Derry City v Sligo Rovers Match Thread

[Paddydcfc2010]

You can blame the ref which is fair enough but thats another poor enough performance at home. Playing diallo, patching and mceleney in midfield at home makes no sense. All three sat too deep and didn't offer much going forward. Start mceneff and give Brandon kavanagh a full game next time.

[davybhoy]

There was someone on here who posted a scout report last year and it basically said Derry are one dimensional and teams have worked out how to play against them at home IIRC. Reality is Higgins and the management team need to come up with a formula to win at home whether people like the pitch or not. 2 strikers up top at home doesn't seem to be rocket science.

[kitwe]

Apparently the ref admitted he got it completely wrong (a first for a ref!!) when stopping play and not allowing Jamie's goal.
Defender could easily have been sent off also for fouling.

[rodgers]

I think they are playing with a bit more energy this year at home but the fundamental problem remains the same.

I do think results at home will improve once Duffy and perhaps Whelan come in but home form will cost them the league. I thought O'Neill started well but was marked out of it well by the end. I know there are injuries to a number of players but I do not think McEleney playing so deep is in any way beneficial. Although he is getting older and maybe feels he should drop back, I still believe he has the ability to beat a player in the final third with pace.

Delighted to see Coll score. Great header and best player for Derry so far this year.

The sooner the pitch is gone the better.

[magspat]

Not anytime soon I afraid.

[brandyball]

Apparently the ref admitted he got it completely wrong (a first for a ref!!) when stopping play and not allowing Jamie's goal.
Defender could easily have been sent off also for fouling.

Wonder who we apply to get our 2 points back?

[stevebradley]

I knew last night that there would be people blaming the pitch for our performance again The pitch that magically is only a disadvantage to the team who is by-far the most used to it.

I lost count of the number of corners we had in the first 20mins of that game - it felt like a siege of Sligo's goal. Yet not one of them was any good, so they all led to nought. Apart from the corner that our goal came from, most were poor throughout the game - and we had a hell of a lot of them. If you can't get your setpieces right in football then you're wasting what should be key opportunities to score.

Teams come to the Brandywell to shut us down quickly, get in our faces, hope to nick a goal against the run of play, and then grind a result out. Which is exactly what Sligo did for yesterday's game. We have to find a way to deal with and overcome this that doesn't involve blaming the referee or the pitch. Winners find a way to win.

And we still need a 'natural goalscorer'. Someone who just puts themselves in the right place at the right time, all the time. And who gets goals when no-one else does. We boss possession on the putch, but convert that into few shots on target and even fewer goals. The chequebook is going to have to come oiut to find us a proven goal poacher if we genuinely hope to win a title at some point. Either that or we hope that Whelan is the answer to our prayers and is back to full health again soon.

[eugenio]

I knew last night that there would be people blaming the pitch for our performance again The pitch that magically is only a disadvantage to the team who is by-far the most used to it.

I lost count of the number of corners we had in the first 20mins of that game - it felt like a siege of Sligo's goal. Yet not one of them was any good, so they all led to nought. Apart from the corner that our goal came from, most were poor throughout the game - and we had a hell of a lot of them. If you can't get your setpieces right in football

Steve if you are in a horrible relationship,it just won’t magically get better the longer you are in it Eminent sources say ‘ the players hate this pitch Higgins hates this pitch “ We are stuck with it …yes…….. but at least we should change styles on it when we are going nowhere
The number of corners and frees to Mr Patching last night was 14. Zero result Doherty 1 corner one goal, Nuff said? Or are you also saying we persevere with Patchings frees and corners as with the pitch Just say don’t talk about this and it will come good I doubt it tho. Mc Gonigle can’t head a ball into a net but big Kav might so let’s put a few crosses in to him as Reynolds screamed and screamed for in Carrick. In pre season One more goal would often win a game at home for us

[rodgers]

I knew last night that there would be people blaming the pitch for our performance again The pitch that magically is only a disadvantage to the team who is by-far the most used to it.

It's not magic. It's just the pitch clearly helps teams that want to sit in and let Derry play in front. It slows attacks down massively. Players constantly have to let the ball bounce as they don't know where it will go.

I think what you are arguing for is a change in tactical approach at home in order to counter this. Which would also happen in a bad pitch affected by weather. Which I think most people would agree with.

[brandyball]

I knew last night that there would be people blaming the pitch for our performance again The pitch that magically is only a disadvantage to the team who is by-far the most used to it.

I lost count of the number of corners we had in the first 20mins of that game - it felt like a siege of Sligo's goal. Yet not one of them was any good, so they all led to nought. Apart from the corner that our goal came from, most were poor throughout the game - and we had a hell of a lot of them. If you can't get your setpieces right in football then you're wasting what should be key opportunities to score.

Teams come to the Brandywell to shut us down quickly, get in our faces, hope to nick a goal against the run of play, and then grind a result out. Which is exactly what Sligo did for yesterday's game. We have to find a way to deal with and overcome this that doesn't involve blaming the referee or the pitch. Winners find a way to win.

And we still need a 'natural goalscorer'. Someone who just puts themselves in the right place at the right time, all the time. And who gets goals when no-one else does. We boss possession on the putch, but convert that into few shots on target and even fewer goals. The chequebook is going to have to come oiut to find us a proven goal poacher if we genuinely hope to win a title at some point. Either that or we hope that Whelan is the answer to our prayers and is back to full health again soon.

Blaming the Ref? That boy last night was a Tube. He actually admitted he got it wrong disallowing Jamie's goal.

[magspat]

Always said Higgins missed the trick he didn't sign a big bustling centre forward,didn't make sense to me signing Whelan who will miss a big cut of the season with long term injury.

[brandyball]

Always said Higgins missed the trick he didn't sign a big bustling centre forward,didn't make sense to me signing Whelan who will miss a big cut of the season with long term injury.

Reynolds reckons who could be back after the break.

[Paddydcfc2010]

Always said Higgins missed the trick he didn't sign a big bustling centre forward,didn't make sense to me signing Whelan who will miss a big cut of the season with long term injury.

Think Cian kavanagh falls under this category. Remember Higgins saying at the end of last season that he's the best finisher at he club. Haven't been impressed really he lacks pace and and a good first touch.

[Keyser Soze]

Manager thinks he is the best finisher at the club, but rarely plays him.

I'm confused.

[Marty]

I doubt he's ever said that and if he has he was obviously joking.

[magspat]

For what I was saw of C Kavanagh didn't really light up the brandywell,he did score a good goal against st Pats last season not much else.

[dcfc_legend9]

Always said Higgins missed the trick he didn't sign a big bustling centre forward,didn't make sense to me signing Whelan who will miss a big cut of the season with long term injury.

Reynolds reckons who could be back after the break.

Reynolds also said O'Reilly would be back about 3 games ago to.

Whelan if we are lucky will be be drip fed near the end of April with May really being the time frame for him to be back in the swing of getting proper game time. I wouldn't be too confident in him hitting the ground running either especially from an ACL. Horrible injury both mentally and physically.

Fingers crossed though he can get back firing and scoring for us straight away as we need a top class forward.

[mokendismucker]

“I lost count of the number of corners we had in the first 20mins of that game - it felt like a siege of Sligo's goal. Yet not one of them was any good, so they all led to nought. Apart from the corner that our goal came from, most were poor throughout the game - and we had a hell of a lot of them.”

Statistically the average for goals scored directly from a corner is 1 in 52…………..

[TenaciousDee]

I doubt he's ever said that and if he has he was obviously joking.

Said it after the Pat's game in Richmond last season.

[brandyball]

“I lost count of the number of corners we had in the first 20mins of that game - it felt like a siege of Sligo's goal. Yet not one of them was any good, so they all led to nought. Apart from the corner that our goal came from, most were poor throughout the game - and we had a hell of a lot of them.”

Statistically the average for goals scored directly from a corner is 1 in 52…………..

1 every every year doesn't seem to bad.