LIGHT THIS Dec: It’ll be be a Derry PLACE UP! hard game
Cork boss Ronan says his players must seize the day
RONAN MCCARTHY believes it’s time this current generation of Cork footballers found their own identity.
Mccarthy, himself a twotime Munster title winner as a player, wants this Rebels panel to make their own mark after years in the doldrums.
For that to happen, the 45-year-old feels they must cut their ties with the past.
The last time Cork won the Sam Maguire was in 2010 and Mccarthy, who will be in the hotseat for the first time in the Championship on Saturday, wants his players to forget what’s gone before.
“I actually think we need to let that go,” said the Douglas man, who was previously a selector under Conor Counihan and then Brian Cuthbert.
“Only from the point of view that those players now would be 35 years of age, they’d be retired and we keep looking back at them. It’s time to move on.
“They were a great team and some great players and great leadership. They came through a time when Cork were unsuccessful and persevered and were very successful.
“We need to move on and let this group come through.
“There’s 30-35 players there – by any definition there’s going to be leaders there but let’s give it a chance to emerge, and it will.
“It’s not something we around talking about.”
Mccarthy has acknowledged sit that Saturday’s Munster semifinal opponents Tipp were right to call for at least a two week gap between their win over Waterford last weekend and this fixture.
But he also insists that Liam Kearns’ men will be at an advantage with a game under their belts as opposed to Cork, who are coming in cold.
“Look, I started with a realistic ambi- tion for us to be promoted from Division 2 and we didn’t achieve that,” Mccarthy said. “The Super Eights sounds great. Three really good games – one at home, one away and one in Croke Park – playing regularly in the middle of the summer, it’s everything you’d want to be involved in.
“But that’s too far ahead for us. “We can only have one focus and that’s the Tipp game. If you win it opens up avenues, but there’s always a danger that you start looking too far ahead. Cork pushed Mayo all the way last July for a place in the All-ireland quarter-finals and, for optimistic supporters in the county, that should be the template for this team going forward.
And Mccarthy (left) stressed: “I don’t think people should have been surprised. There are really, really top players in Cork.
“The key thing is, Mayo were able to perform at that level in four big games in a year - they’ll perform like that in certainly three and a half or three and three quarters of them.
“That’s an element we have to try and bring to us.
“There’s no quick fix. A lot of people are hanging their hat on that Mayo game – they won’t be talking about if we don’t qualify for the Munster final.” side at this intensity you can’t expect to carry anyone with an injury.”
Mulligan also expressed sympathy for Ronan O’neill, who was introduced in place of Bradley (right) only to be replaced himself later on.
Mulligan said: “I feel sorry for Ronan O’neill.
“We all know Mickey Harte is ruthless, and I know it better than anyone.”
Derry Donegal Celtic Park, Sunday, 4pm
v DONEGAL boss Declan Bonner is expecting a much different Derry challenge than their League showing would suggest on Sunday.
Damian Mcerlain’s side relegation to Division Four was one of the big talking points of the League though Bonner was quick to acknowledge that his Derry counterpart’s “hands were tied when it came to team selection”.
He said: “He didn’t have the Slaughtneil boys until the last game. I think a number of them played in the last game.
“He looked at a lot of players and I’m sure they will come organised knowing Derry down through the years they produce good footballers.
“The club scene in Derry is very strong all you have to do is look at Slaughtneil, they have been the best team in Ulster for the last five years.
“We have a job to do to get us over the line and we are a match for most teams on any given day.”
Bonner will be without Martin O’reilly, Martin Mcelhinney and Nathan Mullins through injury for Sunday’s Ulster quarterfinal at Celtic Park though said that Paddy Mcgrath, Odhran Macniallais and Mark Anthony Mcginley are available for selection.
Monaghan are frontrunners in Ulster after their display against Tyrone last Sunday but Donegal look the team most likely to deny them another Anglocelt Cup.
Bonner added: “The bar’s with Monaghan. Absolutely. “They are a top class side but, listen, we will not be talking about Monaghan, we have enough on our hands this weekend.”
People should not be that surprised there are really top players in Cork