Barry-Murphy asks Cork fans to lower expectations for 2012

JIMMY BARRY-MURPHY warned Cork supporters expecting big things from his team this year to think again.

The 1999 All-Ireland winning manager yesterday told Newstalk there are fans in the county who are wrongly forecasting big things from him and the players this year based on that previous success.

He appreciated the majority of the county’s followers aren’t anticipating an All-Ireland title but admitted there is an element who are over-ambitious.

“You have different views in Cork. You have people who know the game very well, who quite honestly would know we’re a bit back from the others, there’s no doubt about that. Then you get people who think because a group of us have got involved again that it can immediately turn things around.

“I think that’s a naive view, really, that’s not going to happen because you’ve an awful lot of hard work to do. Having assessed the scene over the last few months and looking at the players available, I think there is quite a lot of talent there, quite a lot of young talent there. It’s very difficult because we haven’t been successful at under-age level. Minor and U21success always seems to give you abetter picture of players that are available in the county.

“We haven’t been successful in those age groups although the U21 hurlers last year did very, very well. There is a certain amount of talent there and I’m hoping to bring it back but the expectation level is reasonable.

“I wouldn’t say people are massively optimistic that we’ll go on and win an All-Ireland or anything like that. Certainly, there’s a realism to anybody who knows the game.”

On the subject of Cork’s personnel and style, Murphy argued it would be “unpractical” to attempt to match Kilkenny and Tipperary like-for-like.

Interestingly, after his predecessors Gerald McCarthy and Denis Walsh moved away from the passing style espoused by Donal O’Grady and then John Allen, he expressed his conviction about what brand of hurling Cork need to play to be successful.

“I would be very confident we have a particular style in Cork that suits us. I’ve a good idea what that is.”

He continued: “I would always like that Cork have skilful teams that play a certain type of hurling that the public, that we like to play, that I like to play. That’s not to say that... of course, you must match the physicality and strength of the other teams — you must, of course. But I feel I’d rather look at our own county and work on our strengths and our independent style rather than trying to match Tipperary or Kilkenny.”

Barry-Murphy is looking for Cork to be “really competitive” in Allianz League Division 1, which starts next month with the visit of Waterford.

“We’ve got five fantastic games to look forward to and they’re going to be really a great guide to see how we are progressing.”