Paddy McLaughlin wants to hit the ground running at Solitude

McLaughlin was installed in the Solitude hot seat on Monday and immediately stated he was there to get on with the job in hand.

“We’re not here to see out the season in holiday mode,” said McLaughlin.

“We want to climb the table and have a crack at qualifying for Europe.

“I don’t want to make any false promises to the fans because it takes time to get a playing style across, but that changing room is full of quality players, some of them would walk into any team in Ireland, and we need to prepare well this week, go into the Newry game on Saturday and try to start by getting three points.”

McLauglin won many admirers for the style of football Institute played during his tenure.

And the former Derry City, Coleraine and Finn Harps defender sees some similarities between the Reds and his former club.

“Both teams score goals for fun but also tend to concede a few soft goals so that’s definitely something we’ll be working on,” added McLaughlin.

“Cliftonville has been famous for playing good football and I know that’s the way I like my teams to play.

“This is a massive Club with passionate fans and I want to give them a team that will entertain them and keep them coming back.

“When you have the opportunity to come somewhere like this, you have to take it.

“It’s the sort of Club players should be breaking the door down to sign for.”

Newry City boss Darren Mullen is hoping his side can spoil the Solitude party on Saturday.

“It’s very difficult to go in and play against a team with a new manager,” he said.

“What we have to do is to make sure it doesn’t become a procession or a welcoming party for Paddy.

“I know Paddy well and he’ll have them disciplined and hard to break down, but I feel we’re capable of going and getting a good result on Saturday and Tuesday night’s result will give us that confidence.

“People expected us to be in a relegation battle, not within the club because we’d like to be higher in the table and have more points, but we’re in a position we probably deserve to be because the table doesn’t lie.

“What we have to do is fight tooth and nail to make sure that we stay in this league.

“It’s going to be a fight for every single point in this league and tonight could be a huge point in that process,” added Mullen