Brennan wary of Erne’s backlash

DERRY manager John Brennan does not believe Fermanagh are in as chaotic a position as has been suggested.

Peter and James Sherry, Niall Bogue and Tommy McElroy left the Fermanagh panel during the league after a high-profile fallout with manager John O’Neill while several others walked away for different reasons. The team was decimated by injuries and the bookies have made Derry 1/7 favourites.

“The reports say a litany of players have disappeared but have they?” he asked.

“I don’t know. I’m not in Fermanagh. I’m not in Brewster Park training. I could take you to Owenbeg three, four weeks ago when we had a lot of players absent through injury.

“I’m wary of that. I will only talk when I see what team they have out on the pitch, what tactics they employ, whether we can counteract those tactics and come out if it ahead.

“If Fermanagh are wounded, they will come out fighting. I just wish we were underdogs. I don’t know who they will have there, but that’s their problem.

“I have problems in one or two areas; any team irrespective of who they are has a nucleus of 10 or 12 players, and if they perform to 90% of their ability they’ll beat any team.”

Brennan has had to plan without former All-Star Paddy Bradley who tore a cruciate in his right knee during a club game.

“It takes time to adjust. We had a forward unit that was performing very well. I think in our last three league matches we were averaging 1-18.

“It’s Paddy as a person I feel sorry for. He has done very well this year. He has proved a lot of people wrong. I know he has had problems with the last two managers but Paddy and I have been reasonably friendly down the years before I took this job.

“He has done exceptionally well for me, he has been a role model.

“He has trained five, six nights a week; in 12 matches he won four man-of-the-match awards. I think he was heading for a second All-Star.”