McClean can 'set and raise standards' - Lynch

Derry City manager Tiernan Lynch says eye-catching close season signing James McClean can help "set and raise standards" for the new season at the Brandywell club.

The Candystripes begin their League of Ireland Premier Division campaign at home to Sligo Rovers on Friday night as they bid to improve on their second-place finish behind champions Shamrock Rovers last term.

McClean, capped 103 times by the Republic of Ireland, has joined Derry City from Wrexham, having previously had spells in the Premier League with Sunderland, West Brom and Stoke City, as well as two stints with Wigan Athletic.

"James is always going to steal the headlines because of his profile, where he's been and what he's done," Lynch told BBC Sport NI's Eric White.

"Someone like James, because of his passion for this football club and his passion for this city, I think he will make a massive difference to us both on and off the field.

"He's definitely someone who will set standards and raise standards and we've got to make sure we tap in to that."

McClean's brother Patrick has also re-joined Derry and Lynch believes creating a greater local identity in his squad is key to achieving success.

"You look at some of the players we've brought in and the excitement it has created in the city. That's what it's about.

"This is a football club of the people and it's about trying to give them something to cheer about, so hopefully we can do that.

"I think we've gone a long way towards achieving that [putting together a team with a local identity] and there will be more that we will try and do.

"To have any success at this club players from the city need to be the heart and soul of it, need to be the heartbeat of it."

Lynch says one of the club's aims is to bring about a more settled squad in the future.

"The biggest thing we need to do as a club is to get that process right of bringing in fewer players every window, which we're definitely working at.

"I think we've made inroads into that. Obviously bringing James and Patrick in was great and hopefully we can use that to our advantage when the chips are down.

"We don't want it to be a pressure cooker, we want players to enjoy playing their football, play with smiles on their faces and hopefully entertain the fans, look forward to the season ahead and to showing what we are good at.

"We know there'll be tough nights where we'll have to roll our sleeves up and the football won't always be pretty on the eye and we have to embrace all those different challenges."

Derry will play their home matches at the city's Gaelic games facility during April and May while a new grass pitch is put down at their Brandywell home.

"I think it's great for the fans that they won't have too far to travel," said Lynch.

"If we can get the pitch to a standard that won't affect what we're doing then I think it's an ingenious idea.

"I think with what we're getting at the other side of it, getting our own grass pitch down, it'll be worth every minute of it.

"Our away form was probably better than our home form last season so whether that was to do with the pitch, we're going to presume it is.

"To have our own grass pitch here, especially of the quality that it is, we're hoping that will make a massive difference."

Winning trophies, especially a first league title since 1997, is of paramount importance for Lynch, but he knows that remains a major challenge.

"The target for every Derry City team is that we want to try and win things. Our objective has to be to try and challenge.

"That doesn't guarantee you anything and we're well aware of that but hopefully we can give a good account of ourselves.

"Hopefully all the work we do week in, week out, will pay off."