Davy: Mullane was gullible

Davy Fitzgerald has said John Mullane was “a small bit gullible” to believe his former manager had ever suggested he was finished as a top inter-county hurler.

The Clare boss admitted he was disappointed by Mullane’s triumphalism in front of the Clare bench following Waterford’s Munster semi-final win over them last Sunday.

He also revealed that his players “weren’t happy” with things that happened after the final whistle and during the game.

The Banner legend also claimed he received a number of text messages from Waterford players disassociating themselves from Mullane’s behaviour.

“I presume certain people in Waterford were trying to wind John Mullane to try and get a performance out of him, and they’d use any tactic to do that,” Fitzgerald told Clare FM yesterday evening.

“Maybe John was a small bit gullible, believing some of that stuff and reacting the way he did.

“When I was down there [in Waterford], I got on great with him so it’s disappointing to see him like that.

“But as far as I’m concerned, it’s gone, it’s done, it’s dusted and I’m just interested in Clare going forward.”

Fitzgerald was shocked by the behaviour of Mullane and Eoin Kelly in the immediate aftermath of the game.

“I couldn’t believe it, I just didn’t know what the story was. ”

Fitzgerald insisted the incident between Mullane and himself in the Waterford dressing room afterwards was “harmless enough stuff”.

He said he could count on one finger the number of players he had issues with during his time in Waterford and wasn’t including Mullane.

He also said RTÉ weren’t ridiculous to raise his use of bad language on the sideline during the game but wanted to park the matter.

The Sixmilebridge man’s remark, which appeared to be aimed at a Waterford player, was caught by an RTÉ microphone and later debated on The Sunday Game.

“Is bad language used all the time [on sidelines]? Pretty much. The comment made before that, it’s amazing only one side of it came out.”

Fitzgerald, who said he has no intention of changing his ways, added: “I’ve come across a lot of managers who have used a lot of different language probably a lot stronger than mine and they haven’t been on it [The Sunday Game] but I can’t do anything about it.”

After another incident with John Allen in the Division 1B final in April, Fitzgerald insisted he doesn’t attract trouble on the sideline regularly.

“I have been involved in a few incidents but not a whole pile over 20 years.

Meanwhile, the draw for the second phase of the All-Ireland SHC qualifiers will take place on Monday morning.

Leinster’s losing semi-finalists (Offaly and Dublin/Kilkenny) will be in one bowl with Munster’s two (Clare and Cork/Tipperary) in the other.

The phase two games will take place on the weekend of July 7.

RTÉ Radio One’s Morning Ireland will carry the draw after 8.30am and it will be streamed on the RTÉ News Now website.