John Fallon: Flawed recruitment at heart of City’s struggles

Having missed one window of opportunity, getting the next one right will determine what type of window into the future beckons for City.

REINFORCEMENTS NEEDED: Cork City FC players pack the Shelbourne box during a corner for Cork City. Pic: Jim Coughlan.

IT’S not difficult to pinpoint structural deficiencies when Cork City spent their off-season economising in IKEA while their competitors splashed out along the high street.

Recruitment — as Keith Long cited during his swansong from an eight-year stint at Bohemians last year — is universally accepted as critical to success. Failings on that front have descended City into the mire they’ve a job on their hands to escape from. Colin Healy wasn’t prepared to wait until the July transfer window for that to be rectified, quitting a week ago.