NO NEED TO PANIC... YET
Guiney’s exit is not a sign of strife in the camp, insists Wexford legend Jacob
THERE was little in the way of summer signs to be gauged on a cold Wednesday evening in Kilkenny’s centre of excellence at Dunmore last month. The facility hosted a Walsh Cup game between DIT and Kilkenny, who were represented by Eddie Brennan’s Under 21s with the All-Ireland champions on holiday.
However, if there were any Wexford supporters in the small crowd, they would have left in reasonably good cheer as they contemplated the Slaneysiders’ prospects in the near future.
It had little to do with the performance of the Kilkenny youngsters and everything to do with how Conor McDonald and Jack Guiney combined for the college side. Between them, the Wexford stars scored 3-6 for DIT and linked superbly throughout. Having been dropped off the Wexford panel last year for a disciplinary issue, the idea of Guiney and McDonald teaming up in the purple and gold was reason for optimism.
Just a few weeks later and much of that optimism appears to have evaporated. Guiney withdrew from the panel earlier this week. It’s believed to be his own decision but it means, for the second summer in a row, Wexford will be without his ball-winning skills and scoring threat in their attack.
Within the county, Guiney’s decision has given birth to rumour and counter-rumour. On the heels of last weekend’s poor performance against Limerick in the Gaelic Grounds (Wexford scored only four points in the first half), there is the suggestion of unhappiness in the camp.
The fact that Clare arere visiting Wexford Parkk today adds another layer to the story. Two seasons ago, Wexford dethroned the then reigning All-Ireland champions in a dramatic qualifier at the venue after extra-time. Guiney scored 10 points in that game and there was talk of a Slaneyside renaissance. But even though they beat Waterford in the following round, Wexford have failed to build on that summer.
However, former Wexford player Michael Jacob insists that people are getting too carried away by one bad result. The man who scored the goal that beat Kilkenny 12 years ago feels that too much is being read into the current situation and things could easily change if Clare are beaten.
‘I remember when we won the Leinster title in 2004, there was all sorts of rumours and stuff being written in the press about how the players were unhappy with the management, that we were having meetings trying to get rid of him, all of this and none of it was true,’ Jacob says. ‘We had a poor League that year. I think we won our first game and our last game and people were reading stuff into it that wasn’t going on, at all. But all year, we had just one focus in mind and that was Kilkenny in the Championship. And I think Liam’s (Dunne) main focus this year will be that Championship match with Dublin. That’s his main focus.’
Jacob, who was part of the OulartThe Ballagh side that were unlucky to lose the All-Ireland club semifinal to Na Piarsaigh, feels this afternoon’s match will give a truer reflection of where this Wexford team currently stand. Judging them on what happened last week in Limerick, he argues, is misguided as a number of their regulars were absent.
‘Wexford were missing four or five of the players who would usually start. And at the moment, we need all our best players playing for the team. If they aren’t there, that makes a big difference. And Wexford tend not to start well in the League anyway. I don’t understand why there has been such panic stations this week.
‘People have short memories. When we won the Leinster title, we didn’t go well in the League but it was all about the Kilkenny game. And we were reading about how we were in crisis, how we wanted rid of the manager, John Conran. Crazy stuff. The thing with Wexford is that if we get one win, we can build up a bit of momentum. Traditionally, that has always been the way.’
It’ s Dunne’s fifth year and while clear progress could be detected in 2014, that seemed to stall last term after they were walloped by Kilkenny in Leinster. Dunne reacted in the winter, though, freshening up his back-room team by installing Tom Foley and Aidan O’Connor as selectors and Willie Cleary as a coach, although the highly-regarded Gerry Fitzpatrick has remained as a physical trainer.
There have been headaches for Dunne this past week but Jacob believes a good result against Clare will change everything. ‘It is up to the players themselves to come out and show a bit of desire. They have to take the fight to Clare. If they do that, if they put in a performance, the result against Limerick and all the stuff with Jack, will be forgotten about. But it is up to the players.’