Glentoran have made a disappointing start to the Irish Premiership season, winning just two of their opening six matches despite entering the campaign with high expectations. The poor form has put manager Declan Devine and his squad under intense pressure, with players booed off by sections of their own support and coaching staff publicly demanding greater accountability, highlighting the gap between the club's ambitions and its results under owner Ali Pour.

The Glens currently sit eighth on seven points, nine points adrift of leaders Coleraine, whom they face next. First-team coach Tim McCann branded recent performances "unacceptable" and called on well-paid players to take responsibility, while stopping short of commenting on Devine's future. Since Ali Pour took a 95% stake in 2019 and brought in more than 80 new players, Glentoran have yet to finish in the league's top two, and Pour himself stressed that Devine, given the club's biggest-ever budget and a hand-picked squad, understands the pressure to deliver silverware.