Loves the sound of his own voice
The Derek McGrath of gaelic football
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Will Cian bring the occlusion goggles with him, or will they stay on as part of the management team
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I think they should have a player manager, then they’ll all be happy
My own view is that Noel Connors would be the ideal manager.
He was in no such position.
Waterford didn’t win a match last year.
That’s the perfect time to go in.
As a new manager, you have to earn players’ respect and put a set up in place where they will bust a gut for you.
McGrath brought Waterford out of the doldrums and to a level they hadn’t been at for 58 years - genuinely challlenging to win an All-Ireland final. And those players were prepared to put everything in for him.
So the players know what a good management set up is, and clearly feel this year’s hasn’t been up to scratch.
Gerald McCarthy and Justin McCarthy eras don’t count?
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Derek McGrath, Davy Fitz and Tessio are the 3 best hurling managers about.
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A large number of players this year may have togged out, but they didn’t play.
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How many All-Ireland finals did they reach with Waterford?
How many All-Ireland finals have Waterford reached since 1959 where they were in the running to win the All-Ireland going into the last five minutes?
The media circus around McGraths departure made it very difficult for the next man going in. The lads singing songs up at his house and he writing love letters to them in the media. It may have been an organic thing, but it would have taken a very strong character to go in and be accepted.
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This is what you said. Both Gerald and Justin did just that.
Win % comparisons will be needed to decide this.
Three great choices but I’d have to include the great Brian Cody in that list
It would be such a fairytale story if he could lead Kilkenny to another title
But I’d love to see Davy and Wexford win it too
It would be great if there was some way they could share the trophy as often happened in Ye Olde Charity Shielde
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McGrath had what one good season in 4? He was nowhere near as successful as the other two.
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Neither ever reached an All-Ireland final, mate
Both were decent managers
But Derek took Waterford to a new level
If you just said that both neither reached an all ireland final then you are correct but to say that neither lifted Waterford out of the doldrums is incorrect.
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I will miss Cian O’Neills trademark “absolutely bet into a polo shirt” look from the sidelines next year
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Which Waterford team will be best remembered?
The team of the 00’s or the team of mid 10’s?
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I’d agree with that to a point. But I think that there may be a case to be made that Derek had carriage of the best crop of young hurlers in Waterford since the 1950s, a group that obliterated all before them at u21 level and failed to deliver an All Ireland with them. I also think that while Derek was undoubtedly a master man manager, as a tactician he failed to evolve and stuck to a style that over time was always going to be end in failure.
3 good seasons in 5
In his first year he had little to work with
In year 2 he won a league title reached a Munster final and then an All-Ireland semi-final - defeat to a great Kilkenny team was no shame
In year 3 he established them as firm All-Ireland contenders - only losing an epic semi-final replay to Kilkenny by a point
In year 4, he went extremely close to winning the All-Ireland final
Year 5 was a disappointment but that’s sport
Waterford developed a distinctive and attractive style of play which was very successful
They faced constant calls to abandon that style of play, and when they did under the new manager, we saw the results - they were humiliated in this year’s championship
Derek was right all along
He’s also a top analyst and an all round alright sort
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