Derry City boss Declan Devine facing into off-season of 'soul-searching'

The Brandywell club’s dismal 2020 season fittingly ended with a miserable penalty shootout defeat against Sligo Rovers in the FAI Cup quarter-final at the Showgrounds on Wednesday night.

Devine claims the football club ‘deserves better’ than what was produced this season and has put plans in place to strengthen his team for next year.

A seventh place finish in the league means there’s no European money to prop up his playing budget next year but Devine insists the same mistakes won’t be repeated in the transfer market as he looks to bring an identity back to the club.

“Believe me, there’s nobody hurting as much as myself,” said the City boss. “The one thing we will do is we will fight as a football club to get back next year.

“We’ll fight as a football club to entertain our fans, we’ll fight as a football club to fill the stadium again next year and there’s a lot of work to be done in the next few weeks.”

Chairman, Mr Philip O’Doherty, who met with Devine this weekend to review the season, increased the Creggan man’s budget for 2020 by 30 per cent on the previous season.

And while missing out in Europe and a minimum E220,000 for next season will no doubt limit the club’s powers in the transfer market, the City boss doesn’t yet know what funds are available.

“I’ve no idea,” said Devine, prior to the meeting with Mr O'Doherty. “The chairman has been magnificent. This football club without the chairman would be in a really bad place.

“So whatever the budget is, that’s what it is. As much as a good budget helps, maybe sometimes we have to get back to basics and have players who are absolutely willing to empty the tank and do everything connected with winning football matches.

“There are a lot of positives and a lot of people who have done so much for the club this year.

“There’s also certain aspects of the changing room where we have to strive to get better.

“It’s extremely difficult trying to bring in 10 or 14 players. We’ve brought in players this year who in a normal team environment you could gel them and create a team spirit but this year we haven’t had a changing facility for four months.

“We haven’t’ had any opportunity to build a spirit or camaraderie that I would want or require

“Listen, there’s a lot of soul searching to be done and we have to move forward in a positive way because this is a magnificent football club that deserves a lot better than what it’s been this year.

Does he envisage it being more difficult to lure players to the club given they won’t be in European competition next year?

“We had Europe this year and it was extremely difficult to attract people to the club. Junior (Ogedi-Uzokwe) is at Sligo, Gregg Sloggett went to Dundalk, David Parkhouse went back to England, Barry McNamee didn’t want to play full-time.

“So we’ve lost players over the course of the season. Europe wasn’t an influence in that.

“It’s been an absolutely insane year. This is our 11th month. We haven’t done anything in five weeks but we’ll sit down and talk and we certainly know the mistakes we made this year will have to be rectified for next year.

“I’ve been a manager for four years. I’ve qualified for Europe for three years.

“I’ve been in three cup finals. I stand by my record. I stand by the style of play I want to play. Yes we’ve got things wrong this year.

“This is my first year as a manager that I haven’t qualified for Europe and I have to suck that up.

“The one thing we need to get back to is a real identity about ourselves and our play, who we are and what we mean to people.

“We have to take the pain and the hurt of this season and come back with a better spirit and better quality.”