Ger Nash: The task is huge and we know we're in a relegation fight
Ger Nash is adamant Cork City will fight for survival, insisting he accepted the reality of a relegation scrap when appointed this day last month.
His first experience of senior football management has been sobering, the 38-year-old's third game at the helm a defeat to Bohemians which, on the balance of play, might have been steeper than the 2-0 scoreline.
Seven winless matches, coupled with Sligo Rovers beating Waterford on Saturday has plunged the Rebels to bottom of the table. Next up is a trip to leaders Shamrock Rovers on Friday.
Home games against the sides positioned third (Drogheda United) and fourth (St Patrick's Athletic), lurk over the following seven days, with Nash admitting quick wins are essential to rescue their plight.
'I always knew what job I was getting into, especially with the situation I inherited,' says the 38-year-old, after his side were booed off on Friday.
'The task is huge and we know we're in a fight. The feeling in the dressing room was really low because the players care. My job is to pick the players up.
'We have to respond by putting on a performance at Tallaght that was more like the previous two games against Galway and Shelbourne.
'Those two games showed me positives but we had a tough night against Bohemians. They were relentless in the first half hour and the first goal rocked us."
Should City remain rooted to the foot of the table, a third relegation in six years awaits. Swapping places again with Sligo would earn the reprieve of a playoff against a First Division side to avoid the drop.
The transfer window that comes afterwards will offer an opportunity to bolster his squad and it appears the team which confronts the final third of the season will be unrecognisable from the current version.
City used all four permitted loan slots in the previous window. Deals for Rio Shipston (Sheffield Wednesday) Tein Troost (NAC Breda) Kitt Nelson (Preston North End) expire next month and all could return.
Freddie Anderson's temporary switch from Stoke City is officially for the full LOI season but the arrival of experienced Fiacre Kelleher on July 1, coupled with his erratic form, casts doubt over his continuity.
Cathal O'Sullivan seems certain to seal his transfer to an English Premier League club, likely Crystal Palace, over the window while another attacker, Djanairo Daniels, is expected to move on after being signed as a free agent with the option to depart once the window opens.
Injured left-back Benni Couto is still several weeks away from fitness and Ruari Keating's season is over.
'We have 17 games in which we must be better,' noted Nash. 'We need to take a lot of learnings from Friday and show spirit and fight at Tallaght.
"We need to put something together like Bohs did after their difficult start."
Meanwhile, the four teams who qualified for European competition meet on Monday before discovering their opposition in the draws on Tuesday.
Drogheda United will only be involved in Wednesday's second round draw of the Uefa Conference League if their appeal to CAS against Uefa expelling them over multi-club regulations is successful. They host Shamrock Rovers at 7.45pm.
Two teams in dire need of wins, St Pat's and champions Shelbourne, meet in Richmond Park at the same time. Damien Duff's enmity with Rovers deepened after Friday's 2-1 defeat against the Hoops, accusing their management of zero class in the aftermath.
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