Rowley: End is nigh for Ryan at Longford

Former Longford assistant manager Declan Rowley believes Glenn Ryan’s tenure in charge of the county is coming to an end.

Longford were beaten by Wicklow in their Leinster SFC opener on Sunday, a result which came on the back of relegation from Division 2 of the League after seven straight defeats.

Rowley, who played for Longford and has also managed Leitrim, was assistant to Ryan’s predecessor Luke Dempsey and he foresees a change soon.

“I think five years is a long time,” he said on Shannonside FM yesterday.

“What’s been moving Glenn positively with Longford, I suppose, is that they’ve had a bit of success along, they’ve won the Division 4 and 3 titles.

“That gives you momentum and keeps you fresh, but once a losing streak starts coming and it’s the end of a five-year run, it’s the natural end to a reign.

“I think that Glenn himself will know that it’s coming towards that end and the players will need a new voice and a new challenge.”

There have been mitigating factors, Rowley admitted, while he also feels the recent poor run should not overshadow Ryan’s time in charge.

“He has given five good years to Longford football and if the first-half performance against Wicklow had been better we’d have got the win and be running on to the match against Meath all gung-ho really.”

“He took big hits this year, Declan Reilly missed most of the year, Brian Kavanagh was in America, David Barden was gone, Paul Barden wasn’t available for most of the year, Diarmuid Masterson and Paddy Dowd weren’t available.”