Derry City Sitting fifth in the Premier Division table suggests that is has been a good, if not great season thus far for Kenny Shiels' team. The reopening of the Brandywell Stadium has been a big plus - especially with the quality of the pitch - an
Derry City
Sitting fifth in the Premier Division table suggests that is has been a good, if not great season thus far for Kenny Shiels' team.
The reopening of the Brandywell Stadium has been a big plus - especially with the quality of the pitch - and some of the football that has been played has been majorly impressive. Yet consistency has not been a friend for The Candystripes.
One of the main concerns would be hanging onto key players. Already, Ronan Curtis has left for Portsmouth, while there is rumoured interest in Aaron McEneff, Conor McDermott, Ronan Hale and Rory Hale. If they can retain those players then it will be very important.
Mid-Season Rating: C
Derry have recorded 10 wins and 10 defeats, which indicates that they are just as likely to win a game as they are to lose one. Part of that may be down to Shiels' approach of taking the game to their opponents. But conceding four or more goals in four different games just before the break is quite worrying.
Best Player: Aaron McEneff
A return of 10 goals from a midfielder over the course of a season is extremely positive, yet McEneff has achieved that total in just the first half of the campaign. Many clubs are monitoring his progress and it is easy to see why as McEneff is the creative spark lighting up Derry's attack.
Most Promising Newcomer: Jack Doyle
Due to return to his parent club, Blackburn Rovers, in the summer period, Doyle will be a big loss. The full-back performed brilliantly in the 19 League games that he played and showed that he is more than capable of excelling at this level.
Area They Need To Strengthen: Centre-Back
A number of niggling injuries has restricted game-time for Gavin Peers, so experience has been missing from the team on the pitch. However, Darren Cole has been superb but there is definitely a need to discover a new centre-back who can become the new Ryan McBride.
