Ryan aiming for promotion
When Glen Ryan took charge of his first league campaign as Longford manager last year he didn't foresee relegation to Division 4.
The Kildare man had a few ideas he wanted to try out but unfortunately they didn't work out.
This year as Longford prepare for the start of another league campaign Ryan admits things will be different: "We will be approaching every game this year with a different mindset. Last year we were looking at new players that we hadn't seen before.
"It wasn't my intention for us to get relegated; in many ways we were unfortunate to find ourselves in that position. Every game this year that we go out to play in we will hope to be more competitive," he told the Leader.
After the disappointment of last year there's just one aim for Longford this year and that's promotion.
Preparations have gone well and Ryan believes his players will not be found wanting: "We set out our stall at the start of the year to get promoted. I don't think any team would be happy to stay in Division 4. We want to get out of it.
"We have prepared as best we can for the league campaign and we will certainly give it a good go."
Ryan is aware that Longford face a tough league campaign. He believes that there will be no favourites in the division and there will be plenty of teams challenging for promotion: "I can't see one team dominating the division. It's going to be a very competitive division and we will be trying hard to get out of it.
"I think nearly all the teams in the division are capable of winning it. There will be no game that you can take for granted. We certainly won't be picking out one particular game as being more significant than the next.
"We can't take our eye off the ball. In this division you'll have to string a number of wins together if you want to get promoted. That's what our plan is."
Longford face a tricky league opener this Sunday; away to Carlow in Dr. Cullen Park, who under the guidance of former Longford manager Luke Dempsey will provide formidable opposition for Glenn Ryan's men: "Any game that you go into at this time of the year is always going to be tricky.
"Carlow have shown over the last number of years that they are a very difficult team to beat at home. I know they will be as keen as us to get out of the division that we are in. It's certainly a good, competitive game to be starting off the league with."
Longford will have a few players absent through injury for the beginning of the league campaign but Ryan is hopeful things will improve as the league progresses: "Peter Foy and Paul Barden have still a long way to go to regain full fitness.
"The way the league is structured we have only two games in the February. It hasn't worked out too badly for us with players coming back from injuries. It means towards the end of the league we will have a run of six games in a row which will be ideal situation if we can keep ourselves injury free. Hopefully that will be the case," concluded the Longford manager.
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Weather for Longford, Ireland
Sunday 05 February 2012
Today
Light rain
Temperature: 5 C to 8 C
Wind Speed: 9 mph
Wind direction: South west
Tomorrow
Light rain
Temperature: 5 C to 11 C
Wind Speed: 5 mph
Wind direction: North west
