BRENDAN ROGERS DISAGREES with the idea that Derry’s defensive style of play will come unstuck in Croke Park.
In the wake of their Ulster final defeat of Donegal, Darragh Ó Sé was among the critics who wrote off Derry’s chances of winning an All-Ireland.
While Derry lifted the Anglo-Celtic Cup for the first time since 1998, Rory Gallagher’s tactic of dropping 15 bodies behind the ball and playing on the counter-attack drew criticism in some quarters.
The Oak Leafers face Clare in their first All-Ireland quarter-final since 2007 and Rogers says they haven’t paid heed to any negativity from outside the camp.
“Everyone is entitled to their opinion,” he says. “Sometimes the opposition and different styles they play doesn’t lend to that type of (entertaining) game, regardless of the size of the pitch. We had a more open game against Tyrone and that was very fortunate for us, it opened up and we got a lot more scores on the board.
“Against a team like Donegal, it’s probably a more controlled game given how they set-up. Of course a possession based game would lend itself to being more defensive and it’s probably not as entertaining as people would like, but the tactical battles in those games are far more important and the fine margins to gain territory.
“If you look at it from a tactical aspect they’re very entertaining to watch but maybe from a complete neutral’s perspective it’s not that enjoyable. I’m not really in the business of entertaining, it’s about winning at the end of the day.
“If you want to do it in good fashion that’s all well and good, but unfortunately for Derry we tried playing that style for a long time and we were at the (wrong) end of some results. It doesn’t really suit us and we found a way of being comfortable with each other and playing football regardless of the scenarios and teams we play.
“We’re not too worried about how we’re going to play in Croke Park. We’re confident with how we play and regardless of the size of the pitch and the opposition, we’d back ourselves to manage it.”
Winning an Ulster title was the height of their ambitions at the start of the season, but now Rogers says they’ve refocused and are determined to make the most of their opportunity.
The All-Ireland semi-final draw means one of Derry, Clare, Galway and Armagh will make the final, providing a golden chance to all four counties.
“You can never turn away a good opportunity. We can’t be too naive to say we’ll be there again. Just because you win one trophy, that’s just not the case. We’re obviously focusing on this opportunity while we have it and trying to make the most of it. Success and opportunities don’t come to everyone in sport.
“We’ve enjoyed winning the Ulster final but we got back to training very quickly again and focusing on what we were good that. That’s all part of the experience as well. Trying to refocus and get going again.”
Derry beat Clare by nine points during the league but Rogers is expecting a difficult game.
“We played them in the league, and it was a good game too. I guess from that, we can expect a very tight battle. From this weekend, you can obviously see they were very well coached and organised and they stuck to the plan.
“They all play very well together. We’ve no doubt that they’ll bring their challenges. It should be a very exciting game. No team at this point is lacking any form or any momentum. So we’re all looking forward to it.”
