Glentoran manager Mick McDermott believes he has strengthened his squad for the forthcoming season
Irish Premiership - Larne v Glentoran |
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Venue: Inver Park Date: Friday, 12 August Kick-off: 19:45 BST |
Coverage: Watch live on BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website |
Glentoran manager Mick McDermott says the "fiasco" around the club being thrown out of last season's Irish Cup for fielding an ineligible player had a negative impact on their campaign.
The Glens were eliminated for playing Joe Crowe in their 1-0 cup quarter-final win over Newry City and failed to overturn the decision despite a lengthy appeals process.
The east Belfast club finished third in the Premiership but did not qualify for Europe as they lost to Larne in the end-of-season play-off final.
McDermott's charges harboured realistic ambitions of winning the Gibson Cup as they suffered just one defeat in 21 top-flight outings either side of Christmas, but their form deserted them in the closing stages of the campaign.
"You have to use the disappointment of the Irish Cup fiasco, the registration issue, to drive us on - the way that had an impact and derailed the last eight weeks of our season," said McDermott.
"We are using that as a motivating factor and have done throughout the whole pre-season.
"We followed the advice of our legal team, followed the process that is allowed under the regulations in front of us, and fought our corner.
"It didn't work out and absolutely I think it had a negative impact."
McDermott has made a number of pre-season signings in a bid to improve his squad for the new league season, which will commence with a trip to Larne on Friday 12 August.
The new acquisitions include goalkeepers Mike Argyrides and Oliver Webb, defenders Aidan Wilson and Harry Murphy, midfielder James Singleton and forwards Ally Roy and Danny Purkis.
"I think we have strengthened. The players who have moved on didn't contribute the way they might have last season and the players we have brought in have been an upgrade in my opinion.
"Our first priority is to get into Europe. We have built a strong squad and winning the league is the ultimate target, no doubt about that, but unfortunately a lot of other clubs are saying the same thing.
"As long as we are competing near the top, then if you finish strongly things can happen."
McDermott dampened speculation that forward Conor McMenamin may make a move to England or Scotland during the remainder of the August transfer window, but added that a transfer could more realistically be an option in January.
McMenamin made his Northern Ireland debut in the Nations League game against Cyprus in June.
"Right now, he [Conor] is a Glentoran player. He has two years left of his contract but if an offer comes in we will listen to it. The offer needs to be fair to Glentoran Football Club though," explained McDermott.
"If Conor can hold his form and get himself into the Northern Ireland squad for the September matches then a move for him in the January window is more of a realistic possibility than August," added the Glens boss.
