Waterford boss Ryan taking it all in his stride

WATERFORD boss Michael Ryan doesn’t expect to feel any pressure in his new role.

The Fourmilewater man told Newstalk on Saturday he is relishing being the county’s first native boss since Tony Mansfield in 1996.

“I haven’t noticed any pressure,” said Ryan. “Maybe there’s pressure coming down the road but I always feel that if you’re giving your best and preparing properly there shouldn’t be too much pressure. I’m enjoying it immensely. I’ve been involved in managing, training or coaching all my life and I’m very happy to have assembled a good backroom team. We’ll work as a team and we won’t be seeking any controversial headlines. It won’t be about the manager. I always feel that when you win matches the manager gets too much credit and when you lose maybe he gets too much blame. We’ll be looking at the entire group and hope to get the very best of everybody.”

Ryan believes Waterford’s tactics failed in last year’s heavy Munster final defeat to Tipperary.

“I like to think that the Munster final last year was a one-off, an absolute freak result. We met a Tipperary team who were flying on all cylinders and maybe the tactics applied on the day didn’t work. We would respect every management team but sometimes that happens. Tipperary were on fire, they were All-Ireland champions but I think ultimately the result probably cost Tipperary the All-Ireland title. It was one of those freak results but I haven’t seen any signs of scars on the panel of players since we resumed training.”

According to Ryan, winning the county’s first All-Ireland SHC title in 53 years remains the goal for the players.

“Everyone accepts that Kilkenny and Tipperary are gone ahead of the pile. In the back of everybody’s minds, the ultimate is to win the All-Ireland and Waterford players are no different.

“First of all, you’ve got to re-jig the team and we’ve got to find the best panel of players, sort out a few newcomers and freshen things up and get everything in place and then work hard. I think it’s all about working hard. I’d like to think the players are ambitious and from meeting and talking to them and dealing with them they seem ambitious.

“Ultimately, it’s all about the All-Ireland but we won’t be looking any further than the first game of the National League against Cork, which is a very, very difficult task down in Páirc Uí Rinn on the last Saturday night in February.”