This article is from page 59 of the 2008-05-27 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 59 JPG
DURING his inaugural address in Carron last October, Mike McNa- mara outlined that the necessity for Clare to compete again in Munster would be his main priority. In almost every interview since, he has reiter- ated that intent, even using shock words like ‘embarrassed’, ‘decimat- ed’ and ‘hammered’ to demonstrate Clare’s slide down the provincial lad- der since their last Munster triumph in 1998.
McNamara has never been a sup- porter of the qualifiers group system. In his eyes, it devalues the provincial championship and provides counties with a soft backdoor option to fall back on. Clare’s ability to express themselves in Munster again is his prime objective and he is fully fo- cused on attaining that goal starting with the Waterford game on Sunday.
Still, there were barriers to break down first. A rebuilding process had to be undertaken, both to revive the players’ flagging confidence and en- sure the supporters would be back on side after a turbulent 2007 campaign. New players had to be introduced and the existing ones required reassur- ance that the ship was heading in the right direction and although the Wa-
terford Crystal and National League campaigns weren’t groundbreaking in terms of either performance or re- sults, the public realised that the new set-up needed time to gel.
As the June | D-Day has drawn inexorably closer, optimism has in fact permeated around the county. Increasing reports of Waterford in- juries and the reintegration of Tony Carmody, Diarmuid McMahon and Tony Griffin into the set-up have gal- vanised support, and confidence has gathered momentum ahead of the GuGrEsneeltoe
In saying that, it would be fool- ish to swallow every report of Wa- terford’s demise wholeheartedly. Certainly, they have a number of injuries but perhaps not to the extent that Justin McCarthy would have everyone believe. According to the Waterford camp, Eoin Murphy, Eoin Kelly, Paul Flynn, Dan Shanahan, Ken McGrath, Seamus Prendergast, Stephen Molumphy, Kevin Moran, Aidan Kearney and Tony Browne are all doubtful or certain to miss the Clare game. Admittedly, Murphy, McGrath and Flynn will miss the tie but expect the majority of the others to play at least some part against the Banner.
For Clare, Declan O’Rourke’s bro-
ken finger sustained against Galway OTMSLUNICE DA SUUMCME-DUIDAMMel (om eNbeemOleNs and Niall Gilligan is a serious doubt as his neck injury has not responded to treatment as much as the manage- ment had hoped.
Going on recent challenge matches against Offaly, Dublin and Galway, Clare still need to iron out a few creases with their main stumbling block in front of the posts. Goal scor- ing has certainly been a problem for Clare in the past, particularly in the big championship games. Just recall the All-Ireland quarter-final against Limerick last year or the 2006 AIl- Ireland semi-final against Kilkenny when clear-cut goal opportunities were not taken and Clare went on to lose. In fact, in the Munster and All- Ireland series over the past four sea- sons, Clare have only managed seven goals in 13 games, a dismal record when you compare that to Water- ford’s haul of 30 goals in 14 games in the same period. Unquestionably, Clare will need goals if they are to overcome Waterford.
Clare’s huge number of wides in the league is also a concern but again perhaps that can be put down to some inexperience and a growing under- standing amongst the players.
The final dilemma is the uncertain-
ty of the back six. Clare’s defensive solidity has been the basis of their successes since the early 90’s and it was always up front that was a cause of concern. That is not to say they now seem porous at the back – far from it but as previous campaigns have highlighted, there needs to be a settled backline for Clare to prosper. The variables are endless – Conor Plunkett or Gerry Quinn at centre- back, Darragh Clancy or Frank Lo- han at full-back or does Plunkett or Quinn revert to full-back, thus releas- ing Lohan to the corner alongside ei- ther Gerry O’Grady or Tadgh Keogh. Even on the wings, Mike McNamara has experimented with six different players in the league with Clancy, Quinn, Brendan Bugler, Pat Don- nellan, Tommy Holland and even James McInerney being tried in the positions in an effort to find the right blend. That tinkering with positions was expected but it is hoped that by now, McNamara finally knows his ooh mSID.©
For Clare to win, a number of fac- tors have to go in their favour. For all the new faces that have appeared this season, Clare’s side on Sunday will be predominantly made up of expe- rience and going on that alone, it is felt that there is at least one massive
performance in this team. Whether it will be on Sunday is another issue as Waterford’s pedigree is undoubted with three Munster championships and a league title in the last six years. Nevertheless, a lot of this Waterford team have been around a long time and their frustration at not making the All-Ireland breakthrough has certainly frustrated them. Add in the potential injuries to key players and it could make for a very interesting encounter but Waterford are Munster champions for a reason.
Mike McNamara has been circling June | in his diary since the draw was made in October. He has repeatedly underlined the date’s importance to Clare’s future development and as a result, he is fully aware that his first season will be judged predominatly on their performance on Sunday. As Munster champions, Waterford are the benchmark and Clare will need to play out of their skins if they are to dethrone them this weekend. Any- thing less and Clare will be travel- ling down the well-worn path of the qualifiers system once more.