Liam Buckley: 'There's no club ever too big to go down - Manchester United got relegated'
Liam Buckley says he's determined not to be the first manager to take St Patrick's Athletic down from the Premier Division – but he's under no illusions about the danger they're in.
The Saints are one of two sides – fellow strugglers Bohemians are the other – never to have played below the top tier of the league since the creation of the First Division in 1984.
And the 2013 league-winning manager cited the example of Manchester United – who were famously relegated in 1974 – to show that no club is 'too big' to be relegated from anywhere.
The Saints fell to their second defeat in a week on Friday night as they were soundly beaten 2-0 at Richmond Park by the champions Dundalk, with goals from Michael Duffy and David McMillan.
That result, allied with the surprise 3-1 loss to Finn Harps in Ballybofey last Monday, saw the Inchicore slip below Galway United in goal difference to prop up the 12-team table.
And with three sides set to be relegated this season – and no safety valve of a play-off as in previous seasons – Buckley's young side will need to learn quickly on the job if they're to avoid the drop.
“There's no club ever too big to go down,” Buckley told the media on Friday night.
“Manchester United got relegated and they're one of the biggest clubs on the planet. We're not stupid. I'm not stupid either. I know the situation. I'm not blind – I can see the league table.
“It is a concern that we're at the bottom at this stage. Normally we'd be fundamentally playing better, and that's why over the window we'll have to have a look at what we can and can't do.
“I don't want to be the first one to go down with them, and I don't think any of the lads want to either, so that's why we've got to just stick together and stick at it.
“I'm sure if you asked anybody from Galway or Drogheda or Finn Harps and Bohs or Sligo or Pats, we're all looking over our shoulder here. There's very little between these teams.
“We've played Sligo here a couple of weeks back and I thought they done well in the second half and we done well in the first half.
“There's not a lot between the teams, and there won't be a lot, so you need to get the rub of the green.”
Buckley revealed that he will look to strengthen his squad in the coming months, with attention particularly needed in defence where Darren Dennehy faces another month on the sidelines with a foot injury.
The window to sign amateur players opens on June 1st, while professional players can be signed from the beginning of July.
“We'll have a look in the window and see where we go from there. We do have to strengthen in a couple of areas to make sure we've got proper cover and all that sort of stuff where at the minute we're a wee bit light on that end.
“Darren Dennehy has a slight knock and he's in a boot for which he'll be gone for two months – he's been gone for the last month, six weeks maybe.
“We're very light defensively so we'll certainly need to have a look at that in relation to pushing on, bearing in mind it's going to be particularly tight this season.”
The Dubliner is also open to changing the team's style of play – typically attractive to watch under Buckley – in order to secure the points they need to beat relegation.
“We've got to review everything from fitness and organisation to how we're playing, to make sure we dig enough points out to get out the trouble we're in.”
Pats have won just three of their 16 league games so far this season, and two of those came in Dublin derbies against Shamrock Rovers and Bohemians – their next two opponents.
They travel to Tallaght to face a Hoops side wounded by their 4-1 defeat away to league leaders Cork City on Friday and will look to repeat the result when the sides faced in Richmond Park.
In March, Rovers took an early lead through Gary Shaw but, after left-back Sean Heaney was sent off before half time, the Saints stormed back with goals from Kurtis Byrne and Josh O'Hanlon.
Buckley's side would go on to hammer Bohemians 4-0 at Dalymount Park the following Friday, but will have to wait until after the summer break for the second half of the couplet.
“We've just got to look at the next game and see what can we get out of Rovers this week. They've been beaten again tonight as far as I know.
“It's a tricky game – not a lot between either group – and from our end of it I need us to play fundamentally better in the final third.”
