Stephen Baxter with ‘bigger picture’ view as Carrick prepare for play-off pressure
Carrick Rangers will head into the high-stakes week of play-off pressure to preserve Irish League senior status with manager Stephen Baxter adopting a “bigger picture” stance.
Baxter is drawing on around two decades of experience in the dug-out to steer Rangers past this weekend’s final Sports Direct Premiership outing at home to Glenavon aware the final game of a 38-strong regular season marks only the start of a switch to the promotion/relegation play-offs.
Heading into the closing Championship programme, Annagh United sit in the driving seat to face Carrick in Portadown next Tuesday then at Rangers’ Taylors Avenue home on Friday, May 2 with the prize of a place in next season’s main stage.
Baxter joined Carrick last October as a replacement for Stuart King, with the former Crusaders boss signing a three-year deal. And he is turning that long-term view on to the short-term play-off scenario.
"In reality, we've been having a broader view of it over the last few weeks, recognising the maths suggesting we would get that second-bottom spot,” said Baxter. "So it was a matter of game management...who's fit, who's not fit, players coming back from injury, giving minutes.
"So lots of things going on behind the scenes to get as strong a squad as you can possibly gather going into these play-offs.
"We've been plotting...you're in the position for a reason and that's because you haven't won enough games of football to justify your automatic selection for next year.
"We've a lot to do but, ultimately, I look at a bigger picture and the team of players we've had have actually done very, very well.
"I've been very pleased since I've arrived...they've been very competitive, challenging in every single game of football that we've played.
"We've been a little bit short in certain areas...little things we have to tighten up on.
"But we've got very capable players, very strong Irish League players.
"I don't look upon anything that this team is doing in a negative fashion, I try to look for the positives in the performances, what we can improve on and where we can get better.
"All of that will add up to making sure we're in the best position entering into a play-off when that appears."