Drogheda Utd v Derry City FAI Cup Final Match Thread

[marcoloco]

Last week, from a Derry City perspective, everything felt flat and at times, forced. Heading into the final, emotions were raw; many fans were angry and frustrated following the end of the league season, and even some of the staunchest supporters admitted they might not attend. People were cancelling hotel bookings left and right—to the point that a friend was able to secure a room at the Sandymount on Friday for just £140, while prices after our semi-final victory over Bohs had shot up to over £200. The buzz was absent, and few seemed to believe we could win. There was a lingering doubt in the air. Realistically, though, we shouldn’t have had that sense of doubt.

Meanwhile, in Drogheda, the atmosphere was entirely different. I was there on Tuesday, and the contrast was striking. Players, staff, and owners were relaxed, and the town was decked out with flags in a spirit of celebration. For them, this final felt like a "free hit" ahead of their season’s end. When I got in the car with Kevin Moore, my first words were, “We’re beat.”

Looking back, it’s clear that mindset and preparation can impact everything. Derry’s tension and unease ultimately set the tone for the day, while Drogheda approached it with a calm and confidence that proved infectious. It’s a reminder that sometimes, the right outlook can make all the difference in sports

I thought on and off the pitch they were excellent. Aside from our obvious disappointment Drogheda looked better prepared on and off the pitch.

A credit to the town and the league.

I know they didn’t get their stadium fundíng this week but they look good and I wish them all the best.

I enjoyed watching their displays and passion more so than the match itself.

[TenaciousDee]

Marco, the stadium decision was made the day before their press day and was discussed with two of the owners/board members. They admitted their application was too late and was ambitious to get pushed through with the timing of the application. They aren't sweating it too much but are hopeful of getting in on the next funding rollout.

[marcoloco]

Marco, the stadium decision was made the day before their press day and was discussed with two of the owners/board members. They admitted their application was too late and was ambitious to get pushed through with the timing of the application. They aren't sweating it too much but are hopeful of getting in on the next funding rollout.

I think the potential is definitely there in Drogheda and the Clubs history and tradition is unique. It’s also refreshing that that are a regional Club rather than a Dublin Club.

Ironically I also think Bray are a good club so I’m torn as to who wins next week.

I do think there’s enough quality to have a 12 team league with 2 up and 2 down and a good play off spot as well.

[IfYouTolerateThis]

If he stays, what are your expectations for the team under Higgins next year? Can you see tangible success, or would you accept, say runners up in the league again? You continuing make an argument of progress under Ruairdhri, but where do you expect this progress to lead to? With the resources and finances at his disposal, do you think it unreasonable for fans to expect a title win this season, particularly with Rovers having such a significant drop off this year, albeit making a late charge?

Looking at the results over the last 10/11 league games, when there was a huge opportunity to win the league, if you were fhe owner of the club, would you view that run-in as continued progress, or feel the manager failed to deliver performances, direction and leadership at the pivotal moment?

I am genuinely at a loss to understand this steadfast backing of a manager, when results, performances, recruitment and not to mention "outs" regarding transfers are not just bad, but brutal? Are there other reasons why you are so adamant RH just remain as manager?

He won't stay. The noise against him is too loud and realistically it will be impossible to turn it around. POD will pull the trigger.

Do you think it unreasonable for fans to expect a title win this season, particularly with Rovers having such a significant drop off this year, albeit making a late charge?

I don't think it unreasonable at all, I expected us to win it as well. But what I will add, is that if you only think we could have won the league because Rovers dropped off, then you didn't expect us to win it either anyway.

Looking at the results over the last 10/11 league games, when there was a huge opportunity to win the league, if you were fhe owner of the club, would you view that run-in as continued progress, or feel the manager failed to deliver performances, direction and leadership at the pivotal moment?

The run-in was very poor. We had more than enough chances to take hold of the race. Yes, it's the manager's responsibility. But this is his first job and he'll learn from that. Can we not give him the next year of his contract to see how he reacts to this season? If we change manager, we're not likely to challenge next season anyway, so what do we really have to lose by giving the guy the chance to redeem himself? Took us from dead last to Europe, two second place finishes in a row and a proper title challenge til the last two weeks...in his first job as manager. We have short memories.

What we have to lose is another year under Higgins instead of starting a new era with someone who is better than Higgins.

A new manager will get time to work, improve performances and starts in a neutral position with almost every fan.

Higgins is wanted gone by a large majority of fans. Not really conducive to further "progress".


You want to give Higgins another year? Just to see how he gets on, in case he can turn it around? When results and no success and poor performances are staring you in the face? It's a novel approach, I'll give you that.

Edit. I would argue that this was far from a proper title challenge. Positionally, as the team stood in 2nd or 1st in the standings, it's had as much to do with Shels stumbling that anything Derry were doing. It was a poor attempt at a title challenge, only maintained by Shels almost as poor form as Derry's.

[anderlecht]

So Gareth Mc Glynn is accusing some if not all of the Derry players of deliberately not trying to play to their potential in yesterday's final and so letting down the manager? This being the same manager who signed them for the club, who selected them for the final (and for virtually all of the season), who chose the formation (one up front against a team who could be relegated by the end of the week) and set out the tactics. The pundit though, I notice, didn't go on to ask why the players weren't trying (if he believed his accusation to be correct).

As things have turned out, by sacking Ruaidhri Higgins after the Bruno's Magpies debacle we would have ended up in no worse a situation than we have - no league title and no cup. And we might even have had a happier finish to the season.

Unless the club directors have proof that the manager will have some sort of a "Road to Damascus" moment over the winter and change his whole football philosophy and approach to playing the game which will entertain the supporters then there is no point in keeping him.

Surely two massive embarrassments (Bruno's and yesterday) without even including league results is enough for any club.

[PauliAlonso]

What we have to lose is another year under Higgins instead of starting a new era with someone who is better than Higgins.

Who do we know (and is gettable) is better than Higgins? POD has splurged lots of money on players over the years, but on managers too. Everytime, an interview process is conducted and the best candidate is hired. In almost 20 years since Stephen Kenny, NONE have even gotten close. So why go back to the tried and tested formula of hiring new managers who won't do anything? Why not try one more year with someone who has gotten us as close as we've ever been since 2005?

[IfYouTolerateThis]

What we have to lose is another year under Higgins instead of starting a new era with someone who is better than Higgins.

Who do we know (and is gettable) is better than Higgins? POD has splurged lots of money on players over the years, but on managers too. Everytime, an interview process is conducted and the best candidate is hired. In almost 20 years since Stephen Kenny, NONE have even gotten close. So why go back to the tried and tested formula of hiring new managers who won't do anything? Why not try one more year with someone who has gotten us as close as we've ever been since 2005?

Higgins is part of, and the latest addition, to that tried and tested formula.

He got runners-up spot. This season the team has regressed. 4th in a league they should have won. Lost a Cup Final to a team facing a relegation playoff. Beaten in Europe by the minnow of all minnows. Saying, aye, but he did well two years ago is a crazy reason to keep him. Saying he didn't win the league but got closer than his predecessors over the past 20 years, (without the finances he had, btw) as a reason to keep him is crazy. To start from a position of defeat, in believing there is nobody better out there is crazy. Do you honestly believe Ruairdhri Higgins is the best managerial option there is for Derry City?

Whether he stays or a new manager comes in, there are a lot of players who won't be there.

Do you believe Higgins is the man to build a team from a new squad? Over his tenure, transfers in and out have gotten progressively worse, which in turn has led to turgid, boring and predictable performances.

I still would love to know, what is it that compels you to back him so much. You have previously conceded a lot in respect of points made by others and myself re Europe, the league, the shocking drop off in form and the lack of producing silverware....yet you're convinced he should have another year. Do you have some sort of connection to the manager because this defence of him when weighed against the reasons to have a change of manager is definitely strange.

[stevebradley]

I'm not accusing anybody of anything, but I am incredibly suspicious of how Connelly defended for Drogs' first goal. There is no explanation for that...other than, you know, brown envelope, wink-wink. Not even a young inexperienced defender would allow that to happen. That was woeful.

Greengo mentioned in the past that players see or hear some comments on here, well I hope they hear this: you've cost a good young manager his job.

So you're accusing Mark Connolly of taking a bung to lose us the Cup Final? That's genuinely a disgraceful thing to say.

Seriously Pauli - you need to just stop posting here for a while.

[stevebradley]

Jesus Christ lads, sensitive much? Of course Connelly didn't take bribe, FFS. I was highlighting just how phenomenal a mistake it was. Any wonder we are where we are with all these disucssions if you think I was genuinely accusing a player of being paid-off to concede a goal?? Wise up.

If multiple people read what you literally said & reach the same conclusion, then the issue isn't with them. It's with you.

You should delete that comment you wrote about Mark Connolly. And then maybe treat yourself to a bit of time away from posting on here.

[PauliAlonso]

Jesus Christ lads, sensitive much? Of course Connelly didn't take bribe, FFS. I was highlighting just how phenomenal a mistake it was. Any wonder we are where we are with all these disucssions if you think I was genuinely accusing a player of being paid-off to concede a goal?? Wise up.

If multiple people read what you literally said & reach the same conclusion, then the issue isn't with them. It's with you.

You should delete that comment you wrote about Mark Connolly. And then maybe treat yourself to a bit of time away from posting on here.

I should delete a comment because of your (and others') misunderstanding? It was a tongue-in-cheek attempt to explain a case of the worst set-piece defending I think I've ever seen. Some took it as a serious accusation, it wasn't. I explained that (even forgetting that the initial comment started with "I'm not accusing anyone of anything..." . It's done. Anyway, deleting it won't make a difference, since it's been quoted a few times already.

As for my time-out, thanks for the advice.

[PauliAlonso]

I still would love to know, what is it that compels you to back him so much. You have previously conceded a lot in respect of points made by others and myself re Europe, the league, the shocking drop off in form and the lack of producing silverware....yet you're convinced he should have another year. Do you have some sort of connection to the manager because this defence of him when weighed against the reasons to have a change of manager is definitely strange.

I've explained already multiple times why I don't think he should be fired, even while accepting that aspects of the season were poor and unacceptable. It was one proper dip, toward the end of the season, over an almost 4 year term. I have no doubt that he'll be sacked, even though I reckon POD doesn't want to do it. But the fans' negativity against the manager is known throughout the league, not just in Derry. It'll be hard to get the players in that RH might want and need. So the only option will be a new manager.

And no, I've no connection to him, never even met him.

[rodgers]

I should delete a comment because of your (and others') misunderstanding? It was a tongue-in-cheek attempt to explain a case of the worst set-piece defending I think I've ever seen. Some took it as a serious accusation, it wasn't. I explained that (even forgetting that the initial comment started with "I'm not accusing anyone of anything..." . It's done. Anyway, deleting it won't make a difference, since it's been quoted a few times already.

As for my time-out, thanks for the advice.

That's usually what people say before they accuse someone of something. You then went on to say you were incredibly suspicious of how he defended and that there was no explanation for it other than a brown envelope.

No matter how many times I read that, it's pretty hard to see when the tongue was in the cheek.

[PauliAlonso]

No matter how many times I read that, it's pretty hard to see when the tongue was in the cheek.

Well, it wasn't meant to be a genuine accusation. Believe me or not, it doesn't matter and I can't delete it now anyway. If the admins want to, go right ahead.

[IfYouTolerateThis]

No matter how many times I read that, it's pretty hard to see when the tongue was in the cheek.

Well, it wasn't meant to be a genuine accusation. Believe me or not, it doesn't matter and I can't delete it now anyway. If the admins want to, go right ahead.

Fair enough about not being able to delete it as it has been quoted.

Perhaps offset that then with an apology to Mark.