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Cork City President John Caulfield believes that foreign investment in Dundalk since last year's FAI Cup final has accentuated the differences between the two clubs. However, the former striker denies being envious of the position held by Stephen Kenny and insists that he is ready to take up the challenge of any new money entering the league.
"Five years ago, I started professional football with a plan, a vision. I brought key officials to develop the club, make it competitive and see where we would go.
"That's what we did. I do not look at other clubs because we do it the way we do it, we do it well. But at the end of the day, as we see around the world, if a team invests heavily and enormously, it will have a chance to dominate and that's it.
"We do not take outside investment and that's good. But do I envy other clubs for getting this investment? No, it changes the goal posts, though. If a team continues to invest heavily and buy all the best players, you obviously expect them to win. But what we have to do is continue to make progress, work as hard as possible, continue to get players through, see if we can sell a guy, a player a year, enter Europe and continue to roll. That's the philosophy of our club and it's our way of doing it. "
Arrived quickly
City will resume its rivalry with Kenny's men next Sunday at Aviva stadium, where, after defending their league championship title they won last year, Caulfield and Co will attempt to secure a third consecutive FAI Cup .
Pat Hoban, limp from the Dundalk match at Dalymount on Friday night, has hinted at the possibility that the Premier League champions have to play without the league's top scorer, but Caulfield ignores the possibility that the striker will be out this week-end.
"He will play Sunday," he said with a smirk. "I do not think the injury is half as bad as it was reported. He will play Sunday and we expect him to play. "
His confidence was born in part from his own experience in recent days with Cork City players struggling recently to prepare to be available.
Steven Beattie scored a mark in the last game of the league on Friday by scoring an hour. Caulfield said Karl Sheppard also overcame tension in the hamstring and should make his entry into the picture.
"This is a unique opportunity in the lives of players," he says. "It's the week that's different from the others. The league takes place week after week, but the final of the cup is different. Everyone wants to be in the group of 18 so there is an advantage and you expect it. Many injuries have disappeared in the week of a cup final. "
Full team
And with a complete team to choose from, Caulfield is confident that his team has every chance of winning despite the gap suggested by the final draw.
When asked if the team had a point to prove after the last meeting between the two teams at Turner Cross, where the visitors had narrowly won, but with surprising ease, he replied: " The guys are determined, but they do not point to prove me. We crossed an area where we lost two games, lost confidence in ourselves and suffered some injuries. But we are in shape all season … we scored 71 goals, two goals per game, a little over half a goal conceded, we have 20 white sheets. We have just had three bad weeks and these things happen. "
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