Derry City manager Kenny Shiels under pressure over terrible run in results
Fans have blasted the team’s performance earlier this week away to Bray Wanderers as “woeful”.
And the club’s directors are rumoured to be waiting on the outcome of Friday night’s game at Richmond Park before deciding on his fate.
But the fans have lost faith in Shiels even though he believes he still has a job to do at the Brandywell.
Whether he gets that chance from the board very much seems to depend on a win or defeat on Friday night.
ON Thursday, the former Shiels warned that the St Pa’s players will be looking to impress during their end-of-season match against City.
Ex-Bray manager Harry Kenny has agreed to take charge of St Pat’s next season.
“Harry will be sitting in the stand and they’ll be playing for contracts I’m sure and working really hard to impress their new manager,” said Shiels.
“That is an incentivised situation for them but in football you should be giving everything in every game.
“I said to the players this morning, ‘there’s no such thing as a dead rubber’ it’s all about going out to enjoy football and unless you give it the full whack it doesn’t bring enjoyment because if you go off the pitch and you’ve left something behind then your self-satisfaction is reduced massively.”
A run of seven defeats in their last eight league games has put an end to seventh-placed Derry’s hopes of a return to European football next year and a heavy defeat by St Pat’s on the final night of the season could still allow Sligo Rovers, who host Shamrock Rovers on Friday, to overtake the Candystripes on goal difference.
Nicky Low, Conor McDermott and Ronan Hale have all been ruled out of the game this week through injury and Shiels has indicated he will use the same youthful squad that featured during the 2-1 defeat by Bray at the Carlisle Grounds on Monday night.
“We’re giving the young guys a chance towards the end of the season, as you do, and give them some developmental experience,” added Shiels.
“I thought they did very well again [against Bray] and we took them off after about and hour to try and bring on some more experience and go on to try and win the match.
“That didn’t happen but the boys did really well both Shane [McNamee] and young Aidy [Delap].
“We want to win the game. I want to get some experience for the younger lads and I want to try and bring some positive energy back into the club again and get prepared for next season.”
Derry City and St Pat’s have already played each other four times this season, including an FAI Cup tie, with Derry having won their three encounters at the Brandywell but lost 5-2 on their previous visit to Richmond Park.
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