McLaughlin 'buzzing to be back in the cauldron'

Paddy McLaughlin (centre) was appointed Glenavon manager on Sunday

New Glenavon manager Paddy McLaughlin says he is "buzzing to be back in the cauldron" of Irish League management after being appointed as successor to Stephen McDonnell in the role.

McDonnell parted company with the Lurgan Blues after a disappointing run of form which sees the club languishing in 11th place in the Premiership table with just three wins from their 17 league games to date.

McLaughlin left his position as Cliftonville manager in April 2023, before a spell as assistant boss at Derry City, which ended in February.

The former Institute boss has agreed a three-and-a-half-year contract with Glenavon as he prepares to try and resurrect the fortunes of the mid Ulster club.

"I wasn’t waiting on the perfect thing to come up but I was waiting on something that I’d be interested in and keen on," said McLaughlin of his return to management.

"Glenavon, obviously the pitch that they have and the training facilities, and the club itself is a good club, renowned to be a very well run club, a good club to get an opportunity with.

"The set of players they have too. I think they’re definitely underperforming. I don’t think they should be sitting where they are at. There’s more than enough talent there to start climbing the league."

'Getting the best out of the squad we have'

McLaughlin's immediate priority is to work with the players he has at his disposal, plus his backroom team of Marty McCann and Colin Coates, to improve his new club's league position.

"We are at the wrong end of the table and results have dictated that, so we have to go in and try and change that.

"It’s going to be difficult but with hard work and the right people around you and the right players around you hopefully we can get some points on the board and pull away from that relegation zone.

"It’s just about going back to basics, stop giving away soft goals, having more control of the game, keeping possession better, and ultimately try to create chances at the top end for our strikers and score more goals."

The former defender says all the players at the club will start with a clean slate and be given an opportunity to show what they can do.

"Everyone will get their chance and we’ll be assessing everything and try to develop as a group.

"We may well have to step into the transfer market in January but it’s up to me and the coaches to produce the best that we can out of what we have and build around that.

"The budget wasn’t discussed in too much detail [before he was appointed]. I have belief in my ability to get the best out of players first and foremost and then only if I feel we need strengthening will I step outside the club to bring in other players."

Developing as a coach

Paddy McLaughlin led Cliftonville to a second place league finish in the 2021-22 season

McLaughlin has been using his time out of the game to further develop his coaching skills and keep a watching brief on both the League of Ireland and the Irish Premiership.

"I’ve been keeping a close eye on both leagues as you don’t know when the opportunity will come up for either league, staying in touch with both and going to a lot of matches.

"Also club visits to see how other clubs and other managers do things, see where I was going right or wrong at Cliftonville and Institute.

"Just try and take on as much information and try and improve myself for the next opportunity so hopefully I can go into the job better equipped than I was before.

McLaughlin's first league match in charge will be an away trip to mid Ulster derby rivals Portadown, "a baptism of fire", as he himself describes it.

"That’s what you want, to be involved in these kind of games.

"It’s easier said than done but three or four wins in a row, if you can put a run together, you can climb through the positions in the league. We believe we have a squad capable of doing that.

"I wouldn’t have come to Glenavon if I didn’t think myself and my staff were capable of getting the best from the players that we have."