Time to get behind Galway, urges Moore

Former Galway captain, Cathal Moore, has called for unity amongst the county’s hurling people, saying that expectation needs to be toned down to a more realistic level.

Ahead of Saturday’s Allianz Hurling League Division 1A relegation play-off replay against Dublin the Turloughmore man added, Galway should not “be washing its dirty linen in public”. This refers to recent scathing analysis by two-time All-Ireland winning captain and ex-manager, Conor Hayes on the progress made by his former team-mate Anthony Cunningham as manager.

Moore, whose brother Fergal is the current Galway skipper, argues there is plenty to be positive about, not least the emergence of a fresh, hungry and re-energised Joe Canning.

“Expectations took off after Galway beat Dublin in the first round,” he said.

“Then they travelled down to Cork on the day, which was hardly the ideal preparation, and beat them. The following week Cork beat Kilkenny and the week after that Kilkenny hammered Galway.”

Moore has attended all Galway’s games this year and feels they probably should have come out on top in the drawn Allianz Hurling League Division 1B relegation decider against Dublin last Sunday.

He maintains that up to 10 positions have now been cemented for the championship and most people around the county are happy with the way things are going under Cunningham.

But as Hayes made clear last week, when criticising the influx of young players into the team and the positioning of certain players, not everybody is content.

“The management team is in there for three years with a job to do so we should all support them and row in behind them,” is Moore’s response.

“I think if there’s someone who has been manager or who has been involved and has something to say like that, it would be better maybe to make a quiet phone call. Galway doesn’t need to be washing its dirty linen in public.

“Galway are building and people need to realise that. Every year, they are made third or fourth favourites but they haven’t won an All-Ireland since 1988 and this is a very young team. Galway supporters get impatient very quickly but there is a bit of work to do, which is why the term is three years. Everyone needs to get behind them.

“I know it’s difficult, because maybe the two times where there were calls for the people of Galway to turn up in big numbers to support the team, they suffered heavy defeats, but I think genuine hurling people will come out and support them.”

Moore says it is vital Cunningham doesn’t fall for the customary Galway response of jettisoning young players when results go against them.

“We’re great for bringing these lads on and when they fail, they wouldn’t be seen ever again on the county panel. My only hope is that these young lads that have been brought on to get experience during the league, that we’ll persevere with them, that we don’t panic.

“You can’t judge anyone on a couple of league games. Give them a full year’s championship and a couple of leagues and see how they get on. There are very few guys that anyone in Galway could name that should be in there, that aren’t in there.”