Carrick Manager Baxter Dismisses ‘David v Goliath’ Narrative for Cliftonville Match

Stephen Baxter, who has served as Carrick Rangers’ manager for two months, stated that his team will not view themselves as significant underdogs ahead of Saturday’s Premiership fixture against a strong Cliftonville side at Solitude. Cliftonville, known as the Reds, currently occupies second place in the league standings, having suffered only one loss in their previous eight league encounters. Carrick is positioned 10th in the table, having accumulated 18 points from 18 matches. This places them two points clear of Glenavon and six points above Loughgall, who are at the bottom of the league. The Taylors Avenue club has secured 12 points from eight top-flight fixtures since Baxter assumed control in early October. Their latest outcome was a 2-1 win against Ballymena United last weekend. “We don’t go into the game thinking this is going to be a David vs Goliath tie. We have to go in with confidence and play the game the way we see it,” said Baxter. “We take with us what we’ve been working on and doing well with. We have to impose ourselves into this game.” “Cliftonville are a magnificent side right now. They pass the ball well and get into good areas of the football pitch. They’ve got a very experienced group of players who have been around. You just have to make sure you stay in the game.” Baxter further noted that his team’s confidence has seen some recovery following a challenging commencement to their season. “It’s been very positive. We have been very competitive in all the games we have played to date [since Baxter assumed charge].” “It’s been a great response from the players. Everybody has reacted well to the changes that have been made and there is a lot of confidence in the squad now to try and win some matches.” “There are some very capable players so I think it was just a little bit of confidence and self-belief that we needed to instil in people and just reassure people that they’ve got that ability to deliver.”