Cork City look to add style to spirit

“Chalk and cheese” is how one close observer describes the difference between Cork City 2015 and Cork City 2016.

Fri, 04 Mar, 2016 - 00:00

Liam Mackey

Not surprisingly, John Caulfield doesn’t go quite so far when asked to sum up the close-season changes in personnel and playing style at Turner’s Cross. But, in his third season at the helm, the manager is willing to concede that his new-look side is now much closer to his original vision of what a Cork City team under his management could and should be.

“We deliberately targeted people to see could we play more expansively,” he says. “As a manager, I’ve always wanted my teams to be entertaining, attacking, and scoring lots of goals. If you look back to the teams I managed in my amateur days, we were always top goal-scorers. As a manager, you want to be excited by your team, you want to see the players go out and be creative.”

The need for what he calls “major surgery” became increasingly obvious to him as his second term in charge progressed.

“The first year, we came in out of the dark a bit, and fundamentally got the basics of the Cork spirit back together by working hard. And we did fantastic to finish second.

“But last year was disappointing, in the sense that the personnel was better than the year before, but we didn’t play as well as I felt we should have. So even though we got to the cup final and ended up second in the league again, it was quite obvious to me and John Cotter, going into the last third of the season, that there was major surgery to be done if we were going to get to the next step.

“Last year was a really difficult season in lots of ways. No point in saying otherwise. Even from the supporters’ point of view, I think there was an unrealistic expectation that we’d walk away with the league — which was never going to happen. And last year I found the pressure huge; there were a lot of difficult times in the season. So I think there was a lot of learning from last year, in terms of building a team to win trophies.”

And even before the new season gets up and running with tonight’s SSE Airtricity League kick-off, Cork already have one trophy in the bag as a consequence of beating their ultimate bogey team Dundalk 2-0 in last Saturday’s curtain-raising President’s Cup.

After a successful run of high-scoring friendly wins, the match offered a wider audience their first chance to see the impact of a raft of new new signings, including Eoghan O’Connell and Kenny Browne in defence, Greg Bolger in midfield, Stephen Dooley out wide and Sean Maguire upfront, as well as the return of old favourites Gearoid Morrissey and Ian Turner to Turner’s Cross. The depth in the new squad was also evident in that Caufield could call two regulars from last season, Karl Sheppard and Mark O’Sullivan, into action from the bench.

Offering a player’s assessment of the changes in the dressing room and on the pitch, skipper John Dunleavy says: “The squad has a younger dynamic, we all gel well and it’s a nice, tight-knit dressing room. And the competition for places is fierce now. A lot of the lads have commented on it within the squad — just to get in the team now every week, you’ve got a challenge on your hands.

“But I think that’s a problem the manager would want to have, rather than have a squad that’s threadbare. He’s got an awful lot of decisions to make but they’re good decisions to have to make. And the whole squad will give him problems this year, I’ve no doubt, because all the lads are champing at the bit to to play. Which is brilliant, because it keeps you on your toes.”

Tonight, City begin the new league campaign as they ended last season’s, with a game against Keith Long’s men. On that occasion, City came away from Dalymount Park with a 1-0 win against the head, Bohs unlucky not to end a season of conspicuous over-achievement with at least a draw.

For Caulfield then, the visit of the Gypsies to Turner’s Cross represents a real test for his new-look side.

“They would expect themselves to kick on from last season,” he observes, “but it’s our first game at home, we expect a huge crowd and, while it’s going to be a difficult game, maybe we’re better off playing a team like that — one the supporters know are a good side — rather than playing a team everyone will think you’re going to beat. And you may not.

“And one thing about Bohs and Keith — they’ll come down and have a cut off us. And they’ll fancy their chances. I think it’s a good opener for both clubs.”

Tomorrow night at the Deanrock Function Room, Togher, Cork, legendary Cork Hibernians player Patsy Dorgan will be inducted into the All-Ireland Hall Of Fame Online Gallery in a nostalgic reunion event amidst a galaxy of former Hibs players. Funds will go to Cork Parkinsons Support Group. Tickets: €10 at the door.