How can we as a team improve next season

[davybhoy]

As has been said by others, and myself, this season has been disappointing in that although the budget was increased we have seen no improvement on the pitch and actually will behind last year's points total.

There is no doubt we have some quality players but things just are not clicking, partly due to tactics that are deployed by the manager.

How do people think we improve as a team next season
- keep the manager and throw more money at the playing budget
- keep the manager and tell him to get more out of the players he has
- change manager and go with someone who will play more exciting football and get more out of the players that are currently there.

I don't think Phil has any notion of getting rid of Higgins but something needs to change somewhere it we want to win the league next season as it looks like Rovers will be in transition next year.

[brandyball]

Change Manager

[marcoloco]

1. Play with more freedom
2. Play with a recognised striker
3. Don't settle for draws, especially at home
4. The objective is to win games not to merely stop the opposition from winning games
5. Sort out your penalty takers before defining cup matches
6. Less passing it around aimlessly in our own half whilst allowing the opposition to get organised
7. Make positive substitutions
8. Learn another formation

[davybhoy]

1. Play with more freedom
2. Play with a recognised striker
3. Don't settle for draws, especially at home
4. The objective is to win games not to merely stop the opposition from winning games
5. Sort out your penalty takers before defining cup matches
6. Less passing it around aimlessly in our own half whilst allowing the opposition to get organised
7. Make positive substitutions
8. Learn another formation

That all seems to point to one thing - the same as post 2.

[TenaciousDee]

Fed up hearing about the pitch and I am fed up hearing about ref decisions. Whoever we play on the Brandywell surface has to do the same. We train on that pitch so how come sides like Rovers seem more at home on it? We have benefited from ref decisions too (a second yellow in Tolka that wasn't a foul led to us winning there in April), yet we never cry when we do.

The thought process used to be take care of business away from home and home results will take care of themselves but we are leaving too many points behind at home. Clubs set up defensively and attempt to catch us on the counter. Our players pass it backwards and sideways hoping the opposition breaks shape but they rarely cross the half way line to pressure the Keeper and Centre Backs into hastily playing the ball. Our attacking approach at home is too slow and at times predictable. If we get a cross into the box, a large percentage of the time we have one man to target. If we cut in from the wing to the centre towards the box the player passes more often than shoots. As I said before, I don't know if this is a confidence issue or not but we have seen more chances go begging as our players are not brave enough to shoot.

Changing the manager is not the answer, resetting, re-evaluating and returning to basics may be the key. Look at what we have and whether we are holding on to players who are not good enough and find players who are. Defensively I wouldn't say we have too many issues but the attacking third clearly is our weakness.

[marcoloco]

1. Play with more freedom
2. Play with a recognised striker
3. Don't settle for draws, especially at home
4. The objective is to win games not to merely stop the opposition from winning games
5. Sort out your penalty takers before defining cup matches
6. Less passing it around aimlessly in our own half whilst allowing the opposition to get organised
7. Make positive substitutions
8. Learn another formation

That all seems to point to one thing - the same as post 2.

I'm not there yet. Happy for Higgins to stay but improvement on the pitch is necessary. Said it before - other teams with lower budgets are out performing us. That's a worry and needs to be addressed. I'd like to see Higgins make the changes as I don't forget what he delivered in his first season when he rescued us from the doldrums. But after a relatively poor domestic season next season he needs to up his game.

[paul60]

Maybe improve as active supporters rather than spectators.
Leave a match knowing we didn’t let the team down no matter how they played.
Invent new songs that are in a range the majority can and are willing to perform.
Surprise the players, less active fans and away support by being different, orchestrating a buzz that is infectious drawing more to take part.

The team will know we are there to demonstrate backing and give them a physiological lift.

Where can you hire a choir master?

[stevebradley]

When Higgins came in it was clear that he was given a 3yr target by the Club/Chairman. So next year is when the expectation is that he has to deliver the league.

If he doesn't - and especially if Rovers are there for the taking yet again - then he needs to go. But in reality, he'll be given until then to prove himself.

[stevebradley]

Maybe improve as active supporters rather than spectators.
Leave a match knowing we didn’t let the team down no matter how they played.
Invent new songs that are in a range the majority can and are willing to perform.
Surprise the players, less active fans and away support by being different, orchestrating a buzz that is infectious drawing more to take part.

The team will know we are there to demonstrate backing and give them a physiological lift.

Where can you hire a choir master?

What do you do if you invent a new song to get it adopted? I've posted a few on here over the years, but who does the X-Factor/Masked Singer etc judge and jury on what gets adopted and doesn't ? We desperately need some new and original songs - and ideally ones that are not just taken from other clubs and Derry City-fied

[brandyball]

1. Play with more freedom
2. Play with a recognised striker
3. Don't settle for draws, especially at home
4. The objective is to win games not to merely stop the opposition from winning games
5. Sort out your penalty takers before defining cup matches
6. Less passing it around aimlessly in our own half whilst allowing the opposition to get organised
7. Make positive substitutions
8. Learn another formation

That all seems to point to one thing - the same as post 2.

I'm not there yet. Happy for Higgins to stay but improvement on the pitch is necessary. Said it before - other teams with lower budgets are out performing us. That's a worry and needs to be addressed. I'd like to see Higgins make the changes as I don't forget what he delivered in his first season when he rescued us from the doldrums. But after a relatively poor domestic season next season he needs to up his game.

I'm not sure Higgnis staying and Improvement on the pitch will go hand in hand.

[eugenio]

We all know the status quo won’t change . So simply a repetition of 2 previous season is all that’s on offer . That’s it we as supporters can do nothing. So more of the same I think

[Keyser Soze]

Higgins looks very very likely to be there to see out the 3yr project.

And generally boring managers don't become exciting ones overnight. They tend to be stuck in their own mindset. They don't change.

We have a manager who appears to concentrate on 'not losing' rather than winning. He often shows this when we actually take the lead, and goes very negative to protect the lead. Game management it's called, it must be a big part of the Uefa coaching course they all have to do.

I would hope he will be asked to be more attacking next season, as we will have more seats to fill and need to be selling out the Brandywell every week. But it'll be his way and nothing else.

I think it's obvious the difference in demeanour between the previous No2 and our current one. Reynolds was always up and shouting at the players. With the manager. Paddy seems to sit on the bench like a sub and never gets out of it. Does he have any input into how we play? Are him and Higgins working well together? Is there conflict there?

[rodgers]

If he comes under pressure, I'd expect stories to emerge suddenly linking him with a job in England and that might be the easiest way out for all parties rather than the sack.

As for next year, can we play two strikers at home for some of the games at least.

[brandyball]

If he comes under pressure, I'd expect stories to emerge suddenly linking him with a job in England and that might be the easiest way out for all parties rather than the sack.

As for next year, can we play two strikers at home for some of the games at least.

Apparently no-one plays 2 up anymore.

[marcoloco]

I’d settle for 1.

[Paddydcfc2010]

Think we'll still be asking the same questions this time next year. Rovers having a bad start and been inconsistent all year, this was our chance. You can quote this post next year but I expect it to be the same with us finishing 2nd or 3rd.

[stevebradley]

If he comes under pressure, I'd expect stories to emerge suddenly linking him with a job in England and that might be the easiest way out for all parties rather than the sack.

What has he done to merit the interest of any clubs in Enngland though?

[rodgers]

If he comes under pressure, I'd expect stories to emerge suddenly linking him with a job in England and that might be the easiest way out for all parties rather than the sack.

What has he done to merit the interest of any clubs in Enngland though?

I don't know. But he was in talks with Barnsley in 2023 and turned down the chance to talk to Notts County in 2022 according to the press. Call me cynical but both stories seemed to appear to when he was taking a bit of flak here. He probably talks the modern coach language.

[stevebradley]

If he comes under pressure, I'd expect stories to emerge suddenly linking him with a job in England and that might be the easiest way out for all parties rather than the sack.

What has he done to merit the interest of any clubs in Enngland though?

I don't know. But he was in talks with Barnsley in 2023 and turned down the chance to talk to Notts County in 2022 according to the press. Call me cynical but both stories seemed to appear to when he was taking a bit of flak here. He probably talks the modern coach language.

I'd agree with your cynicism here, as both those jobs are too big for Higgins (particularly Barnsley). All he's done is win an FAI Cup, despite a big budget. When that alleged interest arose he at least had that cup win under his belt, but he's not retained it and has arguably gone backwards in terms of achievements this year (I doubt many English clubs will be excited about winning annd drawing a few games in the early Conference League qualifiers).

A club talking to someone and a club looking to hire them are obviously two very different things. They'll no doubt chat to lot of people they don't know much about to suss them out. If nothing more comes of it then that speaks volumes.

[Nige92]

Adding Daniel Kelly and Pat Hoban would certainly help..

https://www.independent.ie/sport/soccer ... 43462.html