If you take up a county’s reins you expect flak
FORDE ON HIGHS & LOWS OF MANAGEMENT
THE last time Galway played Kilkenny in a Leinster final, the management’s ears were burning for days afterwards.
At half-time in the 2016 provincial decider, Galway were three points up and looking good.
Not for the first time though, they faded badly in the second half as the Cats eventually coasted to a seven-point win.
Some of the commentary afterwards was harsh, particularly that of a personal nature which was directed towards manager Micheal Donoghue.
But his right-hand man Francis Forde insists they did not toss and turn too much over it.
“When you put your hat in the ring for this job you are very conscious of the fact that if things go wrong it is going to be management’s fault,” said Forde (inset). “Going back to that one, we certainly got a lot of flak but you take it on the chin.
“Did any of us lose any sleep over it? No, I don’t think so because if I remember correctly we had three weeks to prepare for an All-ireland quarter-final after we lost the Leinster final and the lads had a club match the week after a
Leinster final.
“In some ways it was easier for the players because they had to go back to their clubs and focus on the next game.
“We maybe had that week with a bit of flak going around but in the back of our minds we felt that we had to get ready for Clare.
“Maybe it would have been different if it was the last game of the year and you were getting that flak and you couldn’t do anything about it until the following year’s League.
“I don’t think it overly affected us. Yes, you would prefer if the media or supporters weren’t being overly critical of the management but it comes with the territory.”
Since then they’ve lost just one Championship match, in an honourable manner to Tipperary in that year’s All-ireland semi-final, before going all the way last year. The lessons from numerous beatings at the hands of Kilkenny were finally heeded after that 2016 defeat.
“I suppose the results would say that we have,” Forde said. “And I just think the lads themselves, you always learn more when you suffer a defeat.
“We suffered a defeat again that year against Tipp. Yes we had died but we had died with our boots on that day.
“We realised leaving Croke Park that day that there was a massive spirit within the group. And maybe as a consequence of that Kilkenny match – when we were really tested by what people were saying outside the group – we managed to get to a position where that didn’t infiltrate our thinking in any way.
“We knew that we had a tight bunch and a bunch that really wanted to go and succeed.”
Galway have already beaten Kilkenny at Pearse Stadium in this year’s Championship.
And while the champions are still clear favourites, the terms of engagement are somewhat different for Sunday’s Leinster final at Croke Park.
Forde added: “The biggest issue for us was that it was a home Championship game. Fans and the people in Galway have wanted those home Championship games for a long time.
“The players were very conscious of that, on that first day in Pearse Stadium. There was certainly a desire within the group to get a result.”