Derry City vs Drogheda Utd.

[TenaciousDee]

Last night’s team selection raised a few eyebrows. Credit where it’s due — breaking from the usual setup by starting two centre-forwards was a bold move. But in doing so, the side lost its natural width on the right. The plan seemed to rely on Ronan Boyce pushing high and Adam O’Reilly drifting wide from central areas to create problems. It didn’t quite click. The game was crying out for Dom Thomas, not for the first time, to come on and run at their left-back, but it never happened.

Then there’s Kevin Holt at left-back. With Ben Doherty injured, you’d expect Shane Ferguson, an actual left-back, to slot in. Instead, Holt was moved across, and it brought back memories of Andre Wisdom in that role: hesitant to join attacks, and it left Michael Duffy isolated. At 2-1 down, Holt did eventually push forward, but the earlier reluctance left a glaring gap that forced Benson and Winchester to cover.

The substitutions only added to the confusion. No Dom Thomas, again. Patton was too late coming on— both arguably more dynamic options than Gavin Whyte, who still seems off the pace. It all felt like a missed opportunity.

[Marty]

Who signed the overpaid overated Belfast has beens ?

True. But I think we all expected better from them, and I don't think Tiernan would be any different. On paper, these should have been good signings. Hindsight is fantastic but something needs to be done now because it's going pear-shaped.

Also. It's time to get a DoF involved. If Tiernan's all about professionalism, then he'd back someone coming into the club who's job is to identify future transfer targets and ensure that we have a squad capable of playing the way the club wants to play. Obviously towards the end of last season, Higgins would have had a list of his own set of players that he wanted. Then when he left we had nobody, so we end up rushing and chasing after players. A full-time DoF can help the current manager and will also act as a bridge in seasons where we make a managerial change.

On the Island of Ireland there are two people who thought that signing 31 year old plus has beens would be a successful transfer policy. They are Lynch and our CEO who sanctioned this.

On paper, this was a terrible idea.

We were, and are, a laughing stock across the country for this.

[marcoloco]

Everyone talking about Boyce's age are not being rationale. Had he not got himself sent off he would have won MOTM. Clearly it was sending off so he has to suck it up and take his oil.

Manager messed up his team selection and got his just desserts. Starting Mullan (over Thomas) is a sackable offence on its own. Thomas changed the game last week v Cork and should have started giving us the balance that we badly need. In previous weeks it was the ineffective McMullan on the right so why not replace him with Thomas?.

Without that balance we are 75% of the time going down the left to Duffy. Easy for the opposition to work us out and defend. School boy coaching this stuff...

Mullan I don't rate other than as a super sub. Sorry but for me he's not good enough. Why he's starting games is beyond me. That's 1 point now for the last 2 games he's started.

So to see the lop-sided line up made me annoyed. I think Boyce does need a player playing alongside him but not Mullan. Patton was the obvious choice.

So if we agree that Boyce needs another player up alongside him and we agree that we need width on both sides then that leaves 2 in the middle.

So we bossed the game for 65mins, were a tad too obvious with our play but got the goal and deserved to go in front, but then deserved to lose a man, and then after the collapse we deserved to lose.

So last night I blame TL for his team selection and Boyce for his own stupidity. TL complaining about red cards and saying we dont have a discipline problem is part of the problem. Cut out the off field nonsense and pull those players into line. After a shit show get them in the next morning to review - tough if they all live 2 hours away. It's not a holiday camp.

[Liambhoy]

Starting to think lynch is out of his depth

100% a bluffer absolutely and brought a bunch of mercenaries with him,First time I left before full time whistle at a game,We have actually gotten worse than last season,Michael Duffy must be disgusted playing with that rubbish around him,too many journeymen up for a bumper pay day,Them yellow football dummies he has out when ther training, move quicker and would show more heart than the brock we're watching, absolute brock

[magspat]

I think Lynch should sign S Hargan l Coyle Beckett E mcCALLION AND F HEALEY IF HE IS AVAILABLE NEXT season.

[Greengo]

The thing that sickened me about last night was that we were very much on top right up to the goal. The first half was dire stuff but we came alive after the break...
Liam Boyce didnt have to make that tackle and when it happened I thought like the rest of us... "what the fuck was that about"? All he had to do was run beside him and put him off. I think Holt and Connolly werent far away but he deffo wasnt the last man... He deserved a yellow for that but not the first one.

Had one of our players went down to feign injury (lets be honest all teams do it) and stopped the game for a minute or two then TL could have got them re-organised and maybe held onto the lead but no one had the sense to do so... Drogheda to their credit sensed blood and openly punished us straight away... To rub salt in the wounds they done it a second and third time just for good measure...

Whatever way you look at it, Drogheda have now put 5 goals past us in two games... Kevin Doherty to his credit has got them grinding out results where most people thought they would be candidates to be back in a relegation battle before the season began. Instead they are at the opposite end of the table while others look on in envy... Including us...

[chosen1]

I think the choice of substitutions when we were chasing the game were bizarre . I dont think he got his initial team selection right either . It was a very disappointing night . The local media need to challenge Tiernan Lynch on this , and the discipline which is going to effect us now with suspensions.

[Greengo]

Yellow cards after the first 9 games at Derry City in 2025

Adam O’Reilly = 5
Mark Connolly = 4
Carl Winchester = 4 Yellow & 1 Red
Sadou Diallo = 3
Shane Ferguson = 2
Pat Hoban = 2
Ben Doherty = 2
Danny Mullen = 2 resulting in 1 Red (Game against Shamrock Rovers at Tallaght)
Ronan Boyce
Dom Thomas
Kevin Holt
Brian Maher
Shaun Patton
Ciaran Harkin
Paul McMullan
Michael Duffy
Liam Boyce = 2 resulting in 1 Red (Game against Drogheda at home)

Sure theres no discipline agenda here...

[TenaciousDee]

Currently watching Galway United overrun Sligo Rovers at The Showgrounds. What I am seeing is hitting home how much we are really going to miss O'Reilly on Friday.

[Marty]

I don’t understand why Adam is constantly played as the furthest midfielder forward, he’s quite clearly a 6.

[bt47red]

Apparently the whole team headed out on the lash in Belfast on Saturday for a players birthday.

I don’t mind the players enjoying themselves but not when we aren’t up to it so far.

Raises questions about the management now at this stage. It’s just dissapointing.

Unbelievable

[dcfc_jp_1989]

Apparently the whole team headed out on the lash in Belfast on Saturday for a players birthday.

I don’t mind the players enjoying themselves but not when we aren’t up to it so far.

Raises questions about the management now at this stage. It’s just dissapointing.

Unbelievable

They were in Spaghetti Junction the night after we beat Cork 2-1 & nothing was said about how they shouldn't have been there. It seems if we win a game then the players are allowed to be normal & do normal things on their day off but if we lose they have to remain at home & sulk all weekend until they return to work on Monday morning

[attack!attack!attack]

Apparently the whole team headed out on the lash in Belfast on Saturday for a players birthday.

I don’t mind the players enjoying themselves but not when we aren’t up to it so far.

Raises questions about the management now at this stage. It’s just dissapointing.

Unbelievable

They were in Spaghetti Junction the night after we beat Cork 2-1 & nothing was said about how they shouldn't have been there. It seems if we win a game then the players are allowed to be normal & do normal things on their day off but if we lose they have to remain at home & sulk all weekend until they return to work on Monday morning

My concern is that they are getting the weekends off, and given 'tailored' recovery plans to do themselves. I'm sorry, that is complete balls.

Losing to Drogheda 3-1 at home, they should be in the next day, or at Owenbeg on Sunday for a cool down session. Talk about half ass it.

This is all to facilitate the Belfast-centric nature of the place, management and players currently.

The chickens will be coming home to roost very soon if these boys don't get their finger out.

I'm also rapidly getting sick with the repetitive bullshit Lynch spouts in his interviews after games. This is not Larne, with 14 season ticket holders - stop bluffing. If he thinks the first 60 minutes on Friday was the best we've played, I'm afraid we (and he) are fcked.

[marcoloco]

Yellow cards after the first 9 games at Derry City in 2025

Adam O’Reilly = 5
Mark Connolly = 4
Carl Winchester = 4 Yellow & 1 Red
Sadou Diallo = 3
Shane Ferguson = 2
Pat Hoban = 2
Ben Doherty = 2
Danny Mullen = 2 resulting in 1 Red (Game against Shamrock Rovers at Tallaght)
Ronan Boyce
Dom Thomas
Kevin Holt
Brian Maher
Shaun Patton
Ciaran Harkin
Paul McMullan
Michael Duffy
Liam Boyce = 2 resulting in 1 Red (Game against Drogheda at home)

Sure theres no discipline agenda here...

TL = 1

[brandyball]

The thing that sickened me about last night was that we were very much on top right up to the goal. The first half was dire stuff but we came alive after the break...
Liam Boyce didnt have to make that tackle and when it happened I thought like the rest of us... "what the fuck was that about"? All he had to do was run beside him and put him off. I think Holt and Connolly werent far away but he deffo wasnt the last man... He deserved a yellow for that but not the first one.

Had one of our players went down to feign injury (lets be honest all teams do it) and stopped the game for a minute or two then TL could have got them re-organised and maybe held onto the lead but no one had the sense to do so... Drogheda to their credit sensed blood and openly punished us straight away... To rub salt in the wounds they done it a second and third time just for good measure...

Whatever way you look at it, Drogheda have now put 5 goals past us in two games... Kevin Doherty to his credit has got them grinding out results where most people thought they would be candidates to be back in a relegation battle before the season began. Instead they are at the opposite end of the table while others look on in envy... Including us...

What Irks me about players going down and requiring treatment is the ineptitude of the officials, isn't there a rule now once a trainer is brought on the player must leave pitch for 30 seconds before ushered back on? 2 Galway players were ushered on almost immediately whereas Danny Mullen had to wait the requiisit 30 seconds.

[stevebradley]

Apparently the whole team headed out on the lash in Belfast on Saturday for a players birthday.

I don’t mind the players enjoying themselves but not when we aren’t up to it so far.

Raises questions about the management now at this stage. It’s just dissapointing.

Unbelievable

Being realistic, that night out was no doubt planned days in-advance, if not weeks. Are the players supposed to completely alter their weekly plans on the basis of results, and sit at home on the naughty step in unseen penance whenever we lose ?

[bt47red]

Apparently the whole team headed out on the lash in Belfast on Saturday for a players birthday.

I don’t mind the players enjoying themselves but not when we aren’t up to it so far.

Raises questions about the management now at this stage. It’s just dissapointing.

Unbelievable

Being realistic, that night out was no doubt planned days in-advance, if not weeks. Are the players supposed to completely alter their weekly plans on the basis of results, and sit at home on the naughty step in unseen penance whenever we lose ?

Steve, if we were in the Top Four and playing well it wouldn’t be an issue, the same way it hasn’t been an issue with previous teams. It’s just slightly concerning given this is now the second time in recent succession.

Without blowing this out of proportion, i do concur with earlier comments that the team should at least be brought over the weekend for a recovery session. Rather than heading up the road because it suits management and players. RH had the team in for recovery and a review of Friday’s game on a day over the weekend.

But sure i’m not a manager what would I know lol

[stevebradley]

Apparently the whole team headed out on the lash in Belfast on Saturday for a players birthday.

I don’t mind the players enjoying themselves but not when we aren’t up to it so far.

Raises questions about the management now at this stage. It’s just dissapointing.

Unbelievable

Being realistic, that night out was no doubt planned days in-advance, if not weeks. Are the players supposed to completely alter their weekly plans on the basis of results, and sit at home on the naughty step in unseen penance whenever we lose ?

Steve, if we were in the Top Four and playing well it wouldn’t be an issue, the same way it hasn’t been an issue with previous teams. It’s just slightly concerning given this is now the second time in recent succession.

Without blowing this out of proportion, i do concur with earlier comments that the team should at least be brought over the weekend for a recovery session. Rather than heading up the road because it suits management and players. RH had the team in for recovery and a review of Friday’s game on a day over the weekend.

But sure i’m not a manager what would I know lol

I agree with you broadly here. TL could have brought them in for a session the next day, and they could still then have had a night out. The point I'm making is that players are humans like the rest of us. If they were losing a game and saying to themselves 'Fcuk it - let's go out on the lash' then they should be dragged over the coals. But I think they need to be cut some slack for pre-arranged landmark things like birthdays,weddings etc.

[derry]

Professional athletes shouldn't be out on the lash at the weekends. We shouldn't be signing those types of characters.

[stevebradley]

Professional athletes shouldn't be out on the lash at the weekends. We shouldn't be signing those types of characters.

How do you know they were on the lash?