New manager Fran Rockett ready for take-off as Cobh Ramblers pre-season continues 

The Fran Rockett era at Cobh Ramblers is about to take off, with less than a month to go to the first game of the league season, and he is counting down by putting his players through some hard yards on east Cork.

The coach is currently implementing a rigorous fitness routine, with a squad that went agonisingly close to achieving promotion to the Premier Division season, and things are slowly coming together at St Colman’s Park.

“Yeah I’m delighted – I’m really, really happy because it is a good group of players,” he gave an insight into preseason on the Great Island.

“Their fitness levels are going up and they are getting minutes in the preseason games, and it is being shared around.

“We’ve lots of young lads on, a few trialists, and lads who are currently with us and signed. 

"So yeah, I’m really, really happy. It’s been really, really positive. I’m really, really happy with how things are starting to take shape.” 

This has involved a rigorous preseason schedule that has included games with Waterford FC, Mayfield United, and Leeside United in the Munster Senior Cup.

“You know what, with the friendlies there's a different mindset,” Rockett went through these fixtures.

“You probably have two XIs and the game can be a bit broken. At least with the Munster Senior Cup there's a little bit more consistency in it. 

"The minutes go up as well. Lads will probably jump from 45 to 60 to 70 minutes.

“Against Leeside United, some lads probably played a little bit more as well. But, it was a good game. 

"It was a really, really good game and Leeside were so accommodating. They were fantastic when we went down. We can't thank them enough. With our own group as well, I think we're after stepping up to another level of fitness as well which is really, really good.

“We had a tough session on the Thursday before the Leeside game and we knew going into the game that we could possibly be a bit flat at the start of the game, no matter who we were playing. 

"But I think the boys coped really, really well. I'm really happy with the levels of fitness from the whole lot of them.” 

The Ramblers won 3-0 with new signing Wilson Waweru scoring twice, and their reward is a meeting with Waterford in the quarter finals at the RSC.

“We're going to be playing down there - these are the kind of things you want to prime you for the start of the season,” he explained.

“It was important we won against Leeside United and [Waterford] is a game that will further test us.

“It will give us a bit more of a tactical outlook in our preparation. It will be exciting. 

"I think it's really, really important that we start getting that competitive edge early in the season.” 

The main talking point is how Cobh will do after going so close last year. Rockett hears the conversations and chooses to stay in the present, and that means getting it right in the dressing room and on the training pitch.

“It will be a talking point - at the minute, we're just now going through the process of getting players in the doors,” he explained.

“And once we get them all in, it will be more of a thing where we will all sit down and we will discuss that within the group. We will create your leadership group and whatnot.

“But it's definitely going to be a focus point moving forward. And we're quite happy that once we get the right bodies in the door, we'll create a standard and some kind of focus points moving forward in terms of what we want to try and hit as well. 

"We'll keep a lot of it indoor as well.

“But the most important thing with the whole lot of it is that we get minutes into players at the minute and then move forward, and we'll try and create that winning mindset. 

"And look, every manager in the league is going to be the same. We're just looking forward to the whole lot of it now.”