Roddy Returns - "I love winning"

Extratime.ie caught up with Roddy Collins on his return to management following Waterford's 3-1 win over Cabinteely at the RSC on Friday night.

Having taken the reins of Waterford United earlier in the week, Roddy Collins didn’t have much time to assess his new charges, nor to prepare them for the arrival of Cabinteely on Friday night.

It was useful then that the man he replaced as manager is still working at the club. Tommy Griffin has been given a new role as Head of Football Operations at the RSC, and Collins leaned heavily on his predecessor in the lead up to the Blues 3-1 win. 
 

“Tommy picked the team. I didn’t feel certain enough to come in and pick a team I didn’t know,” said Collins after the game. “I’m dependent on Tommy at the minute.”

This was the newly-installed boss’ return to football having retired after his sacking by Derry City a year ago. Asked if he’d enjoyed getting back in the saddle and whether he’d reconsidered the level of challenge facing him, Collins highlighted the need to evaluate the talent now at his disposal. 

“I love winning. It’s more relief than anything else, [but] I enjoyed learning about the players I have too. 

"I learned straight away that Ethan [Boyle] plays better in front of the back four than he does getting forward, but if he needs to get forward he has the legs to do it. Ethan was brilliant.

 
"The left back, fairly solid; the two centre backs, solid; right back, solid. Right across that back four, and the goalkeeper, excellent. And then when we got more patient up front and held onto the ball I thought we looked a far better side.” 

With limited time to work with his new players on the training field, Collins had to narrow the focus. “The first thing we said when we came in on Wednesday is we don’t concede from a set piece and we did and that drives me mad,” said Collins. “I can’t accept that; that drives me nuts.”

On his own team scoring from two set-pieces, the Dubliner was rather self-deprecating. “Yeah, well you expect that, that’s what you work on,” before reinforcing the need to not get carried away at such an early stage. 
 

“It’s still a massive challenge, you know, no disrespect to Cabinteely, but having beat them we’re [only] second from bottom. We need experience, and we’ll get it.”
 

Waterford’s next league game is a tough away trip to Tolka Park to face Shelbourne.