Richardson expects tenure to end

With the season of goodwill not quite upon us yet, Cork City captain Dan Murray described yesterday's cup win at the RDS as "two fingers" to the club's board.

His comments, which came moments after the final whistle, reflected the frustration and anger within the squad at the end of the week during which Damien Richardson appears to have been edged towards the door, several players have been unable to agree contracts and it had been suggested the squad should only travel to Dublin yesterday morning or at least change hotels in order to save money.

Richardson confirmed minutes later he believed the victory marked the end of his tenure.

"That's my interpretation of it, yes," he said. "Nothing's done as such but it will be done, something will be done very soon.

"When people come into a club and put a lot of money in then they're entitled to get what they want out of it . . . I have no problem at all with that. The new lads want to create a club in their own image and I have no doubt that they'll do that - they're a very successful company. I'm very proud to have been involved with Cork City. I've enjoyed, loved my time at the club."

Richardson declined to comment on rumours circulating before the game that he'd had a meeting with club general manager, Aidan Tynan, on Saturday night at which it was made known he and the rest of the management team were to be replaced. The former Leeds United goalkeeper John Lukic and, somewhat inevitably, Pat Dolan are among those who have been mentioned in connection with the job.

Richardson seemed philosophical, observing he needed a break from the game, after which he would like to return to work as a manager. "The last two years have been hard, very very hard. I can't remember the last time I had a day off but I've had one week's holiday during that time and," he joked, "it p****d rain in Lanzarote."

His players, however, were less relaxed about the situation, Murray expressing dissatisfaction with the way the club is being run.

"Well," he said, "I'm not actually sure who is running Cork City right now but whoever it is I'd like them to come out and make clear what their intentions for the club are.

"The players aren't happy with the board and the board probably aren't happy with the players. What the players want is to build on today's win and go forward to challenge for the league next year but that means keeping people at the club, not letting them go.

"It's all about winning trophies and Damien's won a league and a now a cup in three years working with us. I think that's probably more than any other City manager has ever done.

"If the board's not happy with that there's something wrong with the board, not the manager," he added.

Tynan could not be contacted for a comment last night.

Longford's Alan Mathews, meanwhile, will meet with his club's directors this week, and while the expectation has for some time been that he would resign, he left open the possibility he would stay on.

"The group of players will probably break up all right but I'll sit down and talk with the club over the next few days and see what happens," he said.

"I've no problem managing in the first division, to be honest. The issues I do have are with the structure of the club and the strategy for going forward."