Graham Cummins: A chance for Bohs players to get Pender the job

The Gypsies take on Derry this evening.

Fri, 09 Sep, 2022 - 06:17

If Bohemians beat Derry City tonight, it will be hard not to give Derek Pender the vacant managerial post, particularly after an impressive derby win against Shamrock Rovers in his first game in temporary charge.

The former Bohs defender has not hidden his ambition of managing the club. At the moment, he is auditioning for the vacancy. He will be desperate to land his first job and will probably be willing to accept what contract is offered, in terms of length and finance. But three more points against Derry will put him in a better negotiating position.

Although Rovers are the best team in the country, it was the perfect game to begin his stint in charge. It wouldn’t have been hard to lift players - though low on confidence - for the Dublin derby, the biggest derby in the country.

He has a different task tonight and perhaps a more challenging one. With nothing to play for in the league, the players won’t relish one of their longest trips of the season. Playing on astroturf is never what any player wants and they face a Derry team that are 12 games undefeated domestically. Will Bohs revert to the team that got Keith Long dismissed?

There are good players in the side and they have underachieved this year. Although Long was well respected during his eight-year stay, there comes a time when the players know that the manager's stint at the club is coming to an end.

I have no idea what it was like in the Bohs dressing room, but I can imagine the kind of scenarios that may have played out from my own experience.

The process of 'losing a dressing room' starts with players moaning about the same predictable training. I have some sympathy for managers in this situation because after years in a job, it's almost impossible to maintain variety. These days, players almost need to be entertained, to constantly feel challenged. There are always moans and groans if they know Tuesday's session will be the exact same as last week.

Sometimes, a rot can set in if players feel a manager has treated other players unfairly. I remember one or two episodes like that with John Caulfield towards the end of his time with City.

And a clear sign the end is near for a manager is when even the players in the team start grumbling. It’s par for the course that those who spend most of their time warming the bench will be moaning and groaning. But once the regulars start voicing their complaints, it's only a matter of time before the manager is packing his belongings.

These scenarios may have never have played out in the Bohs’ dressing room before Long’s dismissal, but if results do start to turn around now, it will be a clear sign the players had lost faith and welcomed a change.

Derry are getting better. Their manager mentioned the absence of Michael Duffy for a large part of the season as one of the reasons why they aren’t closer to Rovers and I can understand why. The winger looks back to his best and is the best in the league in his role when on form.

One player that Derry fans should be excited about seeing more of in the coming years is Sadou Diallo. The player has all the attributes to be a top midfielder. His composure on the ball is his main asset. He has the ability to control the tempo of a match, something I always value in a player. Those are the players who have the biggest impact on whether the team does well or not because everything goes through them. They are the link between defence, midfield and attack.

But Bohs have momentum and two victories against the top two teams would be the perfect job application for Pender. Sometimes players can get the manager the sack, but they can get him the job too.