Tiernan Lynch has insisted that “Rome wasn’t built in a day” as he prepares his Derry City team for their first home game of the new season against Bohemians on Friday night (7.45pm).
Alan Reynolds’ side come to the Brandywell on a high after defeating Shamrock Rovers in their season opener at the Aviva Stadium, which is in contrast to the Candystripes, who were left reeling from a 3-1 defeat at Champions Shelbourne.
But Lynch, who led Larne from the NIFL Championship to promotion, back-to-back Premiership titles and European football, knows that it will take time to shape his new team into real contenders.
“It’s exciting, we’re really looking forward to getting home, we’re looking forward to really getting the fans behind us and trying to excite them as best we can,” he said. “We can’t get frustrated in this because we know where we want to go and we know what we want to do but Rome wasn’t built in a day and we just have to keep getting through all the things that we’re trying to implement.”
Lynch understands the gloom amongst some City fans following last week’s poor performance and defeat, but is confident that the team will learn and get better because of it.
“There are times when you’ve had a great week at training and you don’t perform on a Friday night, and we’re going to get lots of them,” he explained.
“The big thing from my end is making sure we give 100% and making sure there’s a hunger and a desire. I thought on Friday night, albeit we gave away stupid goals, I think that hunger was there and I think that desire was there.
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“There were good learning curves in there for me also and being away from home in Dublin and things that go with that and that’s something we can build on, that’s something that we can’t shy away from as a group, as a team, as a football club. That’s something that we need to embrace.”
The Derry boss will have more options open to him this week and he is expecting a better showing as a result.
“Every time we play, you’re hoping you will see little improvements,” he continued. “There are people now available this week who weren’t available last week. You’re also going to start getting competition for places. The standards and demands of the club have to be through the roof and I have to adhere to them like everybody else. This club needs to be successful and we have to learn to deal with those demands.”
Friday will be the first time that Lynch will experience a packed Brandywell on match night and he believes that factor could help drive him and the team onto a good result against a confident Bohemians side.
“Any success that we try to bring here will be all based around the support and that 12th man,” he acknowledged.
“The people I have spoken to have all said the same thing — the Brandywell faithful, as long as they see the hard work and as long as they see that you’re putting the effort in and that pulling that shirt over your head actually means something, that’s half the battle.”