Kevin Holts calls for Derry City to be more 'ruthless' in both boxes in Sligo

​The Scotsman was brought in to bolster Tiernan Lynch's defensive resources but it hasn't been the best of starts for the defender in terms as he's still chasing his first win and Derry has conceded five goals in the three matches he's been involved in.

The Foylesiders' defensive vulnerabilities have been savagely exposed this season, conceding EIGHT goals in the opening five fixtures of the season.

There's been just one shutout [against Bohemians] but clean sheets are not just as a consequence of the back three, four or five or whatever defensive system Lynch chooses to field.

Individual errors and controversial penalties have cost Derry in recent weeks and Holt says the team has 'picked the bones' of those 'defensive shortcomings and those silly' goals conceded.

The former Dundee United man, however, knows that the team must become more 'ruthless' at the other end of the pitch if they're to ensure they're no longer chasing games but controlling them. He's called for the team to find their 'ruthless' side in both boxes!

They've scored just FOUR goals from those opening five and just one from open play - a statistic which simply must improve if Derry want to be off the foot of the table going into the international break.

"We obviously look back at all the goals every week and you can pick the bones out of it," he said. "As a group we're very honest with ourselves and they are avoidable and it's something we need to do better as a team and become more solid.

"I think you can see we had a better structure on Friday behind the ball. We were a lot better set up. We conceded the goal from a long throw but from open play we looked very safe and secure and dominant in the game.

"It's something we're looking to improve on - put our chances away and be a bit more tight at the other end and stop giving away silly goals. It's a new group and I don't think it's far away from clicking to be fair."

There was a marked improvement in the final third in the first half against Galway and Holt believes the group have taken some encouragement from that display despite the obvious frustrations at now getting the win.

"It's been good this week. The boys felt we played well on Friday night. It's just about trying to be a bit more ruthless and punish teams when we're on top.

"It felt like we had a really clear gameplan and everyone was on the same page. It was a game of fine margin and we just couldn't get the ball to drop for us to get ahead in the game.

That would be key for us as well. We seem to always have to come from behind and chase games instead of getting ahead and allowing ourselves to control it.

"That's a few games now, since I've been in any way, where we've been on top and not being able to kill teams off and being ruthless in front of goal. Teams are getting a couple of chances and they're being ruthless in the other box.

"So it's just a case of trying to be more ruthless in both boxes."

Holt doesn't believe Derry need to rewrite the playbook and is confident they are starting to see the fruits of their labour from the training pitch.

"I think the quality of the group is there for all to see. Since I've come in, obviously I wasn't aware of too many of the players before I came in but the group has great quality in it and there's great versatility to go from a four to a five or a three or whatever way we want to go and look to cause teams problems and play in a way that suits us.

"We can impose ourselves and do what we want to do on other teams and let them worry about what formation we're going to play. It worked on Friday night albeit we didn't get the result we were looking for but I thought the performance and the structure of the team worked really well."

There's been no talk of being bottom of the table in the Derry dressing room at such an early juncture in the season and Holt knows how big an impact victory at the Sligo Showgrounds could have.

"Amongst the group no one has really been speaking about it [being bottom]. We're all very well aware of the expectations and the quality in the group. It's a case of not panicking, We believe in the group and the staff and what we're trying to do as a collective.

"We all know we need to try and get results but it's not about chucking what we've been working on. It's about sticking with the game plan and believing what we're doing is the right thing. We all think it is. We want to go to this game on Saturday and pick up the three points and one result can change everything!

"I think the league is very tight at the moment. Everyone is taking points off everyone. You win one game and you can chuck yourself up the table a good bit. You would look to build momentum and confidence from there.

"No one wants to go into that break on the back of a negative result. We've obviously had a couple of negative results over the last week and it's up to us to try and put that right and end that wee short run on a better note. We can all concentrate, knuckle down and refresh and go again for the Shamrock Rovers game after that."

It's been a whirlwind few weeks for the big Scot since his arrival on transfer deadline day from Tannadice. He was thrown straight into action against Waterford at Brandywell in the first of three games in the space of a week.

The Dumfries native returned home last weekend to pack his belongings after moving into a new Derry home with his girlfriend. He's glad to see the back of a hotel room and is settling in nicely in Derry.

"It's been a bit of a change from the settled life I had over in Scotland," he admitted. "The group has been great and the staff at the club and people around the city have been brilliant in terms of everyone has been chipping in and helping when they can. Everyone can't do enough for me. So in that respect it's been great.

"That's me settled into a house now. I was in a hotel for the first couple of weeks and with the three games it wasn't easy to get settled in off the field but that's me in a house now and everyone has made themselves known and I'm getting to know the city a bit more so I'm settling in really well.

"On the football side of things you'd love to come in and have three games in a week and get three victories and get off to a dream start. It's not worked out as well as that but it's encouraging for me to come in and see the quality I see in the group;

"There's moments in the games we look back on and know we'd like to do much better. We'd like to have picked up more points but it's been encouraging the first couple of games. When I came over, looking at the strength of the group and the facilities and the coaching staff, it's something I'm really looking forward to working with in the months ahead."