Glenavon ‘everything you'd want to be part of’ as new boss Paddy McLaughlin plots rise up rankings
After spending his first few days as Glenavon manager in the matchday spotlight, Paddy McLaughlin will welcome Coleraine for a first league test in Lurgan bolstered by the benefit of time together behind the scenes.
Confirmed on a Sunday as boss of the Lurgan Blues, McLaughlin had to deal with a cup tie that Tuesday then derby date last Saturday.
Having watched his team finish with defeats to Dungannon Swifts and Portadown, McLaughlin will hope for Glenavon gains built off welcome training time across the past week with the goal of introducing fresh ideas towards a climb up the standings from the drop zone.
"Things are very good in a lot of areas but there are things we need to sharpen up on and if we do that we've got a good squad of players,” said McLaughlin. "January is only around the corner, we'll probably bring in one or two, we'll see what happens...but it's only fair everyone gets a crack at impressing and showing that they want to be part of the club in the future.
"Glenavon...it's everything you'd want to be part of and, hopefully, the players are feeling that as well."
Big-picture strides forward will only arrive off in-house baby steps – a process McLaughlin was this week able to start in earnest with a match-free preparation run.
McLaughlin said: "Any manager or coach will tell you there's hundreds of things you can go through...how you want them to defend from throw-ins, goal kicks, corner-kicks; how you want them to play; how you want them to move inside the box attacking and defending. "You can't just fire everything at them in one or two sessions...we'll work our way through what's important.”