Richardson's roadmap for European success
http://www.unison.ie/irish_independ...&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
