Sligo Rovers boss Gerard Lyttle says he knows the mood in the town, along with the frustration of supporters but still believes in his players as they look to get a result against Bohs in Friday night.
It’s the only game in the Premier Division this weekend, due to other clubs involvement in European Football, so everyone will have an interest in the game.
After a pretty turbulent week, following last week’s defeat to bottom club Bray Wanderers and the subsequent departure of goalkeeping coach Rodney Dalzell, it’s probably as well that the game is away from home. Also, Sligo’s home form this season has been dreadful.
This could turn out to be a must-win game for the bitored. Sligo are one of only a handful of full-time clubs in the League of Ireland, but yet find themselves languishing in eighth place just two points ahead of struggling Limerick.
Accusations of poor recruitment along with rumours of things not being right in the dressing room won’t go away should yet another poor performance end with defeat in Dalymount Park.
While Lyttle deserves lots of credit for bringing through young academy players like 19 year-old Jack Keaney, 18 year-olds Ed McGinty, John Mahon and Liam Kerrigan and 17 year-old Darren Collins, he knows its a results-based business. And failure to get the required results could end up with him losing his job.
Lyttle knows that last week’s debacle at the Carlisle Grounds wasn’t up to scratch saying, “Bray wasn’t good enough. I could sit here and speak about different factors but there are no excuses. We let ourselves and a lot of people down, we didn’t show up. The responsibility is on myself and the players as I said after the game. It wasn’t acceptable.”
“We’ve been in every day since that match and we didn’t have to say too much immediately, the players know and they’ve been gearing some of the initial response. It has come from them and that’s what you want. I say initial because the real reaction comes on the pitch on Friday night.”
He was asked if the players care enough, “I think they care, I think we’re all hurting. As I’ve said before, this is a process of trying to build something and there will be ups and downs. But we have to win games. I believe in them and they can dominate matches and they’re good enough to achieve things here.”
“We’ve have to be whole-hearted in our approach on Friday and all week we’ve encouraged them to take that with them.”
“The lads know the management believe in them and this is a game we welcome because it’s a quick turnaround and a chance for us to show we’re a lot, lot better than last Sunday.
Living in the town has given him an insight into how the fans feel, “When I took this job, I made a point of basing myself around the centre of Sligo so you get a feeling for the support and what they go through.”
“I know from being around the town this week what the mood is, the frustration and I understand it.”
“I think when team comes out on Friday that support can help them, we have a lot of young players here and they need that. The feeling we all carried this week can only be changed by the right approach on Friday and we can achieve that together.”
Sligo will have to do without both Caolan McAleer and Patrick McClean as they’ll serve bans after an accumulation of yellow cards.
Striker Adam Morgan will have a number of injections on an abdominal injury which has troubled the striker for a number of weeks. A period of rest been diagnosed in the aftermath and he will miss at least six weeks. Gary Boylan is out long term.
One bright note is that new signing Lee J Lynch has received his international clearance and is available for selection as he begins a second spell with the club.
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