In a bullish press conference, Roddy Collins opened his tenure as Derry City manager by stating that he was determined to return the League title for the Brandywell for the first time since 1996/1997.
Collins, his usual ebullient self, talked about his excitement and happiness at getting the job at one of the biggest club on the island. He spoke at some length on the opportunity and potential for the club and that whilst he felt there was a lot of good things happening at the club, that there needed to improvement in order to deliver a League title to Foyleside.
The new manager spoke about the existing squad, outlining that he would sit down with the existing panel as he was keen to chat to anyone that wanted to play for Derry City. He commented that whilst new players would be needed, this is true of any club. He felt that there was no need for major surgery at the club but that there were some improvements required in order to drive the club on.
Warming to the theme, the new boss spoke at some length that success will only come if the club and community come together at all levels, on and off the field. Admitting that he knows people have their opinions of him, he is prepared to meet people and convince them of his vision of the club. Responding to questions from the floor, he described his absolute hunger for winning and how he felt that this set him apart from the other candidates, sentiments that were echoed by the board members present.
Collins committed to continuing to bring young players through, outlining that this was the cheapest way of unearthing new talent. However he warned that the young players would have to be patient as they may be rotated in and out of the team in order to protect their development. He stressed the importance of Eddie Seydak and others to the club set up.
Peter Hutton spoke of his pleasure at being back at the club and thanked the board for the opportunity. He stressed that they weren’t there to make friends, but rather to get the club back challenging for the League title. Roddy outlined how he spoken to Peter about joining him and they had come together, particularly given Peter’s status at the club. Reference was made to the fact that Peter knows the club inside and out and will provide great insight.
Collins consistently referred to his record as a winner and felt that he had the attributes and the backing to deliver the League title to Brandywell, which was music to the ears of a number of supporters who attended the event.
The press conference over, the hard work starts now for the duo.
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