Derry must do talking on the field

The following is the Derry team to play Cork in Saturday's NFL round 6 game at Celtic Park: B Gillis; M Craig, K McGuckin, D McBride; G O'Kane, B McGuigan, M Bateson; F Doherty, J Diver; E Bradley, B McGoldrick, C Kielt; J Kielt, P Bradley, M Lynch

There's been plenty of rumour this week about 'crisis meetings' and soul searching within the Derry squad. Players and management alike will have had their views to air, and in light of the Oakleafer's current form it's only to be expected. But at the end of a difficult week there's another match to play, and for it Damian Cassidy has - unsurprisingly - made another five changes to his Derry team.

Cork are the visitors to Celtic Park this weekend, and it is clear that Cassidy has been thinking heavily about how his side can stand up to the Rebel's strong, imposing, attacking gameplan when picking a defensive starting fifteen for this match.

Cork have looked excellent so far in this campaign. Their only blip came against Tyrone in Healy Park. But, quite frankly, the Rebels should have won that game easily. In fact, it looked like a mis-match at times, with three lucky goals helping Tyrone to snatch victory. Derry's form couldn't be any more stark. Four defeats in a row, and little to be positive about following a poor home performance against Mayo and a capitulation last Sunday at Monaghan. The Oakleafers have it all to do against Cork as they aim to somehow pull their heads above the relegation mire, and Cassidy's wholesale changes smack more of hope than expectation.

Barry McGoldrick and Charlie Kielt - both of whom started in the half-back line in Scotstown - move to the half-forward line. This is a move clearly designed to push Derry's defence high up the pitch with the express aim of keeping the attack-happy duo of Paudie Kissane and Michael Shields quiet. The launch pad for Cork's sometimes-devastating attacking play is generally their half-back line, and with Eoin Bradley named at right-half forward, the roving qualities of Noel O'Leary might also be restricted. Derry may be tempted to play McGoldrick or Kielt as extra defenders, but this may be counter-productive in giving Cork a licence to build freely from defence.

James Kielt moves to the full-forward line, where Derry will need to get more out of Mark Lynch and Paddy Bradley. Bradley is yet to find his form this season, while Lynch has also found the going difficult in this NFL campaign as he has flirted with various positions in both defence and attack. It may be time for Damian Cassidy to call him a corner-forward and leave it at that.

Joe Diver replaces Patsy Bradley at midfield. This is a clear indication that Cassidy's hopes for his side to match Cork at least a little in the physical stakes. Diver will also be expected to offer more in an attacking capacity from midfield than the Doherty/Bradley axis is capable of. But it will be a tough ask against Derk Kavanagh and Alan O'Connor in midfield.

In defence, Michael Bateson makes his debut. He is a strong runner, and will add a further physical presence to a half-back line that also contains Gerard O'Kane and Barry McGuigan. Mark Craig comes in at corner-back. This is the key unit for Derry. The defence has played below-par in the previous NFL games - even against forward lines (such as Monaghan and Mayo) that aren't renowned for high scoring performances. Conor Counihan's side will start without the obvious talents of Colm O'Neill, Donnacha O'Connor, Nicholas Murphy and Pearse O'Neill, but in Daniel Goulding, Paul Kerrigan and the hugely impressive Paddy Kelly, they have enough attacking talent to seriously trouble Derry. Cork have scored a grand total of 7-73 in only five games. It's hard to see another experimental Derry defensive unit containing the Rebels to a small enough tally that would illicit a victory.

Derry's form just hasn't been good enough to predict even a slender victory on Saturday night. The best expectation is that Derry will put in a performance that asks some questions of Cork, and that they display the desire and footballing quality that begins to resemble something approaching Championship form.

Depending on other results (i.e. the hope that Dublin beat Galway and Mayo beat Monaghan), a low-scoring defeat might still keep Derry's hopes of safety alive until the final game.