Skipper feels squad is good enough for promotion push

The centre-back feels the new additions to the squad and learning from last season’s games in Championship One can only but help them.

“Promotion is definitely our aim this year,” insisted the ex-Derry City man.

“We can’t rest on our laurels from last year and be happy at finishing third, we want to finish if possible in the top two because promotion is the big aim this year.

“All the cups which we won last year were good for the club and it was good for a wee bit of prestige getting into finals, but you would give them all back tomorrow just to swap for a place in the Premiership.”

The defender also knows that the Waterside men will start the campaign as one of the title favourites, but he isn’t worried about that and hopes the squad relish the challenges ahead.

“You don’t mind being favourites because it means the rest of the league respects you and they saw how well we played towards the end of last season,” he added.

“Being talked about comes with the territory when you have a good squad of players which we do and as I have said you don’t mind it you just have to deal with it and hope it just spurs us on.”

Experienced midfielder Joe Gray returns from an injury hit 2011/12 campaign, while Aaron Walsh has arrived from Dergivew; Ricky Lee Dougherty and Gareth Falconer have joined from Newbuildings United and it’s thought youngster Darren McFadden will be looking to force his way into the first team squad more this season, something which pleases McLaughlin.

“It’s a strong squad that we have, because as everyone knows there are around three or four other players to come back in who didn’t play against Oxford and they were regulars last year.

“Those players are really top players and we have added a few good young players like Ricky Lee, Gareth and Aaron and a few others, so there is going to be competition for places and you don’t mind that, because it drives everybody on.”

McLaughlin played in the Waterside men’s 5-1 victory over Oxford United Stars in what was their first pre-season match of the campaign, on Saturday and even at this early stage the squad looked to have a wee bit more hunger and desire, compared to last season.

“We were talking about that after the game, there is a lot of boys looking sharp and fitter than what you would have expected so early into pre-season, so that’s a good sign,” he admitted.

“The boys looked after themselves in the summer, that’s good to see and they probably came back a few weeks a head of themselves and that’s good for us.

“I didn’t join ’Stute until after the season had started so I don’t know what went on pre-season wise or the first few games, but having spoken to the coaching staff and the players they admitted they were maybe a wee bit sloppy with their preparations last season and it probably cost them in the first couple of games, but we bounced back.

“We have probably learned from the mistakes from last season as I have already said we have all come back in really good shape and are all looking forward to the new season.”