Managing expectations

One year ago, Damien Richardson could do little other than stand and watch as a rampant Manchester United side demolished his Airtricity XI team 7-1. Billed as the curtain-raiser for the Aviva Stadium, the battle was lost before a ball was kicked. While there was no doubting the massive gulf in quality, Richardson was further handicapped by a lack of time to prepare for the encounter.

Despite the drubbing, the former Cork City and Shamrock Rovers boss enjoyed the evening and is set to reprise his role as Airtricity XI coach for next month’s Dublin Super Cup. Also taking place at the Aviva, the Super Cup will see Richardson’s collective face off against Glasgow Celtic and Manchester City over two days in a more competitive environment. It was precisely this change of focus that attracted the 63-year-old to the job.
“This season there’s a different personality entirely in that it is a proper competition and there will be better preparation than there was last year,” he says.
With the competition set to be screened around the world, Richardson sees it as a huge opportunity for his players to make a name for themselves.
“It’s real football,” he stresses. “The players will know from when we get together that this will be no-holds-barred and I will be expecting a high level of performance and commitment from them to ensure that at the end of the weekend, we’re all proud of what we have actually achieved.”
While he won’t risk players who may be in European competition at the time, Richardson will have no restrictions when it comes to picking his team.
“At the end of the day, it’s 11 men against 11 men. You cannot go into a competition of this nature with any inferiority complex. You couldn’t ask for a much stiffer challenge than kicking off against Manchester City, but that’s what you’re in football for.”
Richardson is keen to stress the importance of communication between a manager and his players, a notion that is especially relevant given the current controversy surrounding the national team and manager Giovanni Trapattoni.
“The only thing I can say about Trapattoni is that the results speak for themselves,” he says. “I like a type of football that is a little more expansive, but Trapattoni’s way is the most successful that we’ve had in a long time.”
Citing the victory against Italy in Liege earlier this month, Richardson believes that Trapattoni has the full confidence of his squad.
“To go to Liege and come away with a 2-0 victory against the Italians is an indication that his way is getting across to the players. There’s no doubt that one of the greatest confidences a team can have – and supporters and the media can have – is the fact that even the reserve players, when they come in, perform to a very high level.”
While Trapattoni is getting the results on the pitch, there is concern that his methods are isolating players like James McCarthy. Critics have argued that the Ireland boss isn’t doing enough to protect and encourage the young Wigan midfielder at a time when we need to look to the future.
“I work in the media so I understand the responsibilities that lie with people who work in that environment,” he explains. “I’ve been a manager and I’ve been a player, so I can appreciate the difficulties and expectations on all sides. The best way to keep the trust between the individual groups is to keep talking. And to do that, you have to respect that sometimes people’s opinions will be different to your own.”

Damien Richardson will manage the Airtricity League XI at the Dublin Super Cup. The major pre-season tournament will take place at the Aviva Stadium on July 30 and 31, 2011. Tickets are now on sale, please visit dublinsupercup.com or ticketmaster.ie