Harvey knows whole league will be out to halt Glens’ perfect patch
RUTHERGLEN Glencairn boss Willie Harvey has told his players they will have to get used to teams trying to knock them off their top of the table perch.
A perfect start to the 2018/19 league campaign has left the Glens as the only Championship club still boasting a 100 per cent record that Harvey expects will come under serious threat when they take to the road to face bottom-four side Darvel today.
He said: “I have never met their manager Graeme Neil but I’m willing to bet he will be motivating his players by saying they can wipe the slate clean and get their season back on track with a win over the league leaders.
“That’s what I would be doing in his shoes not least because we are a big scalp now as well as being up there to be shot down and the bullseye on our backs will become even bigger with every week that our run continues.
“It’s a strange new world for us because most of the Glencairn teams I previously managed were slow burners who didn’t really get into their stride until around Christmas.
“The current group of players appear to have a totally different psyche judging by the way they have come roaring out of the blocks and I have to say it’s much more preferable.”
The Glens ran out 2-0 winners over Arthurlie last weekend thanks to a brace of goals from the Barrhead club’s former striker Gary Smith and 63-year-old Harvey reckons his top goalscorer is in the form of his life.
He said: “Gary has played outstandingly well from the word go this season thanks to being leaner and sharper than at any other time in his football career but he’ll be the first to admit that another major factor is knowing Liam Gormley’s waiting in the wings for an opportunity to don the striking jerseys.
“Competition for places is rife throughout our 21-strong squad yet we have a terrific dressing-room spirit while the work ethic out on the training ground is second to none and Glencairn are in a good place as things stand.
“We’ll find out more about the team’s character when decisions and breaks of the ball start go against us but from what I see in the players, I think they will cope with adversity in the same way as our early season successes.”