Caulfield: Win the league — then we’ll talk about new contract

On the morning after the night before, John Caulfield was getting no further ahead of himself than a session for the Cork City players not involved in Monday’s dramatic draw with Dundalk.

With focus switching quickly now to an FAI Cup semi-final on Friday night, thoughts of winning the SSE Airtricity League Premier Division title are on hold, never mind discussions on a new contract for Caulfield himself. The future will be looked after, the City manager indicated yesterday. Just not right now.

“There’s a lot going on at the moment,” the City manager explained. “Off the field, we’ve advertised for a general manager as, structure-wise, we are trying to build things up. I’ve spoken to the club.

There’s a (Foras) board, which will appoint three members to speak to me. They’ve asked me to sit down and I said I will in a few weeks. For the moment my focus and aim is to win trophies and get to a cup final.”

Four years ago, Cork City barely dreamed of Europe. Now they’ve had four continental campaigns on the bounce, are looking to reach a third successive FAI Cup final on Friday against Limerick, and are on the brink of a Premier Division title.

Caulfield’s not just been central to that, he breathes every minute of it.

“I am at a stage in my life that I don’t need the security of [a long-term contract]. I need a job that can pay my bills and allow me to have a few bob. Don’t get me wrong, if people around me decide they want a change, I’ll move on. I would like to stay in football management anyway, but I am in no rush [anywhere] because we have worked so hard here on the building blocks, so let’s keep going.

“If it was 10 years ago, maybe things might be different [on a contract] because my costs were a lot higher. I am not in the job for money because if I was I would have stayed in my last job where I was on a lot more.

“We are a new club with a new board, and the constitution is very strict. A lot of the board are learning as well. The club has made massive strides, it’s making more money but the costs have been going up too.

"There’s been a lot of learnings and I have a clear vision now where it can go to. We are trying to bring more professional people in to help move the club on again, but I’d be stupid not to realise as well that results dictate my job.”

With results as they are, it would hardly be a shock if clubs in other countries were eyeing the Cork City manager, but he’s engaged in the project here and says the length of a potential new contract is largely irrelevant.

“Cork is a different club for me, I started here. I wouldn’t be here if I was not wanted, so whether it’s a one-year, two or three-year [deal] is immaterial.

"I know what I am doing, the club is going forward. If we all work together — management, the board, the commercial side, we will push on. The general manager that the club is interviewing for, who should be appointed in the next couple of weeks, will be very important as well.”

Caulfield added: “A lot of things are good here, but football is volatile. Expectations means people want everything and they become a little ungrateful, that’s the nature of the game.”

He is likely to resist the temptation to rotate for Friday night’s clash with Limerick at Turner’s Cross, especially with a November date at the Aviva Stadium up for grabs.

“We seldom get to cup finals, and all of a sudden we have an opportunity to get to three in a row. And we are the holders. The games are so big now that the adrenaline will be such that everyone wants to play.”