Tim Clancy knows there will be a target on Cork City this season with Premier Division step up 

Winning promotion was one thing for Tim Clancy, now it is all about preparing for life in the Premier Division with Cork City.

That follows a fairly straightforward title win, with promotion wrapped up at the start of September with six games left to play.

The step-up will be big, especially with every team in the league now operating on a fully professionally basis.

There won’t be a weak link, a side cast off over the size of their budget or training regime.

Clancy knows this, and how it paints a target on Turner’s Cross.

“Every game is a completely different mentality for the opposition coming – not being disrespectful but when we played every game last year home or away a draw would have been a good result for the opposition,” he told The Echo.

“They set up for that a lot. There were low blocks. They were narrow. That is pretty hard to break down.

“Without being disrespectful to us. 

Plenty of teams will come down here, especially with us travelling away from home, they will expect to win games against a newly promoted side. 

"That is a different dynamic all-together.

“There will be spaces there to attack. With the quality we have in attacking areas at the end of the pitch, we have to make sure that we are solid out of possession. In transitions, we will be good this season.” 

City started preparing for life in the top-flight last summer by signing players to long-term contracts.

That secured the services of strikers Sean Maguire and Ruairi Keating and midfielder Sean Murray, who was brought in from Glentoran on a permanent basis after originally moving to Turner’s Cross on a loan deal.

Other members of the squad committed over the winter, from Evan McLaughlin in the middle of the park to Charlie Lyons in the back-line.

“We had a good chunk of the squad re-signed for this season so we have a bit of work to do which we are doing,” Clancy explained.

“We have a lot of really quality players,” he added.

STACKED

“The top end of the pitch is stacked. We have a lot of quality with Keats [Ruairi Keating] and Seani [Sean Maguire] and you see young Harvey [Skieters] there. 

"He is a very good player as well. You have Alex Nolan and Josh [Fitzpatrick], who have been excellent as well. 

"Cathal [O’Sullivan] and Malik [Dijksteel]. You have Sean Murray that can play off the front as well. 

"We have a lot of players in the attacking end of the pitch and we have added some in the middle of the pitch.  Full-back areas are very strong and centre-backs, we will get a couple in.” 

The squad will feature a number of players stepping up from the U20s and into the senior ranks for the first time.

Clancy is using preseason to ease the transition from academy life to the professional game, and that means focusing on physicality and decision-making during friendlies with Bohemians and Treaty United, and a bout with Carrigaline United in the Munster Senior Cup Round of 16 at Ballea Park.

The coach used the competition last term to assess those emerging from squads in the Underage National League.

City were drawn to play Wilton United in the Round of 16 and an U20s selection took to the pitch in Mayfield. They were managed by Stephen Birmingham with Clancy watching on from a distance and just three starters on the day had first-team experience with the Rebel Army.

There was no reward for faith in tomorrow as the youthful selection went down on penalties after a 0-0 draw over 120 minutes, but the lessons learned help develop current senior squad members Arran Healy, Josh Fitzpatrick, and Matthew Kiernan.

NEW WAVE

Clancy is repeating this process during City’s current preseason plan, and he hopes for another class to emerge over the coming weeks.

“They’ve been coached very well in the academy, they are good players, it gives you an idea when I see them how they react in situations,” Clancy referenced recent games against Bohemians and Treaty United.

“You see young Finn [Dalton] come in there, he is only 17 and is a right-back. He was excellent. Athletically very good. 

Physically very good. He was brave in the air. Tackles well. 

"It gives an opportunity for them to see and play with some of the first team players. They can see the physicality of it and they all stood up really well."