Baxter wants Carrick to 'believe in themselves again'

Stephen Baxter guided Crusaders to three Irish Premiership titles and four Irish Cup triumphs

Stephen Baxter aims to take Carrick Rangers clear of the Premiership relegation zone after being named as their new manager on Monday night.

It is a return to management for Baxter, who spent 19 years as Crusaders boss with his final game in charge in July.

Stuart King departed Taylors Avenue last week after a poor start to the season, with Carrick now sitting 11th in the standings and one point above basement side Loughgall.

"The work that Stuart King did was exceptional - there's a nucleus of a good squad, good talented players and one or two good young players," said Baxter.

"So you have to weigh that up and make them believe in themselves again, where they need to get to and what the focus is. Carrick need to be in a position where they're competing every week whoever they are playing and looking to get the points.

"The main objective is to get yourself out of that danger zone and try to push up the table as soon as possible. Carrick are in that position now but let's see where we are in six to eight weeks."

Carrick ended a run of eight straight league defeats on Saturday with a 2-0 home win over Cliftonville.

Interim boss Mark Surgenor was in the Rangers dugout at Taylors Avenue and he will be charge again for Tuesday night's visit to Glentoran in the County Antrim Shield quarter-finals.

Baxter will start his Carrick reign on Saturday with a home encounter against Coleraine and he is excited for the challenge ahead after signing a three-year contract.

Rangers' ambitious plans include laying a new 4G surface along with building a new stand and changing rooms.

"I guess when good people come to chat to you and sell their plans to you about their exciting ideas you think to yourself 'why not?' - having listened to their plans for the next three, four or five years it was a bit of a no-brainer," added the 59-year-old.

"I've signed up for three years but I'll see where the project takes us and that's really what you want.

"When you see what they are trying to achieve you can see the enthusiasm, determination and focus of folk from the town and that needs to be galvanised even further with local businesses and a little bit of investment that's coming. If you put that all together and put a structure in place then you have to try and build on that."

Baxter admits it will be a challenge to manage a team other than Crusaders following almost two decades at Seaview.

"It will be very strange for us all - even talking about a new club, no matter who that had been, was always going to be difficult for me when you're so embedded in one club for such a long period of time.

"But this is a project, one that's well under way. I'm excited about people, I'm excited about what other people want to achieve and what their aspirations are.

"I can add my 10 pence worth into the mix but it's where people want to get to, their enthusiasm and determination to get there and I'll try and push it along the way."