Clancy not setting any targets as Drogs begin re-building process
HE may be completely new to football management, but Tim Clancy is not naive enough to start talking up Drogheda United’s chances of a promotion challenge before a ball is kicked.
The Boynesiders kick off their Division 1 campaign at home to Finn Harps this Friday (kick-off 7.45pm) and the 33-year-old Meath native hasn’t considered the possibility of his team doing what his predecessor Pete Mahon achieved when leading them straight back to the Premier at the first time of asking two years ago.
‘Pre-season has gone well, but we have not set any targets,’ he responded emphatically yesterday (Monday) when asked if he was more optimistic now than he was when he was appointed in early December.
‘The priority after I got the job was to get players signed and we wanted to get the right lads in and we’ve done the best we could.
‘We know it’s a rebuilding process for the club and there’s no expectation from the club to get promoted straightaway, but we want to do as well as we can and win as many games as possible.
‘It’s been, a long, long pre-season and since I got the job it’s been all go, but this is what we’ve been aiming towards and I’m looking forward to it.’
Optimism among the supporters has grown over the past few weeks after some good results in pre-season, notably a 4-1 drubbing of Derry City, and the subsequent draw against Bray Wanderers was made to look like an excellent result after the Seagulls held Dundalk scoreless in their league opener last Friday night.
Pressed on whether the playoffs might be a realistic goal for Drogheda,’ Clancy commented: ‘That’s the benefit of the FAI bringing in the play-offs for finishing second, third or fourth and you would imagine that the league is going to be tight.
‘There does not seem to be a team that’s going to run away with it like Limerick and Waterford in previous years and the majority of the teams will think they are capable of challenging for the play-offs.’
Opponents Finn Harps, who were relegated with the Drogs last October, concluded their pre-season programme last Saturday by recording their first victory, 6-2 away to Manulla, with new signing John O’Flynn helping himself to a hat-trick. Prior to that they drew with Derry City and Portadown and lost to Sligo Rovers and Bohemians - all five matches away from home.
Their manager Ollie Horgan, who watched Drogheda’s 1-1 draw with Bray, has retained the bulk of his squad, including Paddy McCourt, and the Donegal men are fancied to be among the promotion contenders, something acknowledged by Clancy yesterday.
‘I’ve watched them play and videoed them and we know what we’ll get with Ollie’s team. They are well organised and very competitive and his squad has a lot of experience.
‘It will be a physical game on Friday and it will be difficult for us. Anyone who finishes above Finn Harps will be there or thereabouts [in terms of] winning the title.’
Ironically, Drogheda won on both their visits to Ballybofey last season, but they had one foot in the First Division following the 2-0 home defeat by Harps in early July and it’s the Boynesiders’ home form which holds the key to their fate in 2018.
‘You want to be getting positive results in all your games,’ Clancy pointed out, ‘but you have to create an atmosphere at your home matches, attract fans in and create a place where other teams don’t enjoy going there.
‘If you can win the majority of your home games it gives you a great chance of success.’
Clancy has been fortunate that his squad have remained clear of injuries throughout pre-season and he has a full deck to pick from on Friday, with no suspensions.
He expects to complete the signing of the final member of his squad, Lloyd Buckley, in the next couple of days.
POSSIBLE STARTING XI: Paul Skinner; Colm Deasy, Kevin Farragher, Luke Gallagher, Conor Kane; Jake Hyland, Sean Brennan, Richie Purdy; Gareth McCaffrey, Lee Duffy, Mark Doyle.
We know it’s a rebuilding process for the club and there’s no expectation from the club to get promoted straightaway