Stephen Baxter believes Crusaders will be “bigger and stronger” next season after enduring a frustrating title defence in the Danske Bank Premiership.
The Seaview men, who lifted the Gibson Cup for the third time in four years 12 months ago, were only ever on the periphery of this year’s race after a stuttering start.
A fourth-place finish, 17 points off eventual champions Linfield , leaves them needing a win in Saturday’s Irish Cup showpiece with Ballinamallard United to secure European football.
The Crues will be huge favourites to end their campaign on a high and Baxter also believes falling short in this year's title race will be a major motivation heading into next season.
“Our league form hasn’t been what I’d have liked and there are lots of reasons for,” he said.
“It would take me 20 minutes to talk through those reasons and we don’t have 20 minutes.
“But all that will do is galvanise us to come back bigger and stronger next season.
“We have been fortunate to win three league titles in the last five years now and if you look at the history of this club, we have only won seven in total.
“We have also won only three Irish Cups in our history, so that tells you every trophy here is very hard to win.”
With the Gibson Cup and League Cup in the Linfield trophy cabinet, the Crues are also closing in on two trophies of their own having beaten the Blues in last month’s County Antrim Shield final .
“If we win the Irish Cup, that would be two trophies of four available to us," said Baxter. "I’d be pleased with that because football in this country is very competitive.
“There are only four trophies to win and everyone will get stronger next year in pursuit of the major honours, especially the league title which is a very hard thing to win.”
Baxter expects next season’s championship race to be ultra competitive with a handful of clubs having a major say in the destiny of the Gibson Cup.
Runners-up Ballymena United will hope to kick on while newly-promoted Larne , backed by online property mogul Kenny Bruce, will be hoping to muscle their way into the conversation.
With the the likes of Glenavon, Coleraine, Cliftonville and Glentoran plotting similar advances, the top-six will be congested and the Gibson Cup hard fought for.
“There’s no question the league is more competitive now,” said Baxter. “You had the Linfield, Glentoran dominance when I was a wee boy and also when I was playing the game.
“Linfield were winning numerous titles on the trot and Glentoran were also serial champions as well. Portadown broke the mould in the 1990s and early-2000s.
“Linfeld have always set a high benchmark, so to get other teams like ourselves in that race in recent years has been brilliant for the league.
“Cliftonville have also been champions in recent years and you’ve seen the great efforts of Ballymena United this year and last year by Coleraine.
“That’s been a real positive and if Larne also come into that race and one or two others, it’s fabulous for our game.”
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