5 January 2021
By Roger Jones
roger@TheCork.ie
Preparations for the new season continue for Cork City and in recent weeks we have seen announcements covering who will be back with the team for the campaign.
Recently, names such as Gearoid Morrissey, Rob Slevin, Cian Murphy, David Harrington and Josh Honohan have all been confirmed as returning to the club.
Further re-signings have been made in recent weeks, and this looks set to be a season of hope as City try to get out of the first division and back into the Premier League, which is where they feel they belong.
All eyes will be on the start of the campaign to see how the newcomers can gel with old faces and how this team can put together their promotion bid on the back of a hugely disappointing 2020.
Three Youngsters Sign for the New Season
Moving down a division will likely result in more youngsters given the opportunity to shine for Cork City in 2021 and three possible candidates for that are the latest names to have re-signed for the club.
Alec Byrne, Cian Bargary and Darragh Crowley have put pen to paper for the 2021 season, and all three are touted as players who will play a big part and have important roles within the squad.
Alec Byrne is likely to be the one we see most out of these three, having played in parts for the first team last season. This drop down could be what brings him out as being a first team regular, and he is certainly a player to keep an eye on.
An injury free campaign should mean we see more from Bargary this time around, while Crowley will be hoping to show he learnt a lot while out on loan last season and he has come back a better player.
File photo: Logo
Continuity Can Bring a Fast Start
The 2021 season is going to be very different, with the Covid-19 backdrop and a drop down into the first division to contend with.
Teams are going to have to deal with a number of things, but with plenty of the team coming back to Cork, that should really help. Yes, this won’t be the same team, and new players will have bigger roles to fill but many of these players have been around the club so are familiar, even if they come back to play more.
The team has genuine promotion claims this season, and the way that recruitment has gone so far is all based around continuity and having a good start to the season. If the first games go well, it may be time for the fans to get excited.
What are the Chances of Promotion?
Talk of the city is about promotion, and that is a fair way to look at things. Yes, last season was incredibly disappointing, but there are hopes that this season can go well, and there is pressure on the management to get this right.
Betting on the league will soon be available with bookmakers like those listed on freebets.co.uk and it will be very interesting to see where Cork City are in the betting.
This is often a great way to really look at the chances of a team because those creating the odds and then people who bet on them are often not associated with the club. These people are neutral onlookers who do not have any ties like fans do.
Whatever your position though, the chances of a good season for Cork City are very high, so much so that promotion is being spoken about.
