A crucial week ahead for Daly and the Blues
A big week for Waterford FC manager Jon Daly as he tries to hold onto his job at the RSC. Photos: Noel Browne
Both Keith Long and John Coleman lost their jobs last season when losing seven games on the bounce, and Daly could hit the mark if the Blues lose to both Shamrock Rovers and Bohemians over the upcoming bank holiday weekend.
Shamrock Rovers are first up for Waterford as they complete the first series of games on Good Friday night against the current league champions before travelling to take on Bohemian FC at Dalymount Park on Easter Monday.
Daly must know that time is running out in terms of changing the fortunes at the RSC as his side have yet to manage a win this season with just two points on the board following an opening 1-1 draw with Shelbourne before playing out a scoreless stalemate with Sligo.
The worry for Daly was the final quarter against St. Patrick’s Athletic before the International break as his side seemed to down tools for the final ten minutes, a trait that they showed during stages of last season, and although there has been a change in personnel, it has been a case of the same old story.
Commenting ahead of the two games, Daly said: “I think that on your day in this league, everyone is beatable and everyone is capable of beating anyone in the league. Shamrock Rovers are a top side that have been together a long time.
“It’s a big ask to beat them. It’s going to take a massive performance, and it’s a big ask to go and win that game, but as long as we’re disciplined, do what we need to do in and out of possession, to brave on the ball, we have a chance.
“Shamrock Rovers give you opportunities to play as well, but if you keep giving them the ball back as we did against St. Patrick’s Athletic, they are going to hurt you and create opportunities. They’ve got some excellent players all over the park.
“I think that if we continue to give the ball back to them, they are going to eventually break you down, so it is about us in possession, looking after the ball better and being a bit braver in possession, and ultimately trying to create chances to score.”
Commenting on the fans, Daly added: “I think the players need the fans to get behind them and to be fair, they have. I’ve never questioned the fans. They are right to be frustrated with the points tally that we have at the moment, given the number of games that we’ve played.
“It’s not good enough. We know that in this league, everybody is capable of beating each other, so we are one win away from Sligo at the moment. I think that the first thing for us, as a group, is try to get ourselves off the bottom of the league.
“We have to try claw in Sligo and then other teams. It’s a difficult thing to do when confidence is low. I think the fans have been fantastic to the group. They’ve got behind the group, and we’ll definitely need that in the games to come. I can’t complain about them because they’ve been excellent.
“I think that it’s more the frustration of things on the pitch. I understand that frustration. I think that it’s a case of continuing to support the players, getting behind them, and hopefully things will turn quickly for us.”
A big week instore.
