Declan Caddell 'full focus on ourselves' message as Crusaders look to climb Irish League table
Crusaders manager Declan Caddell insists he’s paying no attention to the wider Premiership table landscape with “full focus” on what his side can control – their own performance levels.
The Crues enter Saturday’s home clash against reigning league champions Linfield sitting just one point above 11th-placed Carrick Rangers in the race to avoid a promotion/relegation play-off come the end of this season.
Their three-game unbeaten Premiership run was ended with an emphatic 5-1 defeat to Coleraine at The Showgrounds last weekend – it marked a second defeat to the Bannsiders in eight days after losing out against the same opponents in the Irish Cup fifth round.
Caddell’s men are in the midst of a difficult league fixture run with Linfield and runaway leaders Larne the next two teams set to visit Seaview.
The Crues squad was hit with a double blow this week as club captain Jarlath O’Rourke and Ross Clarke both departed for Glentoran, but they moved quickly to sign former Cliftonville winger Thomas Maguire from Dungannon Swifts.
Crusaders have struggled for consistency this term with the highs of victories over rivals Cliftonville and high-flying Dungannon Swifts combined with 14 defeats – only basement club Glenavon have suffered more.
The North Belfast club have only won consecutive Premiership matches once this term – November triumphs over Carrick and Glenavon – and no team has picked up fewer points on home turf (eight, joint with Carrick).
Caddell has full faith results will turn if his side can produce consistency and wants to replicate their first half showing against Coleraine with the Crues taking a 1-0 lead into the break before conceding five.
"We just look forward to the next game,” Caddell told the club’s media channel. “My full focus is on ourselves and what we can do week to week, and if we manage to do that we will be fine.
"If we play like we did for 50 or 55 minutes against Coleraine, there'll be no issues whatsoever. We have to concentrate on the next game and look to get points.
"We can focus on the league now and it gives us a wee bit of rhythm and routine for what we do in our working week, which is good.
"Linfield and Larne are always up there, Larne are running away with the league this season and are a really good side.
"We have to be at our best and if we can get the 50 or 55 minutes that we got against Coleraine for 90, we will be fine and we can beat anybody in the league. We're just struggling to get that at the minute."
Crusaders have conceded 49 goals – the league’s joint-highest alongside Glenavon ahead of their Friday trip to Larne – and Caddell will hope the arrival of Scottish defender Cameron Bruce can help bring improvements.
Bruce made his Premiership debut last weekend and Caddell was pleased with what he witnessed.
"I thought he was brilliant,” he added. “Quick, athletic, good on the ball.
"He hasn't played in a while so we had to nurse him back in. It was a good solid debut for him.”