Draw against Galway can be a turning point in Derry's season, says McKaigue
Former
Derry
full back Chrissy McKaigue is hopeful that the Oak Leaf county's draw against
Galway
can be a turning point for a side which has faced criticism in a winless 2025 season.
The Derry squad were recently castigated by former coach Gavin Devlin, who worked with them under Mickey Harte last year. Appearing on the Smaller Fish GAA podcast, Devlin said the Derry players were still 'sulking' over the departure of Rory Gallagher in 2023 and suggested that current manager Paddy Tally should 'run a million miles' from the job.
'Gavin's a very affable character, I'm very friendly with him. We all heard that comment,' said McKaigue. 'But if you were at the game at the weekend you would say to yourself hopefully this is the real turning point for that Derry group.'
Derry led by eight points in the second half at Celtic Park but had to pull out a last-minute equaliser after Matthew Tierney's 69th-minute goal for the Tribesmen put the visitors ahead.
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'No one really gave them a chance against Galway, let's be honest. I think Galway themselves were taken back by the intensity that Derry brought. From a Derry point of view, it was a performance to warm the heart. Nine times out of 10 they get the result.'
McKaigue also discussed his mixed feelings towards the
new rules
, although he did say that the game was better overall than when he retired at the end of 2024.
'One thing that hasn't been talked about enough, which is a complete game changer, is the ball not being allowed to go back to the goalkeeper. I think that single-handedly has been a fantastic rule,' he added. 'The three men up is probably a necessary evil. I think the solo-and-go adds to the game, although I'm not quite sure about having to give the person four metres of a clearance zone.'
On the other hand, he believes that the two-point arc has been a negative change.
'I'm not a fan of the two-point arc or the kickout arc at all,' he explained. 'In the climate that we live in, where there's quite often a hurricane blowing, I think has too big a bearing on the result of a game.
'The game needed more chaos, but in typical GAA fashion, we've brought the needle from one end of the gauge right to the other instead of bringing it towards the middle.'
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