FORTRESS SOLITUDE

Gray: Title tilt depends on home form

NEW Cliftonville boss Barry Gray is a man on a mission ahead of the big Danske Bank Premiership kick-off.

His remit is as singular as it is challenging – to get the North Belfast club back challenging again at the business end of the table. Since lifting back-to-back Gibson Cups in 2013 and 2014 under former manager Tommy Breslin, the Reds have endured a gradual drift away from the title tussle.

Last season, a frustrating fifth place finish saw them trail eventual champions Linfield by 31 points and second-placed Crusaders by 29.

The sombre stats aren’t lost on Gray who is determined to arrest the decline and catapult Cliftonville back into the title conversation. The straight talking former Warrenpoint Town coach said: “A points gap like that just isn’t acceptable from a Cliftonville point of view.. There’s no way of dressing it up. “Cliftonville seem to have had a fairly good record at the start of recent campaigns, but not at the finish, so that’s something we’ll look to address.

“As a club the minimum target is European football, but would that be enough for me on a personal level? I don’t think so.

I’d be looking to challenge for trophies.

“I think we have enough here to mount a challenge, but other managers will say the same. Only time will tell.” On leading Cliftonville into the new season, Gray is relishing the elevated ambition and intense scrutiny associated with steering one of the league’s biggest clubs.

Ahead of Saturday’s league opener with Ards at Solitude, he said: “There’s no get-out or protection from the good or bad. It will come down to what we do or don’t do on the pitch. “That puts pressure on me, but it’s also a massive motivation. You have to deal with different expectations here, a new fanbase and a new group of players, but I’m really looking forward to it.”

Gray, appointed in May following Gerard Lyttle’s decision to take up the Sligo Rovers post the previous month, has enjoyed a positive pre-season.

An added bonus has been the form of key striker Joe Gormley, inset, who has returned to the club after an ill-fated, injury-hit 18 months with Peterborough United and St Johnstone. Gormley scored 122 goals in his previous four-year stint at Solitude and alongside Liam Boyce was a pivotal reason the Reds celebrated title success in 2013 and 2014.

Gray said: “Pre-season has gone well and there’s a new enthusiasm around the camp. The way last season ended, it was important we got confidence levels up and the players have reacted well.

“At the same time, we’re not getting carried away. There are no points on the board yet.”

On facing Ards on Saturday, he added: “Home form is essential in any league campaign and it’s important we turn Solitude into a fortress again.”