Cotter has eyes on sweet double prize
With Kenny Dalglish back in charge, things are looking up at Anfield, but it’s the Scot’s first spell in charge, when he guided them to the double in 1986 aged 35, that Cotter could emulate.
Just 33, Cotter has only been in the job since September, but has directed them to tomorrow’s FAI Umbro Intermediate Cup final against Cherry Orchard at Turner’s Cross (3pm) and they remain in the running for the Munster Senior League title.
Having enjoyed plenty success, including intermediate cups in 2006 and 07, under John Caulfield, Avondale were in a state of flux after he left with Michael Walsh in charge last season and John O’Rourke at the helm for a few weeks early this term. Into the breach stepped Cotter, taking to his new role with relish.
“We only came in in September, myself, Damien O’Connell, Barry O’Sullivan and Gerald Dobbs,” he recalled. “The lads have been brilliant. They haven’t given any hassle or grief and turned up for training.
“We wouldn’t be in this situation if it wasn’t for them, people go on about managers but it’s all about the players.”
Those same players are full of praise for the way Cotter has adapted.
“He’s been a revelation,” says Paul Triggs. “As a player he had the respect of all the players, and it’s the same now, his decisions are his decisions. I wasn’t playing in the semi-final and I respected his decision on the day.
“You don’t question him, he’s done it himself as a player. He’s driven, which is what you need as a coach, it’s not easy to manage a club like this because expectations are huge. If you don’t win you’re probably a failure.”
Having an Avondale pedigree is a big help for Cotter, in left-back Eoghan Lougheed’s view.
“It’s hard to come into a club when you don’t know much about the club, having ‘Cotts’ come in was a boost, he’s an Avondale man, he knows the club. He brings a continuation of what we have been doing, it’s been successful over the past seven or eight years so it’s good to have that stability.”
And while Cotter’s move is a change, in many ways things are the same.
“What John is after doing (making the transition from a player to a manager) is unbelievable,” Lougheed says.
“He’s still the same John Cotter, he used to lay it down as a player and he does it as a manager too when things need to be said. He’s still the same ‘Cotts’ to us but it was a natural progression for him to be a manager.”
As Lougheed’s comments reveal, Cotter has yet to become known as ‘boss’ or ‘gaffer’, but he does acknowledge that an invisible line is now there.
“‘Cotts’ is what they still call me, to my face anyway!” Cotter laughs. “I don’t mind. I’m good friends with a lot of them for years and just because I’m manager now doesn’t mean the friendship has to go. But you do have to take step back, because tough decisions have to be made. That’s the hard thing, you’re going to disappoint people and no doubt we’ll be disappointing lads on Sunday.”
Having the support structure of O’Connell, O’Sullivan and Dobbs on the sideline has allowed Cotter to focus on playing, easing the burden of the dual mandate.
“The lads have helped me, when I’ve been playing they’ve been great on the line. When I’m on the pitch I don’t want to make the substitution decisions because if you’re thinking that way it’ll affect your game.”
Avondale have shown their mettle en route to the final, beating Bluebell United in the quarter-final in Dublin before returning to the capital and stopping Crumlin United’s quest for a three-in-a-row — and earning revenge for last year’s final defeat.
Win or lose tomorrow, Avondale are still in the hunt for the MSL title too along with Douglas Hall and Rockmount, with all three still having to play each other. Carrying a challenge on two fronts has demanded single-mindedness.
“In November we said among ourselves we were going to approach each game like it was our last,” says Cotter. “That’s stood to us, we’ve carried that on. We’ve played intermediate cup games but they’re only once a month, we’ve three or four other games in between them. Thankfully we’re still involved and that’s what you want at this stage.”
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