"Alan Cawley and Keith Treacy express admiration for Drogs" or "Cawley and Treacy praise Drogs, leaving them impressed"
Drogheda United Defies Critics with Impressive League Performance
Drogheda United, under the guidance of manager Kevin Doherty, is defying critics and delivering strong results in the Premier Division, despite facing criticism over their playing style. The team, known for averaging only 33-36% possession per game and having less of the ball than opponents in 25 of 26 league matches this season, has lost only five games, winning nine and drawing eleven [1].
Recent results support this positive status. Drogheda United secured a 1-0 victory against Bohemian FC at Dalymount Park last Friday, demonstrating their resilience and tactical discipline [5]. Upcoming fixtures include a match against Waterford FC, indicating ongoing participation in competitive league play [5].
Keith Treacy, a six-times-capped Republic of Ireland midfielder, applauded Drogheda United's defensive performance as a "masterclass" and compared modern-day football to their style, stating that motivation and team spirit are more important than being coached within an inch of one's life [2]. Treacy also concurred with the praise for Doherty's job at Drogheda United [3].
Despite being tipped to go down by many, Drogheda United is still in the European positions [4]. However, the team was denied a European place due to multi-club ownership rules. Star player Douglas James-Taylor left Drogheda United and joined Bohemians at the start of July [7].
Criticism of Drogheda United's style of play as "puke football" was deemed as nonsense by Treacy and Alan Cawley [6]. Ex-Dundalk boss Vinny Perth had previously criticized Drogheda United's style during a punditry on Virgin Media Sport's coverage of the game [6].
The Trivela Group, which owns Drogheda United and another club under their umbrella, Silkeborg of Denmark, also qualified for this season's UEFA Conference League [8]. Drogheda United had to wait a month for a league game while other teams embarked on European adventures [1].
Treacy expressed admiration for Drogheda United's resilience, citing their ability to pick themselves up after difficult situations [2]. If Drogheda United finishes in a similar position at the end of the season, Treacy suggested that Kevin Doherty should be considered for Manager of the Season [2].
[1] BBC Sport
[2] The Irish Times
[3] RTE Soccer
[4] Soccer Republic
[5] Sporting Life
[6] Virgin Media Sport
[7] Drogheda Independent
[8] Trivela Group
- Despite facing criticism regarding their playing style, Drogheda United is showcasing impressive results in the Premier Division, even defying some predictions to hold European positions, occasionally compared to champions-league level tactical discipline.
- In contrast to reports of "puke football," Kevin Doherty's managed Drogheda United team is gaining praise for their resilience, particularly from keith Treacy who applauded their European-leagues worthy performance.
