Duncan Ferguson has taken charge as the new manager of Glentoran, with the club sitting third in the Premiership on 20 points. He succeeds Paddy McCourt, whose five-game unbeaten caretaker spell concluded with last week's 1-0 win over Limavady United.
McCourt was appointed as the interim boss last month following the departure of Declan Devine. His tenure saw the team collect 13 points from a possible 15, a run that lifted them into the current top-three position. The run included a 2-0 win over Dungannon Swifts, a 2-0 victory against Carrick Rangers, and a 2-1 away win at Cliftonville FC, before a goalless draw at Portadown. The spell concluded with D. Larmour's 94th-minute winner against Limavady United on Saturday 17 October. The team's goal minutes during this run were 6, 45, 90, 94, and 15, showing a capacity to score at key times.
"I'm proud of what the players have produced," McCourt said. The former Celtic winger, who has been at the club for two-and-a-half seasons, expressed no complaints about the change. "I've loved it. I love being part of this football club," he added, praising the treatment from the club and its supporters.
Building on positive form
Glentoran's recent form reads four wins and a draw from their last five league matches, leaving them unbeaten in the last five. This positive momentum has them 11 points behind leaders Coleraine, with Ferguson's primary task being to end the club's 18-year wait for a league title. The team's record of six wins, two draws, and four losses from their 12 games has yielded a solid goal difference of plus six, having scored 16 and conceded 10. McCourt believes there is plenty more to come from the squad as the season progresses, a foundation the new manager will look to build upon immediately.
The first test of the Ferguson era comes this Saturday, 24 October, with a home fixture against sixth-placed Ballymena United. Glentoran won the last meeting between the sides 2-0 in August. The new manager's immediate challenge is to prepare for the next fixture, which is against Linfield on 31 October. Fans can view the full upcoming fixtures schedule as the team aims to close the gap at the top of the standings.
Read the full report at Northern-Ireland
Duncan Ferguson has signed a long-term contract and will be moving to Belfast, the club confirmed on 22 October. The new manager set out his ambition immediately. "I want to win trophies here," Ferguson told Glentoran's club media. "Success here will be judged on what we win." He takes over a side third in the Premiership on 20 points, with a goal difference of plus six from 12 games. The team is unbeaten in its last five matches, a run Ferguson will aim to extend.
Duncan Ferguson's backroom team is taking shape. The club confirmed on 23 October that Gary Bollan will be part of the new manager's set-up. Bollan has prior managerial experience and previously worked with Ferguson at Inverness Caledonian Thistle. Ferguson, who takes over a side third in the Premiership on 20 points, has signed a multi-year contract and will be living in Belfast. The new manager's first test is the home fixture against Ballymena United on Saturday.
