Brendan Rogers says Derry can’t afford to be “too picky” about how they win.
The Slaughtneil defender maintains that his side haven’t paid much attention to the fallout from their recent Ulster final triumph over Donegal.
It was Derry’s first Anglo-Celt Cup since 1998, appearing in their first final since 2011.
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That victory set up a first All-Ireland quarter-final date since the 2007 defeat by Dublin.
Derry will meet Clare at Croke Park the weekend after next.
But with Derry and Donegal setting up to nullify each other and long spells of keep ball with both sides fearful of going into contact and turning over the ball, the Ulster final was widely criticised.
“We’re not really bothered at all,” said Rogers.
“Not every game that you go out and play is unbelievably stylish. Maybe television coverage doesn’t show you how tactical the game was.
“It follows the ball and sees guys do a couple of hand passes.
“But I think the structure of how teams play and the effort that goes into nullifying players, marking and the efforts to get away from players in tight scenarios – those bits are missed.
“I guess that’s why people who were at the game were enthralled while those watching on television had a different view.
“We’re not too bothered about what they say as long as we’re winning.
“We can’t be too picky about how we win because we haven’t had too much success. We’ll just take winning for a start.”
Rogers' powerful bursts forward are among the more exciting aspects of Derry’s hard counter attacking game.
But when teams set out to mirror Derry the game can turn into a game of chess with very few contests for the ball bar long kickouts.
“Sport is played for entertainment in some aspects but from a management and player perspective, it’s solely about winning first,” said Rogers.
“If you can do that in some kind of style that’s obviously a bonus but I think people have to understand that not everything can be thrilling.
“Sometimes it is tactical. Some of the best sports around the world are a lot more tactical and that’s what gets you engrossed in it.
“I suppose the GAA has to find its feet because it’s ever changing and evolving and people are becoming more adaptive to how it’s played.
“You’re going to have these moments where people don’t enjoy what they’re seeing.
“At the end of the day that can change from week to week depending on the opposition and their style.
“Look, everyone’s entitled to their opinion and everyone has different views on how GAA should be played.
“I think it’s not bad at the moment. It’s never been as high scoring even though teams are deemed defensive. Sometimes it’s just a personal opinion of what you enjoy and what you don’t.”
Rogers says Derry won’t be taking fellow Division 2 side, Clare for granted when the teams cross swords in a week and half with an All-Ireland semi-final against Armagh or Galway the prize.
Dual star Rogers continued: “We played them in the National League this year and it wasn't a handy game.
“It was very tight, even though the scoreline maybe didn't reflect that at the end.
“I guess we got a couple of scores to kind of add on to it, which obviously changes the look of it.
“Given that Roscommon had a purple patch, had a good foot in the game, but given how Clare are obviously a very well coached team, they managed to claw their way back into the game and win it.
“To say they're not a good team would be inaccurate.
“Obviously, we're not going to take them lightly because they have the qualities to be there, and they've earned the right to be there.
“We'll obviously treat them the way we would with any other team, and try to put our best foot forward, but focus on ourselves first and foremost.”
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