Stability the bedrock of success says Derry City defender Mark Connolly

​Derry City has enjoyed continuity since Ruaidhrí Higgins has taken charge in April 2021 and the City boss has gradually built his squad with the class of 2024 including just two new faces.

It's no coincidence Derry has hit the ground running this term as they go to Bohemians tonight boasting an unbeaten start where they've taken 11 from a possible 15 points so far.

In contrast Bohemians go into tonight's game on the back of two defeats and having parted company with manager Declan Devine just four games into the season despite the Creggan man forced into making a raft of new signings in the final days of the transfer window.

City defender Connolly believes Derry has benefited from Higgins being afforded the time to implement his own ideas and Derry's long term approach compared to the apparent early season turmoil at Dalymount.

"It's so important [stability]. Whenever you come into every preseason if you have 10 or 11 boys coming in, it's very difficult to pick up consistency.

"You will always have four or five games where you win and everyone thinks it's brilliant and going well and then there's a dip which is normally the case with a lot of new squads.

"You look at ourselves and Shamrock Rovers, we've kept the majority of the squad and maybe added one or two and it's always nice to have one or two new faces to freshen up things. If I was doing it that's the way I would be looking to build a team.

"Thankfully here at the club we've been able to do that and hopefully we can keep building over the next three or four years and making this team and football club a real big club in the league."

Connolly is expecting a backlash from Bohemians players after the departure of Devine midweek but he believes the players must also take accountability if things aren't going to plan on the pitch.

"There's a lot of chopping and changing early in the season and sometimes the noise about the situation becomes a problem for the clubs," said the defender.

"If you want to stay in the Premier Division and see teams progress then you need managers in the position for a longer time to stamp their ideas and what they want to do.

"Obviously every manager has different ideas for different players and if every season or every second season you're bringing in loads of different players then it's never going to work. It's disappointing and obviously Decky [Devine] being a Derry man, I've only met him the odd time we've played against him and he seems a good person and humble man but I 've no doubt he'll be back in work very, very soon.

"It's disappointing to see anyone lose their job in football but I do think coaches and managers need to be given time and be backed by whoever it is behind the scenes.

And players also need to take accountability as well whenever things aren't going right."