It’s no time for panic stations says Derry City skipper Michael Duffy

​The City captain deservedly collected the SSE Airtricity Soccer Writers' Player of the Month for February which softened the blow of a second loss of the season last Friday night.

He's hoping his personal triumph can spark a winning streak for the Candy Stripes who face three huge games in the next seven days.

Shelbourne's visit to Brandywell tonight is just the sixth league fixture of the 2026 season and while Tiernan Lynch's misfiring troops have yet to show signs of a title challenging team, Duffy certainly isn't giving up the chase anytime soon.

He's regularly stressed what it would mean for him to be lifting the Premier Division trophy for his hometown club and is confident this current crop of players are good enough to bridge the club's 29 year gap since its last success.

"It's massively disappointing," Duffy said of defeat to Shamrock Rovers last week. "We wanted to go down there and have a go and we just didn't do that.

"We know we weren't good enough on the night; the way we played and how we got after them. Us on the ball; so there's loads of things we need to fix and I'm sure we will look through it and try get it right.

"The only positive is we've got three games in a week, making it the perfect week for us to go and put it right. We've been in this position before and we went and turned it around. We've gone on a winning streak and we really need to do that now.

"We know we have the quality players there and we just need to click now and stay together. There's a lot of things we need to do better - getting after teams and us on the ball—but we're working on it every day and we will get there."

Injuries to key players and an apparent imbalance in the squad have left Derry chasing the leading pack early on but Duffy insists it's far too early to write off the Brandywell club's title credentials.

"Definitely not! We know that in there. We're obviously massively disappointed but it's not mad panic stations. We know we have the squad and quality players throughout. We have players coming back from injury as well. So we just look at the next game to put that right and it's good we have three games in a week.”

"Boys are only in the door and others will get up to match fitness quickly. There are boys coming back from injury who I'm sure will be flying after a couple of weeks. We know that.

"We know how much quality we have in the team. We have three games this week and will look to bounce back and go on a good run as we know we have the team to do that. So we will still be confident going into those games."

Duffy has claimed James McClean has been 'taking the brunt' of the criticism for Derry's early season failings but a new system, a new formation, and the addition of 12 new players was always going to require a bedding in period.

"He's getting used to it. He can play it," said Duffy about McClean's midfield role. "It's just a new position for him. "It's new for us too - the way we're setting up. We were in a back five last year. Everyone's finger-pointing at him because he's a big name. It's not all him."