Boss Gannon out to make his mark

Published: 01 Jul 2009 - 08:18:44

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The 40-year-old took charge of training for the first time on Monday, before being officially unveiled on Tuesday. But Gannon is keen for his team to show they are already taking on board his ideas when they face the Welsh side at Airdrie's Excelsior Stadium. "First and foremost, I want to see some pride and passion - this is the first time back in the shirt," Gannon said.. "I want to see some of the coaching and the little tips we have given them. I want to see patterns on the pitch and want to see what we have been working on. "I hope those two ingredients will give us the ability to score goals and win the game. It's important we go down there with the advantage." Gannon's football philosophy helped Stockport rise from the bottom of the Football League to become a competitive League One side in less than three years. He was made redundant by County administrators in May but is keen to see similar progress at Fir Park. "I want the players to play good football but I've always tempered this with the fact it has to be effective," the former Dundalk boss added. "I'm looking to see if the players can control the game, move the ball around with purpose - to penetrate. "It's not just about being attractive; it's about being effective, and I hope that combination gives us goals and results." The imminent departure of Paul Quinn, expected to sign for Cardiff, will leave Gannon with just 11 experienced players for the first leg. The Steelmen lost 3-1 to Welsh champions Rhyl in a closed-doors friendly on Saturday, but Gannon is confident he can mould the players into an organised group in time. "Any manager's brief is purely about making sure he gets the best out of the players available to him," he added. "That's all I'm looking to do - making sure the players are well organised, well drilled and know exactly what they are doing when they go out on the pitch. "In due course, I hope we'll strengthen and progress the quality of the team and the quality of the club." The first qualifying round comes just 11 days after Well began pre-season training, but winger Jim O'Brien is confident fitness will not be a problem. "You could be out injured for four weeks and go straight back into the games," said the former Celtic winger. "So I don't think we will have lost that much. It's just about getting our sharpness back."

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