Collins happy with early season efforts

After a few seasons on the MNS sofa and a short lived stint in Malta, Roddy Collins made his return to League of Ireland football last year as he took over promotion hopefuls Monaghan United and has since guided them to the Premier Division.

Despite a good performance in Tallaght and creditable draw away to St Pat's at the weekend, Collins feels his team haven't really settled yet. "We haven't settled down yet, it's still very erratic with the injuries and suspensions that we've had since the season kicked off and then with the late arrivals in pre-season of certain players. 

"They haven't really got going yet so it will take us about ten games but we're hanging in there and working very hard, in every game we're getting more organised and we could possibly have had two more points on the board by now but you have to be happy with the hard work."

His team are probably unlucky not to have more points on the board so far, but he is happy with effort they have put in so far. "Performances are important, there's no doubt about that. If you can work on performances and improve on them it will increase your opportunity to get more points on the board. 

"The performances have been good and the effort has been fantastic and the performance with the ball has been great. We've been passing it well so you'd have to be happy enough at the moment but as I say I'm not happy enough to think we have done something where we've achieved any sort of ability in the team so we have to keep working and strive to be better."

After losing key players such as Gabriel Sava and Ryan Brennan, he admits it had some effect on his sides pre-season preparations. "It had all the effects, they're the full core of your team, I mean seven players gone out of the team that finished the season and we were left with just four at the club so that's disruption by any standard. They're gone as a unit because the team that won promotion last year worked as a unit and when that unit breaks up you have to build it again and that was a massive blow, we just financially couldn't compete with Drogheda."

Some teams may find it harder to prepare for a game against Sligo Rovers now that they are under a new manager, but the former Bohemians man feels he knows what to expect from The Bit O'Red tonight. "You know what to expect, they've played a certain system and I don't see Ian changing what's been successful for them. 

"I watched them on Tuesday night up in Belfast so I have a fair idea of how they will play, I know their players well and I'm possibly their biggest fan of football in Ireland, I love the way they play. It's always going to be a hard game against Sligo Rovers, you have to respect them but we don't we don't fear them, we don't fear anyone."

Finally, a worrying number of red cards dished out so early in the season has Collins a little perplexed. "I don't know what's going on, it's becoming alarmingly too common at the moment. It's something I actually spoke about at the weekend and there's far too many red cards being shown and even too many yellows being shown too quickly. Its ruining games that's for sure."