Ryan: Pick new boss from inside Limerick

Tom Ryan has warned the appointment of a fourth Cork-born Limerick hurling manager in succession would not be well received in the county.

Current Cork selector Ger Cunningham and Donal O’Grady, who has already spent a year as manager in 2011, have been linked with the position vacated by John Allen.

Prior to O’Grady, Justin McCarthy was in charge and former boss Ryan said the long overdue appointment must come from within Limerick.

“I’d say there would a poor reaction to another Cork manager in Limerick. There’s a lot of unrest and disquiet arising in the county about the managerial position. It’s taking so long and there are so many rumours.

“Every kind of combination has been mentioned. Ger Cunningham with Dónal Óg Cusack is one of them. Then there’s Donal O’Grady as well.

“To be honest about it, none of the Cork managers have worked [well] in Limerick. I think they have to go back to the drawing board and pick a manager from inside the county.

“The championship is over, the county final is over and the opportunity to look at players has gone. There’s a lot of unhappiness here.”

Six weeks have passed since Allen stepped down and Ryan is not enthused by the Cork names who have been linked with the position. “You need to know the local scene — that’s the big thing in Limerick. A major job needs to be done. Nobody outside the county would be able to get a handle on it.”

Ryan was the last Limerick boss to lead the county to a Munster SHC title prior to Allen. While he was critical of some elements of Allen’s management, he was surprised the St Finbarr’s man stepped away after two seasons.

“Everybody expected them to press on after it. I was in contact with John Allen a couple of times but I felt what they did in the semi-final left a lot to be desired.

“It was a handy Munster championship they won. Pat Horgan was sent off in the final and Cork didn’t turn up. We were poor against Clare when they were only starting to make inroads.

“I’d like to have seen John Allen stay on to see if Limerick would get back to their best team. I argued with his selections and gameplans. He must have seen the writing on the wall. It’s time to get back to basics.”

Ryan believes the process has become laughable.

“Nicky English and Liam Sheedy have also been mentioned. It’s like the litany of the saints after the rosary. It’s only a joke.”

The Ballybrown man also criticised the way Limerick choose their managers.

“They’ve had the same system for the last few managers — three independent people and two from the county board [executive] on the committee. I would be against handing over selection responsibilities to outside influences. The ordinary hurling people are getting very sour that nobody has been given the job yet.”