IT'S FINALLY HERE! Reynolds believes important lessons have been learned

For all the success of the 2022 season, the most important lessons may have come during Derry City’s lowest point last May, when they went six games without a win.

That’s according to assistant manager Alan Reynolds, who believes the players will use that horrible one, which included three draws and three defeats to ensure that it doesn’t happen again in 2023.

“There was a lot of learning last year in that some of the young players hadn’t gone through the period in May when we struggled,” he reflected. “We have always talked about how that would stand to the young players as we go on. We spoke about it, how we’d learn from it, how they would be stronger from it, how we’d all be stronger from it. That would be one thing from last year. But also winning the cup; they know now what it’s like to win and they are a hungry bunch. We’re hungry now to push on as high as we can and that’s what we’re taking into the new season.”

Reynolds could well have left the club midseason last year as he was approached to take over the manager’s job at Bohemians. He quickly turned it down however, and his decision to stay at the Brandywell was justified when he helped the team to win the FAI Cup in November.

“I was delighted,” he said. “I’ve been at a lot of clubs in the last few years and I’ve won cups, but I suppose when I’m working as closely with the manager as I am, you feel even closer to the players and the staff. So it was special for me, I really enjoyed it and the family were up. They go to school now with their Derry City bags which is unusual in Waterford. It was really good on that end.

With regards Bohs, it just wasn’t right. No way was I walking out on what was going on here with people being so good to me. I wasn’t going to do that and I was happy then with the way it finished.”

Reynolds has really had to step up in recent weeks with the death of Kevin Higgins meaning time away from the team for Ruaidhri. The close relationship the pair have means that regardless of circumstance, the two are constantly pulling in the one direction for the good of their own relationship and the team as a whole.

“I’m here to help Ruaidhri, the players and the staff,” he explained. “At some stage I’ll go, whenever that may be, and I would like to think he will be a better manager from it. It’s not that I know everything because I make mistakes myself. I’ve definitely bought into it here and that’s a big thing because the players can see it matters to me. It’s not as if I’m coming here and win or lose it doesn’t make a difference. If you lose, it hurts.

“I’ve really enjoyed it and I’m really enjoying it working with him, the way we’ve played and the quality of the players that have come in. Also there’s the owner and Sean Barrett; you can see that they care about the club. I’ve been at other clubs where I’m not sure they really care. They have the club but it’s like they’re tied to it. Here, the lads actually care if you don’t win a game. It’s important to them, and because they’re from Derry as well, they care, which hasn’t been the case at other clubs.”

Reynolds has decades of experience in the League of Ireland football, and is used to the pressure that comes with the game each and every day. More eyes may be on Derry City than at any stage in the past 15 years, but the former Waterford boss believes that every team faces their own challenges.

“There’s pressure from within and there’s pressure outside and we know that,” he continued. “We put pressure on ourselves here because we want to do well and we want to get another taste of the success we had last year. We know it will be tough. There seems to be money in the league at the minute; all the clubs are spending and spending big money, so there will be pressure on every manager and every club to do well, and we’re no different.

“We like to think we have signed well; if you look at last season, Michael Duffy was out for so long, and Patrick was out for so long; they are two of the best in the country. We also look at Ryan Graydon, Jordan McEneff and Cian Kavanagh as new signings. You’d want to be a good player to get into this team.”