Mark Fitzgerald: "For Clare to evolve we need to be exposed to the best"

Fitzgerald during the Munster final 

Clare manager Mark Fitzgerald claimed his team were disrespected in the build-up to this Munster final.

The Kerry native felt his team were dismissed too readily in the build-up to the game as a Division 3 side. “Some of the media have been a bit disrespectful to Clare football this week, I think, if I’m being honest.” 

Asked to specify what he took offence to, Fitzgerald expanded: “Listen, it was just a bit of commentary around the fact that the provincials are gone – and in some instances they probably are. But if you take Dublin out of Leinster, it’s very competitive.

“Look, Kerry have had a brilliant run in Munster but I just think counties like Clare need to be in these competitions, and I have absolutely no problem whatsoever with the Tailteann Cup.

“I was there with Limerick last year, and it was a brilliant competition. But I just think that for Clare to evolve and for Clare to develop, we need to be getting into these competitions and we need to be exposing ourselves to these teams.

“And, with that, will come one or two trimmings at times? Absolutely. But I think the commentary was that Down beat us by 11 points, which they did. But equally, we could say we were absolutely screwed out of promotion from a referee’s decision (against Westmeath), so if you play it like that we would have been promoted.

“So I just think, from that point of view, it was slightly disrespectful. But I think we gave a good account of ourselves today, probably could have played a little bit better – absolutely. But the challenge is to try and replicate this effort now because we have three really tough games coming down the stretch.”

As he now plots for the visit of Cork to Ennis the weekend after next, Fitzgerald was pleased with his determination if regretful that they didn’t have the composure or the depth to really trouble Kerry. 

“They gave a real robust, honest workmanlike performance but we need more impetus off the bench if I’m being honest. We need to do a bit of work on that and probably need to do a bit of work on our turnovers.

“At this level, if you turn the ball over and ultimately it’s over the bar. It’s going to be the same against Cork in two weeks’ time. We have to dust ourselves down and get ready for that.”