Longford Town FC manager Gary Cronin looking forward to a new challenge

Cronin is certainly no stranger to the club, having spent 10 seasons in Longford previously, as player, coach and assistant manager.

“It was a good foundation for me coming back here, knowing people in the club. They also know me and what I am about,” he told the Leader.

His previous management job was with Bray Wanderers who he guided to the First Division promotion play-off final last season. 

The disaster that was last season in the Premier Division is best forgotten about. Cronin is starting with a clean slate.

The Leader spoke to Cronin following a pre-season friendly at  Bishopsgate on Saturday last which saw his side lose 2-1 against Finn Harps.

This was his side’s fifth friendly match in preparation for the new season, which starts this Saturday at home to Cobh Ramblers.

“We previously played Shamrock Rovers, Derry City,  Bohemians and UCD in preparation for the new season,” he stated.

Gary views these games as worthwhile exercises. “We were playing good quality opposition. We are forming a new group and building relationships. While results don’t matter in these pre-season games, we are trying not to concede goals and play the way we set out to,” he commented.

Cronin must rebuild the Town squad, with so many players having departed since the relegation from the Premier Division last season. However, he thinks that a fresh squad is a good thing.

“That group of players had been together a while and brought success to the club. Players come and go in clubs, things change. Starting from scratch is not a bad thing and indeed many First Division Clubs have to do that,” he remarked.

“In Bray, there was a high turnover of players. The second season I was there, I only had one player from the previous season remaining,” he added.

There is some level of familiarity this season for Cronin, given that he has signed four players that served under him in Bray.

“I know those lads well, but I will get to know the rest of the squad. We have to push our limits and push our standards as high as we can,” Cronin stated.

He is not bothered by the financial constraints that will exist in the Town club this season.

 “I am a big fan of living within your means in a club. This club has been good at working within financial constraints. Every manager obviously would love a bigger budget, but you have to work with what you have,” he stated.

There are full-time clubs operating in the First Division – Waterford, Cork City and Galway United. However, Cronin is not fazed by the challenge that presents to the rest of the teams in the second tier of the Airtricity League. 

“Those clubs still have to go out and win matches. That is part of the challenge for us. Our players have other things to worry about, be it work or college. However, they understand that is part of the challenge,” he commented.

Cronin is now in the top job at Longford Town FC. He served under three different managers in the past (Alan Mathews, Tony Cousins and Neale Fenn) and he absorbed lessons from all of them.

“Tony was brilliant to me, giving me the role of assistant manager. You look at managers that you work with, you absorb things – what you should do as a manager and also what you shouldn’t do,” he remarked.

Cronin is excited about some of the young players that he will be working with this season. “Ben Lynch, Calum Warfield and Dean McMenamy (who is on loan from Shamrock Rovers) are all good players with good attitudes and there are others such as them,” he stated.

Cronin also has an experienced No. 2, with his assistant being James Keddy.

“James worked with me in Bray. He also won four Premier Division medals as a player (with Derry, Drogheda and Shelbourne), so he has a lot of experience of the league,” Cronin stated.

“The beauty of the league is that there is always another game coming up and you have to be looking forward,” the affable Longford Town manager stated as he prepares his side for the opening league fixture against Cobh Ramblers at Bishopsgate this Saturday night.