‘We can’t be judged on spring demotion’
DERRY manager Damian McErlain has challenged his players to prove they are better than their Division 4 status in Sunday’s Ulster SFC clash with Donegal. In what would once qualify as a provincial heavyweight clash, the Oak Leafers have been written off as no-hopers this summer and have been priced at 9/2 to record a first Championship win i n 10 years against Donegal.
While the lopsided nature of that rivalry — Donegal have won their last five Championship meetings — goes some distance to explain those odds, the real driving force is a disastrous spring which saw the county relegated to the Allianz League’s bottom tier for the first time.
It has meant a baptism of fire f or r ookie manager McErlain, but he is adamant that his players have put their League campaign behind them for now.
‘The residue of disappointment as a result of the spring will not be got rid of until next spring so there is no point worrying about i t at this point,’ said McErlain
‘We are obviously very disappointed to have gone down to Division 4 and we have the quality not to be there but we have to show that next year.
‘In terms of Championship, the players we have available to us and the way we have prepared over the last number of weeks, we will be looking to produce a performance that does not reflect a Division 4 team,’ added the Derry boss.
McErlain’s comfort is that for the f i rst time this season he will get to pick from his strongest squad — with the except i on of t he injured Benny Heron — having had to do without his club-tied Slaughtneil contingent for most of the spring.
The return of Karl and Chrissy McKaigue, along with Brendan Rogers has increased their defensive options.
‘It does feel like a new phase, a new year because we now have a full squad for the first time. And during the League you were out in all kinds of weather, the pitches were desperate which did not help us as a new management team with a new team to get going. ‘The quality of the boys who have come back in is significant and it brings the other boys on as well. It gives everyone a lift. It is like the county player going back to the club, it gives everyone a lift to have that kind of quality around the place.’ It will be needed, too, not least to address defensive frailties which have reared their head again this year. They managed just one clean sheet i n seven League games, with three of the 11 they conceded coming in the final round defeat to Sligo which condemned them to relegation. The return of the Slaughtneil trio — although Karl McKaigue was back for that Sligo game — will help, but the issue is one which extends beyond playing resources i n McErlain’s opinion. ‘ Personnel i s one thing but the way the game is now it is all about your set-up, it is about the whole 15 knowing how to defend, about your shape when you lose the ball.
‘People talk about the blanket defence and it is all nonsense because they all play the same way, Dublin and all, and if you are not attacking you are defending.’
It could be argued that Derry’s opponents Donegal have learned that lesson, weaning themselves off a massed defensive game this season to play with more cutting edge.
McErlain watched in Ballybofey earlier this month as Donegal took a carving knife to the Cavan defence, but was not in the least surprised.
‘Donegal were hitting scores of 2-19 and 2-20 in the League as well. You would probably have expected that game to be more defensive but the game now is as defensive as it ever was but scoring seems to be more free-flowing
‘It is down to the way teams are attacking now. You have corner-backs coming up the field kicking points.
‘We used to talk about the versatility and adaptability that Tyrone used to have one time, but all the teams seem to have that now.
‘We have seen what Donegal can do but what we don’t know is where we are in terms of performance until we get out on the pitch.’
“It does feel like a new phase for us ”