'Derry look lost. Lessons haven't been learned'

Since winning the Division One title, Derry have lost to Donegal, Galway and Armagh by a combined 22 points

Oisin McConville says Derry look "lost" after the Oak Leafers slumped to a third successive championship defeat with a 3-17 to 0-15 loss to Armagh in the All-Ireland series at Celtic Park on Sunday.

Sunday's result leaves Derry bottom of their group having also lost their opener to Galway.

Including the Ulster quarter-final loss to Donegal, Derry have now conceded 9-42 in their last three games and must beat Westmeath in a fortnight to keep alive their dream of winning the Sam Maguire Cup for only the second time in the county's history.

"They look a bit lost at the minute," former Armagh All-Ireland winner McConville said on The GAA Social podcast.

"What's going on on the field does not reflect the quality that Derry have right now.

"I suppose, what must be the most frustrating thing for Derry supporters is that they sort of lost more or less in the same way again and the lessons don't really seem to have been learned."

After clinching the Division One title in style with victory over reigning All-Ireland champions Dublin in March, Derry's early departure from the Ulster Championship sent shockwaves through the province.

And while Gareth McKinless' red card was a key factor in their loss to Galway in Salthill, the manner in which Armagh tore through the Derry defence at Celtic Park has further darkened the mood music around the county.

"They've put themselves in a very tough position because a draw would send them out as well, so Westmeath will have that in their back pocket. They will make life very difficult and uncomfortable for Derry," added McConville.

"But if they were to gain a win, if they were to gain a little bit of momentum, they still have the quality to cause problems but they look a bit lost right now."

Could Derry seek a change in management?

However, even if Derry were to crash out of the championship in the round-robin stage, McConville does not believe the county would seek to replace Harte, who won three All-Ireland titles during his time in charge of his native Tyrone.

"That's not going to happen, " stressed McConville.

"It's not the Premier League, they [the county board] can't bork after eight or nine months, so it won't happen."

While Derry's form has slumped, and so too the high expectations that the county had after back-to-back provincial titles in 2022 and 2023 and a League title this year, McConville feels that there's "extra pressure" on Harte due to the nature of his surprising appointment.

"It felt like this [Harte's appointment] is the missing link to get them over the line. And in March it felt like the exact same thing and two months down the line it feels like the worst appointment in history but that's reactive.

"But it's becoming a bit of a pattern and if the pattern continues then normally speaking, a manager will be under pressure but in Mickey Harte's case and the fact that it's a Tyrone man managing Derry, it adds extra pressure to what's going on.

"But are they going to get rid of him now? Absolutely not a chance."