ROCHE RUES UNCERTAINTY
Senior football manager left to ponder ‘great unknown’
AMID THE uncertainty surrounding the shape of the inter-county season, spare a thought for new Wexford Senior football manager, Shane Roche, about to start out on his first full season in charge.
With just three games under his belt, having taken over in an interim capacity following the sudden departure of Paul Galvin, the Geraldine O’Hanrahans clubman is facing into a hugely important season for football in the county.
As the wait goes on, no one is yet sure if the Allianz Leagues will start at the end of February as planned, but the early indications are they will be pushed further back.
With the inter-county pre-season training already pushed out from January 15 to February 1, it now appears as if the action will be delayed even further given the spread of the pandemic and high numbers prevalent at the moment.
One cannot talk about an inter-county season without reflecting on the impact of the virus. It’s the main thing on everyone’s minds, and it seems not much will change over the coming months.
Whatever comes down the road, Roche feels it will impact on the season no matter what shape it has.
‘The social aspect of the whole thing is missing. The players are carrying out their own individual programmes, but how long can that last?
‘It’s a case of isolation with preparation, all this without a ball in hand, so there is only so much of that. How long can players continue with this? It has to come to an end,’ he said.
‘Whenever decisions are made, the players will be ready physically, but they will need time to develop their football training.
‘At the outset we had three competitive challenge games arranged for mid-February, but they are now gone.
‘Personally, I feel that the inter-county pre-season will be pushed back even further. It’s not easy, not knowing if there’s going to be a National League.
‘It makes it more difficult, particularly for the players. Whenever a decision is made, teams will need five to six weeks of a lead-in to the league as players will need to be ready for games which will come thick and fast.
‘Physically the players may be ready but you must also take in the football factor. While the league is a shortened one, with games coming quickly players will be prone to more injury, so that is where the preparation time is needed, to have players physically and mentally ready,’ he added.
It is always going to be difficult for struggling counties, but Roche feels that without a league it would be even harder for sides like Wexford to strive for progress.
‘The league is key to sides like Wexford. What hope would these teams have going into a championship without the National League behind them? I know the league is shortened, but games are still key to preparation for the championship.
‘Obviously there is so much to think about. With the virus it’s difficult to plan.
‘A county could be hit with the virus mid-season. Look at Sligo last year, forced to withdraw from the championship. Despite all of that, we have to continue preparations with a view to having a National League.
‘If the league is cancelled it will have a ripple effect. Will it mean bringing the championship earlier or what?
‘I honestly believe that it is becoming harder to take, the uncertainty. But at the end of the day there is little anyone can do.’
Wexford are on a rebuilding mission to an extent since the side contains a mix of youth and experience, with the emphasis now very much on the younger players in the county.
Roche and his backroom had three games at the tail end of last season, two league outings and one in the championship, losing out to Wicklow in both competitions.
That league defeat deprived them of promotion, but in their opening game in the resumed campaign they had a fine away victory over Limerick, who later on lost out to eventual Munster champions, Tipperary, after extra-time.
Wexford, it would seem, have lots to play for. ‘Our squad is the same as already announced. We have been unable to have them together or have challenge games so it’s not easy to see where players are at physically.
‘But there is no shortage of enthusiasm. Individually the players are putting in the effort, but still there is nothing that beats game time.
‘We will not be making any decisions until we return as a squad whenever that will be. It’s difficult but we must continue to push on.
‘When you are facing so much uncertainty it’s not easy. If there’s no league the championship format may change, that’s the kind of uncertainty we are dealing with.
‘It’s the great unknown,’ Roche said.