Drogs go forward with Mick Cooke

Drogheda United manager Mick Cooke has just signed a new two year contract after successfully keeping Drogheda in the Premier Division. Mick looks forward to working again with his assistant, Robbie Horgan for the coming season.

What would your ambitions for the team be for next season?

A lot depends on the budget on what type of players we hope to attract to the club next season. I’ve been assured already that the budget will be an improvement on this season. Realistically we would be aiming for a mid-table position next season. We certainly don’t want to be battling at the bottom of the table in the relegation zone! The standard will be much higher with 12 teams in contention and teams like Shelbourne and Cork City raising the bar.

How are you going about signing new players for next season?

Myself, Robbie Horgan and Stephen (O’Brien) attend a lot of games and have already identified a number of players we would want to sign but first we have to sit down and decide what players we want to keep. I will be contacting all the players over the next few days. We’d be looking to have 18 to 20 players in the squad, especially with the extra amount of suspensions you have these days!

Do you see yourself travelling to England or Scotland again this time round?

Yes I intend to visit the Glenn Hoddle Academy (where Lee Lynch was signed) fairly soon. We also have Stuart Taylor (ex-Drogheda player) who keeps an eye out for us in Scotland. He’s currently the Assistant Manager at Hamilton.

Many long-time supporters often remark how referees are so different nowadays.

In my playing days, players would often have a bit of banter with the refs. The likes of Paddy Daly and John Carpenter knew how to talk to players. Nowadays you can’t speak your mind at all! If you do, you’ll be penalised. There needs to be better communication between the FAI,  referees and  managers.

Next season you will have to bring in the U-19s players as there will be no reserve division. Rory Kerr’s 19s had a great win over Shamrock Rovers in Tallaght last weekend and young Conor O’ Keefe has played in the last two games.

I go to a lot of the 19s games and am always happy to bring the youths through but only when they are ready. There is a lot of talent in that team but it does take time. A good few of the players will be underage again next year .We will also be meeting with our feeder club, Drogheda Boys soon to strengthen the links between the two clubs.

You couldn’t have had a more difficult start when you arrived for the very first training session on Tuesday 1^st March before the first league game against UCD on Friday 4^th March! Then inheriting Bobby Browne’s players and they all signed for the First Division!

Of course I found it very difficult at first as it takes a while to get to know the players, what their best positions are etc. It was tough on them too as maybe 95% of them had never played in the Premier Division before. But there’s great credit due to the players for surviving in the top division and then for the club to stabilise itself off the pitch-that was equally important.

When the window opened in July you were able to sign your own players, such as Gavin Brennan, Lee Lynch, Dave Rogers, Tiarnán Mulvenna, Peter McMahon & Jordan White.

Yes they all did well but the find of the season has to be Gavin Brennan! He looks to have a great future in the game and will really benefit from a hard pre-season. He was voted the club’s player of the year on Friday night while Lee Lynch won the supporters’ player of the year.

Hopefully you will be able to bring back the two other Brennans (Ryan & Seán) that you took to Monaghan!
It was amazing how it panned out with me coming here and they going the opposite direction! Maybe Gavin can persuade his two brothers to come back to us!

Which performances would have given you the most satisfaction this season?

Even though we didn’t win, the last game against Derry (2-2 away), 0-1 defeat at home to Shamrock Rovers (when Twigg scored in the 95^th minute), the 1-2 away win in Dundalk and the 1-1 FAI Cup draw at home to Dundalk.

You have a great relationship with the supporters. You went over to apologise to some fans after the recent 1-4 defeat to Bray!

Our performance that night was abysmal, conceding three goals in five minutes. But to their credit, the fans kept cheering us on to the very end in the most difficult of circumstances. I think they appreciate that we keep trying to play football no matter what. They’ve been magnificent throughout the whole season.

Robbie Horgan and Mick Cooke

Alex Ferguson described last week’s 1-6 defeat to Man City as the worst ever in his 50 years involved in the game. What would be the worst game for you this season?
The worst would be the recent defeat to Bray, obviously the second part of the first half when we conceded three goals in five minutes was an absolute nightmare!
 

As it turns out, Paul Cook looks destined to stay with Sligo Rovers after turning down a last minute move to St. Johnstone in Scotland. Where did Sligo fall short in coming second to Shamrock Rovers in the League?
Paul is a great friend of mine and has done an outstanding job with Sligo, reaching their third successive FAI Cup final and beating Monaghan in the League Cup final, but overall their footballing performances probably have prevented them from winning the league. Shamrock Rovers lock up shop a lot better, they are more dogged in their approach to the game whereas Paul Cook always wants to play free-flowing football.

Thankfully the club doesn’t have the major financial worries of the past

Jim Agnew and the Board have done a marvellous job in turning the whole club round. They’ve always been honest in their dealings with me and we’ve had great communication throughout the whole season!  We have succeeded in avoiding relegation, which is hugely important for everyone at the club. I was delighted to see volunteers like Bridie Kerr, still involved with the club almost 40 years after I played here in the 70’s! It’s easy to be a volunteer when the club is successful. I think the people who have stood by the club this year, supporters or volunteers, deserve great credit. Hopefully next season they will have a lot more to cheer about!