next 3!!

It's there to be won but still an awful awful awful lot to do

St Pats don't come into this?

[Keyser Soze]

The man's delusional

Higgins admits there's no room for error now and has challenged his players to stand up and 'lose their inhibitions' if they're to keep their double hopes alive.

"It's been an awful long time since the club won the league. We were and we still are in the best position we've been in for a long time in terms of trying to win one so that will be our focus.

That sounds like a manager who is blaming the players.

I would have loved to have been a fly on the wall in the dressing room at half time. RH doesn't look to me to be a guy who would be able to inspire a team, give a rousing team talk etc. And has he ever made such dramatic changes at half time before? If so, I don't remember it.

He would usually be a 60min or 75min mark type of substitute guy. Perhaps some players spoke up at halftime?

[brandyball]

The man's delusional

Higgins admits there's no room for error now and has challenged his players to stand up and 'lose their inhibitions' if they're to keep their double hopes alive.

"It's been an awful long time since the club won the league. We were and we still are in the best position we've been in for a long time in terms of trying to win one so that will be our focus.

That sounds like a manager who is blaming the players.

I would have loved to have been a fly on the wall in the dressing room at half time. RH doesn't look to me to be a guy who would be able to inspire a team, give a rousing team talk etc. And has he ever made such dramatic changes at half time before? If so, I don't remember it.

He would usually be a 60min or 75min mark type of substitute guy. Perhaps some players spoke up at halftime?

He realised he made a mistake in not rotating from Friday night.

[DeeDerry1975]

Whelan looked lively when he came on - I'd start him and Mullen against Dundalk

Robertson should have been given more than the 10 mins plus injury time he got in the 2 games

I wouldn't have taken O'Reilly off at half time, I'd have taken Diallo off

Patch had 1 training session before he started on Friday night, no way should he have started against last night

Such a pity that Fats can't play 3 games in a row, he needs a few games to get going

We miss Ben Doherty, there were times last night that Duffy had a few players on him and Ben normally bombs on, but that's not Coll's game and he was
always behind Duffy

Dummigan is another one we miss badly when he is out

Looks like the following will not make Friday

Coll
Hoban
Doherty
Dummigan

[brandyball]

Any other team would've sacked him long ago

[Annasda]

I'm hearing Patching will be at Rovers next season. If that is the case and because of his complete lack of balls or desire whilst playing for us he should not feature for any remaining matches for us. Diallo should also be dropped permanently. A complete and total liability.

[brandyball]

There's several reasons for dropping Patching but I don't think a rumour linking him to Rovers is one of them. Same could be said about half the squad TBH.

[Keyser Soze]

Rovers are welcome to him. No loss.

[PauliAlonso]

Still lots of Trump-esque lies and mistruths being told on the forum but let's skip over that for now - the frustration is understandable, I guess.

The fact is that every year Higgins has brought us closer and closer to winning the league. We're three games away. Our form has been poor recently but poor form isn't permanent, there's always something that can change it. Of the three teams we've left to play, we haven't lost to any of them; and we've beaten Pat's three times, possibly our toughest opponent on paper. Plenty of draws against Dundalk and Shels, but that only shows that it shouldn't take too much to make the difference, if the players show up.

[Keyser Soze]

Still lots of Trump-esque lies and mistruths being told on the forum but let's skip over that for now - the frustration is understandable, I guess.

The fact is that every year Higgins has brought us closer and closer to winning the league. We're three games away. Our form has been poor recently but poor form isn't permanent, there's always something that can change it. Of the three teams we've left to play, we haven't lost to any of them; and we've beaten Pat's three times, possibly our toughest opponent on paper. Plenty of draws against Dundalk and Shels, but that only shows that it shouldn't take too much to make the difference, if the players show up.

Tell us what the Trumpesque lies/mistruths are.

Our form has been poor recently? Have you watched us for this whole season? And a lot of the previous one? When did we lose to Magpies? Was that only recently? We have been dung to watch for 2 years now. Ok we may have been at the top end of the table for a lot of it, but it was papering over very obvious cracks in the managers abilities. You have to remember the squad and funds he has been handed over this 3 Yr project. Do you think we are getting good value for money from him and the team HE has assembled?

Why has the ground been emptying over this season if we are so good then? And we have been challenging all season, yet people aren't coming to watch. Why is that?

I'm afraid it's folk like you who are lying, to yourself. Telling yourself all is rosey and we are a great side. If you like to watch what Higgins has served up for the last 2 seasons, so be it. But the majority won't watch it for much longer.

[marcoloco]

Still lots of Trump-esque lies and mistruths being told on the forum but let's skip over that for now - the frustration is understandable, I guess.

The fact is that every year Higgins has brought us closer and closer to winning the league. We're three games away. Our form has been poor recently but poor form isn't permanent, there's always something that can change it. Of the three teams we've left to play, we haven't lost to any of them; and we've beaten Pat's three times, possibly our toughest opponent on paper. Plenty of draws against Dundalk and Shels, but that only shows that it shouldn't take too much to make the difference, if the players show up.

A top 3 finish now looks unlikely with the Cup offering a route to redemption.

I think it's fair to say the viewing public have seen (and had) enough. Some arrived at this view point later in the season than others but the widely held consensus favours of a managerial change. Players know it too.

[brandyball]

Still lots of Trump-esque lies and mistruths being told on the forum but let's skip over that for now - the frustration is understandable, I guess.

The fact is that every year Higgins has brought us closer and closer to winning the league. We're three games away. Our form has been poor recently but poor form isn't permanent, there's always something that can change it. Of the three teams we've left to play, we haven't lost to any of them; and we've beaten Pat's three times, possibly our toughest opponent on paper. Plenty of draws against Dundalk and Shels, but that only shows that it shouldn't take too much to make the difference, if the players show up.

A lot of straws being clutched there.

[rodgers]

How has he brought them closer year on year? Has our points tally not decreased year on year?

If anything, it's Bradley that has brought Derry closer and closer every year to a title.

[Keyser Soze]

Higgins 1st season : 66pts
2nd season : 65pts
This season : max we can get IF we win our last 3 games : 61 pts

Yeah, we are improving year on year.

Only one person talking like Trump in this discussion.

[PauliAlonso]

Higgins 1st season : 66pts
2nd season : 65pts
This season : max we can get IF we win our last 3 games : 61 pts

Yeah, we are improving year on year.

Only one person talking like Trump in this discussion.

(Higgins' first season was 2021, when he took us from bottom of the table to Europe, finishing the season on 54 points.)

Points tally isn't an accurate metric, as it doesn't take the other teams and competitiveness of the league into consideration. IMO, you need to look at points difference to the league winners, if you want to see what progress (if any) is being made - in 2021 the gap was 24pts, 2022 13pts, 2023 7pts. Year on year, he's halved the gap, to one of the strongest teams in the LOI. I don't care what anyone says, that's remarkable.

Let's look at Goal Difference (as some here like to hammer home this idea that we can't win anything unless we play with two up top). GD in 2021 +7, 2022 +26, 2023 +33 - Goals For increased year on year and Goals Against decreased year on year. Again, improvement each time.