Robbie reflects on a 1-0 loss to Phoenix FC in the final game of pre-season

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Q - Okay Robbie, 1-0 loss to Phoenix FC here at Scribbles Town in the final game of our pre-season campaign. Give us an idea of how you thought the lads got on today.

A - Yeah, today we were missing a good few of our regulars, so we've given the reserve team and some of the under-19s lads a chance to come up and get minutes. They've done well when they were on the pitch. You know, it's a lot of a different environment to be traveling down on the bus. It was a good experience for them to have to travel down with us, be out here. The game itself, you a bit cagey and erratic at times. Probably some players trying to show too much and not kind of sticking to what we do, but you know, that's what pre-season's for. And yeah, it was good, it was a good run out. Facilities here, top quality. The kitchen, lovely. Dressing rooms have been great and they've looked after us very well. Yeah, no, it's good. Result poor, performance probably the worst one we've had in preseason, but you know, at least we've got minutes in the legs again, kind of pushing on to start the season now.

Q - So while, uh, while it was definitely a good workout for the lads and the game was, was, was neck and neck, we did manage to have a period where we were quite on top and our through balls and long balls were actually going through, but we couldn't quite put them away. What, what do you think the differentiating factor was there?

A - Yeah, probably just, um, probably just we've had, like I said, like we, um, we had only 6 or 7 of our usual players playing, so there's probably just a couple of the younger players and the lads that have been training with the reserves only coming up. They're behind us a little bit preseason-wise. They're only coming in and they're probably just a little bit loose on it, but in fairness to some of the young players, like I thought young Matty on the wing was excellent today. I was very impressed with him in the 4 preseason games that I've seen the reserves play. I thought I was butchering his name, Cialanborn. I thought he was excellent when he came on, do you know what I mean? And you know, to have players like that playing in the reserve team this year just shows how strong we're bound to be and they'll definitely get the coin coming up. But yeah, just probably a little bit off, just probably different parts of preseason, different parts of fitness, and that's what was probably just letting us down at the end.

Q - So yes, probably that fixture does conclude our preseason campaign. We're Experimentation was a key theme, experimenting with a broad array of players and different formations and playing styles. But what do you take from that experimentation? Where are we now in relation to the start of the campaign?

A - Yeah, no, we're a lot further ahead. The lads have an idea of our playing principles and, you know, that won't really change too much of what we've done last year. It was just actually getting players in and getting them fit. And when, like you've You go back to this time last year, I think it was only appointed this week. If you were to go back last year, and then all of a sudden it was the following week and we were playing in the cup. So, um, to have 6 weeks to have an actual preseason— like I said, we could have won every game in preseason and people go on this mad boy thinking all we're going to do preseason, you don't get anything for winning all the games, you're not going to lose. Our guys got really, really good minutes in the legs really, really physical teams. And probably a couple of the younger lads that have come in and the new players realize kind of what I expect out of the players and the coaching team and the supporters who, by the way, that traveled down here to the game today. Excellent to see them, to know them.

I know they travel with us all over, all over the league up north and all that, but for people to drive down themselves from Downham to see them here, it was excellent. And, you know, we didn't do it It never goes unnoticed by us, so, um, it was great to see them. But yeah, we're in a good place. It might— the scorelines people will look at and go, well, you know, it was much changed. No, it has. Like that, if you're going— if you're— they're trying to judge stuff on preseason results, uh, probably need to go and have a look at the different sport.

Q - Just in terms of the squad, Robbie, we've brought a number of players in since the start of the window. Even recently we've brought— we welcomed Eddie and Cyril into the squad, as well as a number of reserves players moving in and out of the team. To what extent are you content with the squad now, and can you give us an idea of how the reserves might support the seniors throughout the season?

A - Yeah, so like that, we obviously, um, we're going to probably have a few more games this year, um, and we'll be playing a couple of Saturday-Tuesday fixtures and stuff like that. And availability, obviously these boys have jobs, you know, some won't be going back to school, and I mean school because some of them are that young, and some will be going into uni and stuff like that. So there's always going to be battling positions. I think Davey, Brian, the coaching team down there in the 19s, they've done an excellent job to get the players that got in for the reserves. And myself and my coaching team have been looking for players since January. We've got the lads, we've got really good lads in, and I'm excited to see how it goes because I know how good the players are, everybody. It's just a matter of, um, a matter of us all being on the pitch at the one time, because like that preseason, players being away, uh, stuff like that. I don't think I've had the whole squad out, as in our strongest squad per se on paper right now. It hasn't been out in preseason yet.

There's been bits and parts of it, every part of it. Couple of lads still probably carrying a little, a few niggles. A couple of lads coming back to preseason a little bit later. And, um, We're still looking for players as well. You know, you never know. You never close the door too early. So we'll see what comes around.

Q - To finish up on this, Robbie, we know that we're excited about the new season. Our supporters are almost just as excited as us. What message do you have for the Tyrone faithful ahead of the season?

A- Like we said last year, we talked about that, we move forward. Be excited. I've got a preview of what the new jersey looks like. Lovely. I can't actually wait to see the boys wearing it. And the football this year, I'm sure anyone in the preseason that can see the little patterns, anyone that's been at most of the games can see what we're building. We're building something there. It'll take time. Like I said when I first came in, Dáimhán Muirne da Bhraon would never get built in a day. But we now have our foundations in and now it's time to start building on it and we push on. But I'm excited for the season. Probably right now, probably more so than catch me right after the last pre-season game. But I am actually really excited, really happy with the squad I've built. And like I said, we just wait and see what comes after, but I can't wait to get going now.