Players need to show they are up for fight to avoid relegation
“ON a surface which cut up considerably as the game progressed Longford Town were far superior. However, they did not have to extend themselves to beat a disappointing Sligo side” - the words in the Irish Independent on the 10th of February 1969 when Sligo Rovers were beaten by non-league Longford Town in the FAI Cup.
The line about the surface of the pitch aside, you would be forgiven for thinking that was written on Saturday night.
“I feel very badly let down, but this is nothing to what I feel for our supporters. I really do not know what you can do. You train and coach a team all week, but all that work counts for nothing and goes out the window on Sunday,” - the words of the then manager Tony Bartley when
speaking to Seamus Finn of the Sligo Champion on Feburary 14th, 1969.
Again, you would be mistaken for thinking that those were the words of manager Gerard Lyttle on Saturday evening.
Embarrassing doesn’t begin to describe that performance on Saturday night against Longford Town. For a full-time, professional, Premier Division team to go out and put in a ‘performance’ like that against a part-time First Division club, who probably train two/three times a week, it is nothing short of a disgrace.
It’s not about the cup. No-one expected Rovers to go on a cup run this year, it would have been nice, for sure, but survival is all we care about right now. It’s the manner of the defeat that leaves a sour taste. If Rovers players were as interested as Longford players, they would have won that game easily. But Longford, to their credit, wanted it more, and they fought to the bitter end to win that game, and they deserved it. Fair play to them. I’d call it a giant killing, but it really wasn’t.
A victory in that game, no matter how it came about, would have done wonders for morale among both fans and players, a boost going into a crucial game against Bray Wanderers this evening. What we got was the complete opposite. Saturday night was among the lowest I have felt as a fan of Sligo Rovers, and there has been a few of those this season.
Few looked interested on Saturday night. And when Gary Boylan or Regan Donelon went to take a throw, they were struggling to find team-mates who were looking for it - and they got the blame.
We, as fans, demand effort each week and that wasn’t there on Saturday night. John Russell apologising to the fans afterwards was a sorry sight, because John is the last one who needs to apologise to anyone. If all players had his determination and energy we wouldn’t be in the sorry state that we are in.
He was genuinely hurt by the result, and it took guts to approach the angry fans about the result, but that’s the kind of person John is. He gives it everything each week, and he deserves more from his teammates, and manager Gerard Lyttle deserves more from his players.
I hate to go all ‘players don’t deserve to wear the badge’ on them, but this is a club with a rich history, with some of the most dedicated volunteers and fans you can find. The huge support that travelled to Longford on Saturday night deserved more than what they saw.
If we had a budget like Finn Harps or Drogheda United it would be understandable. But those players play with more heart than our lads, and we have got to get a reaction from that game tonight and for the rest of the season.
Some players harbour aspirations of going to England, or furthering
their career elsewhere - they’re not doing themselves any favours at the minute with the way things are going. A cup exit isn’t the end of the world, but to play like that increases fears over relegation.
‘Stick with us’ the fans have been told all season. They have stuck with the team. There is the odd bit of abuse here and there, which let’s be honest, has been deserved at times. You can’t blame people for getting fed up and giving up. Fans will still go to games, those who watched that horror show in Longford will still be there tonight at The Showgrounds.
We do need to stick by the team and manager, we just need to see something in return for our support each week. That’s all we ask.
And Gerard Lyttle is right, if the players do care, go out and show us that tonight and get a win, because anything less means that our chances of surviving are very, very slim.
The talent is there, we’ve said it all season. This squad is more than capable of getting out of trouble, but they need to stand up and be counted. We, as fans, will be there until the bitter end.