2025 SQUAD

[Nige92]

With a different manager….

I’d also like to see another striker. I felt that we’re not scoring because we have no one to hold the ball up. No one to get on the end of crosses. We just revert to long range shots with limited joy.

The new manager better have some excellent contacts because he'll be coming into a club that has seemingly relied almost totally on Higgins and his contacts. Without a Director of football or someone heading up a scouting department, we'll always be vulnerable to a win now approach from managers

[magspat]

Higgins will probaly be still here next season can't see POD getting rid of him,Chase Hegarty and Loughrey and get a good assistant man who knows how to change tactics.

[brandyball]

Whelan had all the promise to become the best forward in the league prior to his injuries, it's a real shame that we didn't get to see much of him. My worry is that he goes and fulfils his potential elsewhere. Would love to see him kept on but with Mullan/Hoban signed up for another season and a terrible pitch, why would he?

We need to do our best to keep Patching, I know he take a lot of flack but I think he's one of our most talented players.

Fats will get another contract but I suspect he'll continue to miss more than he plays.

Hard to see how we go into next season in a better place than we leave this one.

With a different manager….

I’d also like to see another striker. I felt that we’re not scoring because we have no one to hold the ball up. No one to get on the end of crosses. We just revert to long range shots with limited joy.

Sounds like Hoban to me.

[Keyser Soze]

Higgins will probaly be still here next season can't see POD getting rid of him,Chase Hegarty and Loughrey and get a good assistant man who knows how to change tactics.

This is a massive decision the chairman will have to make.

Many many fans are disillusioned with Higgins. They want him gone. To start the season with him in charge again, irrespective of who his assistant is, will be a huge risk. There won't be any excitement coming into the season having already watched 3 tough season of HigginsBall. I dont think he can change his style of football.

[stevebradley]

Higgins will probaly be still here next season can't see POD getting rid of him,Chase Hegarty and Loughrey and get a good assistant man who knows how to change tactics.

Attendances will plummet if Higgins isn't gone.

[Nige92]

It has a touch of the Ten Haag about it. We have a whole league worth of evidence showing one thing but a cup win might blind the board into thinking things are OK, only for that poor league form to continue into the next season.

[PauliAlonso]

It has a touch of the Ten Haag about it. We have a whole league worth of evidence showing one thing

What's the evidence? Ten Hag has taken Utd backwards. Higgins has improved our league performances year-on-year. Our results at the end of the season were bad, yes. But "a whole league worth of evidence"?? We've been first or second in the table for most of the year. Tell me why POD should sack him. And before you do, I'll translate your answer for you - "because a bunch of PL and Football Manager obsessed "supporters" want us to win all games, score all the goals and concede nothing". Before you (and others) call to end a successful start to a young manager's career, look at the numbers, be objective and unbiased.

[brandyball]

Easy, we finish 4th/3rd in a 2 horse race and beaten in Europe by a pub team.

[davybhoy]

It has a touch of the Ten Haag about it. We have a whole league worth of evidence showing one thing

What's the evidence? Ten Hag has taken Utd backwards. Higgins has improved our league performances year-on-year. Our results at the end of the season were bad, yes. But "a whole league worth of evidence"?? We've been first or second in the table for most of the year. Tell me why POD should sack him. And before you do, I'll translate your answer for you - "because a bunch of PL and Football Manager obsessed "supporters" want us to win all games, score all the goals and concede nothing". Before you (and others) call to end a successful start to a young manager's career, look at the numbers, be objective and unbiased.

I'll tell you why the football on offer all year bar a few cup matches is dreadful. The last two years in the league we have finished with less points than the year before. This season we are likely to finish 4th. We got 11 points from the last 11 matches. The budget we have is massive and is getting spunked on absolute dross. Any half decent manager would've wrapped up the league comfortably for us this season.

Not to mention getting beat by a public team in Europe.

We have a new stand to fill next season and if he is in charge good luck trying to fill it.

Edit - a cup win doesn't cover over the cracks.

[PauliAlonso]

Easy, we finish 4th/3rd in a 2 horse race and beaten in Europe by a pub team.

You've a very short memory, I feel bad for you. Last year's European run, where we missed out of the playoffs on penos? Taking us from relegation to Europe, then 2nd place the next two years? Means nothing, just fuck him? Classy fans you lot are.

And it was never a two-horse race, Rovers were always in it.

[PauliAlonso]

It has a touch of the Ten Haag about it. We have a whole league worth of evidence showing one thing

What's the evidence? Ten Hag has taken Utd backwards. Higgins has improved our league performances year-on-year. Our results at the end of the season were bad, yes. But "a whole league worth of evidence"?? We've been first or second in the table for most of the year. Tell me why POD should sack him. And before you do, I'll translate your answer for you - "because a bunch of PL and Football Manager obsessed "supporters" want us to win all games, score all the goals and concede nothing". Before you (and others) call to end a successful start to a young manager's career, look at the numbers, be objective and unbiased.

I'll tell you why, the football on offer all year bar a few cup matches is dreadful.

Was it much better the two years before? No. But the Brandy still sold out every week. The difference now is that "fans" have become impatient and wanted to win the league this year. Youse were expecting an easy win because Rovers dropped off early on and Shels came out of nowhere. Didn't get what you wanted and have thrown the toys out of the pram now.

[brandyball]

Easy, we finish 4th/3rd in a 2 horse race and beaten in Europe by a pub team.

You've a very short memory, I feel bad for you. Last year's European run, where we missed out of the playoffs on penos? Taking us from relegation to Europe, then 2nd place the next two years? Means nothing, just fuck him? Classy fans you lot are.

And it was never a two-horse race, Rovers were always in it.

We couldn't capitalise when 13 points clear of Rovers we're now at the end of a 3 year project and as he said himself we drew far too many games in those 3 years.

[Keyser Soze]

I can't understand how some folk want to start next season with the same management team?

Honestly I am baffled. They think the season just past was a successful one? One we are happy to say was good enough to have the same again next year?

Good luck selling that to the fans.

[Nige92]

It has a touch of the Ten Haag about it. We have a whole league worth of evidence showing one thing

What's the evidence? Ten Hag has taken Utd backwards. Higgins has improved our league performances year-on-year. Our results at the end of the season were bad, yes. But "a whole league worth of evidence"?? We've been first or second in the table for most of the year. Tell me why POD should sack him. And before you do, I'll translate your answer for you - "because a bunch of PL and Football Manager obsessed "supporters" want us to win all games, score all the goals and concede nothing". Before you (and others) call to end a successful start to a young manager's career, look at the numbers, be objective and unbiased.

Pauli I admire the loyalty but I think that loyalty is blinding you to the reality of the situation. I feel Higgins has done a good job across his tenure here but this season has league campaign can be deemed as nothing more than a huge disappointment and ultimate failure. I'm sure he would make that assessment himself.

In my eyes, there is nothing that has improved upon the last season. Cold hard facts show lesser points, more defeats, more draws, more goals conceded and less goals scored. He has failed to address the main issue from last season which was the ability to create good chances consistently. A failure to break teams down. Subjectively, the football on offer has grown stale and has become dull to watch.

I see no improvement, no development from the team. I feel that the team is going backwards and it's the end of a cycle. We spent big on win now contracts and that has ultimately failed to deliver on a league. Winning a league is hard but to be presented with the opportunities we were last season and this season only to fall incredibly short.

He did a great job in the first year, turning the team around and giving us hope. The FAI cup win and European run were brilliant experiences, he might yet help deliver another but I don't think these can mask the overall picture of a team/club that is falling behind yet again.

I think he should walk away, hopefully with a cup win, refresh and go again somewhere else. I just feel his time with Derry is up. I can't see a situation where we battle for 3rd/4th next year, watching the same style of football and the fans just accept that.

Given the financial resources available to Rovers and Pats, along with them being desirable Dublin teams to play for, I feel we're falling behind. Let a new manager come in, refresh things and build something new.

He doesn't need to be sacked but a fresh start for all might be best.

[Nige92]

Pauli, what are the reasons for continuing down this path? What are the positives that you can see that I'm missing? I'm genuinely interested to hear your p.o.v.

[davybhoy]

Can anybody honestly tell me the football we have watched all year is good enough

[stevebradley]

I can't understand how some folk want to start next season with the same management team?

Honestly I am baffled. They think the season just past was a successful one? One we are happy to say was good enough to have the same again next year?

Good luck selling that to the fans.

And then what's most baffling of all is they blame the fans for not being happy with the whole situation - as if the blame for any of the cliub's ills is the people who pay good money week in week out to watch a deeply under-performing team.

To attack the suporters for where our club is at is unacceptable IMO. They're not the ones who lost and drew a ridiculous number of games we should've won, and lost to a pub team.

[stevebradley]

Can anybody honestly tell me the football we have watched all year is good enough

You're just wrong. Aparently the real issue is that Derry people are fickle

[marcoloco]

It has a touch of the Ten Haag about it. We have a whole league worth of evidence showing one thing

What's the evidence? Ten Hag has taken Utd backwards. Higgins has improved our league performances year-on-year. Our results at the end of the season were bad, yes. But "a whole league worth of evidence"?? We've been first or second in the table for most of the year. Tell me why POD should sack him. And before you do, I'll translate your answer for you - "because a bunch of PL and Football Manager obsessed "supporters" want us to win all games, score all the goals and concede nothing". Before you (and others) call to end a successful start to a young manager's career, look at the numbers, be objective and unbiased.

We are 4th with a declining points tally year on year. That’s a downward trend.

[Marty]

Losing O'Rielly would be absolutely crazy. We need a manager in place asap to get him to stay.