Waterford now need a fatherlike figure to put the arm around the shoulder. It’s time to turn again to one of their own, the man who has got them closest to the Holy Grail since 1959.
Waterford manager Davy Fitzgerald delivered a defiant message in the wake of his team’s exit from the hurling championship at Semple Stadium, having suffered a third straight round robin defeat at the hands of his native county, losing 2-22 0-16.
He identified the 31st-minute sending off of Calum Lyons as the key turning point, after the sides were level five times in the opening quarter.
“If you look at the first half, we had 23 shots to their 15. We were well in control of the game, we had the chances. Once the sending off came, we were in a bit of trouble. There was no comparison in the second half. Clare out-hurled us, outplayed us in the second half 110%.
“On our own side, we know we have one or two issues to sort out. We knew that after the Cork game. We know we’re going to get a bit of stick back at home and we deserve it and that’s fine but we’re not going to run from the issues. We know what they are, we’re going to deal with them and we’re going to come back fighting. By the way in two weeks’ time we won’t be turning up just to fulfil a fixture.”
He declined to delve into those issues after he suffered elimination to Brian Lohan-managed Clare for the third time in four seasons, the two previous losses while over Wexford.
“The Clare people will relate to this - ‘93 and ‘94 we got absolutely hockeyed so we did and we had the character and I was the privilege to be part of a great team and I mean that. I was one of a number of 20, 30 fantastic guys who never threw in the towel and who came back.
"If you look back at that bit of history, you will see you never throw in the towel and you come back. We can do the same, we can work hard. There is good character in them lads, I’m not going to cut them. They’re great lads to work, great lads to train and we’ll be back.
“The one thing you do in life, people try and put you down, they put you family down, you stay fighting, you stay going and you stay with it and you believe and you’ll come around. Let the tough stuff come, let the criticism come, we will stay fighting and we will come back 110%.”
He was asked about an incident at half time where a backroom member of the Clare side allegedly said something to him coming off the field.
“What happens in the heat, happens in the heat. That’s the way it goes. And lads I’ll always say this, there will be another day. People can smile, there’ll be another day. There will always be another day. I won’t take anything personal. I’m used to getting battered over the last few years and that’s fine, work away. I’m f*****g going no place.”
He vowed that they would not lie down in the final round against Tipperary. “I can’t tell you that we’ll come out and be unreal but my mentality now is the easiest thing is to put up the white flag and you see one of the clowns there from Clare looking at me, laughing and having a great time that has no place. I hate that bullshit.
“I will 100% say to you now that I really hope Clare do as good as they can and bring silverware back. None of us in Waterford will have a thing with that. We’re going to fight as hard as we can Sunday two weeks. We’ll try as hard as we can and we’ll come back again.”
BINGO
The selection committee who picked Davy “because he did the best interview” have serious questions to answer including recruitment guru Fergal Hartley. Of course he fucking did the best interview, ffs, all he ever fucking does is interviews.
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Who were the other candidates? Would would be in favour of internal or external manager now?
Waterford have been consisently strong since the late 90s, its baffling how they can’t produce homegrown managment from a generation of ex-players who know what takes at the top level.
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Spot on. I had a Kilmacud lad explain to me that the hulers always went external as there was no internal people with expertise to take on such a role. I found that very hard to fathom.
The obvious candidate is Darragh O Sullivan but Ballygunner are probably too focussed on winning the All Ireland to let him do it.
Ken, Mullane, and Co played hurling in a different era. Ken might be a decent figurehead but he’d need a powerful back room team. Couldn’t see him do it though.
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A manager who will play Dessie close to goal, with maybe Bennett and/or Fitzgerald off him. That’s the starting point for any perspective Waterford manager.
That’s not in the Gravy Davy playbook.
Waterford’s hurling was very poor in general. It was errily similar to a 2015 Clare performance. I think that entire team is done
You’ve some hard on for Davy boy
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Every single one of them?
Nothing coming behind them and the 2015/2016 U21 crew have peaked. Where does the improvement come from?
Waterford hurling is in disarray
I’d be the first to have a cut at Davy but the county board is a shit show. Pat Flynn, who is a dunce, has been rotating in and out of the chair/secretary positions now for the guts of 12 years.
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They should put ballygunnar into the round robin. Maybe have an underdogs style competition for a few periphery spots on the panel from the remainder of the county.
Davy and Donners would be ideal anchors for such a show
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I do feel sorry for Waterford hurling people. The circumstances overall seem similar to what we were going through and this redevelopment of Walsh Park reminds me of what Cork were at. They need leaders on and off the field. Hurling needs Waterford, Offaly, Clare, Wexford, Dublin, Antrim to propel it in my view.
In terms of yesterday and this season, structurally I cannot fathom their setup. Every game I end up questioning it. Now they were unlucky to go in behind and down a man as they were playing ok and had a lot of wides but when I watch it back some of their wides werent chances (they needed to work better positions) in my view and we gifted them 1 or 2 opportunities (e.g. the chance for Barron). The absence of De Burca and Kiely would be huge in fairness but the way they set up I’m not certain where De Burca would end up on the field now and I dont know if they can get the best of Kiely
Thematically, they are struggling to put up score ranges that would give them a chance of winning. You need to be hitting 27+ nowadays and Waterford are miles off that - theyre not scoring goals either despite having one of the more dangerous forwards in the game in recent years who now appears to be playing anywhere but close to goal.
Specific to Davy, he was clearly wound up by someone again yesterday. These sideshows do no favours to players or the county. Thats more than one time now that he has been distracted by other backroom teams / fans, etc. Publically calling it out further in post match interviews isnt helping.
I’ve said it here before, Davy doesnt need to defend a record that includes a NHL, Munster Championship, Leinster Championship and AI. He can point to that success regardless and many managers would love it. But the more time goes on the more restrictive his tactics and style of play seem to have become and performances mirror each other over the years.
Yesterday felt like the first round in the MSHC in 2016 or the first round of the MSHC in 2015 when Waterford and Limerick beat us and we looked poor and unable to put up scores. You cant but bite your lip as a Clare man and think those tactics cost us back then in whatever we might ponder.
I thought we’d see Waterford throw of those shackles yesterday. When they didnt, and they do not look fit either way, it was very easy to pick them apart when we sorted ourselves out.
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Pat Flynn has a paid job for life there as County Secretary. It was Flynn’s call all the way back in 2008 to bring Davy in. As per usual the Waterford County Board are broke and haven’t a bob. It’s difficult to see how Waterford can lift themselves out of the utter mess they’re in when the same top brass are going to be there calling the shots.
Waterford would be better off working with their sponsors and getting chat gpt to come up with their tactics and game plan for next year rather than going with Davy. Would have more chance of success.
@ceist can you pick a starting team of the Waterford senior hurlers in 2024 if they were to have all available players available
I’m afraid you’ve reached this week’s quota for bot interactions
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