Derry City v $h£l$ Match Thread

[brandyball]

No, we are 4pts clear of Bohs. With a better goal difference.

If they win both games, we need at least 2pts to stay ahead.

So top 4 doesn't guarantee Europe?

[TenaciousDee]

Only if Pat's or Bohs win the cup from 2nd or 3rd.

[Keyser Soze]

If we lose in Cork, and let's hope it doesn't happen, we might go into last game needing to win against St Pats.

The way we are playing of late, I wouldn't be confident of that. Despite them being safe for Europe and also having one eye on the cup final.

[brandyball]

Only if Pat's or Bohs win the cup from 2nd or 3rd.

Seems The Journal thinks we only need a point.

Ben Doherty targets milestone Derry City appearance in Cork after 'life-changing week'
​BEN DOHERTY has promised Derry City fans there will be no let-up until European qualification is secured as the Candy Stripes prepare for a trip to Cork where a point will be enough to book their place in the Uefa Conference League qualifiers next year.

[TenaciousDee]

That would be the case if Bohs finished in the top 3 with a cup win. Otherwise we need two points from two games to secure third at least. If we lose the last two games and Bohs win both theirs they jump above us by a point.

[Keyser Soze]

Top quality sports writing by the Journal.

[marcoloco]

We're good enough to go and get a point in Cork. Maybe even nick a goal form a set piece or OG.

And if Dundalk takes points off Bohs (which I fancy them to do) then it's all over with a game to spare.

[joe3576]

But the football is dire and has been for 2.5 seasons now.

Coming 3rd in the worst league in years on our budget is not great to be frank.

I think this squad and/or coaching staff have taken us as far as we can go.

It is obvious that the tactics will never change, so these players cannot really do anymore, if this is what they are told to do.

So either we completely change up the squad to try and win the league next year or we change the management/coaching set-up.

Either way it has to be one or the other - personally I think the squad is good, so i would go with the later.

But continuing with both is not an option. If we stumble home in 3rd/4th, momentum and interest will drop off from fans - and the dire football all season has not helped at all.

I look at Sligo away in May, and then again in September - two horrific performances indicating nothing has changed

Shels home in April and again in October - two dire 0-0 draws, is anything changing at all ?

Two dire games at home versus Bohs (0-1, 0-0)
Two bleak games versus Drogheda away (1-0, 0-0)
Two horrible games versus Shels away (1-0, 1-1)


Also to be honest - the Faroes were a very poor side, the away leg was horrible to watch, and the home game not much better.

4 decent games in Europe and that is it all season.

Very very bored all season.

[Keyser Soze]

No, we are 4pts clear of Bohs. With a better goal difference.

If they win both games, we need at least 2pts to stay ahead.

So top 4 doesn't guarantee Europe?

This might be correct after all.
If Bohs get above us in the league, it will also mean Pats will be above us, and we'll finish 4th.

But the teams above us are in the Cup Final, so that will mean 4th will get Europe.

[TenaciousDee]

$h£l$ can still qualify for Europe so if they jump above Bohs or God forbid us, that scenario won't be the case. We just need to win our two games and never worry about those around us. Shocking that we are talking about being at the mercy of others to finish in the top 3 when we were running rovers for so long in the league.

[Keyser Soze]

Shels can still finish above us if we lose both games and they win both.

But if we get that single point, they can only finish on same points as us, but we have a +15 goal difference over them.

[Greengo]

Going into Friday nights game we needed three points to guarantee Europa Conference League qualification for 2024...

We got "A" point on Friday night... You do the math after that... Its quite simple;)

If we win one of our next two games we will qualify... Lets concentrate on one game at a time beginning with Turners Cross on Friday night...

[brandyball]

So just to be clear we only need 1 point from 2 games to qualify for Europe.

[magspat]

No we need 2 polnts from last 2 games if Bohs win last 2 matches and we lose last two matches they go two points above us,7

[brandyball]

No we need 2 polnts from last 2 games if Bohs win last 2 matches and we lose last two matches they go two points above us,7

And if Bohs win FAI Cup?

[magspat]

Weii if Bohs win the cup and I hope they do we probably get fourth place.

[brandyball]

Weii if Bohs win the cup and I hope they do we probably get fourth place.

As long as we can secure a point.

[marcoloco]

$h£l$ can still qualify for Europe so if they jump above Bohs or God forbid us, that scenario won't be the case. We just need to win our two games and never worry about those around us. Shocking that we are talking about being at the mercy of others to finish in the top 3 when we were running rovers for so long in the league.

Running Rovers for the league!? Are you serious?

[eugenio]

There seems to be a seismic gulf between us. Some it would appear want Europe and will excuse all if that’s achieved . Others found the standard of football boring and points that could not only have guaranteed Europe long ago but might even have delivered the title were tossed away in dire fashion. So is the modern football thinking “deliver Europe and its cash to hell with entertaining the fans”.?? If they don’t like it let them go ……Theres enough others waiting to take their-places.
Maybe that’s the way the game is now . I’d love a cracker like theCup Final. but I must admit it was a one off and yes I am frankly bored with what was offered up IF I thought I’d see BENFICA. GOTHENBERG. even Cardiff then I’d look forward but the Faro Islands the Mighty Faros didn’t exactly thrill me nor does the plethora of 0 0 scores .
But maybe I should accept cash is all now. and bow out from the dream of being thrilled watching the club I’ve loved for so long gubbing others 0 0 the new dream. Get the point never mind the fun

[Keyser Soze]

There's a lot of truth in what you say Eugene.

It appears if you get Euro football, that is enough to please a lot of fans. But Uefa have structured the competitions now that the likelihood of us ever seeing a good quality team in Europe is next to nil. And they throw money into the competitions so that we get more for winning matches, so the club is happy with 500k or 850k, to hell with the quality of opposition.

But that's modern football. It's all about the money, and points. Entertaining fans isn't a thing any more. Playing attacking football isn't a thing any more, at least not under our manager. 'The result' trumps everything. Even when we aren't getting the results.

This was the season, and I fear we have missed the best chance we might have had to win this league. We had everything working in our favour: a weak Rovers, a drop off in the standard of the league overall, an increase in budget to pay top players to come to us, sell out crowds every week. But the product served up was poor and we are likely going to end up where we deserve to be.