McGibbon unveiled as Mon Utd Assistant Manager

**Magicme** · 08/01/2009, 11:34 AM

Monaghan United FC are delighted to announce that ex-Manchester United, Wigan and Northern Ireland player Pat McGibbon has taken on the role as Assistant Manager/Coach of Monaghan United’s Senior FAI League of Ireland team. McGibbon was introduced to Monaghan United Committee, Juvenile managers and fans at an informal meeting at Kingspan Century Park on Wednesday night.

Pat played under some of the great managers of our time including Sir Alex Ferguson during his spell at Manchester United from 1992-1997, and John Deehan, Ray Mathias, Bruce Rioch, and Paul Jewell during his 6 year spell at Wigan Athletic. Eric Harrison and John Benson also coached Pat during his career and Monaghan United are confident that McGibbon will be able to impart the professional coaching tips and methods that have been instilled in him during his career.

With both his UEFA “B” and UEFA “A” Coaching awards, McGibbon is fully qualified and has been Player/Manager at his home town club of Lurgan Celtic FC since he retired from professional football in 2006 after spells at Portadown and Glentoran.

McGibbon has a very clear vision of what he wants to achieve at Monaghan United. He said he wants “the team to play attractive football where passing and movement (in the right areas!) is vital. This requires aggressive running when we are in control of the football.”

He continued that he hates conceding goals and feels that “defending is a collective responsibility, improved through discipline, which can be practised on the training ground. I like defenders to be defenders but anything else is a bonus.”

“I like my attacking players to be creative. I don’t mind a player who gives the ball away at times when taking players on in the last third of the pitch as it only takes a second to score a goal!” he stated.

One of his main ambitions for United is to have “the team compete with other teams physically. Players need to be strong and physically fit”

McGibbon has also committed himself to a “3 Year Plan” where he intends to help build “an 18-20 man senior squad with a core of locally based players from Monaghan, Fermanagh, Tyrone, Armagh etc, who are capable of competing in the Premier Division of the FAI League of Ireland.”

He sees the production of “2-4 players from the Under 20’s squad who can compete for a place in the Senior Squad and who are capable of playing 1st team football” as vital to the development of United and he is willing to work on developing the coaching structure at Monaghan United from Under 10’s upwards to ensure that the players develop “technically, tactically, physically, mentally and emotionally”.

At last night’s (Wednesday 7th Jan) announcement, Manager Mick Cooke stated that he was delighted to be working with McGibbon and both Pat and Mick re-iterated their intentions to work closely with the young up and coming players at United.

With a great deal of experience under top class managers, his qualifications and his well thought-out plan for the future, Pat McGibbon will undoubtedly be of great assistance to Manager Mick Cooke and help secure the future of football in Monaghan.