Richardson's wants roadmap for European success

jubbly

Richardson's roadmap for European success
http://www.unison.ie/irish_independent/stories.php3?ca=94&si=1454157&issue_id=12895

TURNER'S CROSS will be rocking on Thursday (7.30) when Cork City meet Djurgarden (Sweden) for a place in the third qualifying round of the UEFA Cup, and Leeside boss Damien Richardson is confident his players will be up for the challenge.

"We've done a great job in Sweden," he said, "now we've got to complete the second stage. The players won't have any fear whatsoever - they don't want any 'if onlys' afterwards.

"We know what we have to do, and so do Djurgarden - it's a typical European game. They really pushed us in the second half out there, but it pleased me that we had the diligence and concentration to stay with them. They extended us mentally and physically, and if we are to progress we have to go up that notch.

"We daren't sit back and try to slow the game down. We have to force our personality on the game."

That's what Cork did in the first half in Sweden, catching the opposition by surprise with Neale Fenn's early goal, but that element of surprise is now gone. "They will come with more respect for us than they had in the home game," said Richardson. "They were misled by the game against Shamrock Rovers a few years ago. They know now they got out of jail and that they face a serious challenge."

The game has attracted huge interest in Sweden as Djurgarden could be their country's only team in the UEFA Cup if they beat Cork. As a result, the game is being televised live (RTE2) and will be beamed direct to Sweden.

With only two players not senior internationals, Djurgarden are a very experienced outfit, but Richardson believes his team have the ability to get through to Friday's draw.

"In Lithuania in the first round they gave the best performance I have ever been associated with in Europe," he said. "They were magnificent, and Liverpool's subsequent difficulties with a team which was so far behind Ekranas in the Lithuanian league put that into perspective."

To achieve a place in the third qualifying round would be a significant feather in Richardson's cap, as this is his first season in charge of a full-time squad.

"Previously when I was in charge for European games," he said, "we were at a disadvantage, playing with so few games under our belt against teams who were in the middle of their season. I always wanted to play teams who were out of season, but what happens? The first teams I come up against are both mid-way through their seasons.

"Being in charge of part-timers was very frustrating in many ways, it's so much easier to get your message across to full-time players. I can see immense improvement with the move to full-time football and more so the move to summer football.

"In winter you couldn't spend too much time on set-pieces, for instance, or the players would catch cold. The performances of our teams in Europe show the difference the switch to summer makes.

"I thought it would take four to five years to crack the European scene, but if we can do it in a shorter space of time, what can we do in another four to five years if we apply the lessons we are learning?

"I've learned valuable lessons this season and I'd like to find out what lessons Shelbourne, Longford and the Irish team have learned. Our experience could be enriched by other people's experiences.

"It's time for the FAI and the League club chairmen to get together and see what we can do to get to the next stage. There is great promise being shown in the League and nowhere more than in Europe, so now is the time to pool our experiences.

"Brian Kerr has more experience than anyone else and Packie Bonner, and then myself and Pat Fenlon - and we should put the lessons we have learned in a central pool and thus eradicate the mistakes that are being made. If we're going to succeed we will only do so by learning each other's lessons. And the initiative for this has to come from the top.

"We have years of poor results to make up for from the days when European games were looked on as a reward for the previous season's work. Now we don't just travel to make up the numbers, we expect to make progress."

Richardson is hopeful that the FAI will answer his call on this issue, pointing to the €10,000 grant given to Cork to help with their preparations as evidence of their goodwill.

"Shelbourne, as Champions League representatives, got a little more, but the grant covered our expenses for the draw and allowed Dave Hill to have a look at our opposition."

In typical Richardson fashion, he threw in one of his famous footballing maxims: "The better you become, the smaller the steps to success are, but they are also the most important."

In that regard, he is hoping that Cork will take a small step to the third qualifying round on Thursday, and that the FAI will organise an end of season meeting where the lessons learned in Europe this season can be pooled for future advantage

Well I think its high time that such a body was set up. English teams set it up years ago when they first got back into Europe and it was huge sucess. Fair play to the FAIlure for paying for Corks' and Shels travelling costs. The muppets have done something right.

Cork have it all to do come Thursday, the tie is far from won and they will have thier work cut out IMO.

Big Ears

Isn't there only two qualifying rounds in the Uefa Cup ? .

KdjaCL

Big Ears wrote:

Isn't there only two qualifying rounds in the Uefa Cup ? .

Yeah read that in 1st line then stopped reading..oh look its the highly informative and all knowledgable Indo wirting about EL. :rolleyes:


kdjac

jubbly

There is only 2 qualifying rounds yes, then its the first round qualifer and after that its the group stages. UEFA (in their stupid wisdeom) call it the 1st round proper instead of the 3rd qualifying round.

I think they should change the name of it. The second round is the group stages, something CCFC should be aiming for.

"The better you become, the smaller the steps to success are, but they are also the most important."

classic richardson stuff there

MrJoeSoap

jubbly wrote:

classic richardson stuff there

My personal favourite is

"The game lacked any real definable objectivity, it meandered."

I constantly have trouble figuring out whether the guy is for real, until my dictionary assures me that he is.

jubbly

I would love to see him on telly in the UEFA Cup or something and the opposition TV crew trying to translate what he said :D

I think he seems more on the ball than Nutsy regarding how to tackle Europe. I think Nutsy got a lot of it wrong IMO.

eirebhoy

jubbly wrote:

There is only 2 qualifying rounds yes, then its the first round qualifer and after that its the group stages. UEFA (in their stupid wisdeom) call it the 1st round proper instead of the 3rd qualifying round.

I think they should change the name of it. The second round is the group stages, something CCFC should be aiming for.

Its a lot more than changing the name. If Cork get to the 1st round proper they have a chance of getting a club seeding and also draws and wins count double for the country seeding.

jubbly

Thats right, 1.0 co-efficent for a draw and 2.0 co-efficent for a win. I think our co-efficent will go to 2 for this season if Cork beat Djurgardens. Hopefully Cork can do that, it will be our most successful co-efficent results in Europe ever AFAIK. Who knows, cork might get a favourable draw on Friday if they get through this round

bohsman

A couple of years ago Richardson commented on how good the interdepartmental coreography was in the Bohs side, classic. Would be happy to see Cork do well as long as Derry win the league but always happy to see Shels and Rovers lose in Europe

jubbly

Not that Bohs will see much of Europe

oh and nice result the other night wasnt it Bohsman

bohsman

Whatever about the result Ive never left a game feeling happier after a defeat, most Bohs fans feel the same

BolBill

Richardson is the king of cliches, hes so f-ing annoying. Himself and (badly balding) Noel King on Sports tonight used to be more cringy than The Office FFS !!!!!

MrJoeSoap

bohsman wrote:

Whatever about the result Ive never left a game feeling happier after a defeat, most Bohs fans feel the same

Do feel free to explain.

Slash/ED

They pushed the club they obsess over close, only one goal in it in the end :eek:

A good day for Bohs.

MrJoeSoap

Ah I see, I thought it might have been something to do with the thinking:

"Well we knew we were always going to lose, even if Shels are rubbish these days, so we were happy to vandalise the pitch, post players phone numbers in the toilets in Dalymount, throw sausages at the players and officials on the pitch and generally lower our standards to sub-human" *

Guess I was wrong.

* - The above does not apply to all Bohs fans.

bohsman

Slash/ED wrote:

They pushed the club they obsess over close, only one goal in it in the end :eek:

A good day for Bohs.

The most expensively assembled EL team ever and Alan Kelly (Reynolds according to GF) vs 10 "men" (6 being under 20) They gave 110% Pat "respect" Fenlon even mentioned in Fagans after the game how he wished his team had half the passion. Bohs need to rebuild but the future is looking bright with kids like Duggan and O'Reilly coming through and then theres Mark Keane and JP Kelly off in Bulgaria with the Irish U 19s

Then there was Shergar and Pinnochio driving around Drumcondra giving Bohs fans stick, very professional. By the way are yous not getting sick off buying Bobbys dad drink and smokes?

bohsman

MrJoeSoap wrote:

Ah I see, I thought it might have been something to do with the thinking:

"Well we knew we were always going to lose, even if Shels are rubbish these days, so we were happy to vandalise the pitch, post players phone numbers in the toilets in Dalymount, throw sausages at the players and officials on the pitch and generally lower our standards to sub-human" *

Guess I was wrong.

* - The above does not apply to all Bohs fans.

I think Cork fans painted the pitch over Ollie Cahills defection (remember that glorious day in Kilkenny when Cahill won Bohs the league) There is no evidence whatsoever to say that Bohs fans were involved.

Slash/ED

bohsman wrote:

I think Cork fans painted the pitch over Ollie Cahills defection (remember that glorious day in Kilkenny when Cahill won Bohs the league) There is no evidence whatsoever to say that Bohs fans were involved.

Yeah it was the Cork fans or someone else, sure there's loads of people who'd want to randomly paint Judas on the pitch days before the north dublin derby, no reason to suspect it was Bohs at all.

This is when I offically stop talking you or anything you have to say, ever, seriously.

bohsman

Slash/ED wrote:

Yeah it was the Cork fans or someone else, sure there's loads of people who'd want to randomly paint Judas on the pitch days before the north dublin derby, no reason to suspect it was Bohs at all.

This is when I offically stop talking you or anything you have to say, ever, seriously.

North Dublin Derby??? But youre from Ringsend.

Yes chances are it was bohsfans 99% really but you have no evidence

KdjaCL

bohsman wrote:

North Dublin Derby??? But youre from Ringsend.

Yes chances are it was bohsfans 99% really but you have no evidence

Are you Rovers in disguise.

kdjac

jubbly

The FAI should be handing out fines to Bohs for vandalising our pitch.