Backed into a corner.. minus a corner back
LITTLE REASON FOR TIPP TO BE CHEERFUL BUT TYRRELL RECKONS THEY WILL COME OUT FIGHTING & PROVE THEIR CLASS ONCE AGAIN
JACKIE TYRRELL reckons Tipperary have backed themselves into a corner with their poor form – on and off the pitch. But the Kilkenny icon believes the Premier players will come out fighting to reignite their All-ireland bid. Tipp haven’t won back to back All-irelands since 1965 and their latest attempt has been rocked by a terrible start to the summer. An opening round Munster defeat to Cork has been followed by an internal row that’s led to All-star Cathal Barrett being axed. Tyrrell is sure they can turn things around and tipped them to reach ‘an All-ireland final at least’ – provided Barrett is eventually recalled. He described it as a ‘cut throat’ decision and a ‘gamble’ by boss Michael Ryan to drop arguably Tipp’s best man marker. Tyrrell (inset) said: “If it can send shockwaves around the GAA world, I can only imagine what it will do to the Tipperary lads themselves. “They will feel they’re in a corner now and they’ll feel that with poor performances and rumours coming out of the camp they need to bounce back and I think they will. “They’re still hugely talented and a dangerous team.” Tipp county secretary Tim Floyd yesterday suggested Barrett will be recalled after a period in exile. In any case, the Holy cr os sbally ca hill man suffered a knee injury in the four-point defeat to Cork and was set for around six weeks out. Floyd told Tipp FM: “It’s unfortunate in this case that Cathal was out injured and he let his guard down. But I presume they’ve left the door open to him, that’s it not a fait accompli. “It’s like the child being put sitting in the corner for a while.” Tyrrell agreed that Barrett will probably be back but only if his attitude is right. He said: “It depends on what kind of way he reacts to it. If it was me, and I did something, you’d just come out and hold your hands up. “But if this happened before and if he’s got a warning or two then that’s different. “If it’s a one-off thing, I think we could see him again.” Tyrrell spent a portion of his glittering career in the full-back line, like Barrett, and described the Tipp man as a colossus. Tyrrell said: “Oh he’s super, he’s a shut-down man in there. “I know the last couple of games he’s probably struggled a small bit but he’s their best corner-back, he’s an All-star. “They’ll really need him when it comes to the big games and, when it comes to nailing down top corner-forwards, Cathal Barrett is your man for that.”