Glentoran owner Ali Pour says the club just needs a bit of “fine tuning” and he will “give it as long as it takes” for the club to achieve success.
Pour took over at the Irish Premiership side six years ago and the club have only won an Irish Cup and County Antrim Shield in that time.
Last season, Declan Devine guided the club to the County Antrim Shield and a third place finish in the league, when a top-two finish would have secured European football.
However, they missed out on Europe by losing the play-off semi-final, and were defeated in the BetMcLean Cup final and quarter-finals of the Irish Premiership.
Pour admits it was a “disappointing season” but says the club are “getting there”.
“We’ve had a few hiccups along the way, but we are very close.
“Had we scored an extra goal and finished second, this would be a very different conversation. Fine margins have resulted in where we are today.
“The gap isn’t huge. I expected better results in the last six years, in terms of silverware. We should have won more trophies, no one can dispute that.
“But it’s never a huge gap. It’s always fine margins. Many of the games we lost or drew last season were so finely poised. We were one goal away from finishing second.
“The level is up there, the squad performance, Declan’s performance – it’s all where it should be. I think we just need a bit of fine tuning.”
Glentoran haven’t won the league since the 2008-09 season, but Pour says he believes the Gibson Cup will return to the Oval sooner rather than later.
“Our time will come eventually, whether it’s under my control or others.
“We are serious contenders. There’s no reason why it can’t happen – the budget’s there, we’re still signing top players, Declan is more than qualified and capable of bringing the Gibson Cup here.
“If I didn’t think we were capable, I probably wouldn’t invest as much. What would be the point? We are capable of doing it and I’m sure one day we will, Who knows, it could be this season.”
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