All Decked out

Following his appointment as Interim Manager, Declan O’Hara has declared that everyone at Cliftonville is united behind the same goal – success for the team.

The lifelong Reds fan, who has assumed a multitude of coaching roles since his playing days at Solitude, has taken over first-team responsibilities following Paddy McLaughlin’s departure on Monday, and says that he and the players will be giving it everything to meet supporters’ hopes and dreams in the coming weeks.

“It’s no surprise for anyone to hear me say I love this Club,” asserts O’Hara, who will be assisted by the incumbent backroom team.

“I’ve been here for such a long time as a player, coach, working with the reserves and the first team that it’s been a part of my life for longer than I can remember. For the Club to ask me to take over is a massive honour but it’s not about me or what it means to me – we still have a massive responsibility in the weeks ahead.

“We’ve two League games to go before the Play-Offs and we want to get as many points on the board as possible and then give it everything to get into Europe, which always means so much for Cliftonville.

“Everybody at this Club – from the Chairman, Board, me, the staff, the players and everybody right down through all the supporters – all want the same thing and that’s for Cliftonville to be successful. I’ve spoken to the players about that and they’re aware of the responsibility they have when they play for this Club.

“I know the players have taken some criticism recently but, let’s face it, every single one of them has been a credit since the day they came in. They were brilliant for Paddy from the start and we’ve just hit a blip recently where confidence has taken a hit. It’s up to me and the rest of the staff to give them the lift that they need because we know we have a quality squad here, they’ve proved it over and over again, and if we can get everybody up and running again, we’ll have a good chance of getting what we want for the rest of the season.”

O’Hara’s tenure commences with a North Belfast Derby duel against Crusaders at Solitude on Saturday and, while revealing that places in the team are up for grabs, he insists the Red Army can play a key part from the sidelines.

“We know we can rely on our supporters to come out and get behind us, they’re going to be massive,” he adds.

“Everybody pulling together can be a big part of things. I’ve told the players it’s a clean slate, nobody’s place is guaranteed and I’ll be picking the team based on what I’ve seen from them over the last few months but also in training this week. It’s all about who’s showing what I need to see.”

Cliftonville v Crusaders
Saturday, April 22
Adults: £12
Concessions: £8
Tickets: Here
Members Tickets and Season Tickets valid

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