Rico and Fenlon are proven winners
With a wealth of managerial experience between them — both managed full-time clubs to league titles and European level successes during the boom period for the league in the mid 2000s — they are sure to bring high standards to their clubs. On top of this, both have the vital experience of managing across the water, with Rico in charge of Gillingham from 1989 to 1992 and Fenlon in the hotseat at Hibernians from 2011 to 2013.
Fenlon is the younger of the two with an impeccable record of management in Ireland (winning titles with Shelbourne in ’03, ’04 and ’06, and with Bohemians in ’08 and ’09). He will bring his successful methods to a Rovers side deemed underachievers under the less experienced Trevor Croly. An alliance of the most successful manager of the recent past with the league’s most prestigious club is a mouthwatering prospect for Rovers fans.
For his part, Rico’s management of Cork City on two separate occasions earned a loyal respect from Rebel fans. On viewing a post-match interview with Rico on the Soccer Republic recently, I was reminded of his last spell here. Rico spoke in a way that offered reassurance to his new players, whom he knew would inevitably watch the coverage later, while subtly suggesting they are capable of more. For the uninitiated this may seem superficial, the usual facade of a manager for the TV cameras.
However having played under Rico it reflects his overall management style, that promotes personal development and ‘trusting in oneself’ as keys to professional achievement. In the results-driven field that is professional football, such an approach can be equally refreshing and rewarding for a player.
A telling example of Rico’s style occurred just before our crucial last league match with Derry in 2005. The build- up to the game was intense. We needed to beat Derry to win the league, a draw and the title was theirs. Everything was on the line. In the nervy few minutes before the start of the game, it would have been easier for Rico to tell us what to do and what not to do, to go over all the little details again and again.
Other managers might have felt they needed to do this, to satisfy themselves that they done their jobs correctly. If things went wrong later, they could sleep easy with the thought that at least they had done everything they could do. Rico knew better. We didn’t need any more information to cloud our minds, so he kept it simple; ‘Trust yourselves’, he repeated over and again. It hit the right note to help the players perform on the most important of occasions.
That the players of Drogheda have reacted favourably, with recent improved performances, is no surprise. His return as well as that of Fenlon’s while boosting the profile of the league also offers the prospect of interesting managerial battles to come for the remainder of the season.
In particular, it will be intriguing to see how the experienced Rico and Fenlon fare against two relatively new League of Ireland managers that were involved in the Derry v Cork match last night. Cork City under John Caulfield have been a formidable force so far this season while Peter ‘Pizza’ Hutton has steadied the boat at Derry. These men share the distinction of holding their club’s league appearance records for their clubs, each bringing a deep knowledge based upon two decades of playing in the league.
Elsewhere Sligo have continued their trend of employing managers from the UK by appointing John Coleman to follow in the successful footsteps of Ian Barraclough and Paul Cook. Coleman is no novice, having spent over 10 years managing Accrington Stanley. The top half of the league is completed by Liam Buckley with St Pats and Stephen Kenny in charge at league leaders Dundalk. With the return of Rico and Fenlon, and with the influx of the new managers, Kenny has a job on his hands to see Dundalk over the line. It’s sure to be an exciting finale.
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