UNDER-PRESSURE MANAGER Tim Clancy admits supporters have the right to express their displeasure after St Patrick’s Athletic slumped to a 2-0 loss to Bohemians last night.
Pat’s were booed off by their own supporters at Richmond Park after defeat to Declan Devine’s high-flying Bohs, with some fans chanting for Clancy to be dismissed as manager.
It’s a third defeat in seven days and bookends a horrible week for Clancy and Pat’s. Having been hammered 5-0 by Dundalk last Friday, they lost 2-1 to Sligo Rovers on Monday night in spite of playing more than 70 minutes of the game against 10 men.
Instead last night it was Pat’s who finished with 10 men, with Jamie Lennon dismissed in the game’s final quarter. They fell behind to Jonathan Afolabi’s first-half header, and a dreadful error by goalkeeper David Odumosu allowed Grant Horton tee up Dean Williams for a second goal in second-half stoppage time.
Pat’s are now ninth in the table after five games, four points clear of bottom-of-the-table UCD. Asked whether fans should show more patience with his side, Clancy replied, “Fans can do whatever they want, they are here to support the club. I am here as manager to get results for the club, and at the minute we’re not getting results, they are well within their right to express their opinions.”
Clancy emerged for his post-match media duties long after the full-time whistle at Richmond Park and kept his answers brief after a chastening night.
“Same old story again, conceding really poor goals, not taking our chances, it’s a bad combination to be doing”, he replied when asked for his reaction to the defeat, adding “we obviously didn’t learn” when asked about pre-game comments on ending their recent run of conceding soft goals.
“We need it to stop, that’s what I make of it. If we keep conceding goals and not taking chances at the other end, it’s not going to get us positive results, is it?”
Asked if winning the fans back was a matter of winning games, Clancy replied, “That’s the nature of the business we are in, yeah.”
His answer was straightforward when asked how Pat’s can go about returning to winning games. “Stop conceding goals and start scoring goals.”
Clancy was then asked if he is confident he can turn the situation around.
“Yeah.”
He declined to discuss what he said in the dressing room after the game, but accepted responsibility when asked if his players could have done better.
“I am the manager, it’s me.”
Restoring confidence before next Friday’s game away to Shamrock Rovers is now his primary task.
“It’s a massive game for us, one we have to prepare for.When you are not winning football games you have low confidence, I am the manager, I have to try and get them as confident as possible for next week.”