Tiernan Lynch Minta Derry City Tampil Berani Hadapi CSKA Sofia

Manajer Derry City Tiernan Lynch meminta para pemainnya untuk membuang rasa minder terhadap kekuatan finansial raksasa Bulgaria, CSKA Sofia, menjelang laga leg kedua kualifikasi babak pertama Liga Eropa UEFA pada Kamis malam, 16 Juli 2026, di Stadion Ryan McBride Brandywell.

Klub asal Irlandia Utara tersebut berambisi membalikkan kekalahan tipis 2-3 pada leg pertama pekan lalu demi mengamankan tiket kelolosan ke fase berikutnya.

Perbedaan kekuatan finansial dan profil kedua klub yang sangat mencolok tidak mematahkan keyakinan sang manajer bahwa timnya mampu memberikan kejutan di hadapan pendukung sendiri.

"I'm not going to sit here and try and have arrogance about us because I don't think we've done enough to do that," ujar Tiernan Lynch, Manajer Derry City.

Lynch memotivasi pasukannya untuk bermain taktis dan jeli dalam mengeksploitasi kelemahan tim tamu setelah menganalisis rekaman pertandingan dari pertemuan pertama mereka di Sofia.

"What we have to do is understand the areas where we feel we can exploit them now that we have a little more knowledge of their personnel," kata Tiernan Lynch, Manajer Derry City.

Ia mengakui kualitas teknis para pemain CSKA Sofia serta formasi kejutan yang diterapkan pelatih lawan sempat menyulitkan antisipasi pertahanan anak-asuhnya pada paruh awal laga pertama.

"Technically they are a very good team. They have some really good footballers and are a real threat. There were a couple of players we expected to play that didn't play.

We were probably taken aback by the shape they played. It wasn't the shape we were expecting them to play," ujar Tiernan Lynch, Manajer Derry City.

Kendati demikian, Lynch berharap atmosfer riuh dan mengintimidasi yang dihadirkan para pendukung tuan rumah di Stadion Brandywell dapat meningkatkan kepercayaan diri skuad The Candystripes.

"So who knows what Thursday is going to bring from their end. There's a couple of elements for our game we need to get better at. We need to show a little bit more confidence and composure. Hopefully at home, with our own supporters behind us that intimidation factor that I think the Brandywell will bring, we will go into it with plenty of belief," kata Tiernan Lynch, Manajer Derry City.

Ia menegaskan kepada para pemainnya bahwa sejarah besar CSKA Sofia di kompetisi Eropa tidak boleh menyurutkan semangat juang mereka di lapangan hijau.

"We are where we are," ujar Tiernan Lynch, Manajer Derry City.

Lynch menambahkan bahwa ukuran klub dan besarnya anggaran gaji bukan penentu mutlak hasil akhir setelah peluit sepak mula dibunyikan.

"The two teams and clubs – all you have to do is look at the new stadium they've built. The difference in the club in terms of size and stature and the wage bill and the monetary value that goes with it but when you step onto that pitch it's 11 v. 11. I keep trying to tell the players that, no disrespect to CSKA but it's not Barcelona," kata Tiernan Lynch, Manajer Derry City.

Performa apik timnya pada sepertiga akhir laga leg pertama di Bulgaria menjadi modal penting yang membuktikan kelayakan Derry City bersaing di kancah antarklub Eropa.

"We've seen for the last 30 minutes of the game on Thursday night that we can play at this level and compete at this level. It's really important we don't show any disrespect but it's also important we try to impose our game," ujar Tiernan Lynch, Manajer Derry City.

Lynch juga menilai minimnya jam terbang Eropa sebagian besar pemainnya sudah berhasil diatasi setelah berhasil melewati ketegangan pertandingan perdana pekan lalu.

"There's definitely things we felt we could have and should have done better. You also have to remember a lot of our players it was their first time playing in Europe. Now the monkey is off our back, I don't think there's any huge pressure on our shoulders.

I think we can go and enjoy the game in front of our own fans. As long as we give 100 percent, I think we will be okay," kata Tiernan Lynch, Manajer Derry City.

Satu gol telat yang dicetak di Sofia memberikan landasan moral krusial bagi klub asal Irlandia Utara ini untuk mengendalikan jalannya laga leg kedua.

"There's definitely areas we feel we can exploit and we will cause them problems no doubt. It's in our hands as far as I'm concerned. That last goal gave us a bit of a platform.

Something to hang onto and get after. It's just managing the game," ujar Tiernan Lynch, Manajer Derry City.

Ia pun mewanti-wanti pasukannya agar tidak terburu-buru bermain ofensif secara membabi buta dan tetap fokus mengelola tempo permainan dengan kepala dingin.

"The fans will be there and it will be an electric atmosphere. You will want to go gung-ho and get after them. We have to manage that situation.

You can't win the game in the first 10 minutes but you can lose it. It's playing with our heads as well as our hearts," kata Tiernan Lynch, Manajer Derry City.

Lynch berharap para pendukung setia Derry City mampu membalas tekanan mental yang sempat diberikan oleh para loyalis CSKA Sofia ketika mereka bertandang ke Bulgaria.

"The intimidation factor that their fans brought and how noisy they were. I thought our boys managed that brillianty. It's hugely iportant our fans recipriocate. It's a smaller ground, tighter ground, in your face and I think the more intimidating we can make that the better it will be for us," ujar Tiernan Lynch, Manajer Derry City.