Mulqueen downplays Banner expectation

Whether it’s a team of battle-hardened veterans like Brian Cody’s Kilkenny or a team of tyros like Davy Fitzgerald’s Clare, the ongoing challenge is to have their heads right for every game.

You don’t want them arrogant or even complacent and Cody always found that balance with his all-conquering side.

For Clare it’s the opposite. Davy Fitz and his management team must inculcate self-belief in their young side. Respect for the opposition yes but no fear. Not even of the most established sides.

All this is within their remit and within their control. What is not within their control, however, is the level of expectation from the supporters and media and as this season has progressed there appears to be a growing exasperation within the Clare management team at the growing public expectations for their fledgling side.

This week, even as they prepare for an All-Ireland semi-final against neighbours Limerick, we argued the toss with selector Louis Mulqueen suggesting those of us who have been tipping Clare as dark horses for the All-Ireland title, perhaps on the cusp of another golden age, are being proved correct.

“The bandied word ‘potential’ and reality are two different concepts,” he said.

“Your potential is not your reality unless you win. Until they win something the golden era doesn’t exist. They hadn’t won a first round championship game for six years [until beating Waterford this year] and some people were getting carried away. The media blew us away before we played Cork.

“The bus driver was nearly playing for Cork that day they had so many injuries. They were waiting in the high ditch. We went out and all of a sudden we’re beaten. We got back-lashed and all the things that go with that.”

Since then Clare have beaten Laois, Wexford and Galway in turn, and looked very impressive in doing so. Why, even in that Cork loss they created five clear goal-scoring opportunities and took none. Had they done so, who knows what their story would be now?

“We didn’t get goals but we went for goals. Could we have tapped over eight points? That game, when we came out of it, did it dent our confidence?”

Obviously not given subsequent results, but much of the credit for that has to go down to the management, who quickly got them back on track.

“These young lads haven’t changed the way they work and management haven’t changed the way we work. I think we are progressing as a group. We got out of Division 1B [in 2012], we had a good run in Division 1A. We’re in our sixth championship match of the season which is a rarity in Clare. But the golden era won’t come until they start winning trophies and there’s no pressure on that, it will take a bit of time.”

That’s it really, right there. The balancing act for the Clare management team is between building up the ambitions of the players while keeping a lid on expectations from the public. No one knows better the potential of this team and no better man than Davy Fitz, says Louis, to bring out that potential.

“Everyone has their critics but I think Davy is the right man at the right time for Clare hurling. He brings a passion. I trained Davy at U21 and senior level when I was involved before and he brought that kind of enthusiasm, bouncing around.

“Like, Davy would die for Clare to win and he infuses that in the players, that kind of enthusiasm spills over on to them. He minds them, he’s like a father-figure to them, guiding them and watching them. He’s clever in who he has around him, people who can do other things as well. He’s an astute manager, meticulous in his planning.

“Davy has worked with LIT, with Waterford, with other teams, and he’s bringing all what he’s learned from those roles to this, for the benefit of Clare hurling and for the benefit of these young players. I think he’s been good for Clare hurling, he’s nowgetting players to play with confidence, with belief in themselves, getting good hurling out of them which is what we need.

“There is no one playing down expectations, we’re going up to give a serious account of ourselves. You shouldn’t be playing if you don’t expect to win it. But we have to be clear to anyone who is listening, we’re only in a semi-final. I keep saying, if we lose this game, we’ll be Tellytubbies. We think we have a 50-50 chance of beating Limerick and that’s the competitiveness coming back, the never-say-die attitude in this team. They make mistakes, yes. We make mistakes on the sideline. That’s where you regroup and come back strong again. But it still might take a bit of time.”

And if they do win, then go on to get revenge against Cork in the All-Ireland final, what will he say to those of us who said this was all possible this year?

“I’ll say thank you for telling me that all those weeks ago! But wouldn’t it be a lovely thing to have to do? Wouldn’t it be great to come back?”