Derry City boss Tiernan Lynch discusses his team's upcoming trip to Shamrock Rovers.
Category
🥇
SportsTranscript
00:00Shamrock Rovers, you've got two weeks to prepare, but how do you prepare for Shamrock Rovers given the record in the last five, six years?
00:08Listen, we're under no illusions how difficult Friday night's going to be, but we have to embrace this challenge.
00:18The boys have worked really, really hard.
00:22Albeit, there's been no game. They did get a couple of days off after Sligo, but they were straight back in again.
00:29A lot of good work on the grass and a lot of good work off the grass. I think we're really looking forward to it.
00:36You're still taking your first steps as a manager in the League of Ireland.
00:41Before you came into this job, would you have viewed the trip to Tallaght as the most imposing, difficult journey of them all?
00:50In my short tenure, I think they've all been really difficult, to be honest.
00:56I think there's great quality in the League, both from a player's perspective and a manager's perspective.
01:03I think the atmosphere in all the games have been excellent. It's been really, really enjoyable.
01:08Albeit, we haven't always got the results that we wanted.
01:13We're probably expecting the same thing on Friday night. We're not going to make too big of a deal out of it.
01:20We want to absolutely and utterly give them the respect that they deserve, but also we've got to concentrate on us and the things that we're good at.
01:30As I keep saying, there's lots of really good players in that changing room.
01:35We're still fighting our feet, but every day you're noticing more and more coming to the fore.
01:40Hopefully, that will soon come Friday night.
01:44It's a lot of water under the bridge since the last time you met Seán McGruder.
01:48I suppose it wasn't a great day for yourself and Lauren at that stage, but what have you learned?
01:54What's your takeaways from that? It's a totally different scenario, I know, but what are your takeaways from that game?
02:01I actually tried to forget about that game, to be totally honest with you. I still have nightmares about that game.
02:08I think that game, if truth be told, I got it wrong.
02:17Where we were at that stage, we probably should have approached that game very differently and I take full responsibility for that.
02:26I think Derry City are a different animal and I do definitely think that this team will be, please God, better equipped.
02:37The majority of the boys in this changing room will know what they're getting going into Tala.
02:42We knew absolutely nothing going into the previous game.
02:47Again, as I say, taking nothing away, Rovers are a top side, top manager.
02:53Their record speaks for itself and we're under no illusions, absolutely no illusions.
02:58It's going to be a really difficult game, but as I say, we're in this and going to this game to talk about our strengths
03:07and the areas that we feel we can impose our game on Rovers and hopefully that shines through.
03:16Tala can be a daunting place for many, like those eight throws or something at the Pats game, their last home game.
03:23But it's the kind of environment, that kind of pitch that the guys, as you say, they're all experienced, they're going to relish.
03:30Yeah, you hope so and I think that one of the big things that we have to do is, we're a rat's shan away from where we want to go as a club and a team.
03:39And to go where we want to go, you have to go to these types of environments and relish it, enjoy it, thrive in it and get results.
03:48And that's very much what our aim and objective is.
03:52You were saying after the Sligo game, your preparations and the build-up to that was, you were preparing for a battle.
03:58This is a different kind of match that you're preparing for. I'm sure your build-up this week has been a lot different.
04:04Yeah, I think that's probably what makes the league as good as it is, that you have different challenges in there.
04:11Some you do have to, as you rightly said, roll your sleeves up and grind out a result.
04:15Others will be an element of a chess game and it'll be more of a toe-to-toe from a tactical perspective.
04:22And we've got to be able to equip ourselves for both.
04:26I suppose there's a few doubts, sensory-wise, but Sadio Diallo, can you give us an update on him?
04:33Obviously, was it a broken arm?
04:35He's broke his arm, he had to get an operation.
04:38So, Sads will be out for a couple of weeks.
04:42How many weeks, I actually don't know at this stage.
04:45But he's out for the foreseeable.
04:49Karl, one says they're obviously coming on after suspension.
04:51That's a brilliant game to have him back for as well.
04:54I'm sure you're glad they have him.
04:56If selected.
04:58We've been telling him now for 10 days that we know the quality that Karl has.
05:06He's a top player and he's a top lad and he's a big influence in this changing room.
05:11And now, as I say, more and more you're starting to see those big characters
05:16starting to shine through in the changing room
05:19and have a little bit more of a presence in there
05:23and the demands are being set by them, which is great.
05:26And hopefully, as I say, that will shine through.
05:30Kevin does well too, he was a must-see as well.
05:35Is there any update on how much he's available?
05:38Yeah, Kevin's obviously been back and he's been training.
05:43Pat's actually off at the moment with an illness and a sickness.
05:49So I don't envisage Pat making it, to be honest.
05:54The Sligo game, obviously, you're probably ready for a break.
05:58I know it's very... we haven't done a full series of matches yet here.
06:01But just the way that it's sort of taken its toll the last few games as well,
06:06the break was welcome.
06:08And I suppose it's been useful as well to get into preparation
06:11for the Shamrock Rovers game, has it?
06:13Yeah, it's definitely given us a wee bit more time to prepare for Rovers.
06:18And there was a break in games, as I say.
06:24The boys got a couple of days off,
06:26but the work that they put in last week was absolutely superb.
06:30I'm not sure they're liking me for it or thanking me for it,
06:34but there was no complaints and sleeves rolled up and away they went again.
06:40Hopefully that will stand by them.
06:42I know you say you want to just look at your own threats
06:46in terms of what Derek can impose on Rovers.
06:50But when you look at their team, you see they've got Roy Gaffney.
06:54I think Burton will be available as well to you this week.
06:58They've got threats everywhere, haven't they?
07:00How do you prepare for that?
07:04Listen, again, I don't think anybody needs me to tell them
07:08about the quality that's in the Rovers' side.
07:13But when I look at our team, I think the quality's in our team too.
07:18I think that quality now needs to start shining through.
07:22It's easy for me to say because I get to work with them every day
07:26and starting to watch it every single day,
07:29and more and more it is shining through.
07:32We won't by any stretch disregard Rovers
07:37or won't look at the threats that they bring.
07:40We won't not look at the talent that they have on their team
07:44and how clinical they can be at times.
07:47We're fully aware of all that.
07:49But as I say, we don't want to be getting into these games
07:52with the wrong mindset.
07:55I keep trying to explain to the players where we want to go
07:58and what we want to do.
08:00We have to have a very strong mindset
08:02and we must be aware of our threats and our strengths
08:05and the qualities in our team.
08:07And that's what we'll do.