Ex-Glentoran captain highlights former team-mate 'I'd be asking the question' to over manager job

The Glens are on the hunt for a new manager after Declan Devine’s departure earlier this week and have seemingly missed out on their number one target with Jim Magilton set to remain at Cliftonville.

Former manager Rodney McAree, who has since won an Irish Cup at Dungannon Swifts, has ruled himself out of contention while ex-Larne chief Tiernan Lynch has been linked with the position.

Glentoran will hope their next manager can transform what has been a disappointing start to the current campaign – The Oval outfit have won just two of their opening seven league matches.

Batey made 259 appearances for Glentoran, captaining them to Irish Cup final glory over Linfield in 2001, and was part of their title-winning team of 1998/99 – when Andy Kirk scored 26 league goals.

Former Northern Ireland international Kirk has since moved into coaching, holding roles at Hearts and St Johnstone, and currently serves as manager of Brechin City, who are unbeaten through seven matches of their Lowland League campaign this term.

Born in Belfast and holding a connection to Glentoran, Batey believes the club should approach Kirk for his views on the position amid concerns over what happens if their next managerial decision doesn’t work out.

"The biggest concern is that the owner decides he's had enough and says ‘I'm not getting anything for my money’,” said Batey. “I fear if they don't get this one right.

"We need to go to somebody who's on the up, somebody who's coming from a winning background.

"There's some fantastic managers like Tiernan Lynch, people like him, but he has just been dismissed for one reason or another at Derry City – he is a great coach, don’t get me wrong.

"Jim's doing a good job at Cliftonville, maybe the promise of investment has kept him there.

"Rodney has been doing brilliantly for the last couple of years at Dungannon, but with his family connection, I totally understand why he would stay there.

"Gary Hamilton is a fantastic coach, was a fantastic player, but Gary seems happy, maybe he would like another bash at it, I don’t know.

"Who's at the top of the tree? Let's go get him. Unfortunately, you're not getting anybody at Larne, Coleraine, Cliftonville or Dungannon.

"I played with Andy Kirk, he’s a lovely, lovely guy, absolutely brilliant.

"Andy is in Scotland still, whether or not he would come home to manage Glentoran – if I was Glentoran, I'd be asking him the question, I would definitely be in touch and asking ‘Andy, what do you think?’.

"We have to be beyond getting somebody to hope they do well, we need to get somebody who's already doing well and to come in and make us better.”

Devine was another former Glens team-mate of Batey’s with the pair winning the Irish Cup together in 1996.

Batey feels Devine's exit potentially came slightly too soon with plenty of time to still turn the season around – and insists the players needed to deliver more for their manager.

"I think it could be a little bit premature,” added Batey. “The season's still quite young.

“As a player (in my time at Glentoran), you wanted to play well so that your mates in that team thought you were a good player...if I was playing for Declan Devine, I'd want Decky to think I was a decent footballer.

“I'm scratching my head (at current run). We need 11 James Singleton's to put the shirt on and do what needs doing.

"Maybe it's the modern era, I don't know, but it comes across to me that Saturday just doesn't seem as important, it’s not the pinnacle of the week for them, a lot of them seem to just go through the motions.

"They all look a million dollars. they're all fit as fiddles, but as a fan, all you want is the effort on a Saturday. I felt for Decky.”