Ryan convinced Rebels can take flight

CORK football can take off again if the team catch a break and win a game of real significance, selector Eamonn Ryan has suggested.

The former Rebel ladies coach admits that the public scrutiny that the footballers face by comparison to the all-conquering ladies team, makes success that little bit harder.

“The men’s thing is very public,” he said. “It is out there the whole time. It was probably easier to work on it with the girls because there wasn’t that media focus.

“Anywhere you go, you are going to get a comment about the Cork footballers.

“The ladies, you’d get a comment from time to time. The ladies got time to develop. The first few league matches we had, we lost them, but we weren’t in the glare of publicity. The boat steadied then.”

Ryan feels there is enough evidence that points to a potential resurgence.

“There were games where they played to their potential for a period but didn’t finish it out,” he said. “The Donegal game was one. We were every bit as good for 40 minutes. If it was a boxing contest, we probably would have been ahead on points.

“Things went against us and we didn’t seem to be able to finish the game out. It is not their attitude. It is, I think, just three or four years of results not going their way.

“Meath, this year, was another. The first match against Mayo in the 2016 League. We don’t get the full trip. The players are working so hard. I couldn’t find fault with them. But it is just not happening in the games. I am hoping it will some day and we’ll take off from there.”

Cork play Waterford in tomorrow night’s Munster quarter-final and Ryan wants every players coming off Fraher Field knowing they left everything out there.

“Take Arsenal. (Mesut) Ozil can’t say that half the days he plays,” he quipped.