Mood in Limerick fatalistic, says Cregan

GAELIC GAMES NEWS: LIMERICK OFFICIALS have already accepted that 2010 is a write-off, according to former county manager and All-Ireland winner Eamon Cregan.

He was commenting on the stand-off between last year’s senior hurling panel and Justin McCarthy’s management.

Following some optimistic noises last week after one of the boycotting players, James O’Brien, agreed to return to training, the remainder of the players who had either been discarded or walked away of their own volition released a statement on Sunday night saying: “At this stage we feel the need to make our position crystal clear – we will not play under the current management; despite rumours, stories and spins to the contrary, most of that coming from the county board and the current management team, there will be no more players returning to training with the current management team.

“It is now up to the club delegates to address the matter with the county board executive on Tuesday night next – the future of Limerick hurling is in their hands.”

But Cregan believes the county delegates, who have already voted twice to reaffirm McCarthy’s position, have become fatalistic about the situation and resigned to not addressing it until this season is over.

Already two defeats have been recorded in Division One of the National League.

“There’s a view within the county board and elsewhere in the county that nothing can be done,” says Cregan, “and that this year will end with relegation in the league and getting well beaten in the championship, and only then will we be in a position to move on.

“I don’t like it particularly – it’s a defeatist attitude, but people seem to be accepting it.”

The county committee didn’t discuss the issue last month, but a county board source accepted that it was likely to come up at tonight’s meeting even without being on the agenda, as the question of approaching Croke Park for mediation – an approach turned down – was raised last month and the situation could be dealt with as a matter arising.

“The players are asking for the clubs to deal with this although they already have done so,” said county public relations officer Helen Cross.

“James O’Brien came back last week and there was talk that others would follow suit, but the statement at the weekend knocks all of that on the head.”

Asked was the situation sustainable, she replied: “It probably isn’t. It’s hard to know where we’re going.”

Cregan said it was obvious last season, even before the walloping by Tipperary in the All-Ireland semi-final, that all wasn’t well.

“Disillusion spread like a cancer from about half way through last year. There was something wrong. The goal conceded against Dublin (in the All-Ireland quarter-final) started with a stupid free and three mistakes later the ball was in the Limerick net. Why were performances so bad?

“Yet the question was never answered. I’m not saying the players were blameless either, but no one took responsibility.

“When I stepped aside (in 2002) I took responsibility for being no longer able to motivate the players sufficiently.

“I’m not sure of the principle involved, but the players aren’t coming back.

“And the county board will say that it’s simply applying its mandate. Player power comes into it, but that’s not always a bad thing. I’ve been involved with Mary I (Limerick teacher training college, MICE) for a number of years and you have to evolve with the game.

“I’ve a new crowd coming in every three years and I let them pick teams. I obviously have an input into it and can review how it’s going, but players are now often more intelligent and unwilling to accept standards they believe are inadequate.

“It’s not possible to carry on like this.

“You’d always expect to find maybe four or five very skilful hurlers that hadn’t been involved in the panel before and that has happened, but as a whole this team is out of its depth. Despite what people sometimes say, Kilkenny don’t have a second-string team that’s as good as other counties’ first teams. And if Kilkenny don’t, we certainly don’t.”