Derry City FC: Maher excited to work with Lynch

Goalkeeper Brian Maher feels that Tiernan Lynch’s front-foot approach is something which the Brandywell supporters will be pleased about in 2025.

Derry City were unbeaten throughout pre-season and Maher, who played the full 90 minutes at Glenavon last Friday night, has enjoyed the new style.

“I think you can hear it during games on how he wants to play and I think fans have seen it during pre-season on how we are going to try and play,” he said. “I know Tiernan wants to get people out of their seats and get our exciting players on the ball as quickly as we can.

“But look it’s going to be a process. We’ve only been working together for just over a month and there’s a lot of work still to do, but I think the early signs have a lot of the players buying into it and enjoying what we’re doing every day.

“We’ve our own objectives and as I said it’s a process, it’s early days and we’re still bedding down on how we want to play and the sort of game model that the manager wants.

“For now we’re just focusing on ourselves and we want to win every game we go into. That won’t change no matter who’s in charge and what boys are in the dressing room, but all we have to do is keep working, keep improving and there’s no point looking past Shels on the first night, because that’s a huge game to start off with and I suppose you’ll see where you are after that game.

“All the boys have come in and worked hard, which was something that we needed to add. We’re trying to be front foot and be good without the ball and we’re making subtle changes as well with it and hopefully we can start to see the benefits of it as the season progresses.

“There has been loads of detail going into everything, video analysis and then on the training pitch and then the experienced players that we’ve signed are only going to add to it.”

Professionalism

The 24-year-old feels the new professional approach at City was something the club needed.

Since Lynch’s appointment, the Foylesiders have changed everything up and securing Owenbeg as the club’s new training base is working a treat for the changing room.

“Big changes, from new manager, new staff, new training ground and new players,” he explained. “It has been really good so far and while everything has been different you feel like you’re coming back to a new place, so that’s nice in a way.

“Pre-season has been the new manager trying to get his ideas across and all the players are buying into it.

Brian Maher celebrates with his family last season.

“We still know that we’ve a lot of work to do and the manager is bedding down his principles and how he wants us to play and we’re adding layers to it as we go, so I suppose as I said it’s an exciting time.

“What the manager has been doing with us has been good and hopefully we can start to bring it out onto the pitch in games.

“I suppose the new training ground has made everything more professional, everything is in the same place and you have your breakfast and lunch there as well, so yeah it’s just great to be in the same place every day and I think it’s something we’ve needed for quite a while and something which was very hard last year, so credit to the club for doing it.

“It was something that Tiernan spoke to me about in November and December, so it’s just great to see it happen.”

The Dubliner had a number of offers at the end of the 2024 season, but after talks with Lynch he felt signing up for a fourth season in a row was the right choice for him.

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“I believed in what Tiernan was talking about and I agreed with a lot of the things he talked about,” he admitted.

“Some of the plans he had were very exciting and after a few conversations with him and I spoke to a few people that have worked with him before and things like that, so yeah my mind was made up and so far it has been good.

“There has been a lot of detail put into the lads and he has put a lot of demands on us, so hopefully we can keep improving because the things that he’s been putting in place have been exciting for us.”