Mick never stood a chance in 2019, it was impossible
SHEEDY HAPPY TO HAVE CLEAR SCHEDULE
TIPPERARY manager Liam Sheedy believes his predecessor Michael Ryan had no chance with last year’s fixture programme.
Tipp exited the revamped Munster Championship in 2018 without winning a single game having been among the frontrunners to go all the way in the All-ireland race.
Ryan lamented the spate of club fixtures that he felt undermined preparation for their four games in as many weeks, with some players having played three weeks running with their clubs in April before linking up with the county again.
Many counties opted against playing Championship games in the designated club month of April and Tipp’s fixture-makers are set to take a more streamlined approach ahead of the
opening Championship game against Cork on May 12.
“It’s about trying to get the balance right,” said Sheedy at Teneo’s Tipperary GAA sponsorship launch at Semple Stadium yesterday.
“I’ll be honest, I don’t think Mick or the team stood a chance last year. There’s no way they could have managed to play three weeks of club matches ina-row and look to roll on and rock into four weeks in-a-row of Championship.
“That was an impossible situation for all involved.
“Credit to them, they did push it really hard. I’ve an excellent relationship with the county board and we’ll sit down and look to plot a journey that works for the club player, works for the county player and allows us all
to be our best when it’s required.
“Let’s call it straight – 22 of the 32 counties absolutely ignored [the club month]. They can talk all they like about club month but if they’re serious about a club month we’ll have a club month; if they’re not, move it.
“It’s typical in s o m e ways, it’s not right.
“I would be more upset about the imbalance and the inconsistency. We all know that teams went on camps and went and done various things and paid no penalty yet we had Waterford here playing their first League here because they got caught.
“It’s a bit all over the place and really needs to be tightened up.” Eight years after he vacated the role on the back of the 2010 All-ireland success, Sheedy said he didn’t consider it a risk to resume the job.
“All through my life if I felt it was the right thing to do in my gut, that I could do this job, then
I’d do it. I don’t see it as high risk. I certainly haven’t felt under pressure or siege mentality in the last 10 weeks. I’ve just felt absolutely free and absolutely loving it.
“That’s the way I approach, not just inter-county management and management in general but life.”