United aiming to lay down a marker in first league tie

GALWAY United open their 2021 campaign at home to Shelbourne on Friday (7.45pm) with only one thing on manager John Caulfield’s mind – top spot and automatic promotion at the end of the season.

It is not an unrealistic expectation. Caulfield has recruited heavily for his first full campaign in charge, and has – on paper at least – added some real strength to the side, with the acquisition in particular of newly announced club captain, Conor McCormack, from Premier Division side Derry City a real statement of intent from the Tribesmen.

“The goal is that top spot and automatic promotion. It won’t be easy, every club has invested heavily in their squad, and there is only that one automatic promotion spot, but that is the goal, that top spot.

“There are the four play-off places and obviously, it is better to be in the play-offs than to miss out, but very much the goal is to win the division and go straight up,” Caulfield told Tribune Sport this week.

His new-look squad is divided evenly with 12 players retained from last season’s squad being joined by 12 new faces. With such a big influx of new players, the manager said he was thankful of having an eight-week preseason programme under their belts, but added that the players have had enough of preseason at this stage and are just anxious to get the season under way.

“We are all looking forward to it, every player at every club is looking forward to this weekend and to getting the season underway. We had a good eight weeks of preseason, but there is only so much preseason you can do, only so much of it you can hack, and we just want to get out on the pitch playing now.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.

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