London chairman says playing in top tier has hurlers struggling for manager

London chairman Noel O’Sullivan has admitted the difficultly in finding a successor to Eamonn Phelan as hurling boss is due to the Exiles participation in the Liam MacCarthy Cup.

Phelan resigned from the post last June and O’Sullivan reveals that several candidates have since declined the job because they feel London should not be competing in the top tier.

Liaison officer Tommy Harrell, having previously managed the team in the ’90s, has stepped in as interim manager, but the squad, with less than a month to their league opener against Westmeath, are less then pleased with the situation. “The difficulty was the people, and I can only surmise here, didn’t think the squad was good enough going into the Liam MacCarthy,” said O’Sullivan.

“The other point was given the success the previous manager had, where was the successor going to go, what more could be achieved in at the deep end? “Due to circumstances we were late going back training. We had a players meeting before Christmas and then they went back in January.

“There is no doubt that the players would have liked a manager to be put in place by now.”

They were very adamant to get back.

Their main concern was to have a proper trainer and a strength and conditioning coach in place. That was done.”

O’Sullivan is hopeful that a new manager will be in place by the end of next week, but was non-committal when quizzed on whether London hurling would be better served in the Christy Ring Cup. The Exiles plyed their trade at the top table last season, but lost both outings to Westmeath and Carlow respectively.

“We had no choice but to compete in the Liam MacCarthy. It is as simple as that. We are in there and we have to grind down and do the best we can. I think we are there until 2015.”