Manager’s Message

I am absolutely delighted to welcome you all to Balmoral Stadium for my first game in charge of Cove Rangers, a match which is also a richly deserved testimonial for long-time servant Stuart McKenzie.

Up until now, I have never had the opportunity to work with Stuart, but I have obviously been aware of him, and know him to be a top class goalkeeper. The comments from his team-mates and others who know him, tell me he is just as impressive a guy off the pitch.

I look forward to building a relationship with him, and I wish Stuart all the very best as he gets the recognition he deserves this afternoon.

I have started to get to know the players, we’ve had a couple of training sessions, and already I can see why the group has been so successful in recent seasons.

Paul Hartley and Gordon Young deserve great credit for that, they did a brilliant job, and the boys had an unbelievable few years under the old management team. The game is a lot simpler if you have the right players, the right people, and we certainly have that at Cove.

It is going to be a step-up for them, but from what I have seen they are more than capable of meeting that challenge. Part of my job is to get the recruitment correct, to bring in guys who can add to the squad, to supplement the quality we already undoubtedly have.

Stepping into part-time football for the first time will be a bit of a learning curve for me, and I need to be mindful the players also have jobs outwith the game, but I won’t be asking them to do anything they haven’t already been doing. As far as training is concerned, I’ve always thought Tuesdays and Thursdays are the most important days even at fulltime clubs – that’s when you do most of the work – so nothing will change for me in that respect.

My approach to the game is similar to Paul’s. I like my teams to play on the front foot, to attack the opposition, and when you have the excellent goalscorers we do, and the threat we have from midfield, it is important to create chances for them. That will be the mindset in the season ahead, and I hope you all enjoy the exciting brand of football the team will be attempting to play.

I must pay tribute to the chairman, Keith Moorhouse, and director of football, John Sheran. Throughout the conversations we have had, they have been straightforward, open and honest, and I can see the club is clearly in good hands at the top.

They will provide the backing, it’s up to me and the team to get it right on the pitch, and once we get the squad up to the required number – and that’s something I can promise you I’m working tirelessly towards – we will be well placed to adapt to life in the Championship.

Jim McIntyre