Lyttle wants to ensure league safety before discussing a possible new deal
GER Lyttle says his main focus is ensuring Sligo Rovers secure their Premier Division status before his full attention turns to a possible new deal.
The Belfast man’s contract is due to expire at the end of this season and it is yet to be seen whether he will be offered a renewal.
The Bit O’Red have endured another tough season, suffering eight defeats in their thirteen league games at home to date. The poorest record in the league.
Astonishingly, Rovers hold the best league record away from home bar the top two sides Cork City and Dundalk.
Lyttle felt the wrath of a number of supporters as he returned to the dressing room after the recent cup defeat to Longford. He says fans had every right to criticise him that night, but remains adamant he is the man to steer the club back in the right direction.
When pressed on the status of contract negotiations, Lyttle said: “There’s been talks but the focus for me is getting things stabilised and looking to build again. Last week, people were calling for my head but the board were top class in being calm and handling things.
“I’m a grafter. I see where the club should be. It’s not going to be an overnight thing and I’ve said that. Anyone who is smart enough will see that.
“Hopefully down the line, I’ll be part of bringing this club forward.
“I know results are the only thing that matter to supporters regardless.
“I’ll take anything that’s thrown at me and rightly so because I’m the manager. Supporters have every right to vent their frustration.
“Maybe what some people are saying is over the top but they pay their hard earned money and their entitled to say what they want. They want success as much as I do.”
Lyttle gave his hopes of moving back into supporters’ good books a timely boost last Friday night with the win in Limerick.
He said both he and his squad knew the importance of the tie, given the five point gap that existed between the sides going into the game.
“It was documented as a mas- sive six pointer. It’s a cliché but it’s true”, he continued.
“Worst case was, if they won, the gap falls to two points and with the way things are going as of late, it would have put a severe amount of pressure on everyone including myself.
“Talk is cheap and you do your talking on the pitch because that’s what everyone wants to see.
“We didn’t play particularly well but we played when we needed to play and managed the game well.”
Lyttle was full of praise for his goal scorers. Mikey Drennan’s brace were his first goals for the club.
While veteran Raffaele Cretaro entered the goal of the season competition with a stunning strike from distance in the second period.
“I’m delighted for Mikey because he’s been slightly down because the goals haven’t been coming.
“But we’ve kept his head up and kept him going.
“We were clinical when we needed to be.
“When they scored it’s obviously disappointing but Raf’s jumped up and killed them off.”
Goalkeeper Mitchell Beeney pulled off a number of fine saves. Lyttle says the ex- Chelsea man is beginning to come to terms with the responsibility of being number one.
“Mitchell conceded a sloppy goal against Longford and we needed a reaction as we needed a reaction from everyone.
“For me, he can be whatever he wants.
“I think he’s maybe had an easy time at Chelsea.
“He hasn’t had to fight but now he’s in a league where every result matters.
“He’s never been scrutinised and now he is.
“I think the penny maybe dropped with him after Longford.”
Rovers lost captain Rhys McCabe mid-way through the first half after he pulled up with an injured ankle.
Jack Keaney surprised a few in the stands when he assumed the role of skipper, despite being one of the youngest players on the pitch.
Reflecting on this, Lyttle said: “Jack is young but he shows leadership. He loves the club, he’s local and he knows what it’s all about.
“He was excellent in organising and keeping his game simple. Just because he’s young it doesn’t matter.
“It could have been John Mahon, it could have been anyone.”
Lyttle also took umbrage with comments made by Limerick manager Tommy Barrett in the match night programme, where he compared the playing budgets of both clubs noting that the Blues couldn’t afford to sign some of Rovers’ players “in a million years”.
“I thought Tommy was poor in his analysis”, Lyttle rasped.
“I don’t know what Rovers he was talking about.
“Maybe it was the time we won the league but saying our budget is up there. Maybe he knows something I don’t!”
Friday’s win was the first time this season that Rovers recorded victories on the bounce in the league and only second time in all competitions.
Lyttle says it is imperative that his boys do not take their eye of the ball going forward.
“We won’t be allowed”, he stated. “We can’t become complacent because in this league, anything can happen.
“All teams are capable of beating each other.
“We spoke before about beating Derry in the Brandywell and then we’re thinking, yes we’ve arrived. We’ve gone into two winnable games against Derry again and Longford and come out with nothing.
“People said we were over-complacent in those games but I don’t think so. We just didn’t take chances. There have been good performances but that’s been over taken by the negative results.
“This is the first back to back win in league which is promising. But we’ve got to back to the Showgrounds and get this hoodoo sorted.
“As a manager it’s my job to try and manage the players and try and keep the supporters on our side by being positive and we feel we’re going in the right direction.”
The entire Rovers squad made the unique move last week in handing back a portion of their wages, citing that they’d let the supporters, management and the committee down as reason for the gesture.
Lyttle said he was enthused by the decision as he felt it showed leadership amongst the players.
“The boys called the meeting themselves. A few harsh words were said between them and we had our say as a management team.
“You would have loved to have had a match that day because there were a few harsh words between them and they showed a real passion. They needed to get that frustration out.
“They spoke to me about it and they told me. They didn’t ask me before they did what they did. I feel that’s fair.”
Rovers’ premature elimination from the FAI Cup means they have no game this weekend ahead of Friday week’s daunting trip to Cork.
But one game that takes place tonight (Tuesday) that will be of interest is Forfar’s rescheduled Irn Bru Cup tie with Livingston Colts. The winner of which will face Rovers in the next round on the weekend of September 9 th .
Rovers were beaten at the first hurdle by Scottish Championship side Falkirk last season and only entered this year’s edition due to both Bray and Limerick being banned by the FAI.
But Lyttle is excited by the opportunity.
“There’s no point in being in it if you don’t want to progress”, he shrugs. “I’d love to win something here and establish myself and my players.
“We’ll be doing our best.”