Russell targets fresh start as Reds head for Kerry | OneFootball

Shelbourne FC will make the long trip southwest on Friday night to face Kerry FC in the FAI Cup, with John Russell taking charge of his first game since being appointed Head Coach.

Speaking to ShelsTV ahead of the tie, Russell described his first week in the job as a whirlwind, but was pleased with how quickly he was able to get to work with the group. “Yeah, really enjoyable. The first day or two was a bit of a whirlwind, but great to get in amongst it straight away in terms of training and meeting the staff and trying to get a couple of my ideas across. And it’s brilliant that we’ve got a game to look forward to.”

With such a short turnaround before Friday’s tie, Russell has kept his early messaging simple, looking to build gradually rather than overload the players in his first week. “Playing with an intent, playing forward passes, making forward runs, giving them a little bit of structure on how I want the team to play. I know we’re going to have to drip feed things as we go forward, you’re not going to get everything in a week.” “Obviously we’ve players that are out at the moment as well, so you’re kind of balancing a few different things. But I suppose the essence is really keep it simple, but also play with a real energy and intensity. The guys responded well and they’ve trained well.”

There was encouraging news on the injury front, with Kerr McInroy and JJ Lunney both closing in on returns. “We’re not too far away from seeing Kerr and JJ. They’re working hard in their rehab. So yeah, we’re down a few bodies, but there’s opportunities as well.”

Russell pointed to a new addition working his way into the group, with young forward Dan Ring arriving back from Bray Wanderers. “We brought young Dan Ring back from Bray, and he’s scored goals there, so we’re looking forward to seeing how he does going forward.”

With cup ties away from home always carrying an element of danger, Russell was clear on the standard he expects from his players on Friday night. “We need the complete performance. This is a tricky tie, we need to be at our best. We need to play with a real energy and aggression in and out of possession and stamp our authority on the game. If we do that and play to our levels, hopefully we’ll be in the next round.”

Amid a period of change at the club, Russell says mentality will be the key word for his players from the first whistle. “That’s the word, it’s mentality. That’s what was said to the players this morning in training. Every team’s looking for a scalp when it comes to cup football. We need to make sure we impose ourselves, we don’t let the opposition have any momentum in the game. There’s always moments in a match you need to control, and that’s where your top players need to grab the game.”

With European football also on the horizon, Russell was keen to stress that all attention is on Friday’s tie. “That’s always the way I’ve operated. It’s the next game, don’t be thinking too far ahead. We’ve got to put our best foot forward tomorrow. We’ve been in, we’ve had a couple of sessions, players have responded well, but we’ve all been there in the past where training’s great, it’s about the match, and that’s where you’re judged on a Friday night. Kerry, that’s the full focus.”

Russell also had a message for the travelling support ahead of the trip to Kerry, keen to start his tenure with a positive result. “That’s what we want, that’s what I want, that’s what the players want, the staff, the supporters. There’s always excitement and it’s a freshness when there’s change, and you want to start with a win. And that’s the full focus tomorrow.”