PAUL GALVIN WIELDS THE AXE

Number of experienced players out of football squad

THE CLOCK is ticking for Wexford football as they need an immediate response once the Allianz National League get under way at the end of January.

New boss Paul Galvin, just months into his first appointment as an inter-county manager, is already making his presence felt, having wielded the axe on a number of his more experienced players.

As players are getting to know him, many more have been omitted from the set-up, while there is also speculation of others having left the squad, leaving the former Kerry star with what appears a new and inexperience set-up.

Two of the more high-profile and experienced players to come under the axe are St. Martin’s clubman, Daithi Waters, along with Adamstown’s Michael Furlong.

Last year’s netminder Matt Doyle is another casualty, while it’s also speculated that both Kevin O’Grady and Tiernan Rossiter may have left the squad.

Waters has been one of Wexford’s longest serving players, who owes Wexford football nothing, given his commitment to the game both at club and inter-county level, while Furlong, last year’s captain under then manager Paul McLoughlin, was his side most outstanding defender.

Certainly the omission of two such key players has come as a huge surprise.

Another experienced player still to commit is Brian Malone.

The Shelmaliers defender will not commit either way until the new year, but being just four games short of a record number of inter-county appearances, it’s felt that Malone will join up with his brother Glen for another season.

The transition has not been confined to the squad for Matty Forde, who was part of Galvin’s backroom team, has also decided to step aside owing to his work commitments.

The decision of Wexford’s lone All Star footballer to move on is a huge blow to the backroom given his experience and knowledge of the game in the county.

Wexford football needs a rapid pick-up.

They have started the 2020 season with successive O’Byrne Cup losses to both Westmeath and Laois, not the ideal start, but still showing that there is a huge amount of work ahead for the new team management.

Galvin may have brought a new status to the Wexford set-up but the real challenge that lies ahead is promotion from Division 4 which must be their first goal.

The new team management has yet to address the media as to what are their aims and ambitions so it’s increasingly difficult to delve into what lies ahead for the team.

Perhaps it’s Galvin’s ploy to enter into the league campaign in a low key fashion but it would have been interesting to hear the reasoning behind his decisions, particularly those player related, as he plans a way forward for the county.

When Galvin was appointed it brought much attention but little has been revealed officially since.

His achievements on the playing fields with his native Kerry are without question but his managerial ability will only be answered once the National League gets under way with a difficult away game to Antrim.

Perhaps a meeting of minds and an explanation of his decisions, particularly those player related, would be helpful to those with such a huge interest in Wexford football.

There’s certainly some interesting days and months ahead.