CLIFTONVILLE boss Jim Magilton isn’t entertaining the thought of rotating his squad ahead of their County Antrim Shield first round clash with Ards.

The Reds host the Championship outfit this evening (7.45pm kick-off) looking for progress to the last eight and more importantly, bounce back from their first Premiership defeat at the weekend to Glentoran.

Magilton admits that he is still unaware of his strongest team at the minute amidst his concerns over the standard of their performance on Saturday. 

“No, I don’t know what my strongest team is at the minute,” Magilton admitted.

“We talk about our standard of performance, we talk about the individual performances which then elevates your team performance and we didn’t play to our standards.

“We had to make changes. I think we got a little bit of a lift, not enough, but a lift and we created one or two. We didn’t do enough with their keeper, didn’t make him make enough saves, our quality in the final third and crossing was really poor.

“Once or twice when we actually did hit good areas and it gave our attackers an opportunity to score and Glentoran defended really well at times too. Overall, it was really disappointing.”

Magilton acknowledged that they could have faced a heavier defeat where it not for numerous interventions from goalkeeper David Odumosu.

“He’s had to be alert and it’s the mark of a really good goalkeeper,” he acknowledged.

“The second half, we’ve got them penned in but yeah we didn’t create enough opportunities and David had to come to our rescue a few times.”

Cliftonville bolstered their squad on deadline with the signings of Michael Glynn from Larne and Arran Pettifer from Bohemians as well as Taylor Steven on-loan from St Johnstone.

Magilton anticipates it will take time for them to gel and insists that his interest is in making the players better rather than ponder upon the talent that left the club during the summer.

“It will take time for new players to gel in, but I’m not interested in talking about what’s gone - I’m only interest is in what’s happening now,” Magilton insists.

“My only interest is to try and make these lads better. They have to understand the levels of performance it is required: one, to play in the team and two, to win football matches.

“It always is difficult and a large turnover of players in the league doesn’t help. It is difficult, of course it is because you’re trying to bring players in that will add quality to the group. That is always difficult.

“Again, you’re reliant on seeing them, knowing them and getting as much information about them. Then getting them in and integrate into the group. I think we done really well in terms of the players we have brought in, but their reality is that they have to really step up now.”