Tompkins wants ‘fresh ideas’ for Cork and end to Morgan era

FORMER Cork football coach Larry Tompkins has urged County Board chiefs to appoint a new senior management team for next season.

Tompkins said he felt Cork football would benefit from a move away from the present regime under Billy Morgan.

“I don’t mind saying it’s probably time for a change in management. No disrespect to the current set-up, but I feel there is a need for freshness.

“I feel we need someone to come in with fresh ideas and to shake up a few players who I believe may be too comfortable in their positions,” he wrote in the Evening Echo.

“Looking back on my own time in charge, I think I should have vacated the position after three years because even with the best intentions in the world, you’ll slip back into old habits and ways again.

“Kerry did the right thing and changed their management. I don’t think they would have won this year’s All-Ireland title if Jack O’Connor was in charge. Pat O’Shea brought something different to the group, spruced things up, and it worked for them. Cork need to do that now.

“I think there is enough young talent out there to clean out the present panel and get a good group of 30 hungry players who are all fighting realistically for starts.

“You might even have a few players who we all think are bankers, but suddenly a new coach comes in and those players have to prove themselves again. It can make that 10% difference.

‘‘Another thing that has to change with Cork football is the mentality of the players. Much of the talk in the county was about how great it was to get to the final. Had Kerry lost the final they wouldn’t bother going home. That is the kind of mentality I’m talking about. Cork footballers need to eat, sleep and breathe it if they are to win.

“It needs to be an obsession like it was with Armagh, Tyrone and Kerry now.”

With a number of selection committees having completed their two year tenure, Cork’s County Board is likely to adopt the same procedure as before when appointing new committees.

A seven-person committee, consisting of four board officers and three members from the clubs, is likely to be appointed and in due course submit committees for ratification by the delegates at a future meeting.

There is a motion before tonight’s Cork county board meeting from the Ballinhassig club looking to prevent the county senior hurling champions from having an automatic right to the captaincy of the Cork hurlers for next year. Such a move was tried some years ago but failed as the senior clubs, in particular, felt it was one of the few perks available for winning the county championship. It’s likely to fall again on this occasion.