Cork set to choose Cleary or Cuthbert for manager’s job

Cork are poised to name their new senior football manager at tonight’s board meeting but executive officials were last night remaining tight-lipped.

Chairman Bob Ryan had no comment to make other than to confirm “the process isn’t complete. It would be totally unprofessional to make any statement on it at the moment”.

However, another meeting of the selection committee is scheduled to take place today ahead of the full board meeting. The committee had previously been split down the middle on John Cleary and Brian Cuthbert, each man receiving three votes.

Ryan may yet have the casting vote on who succeeds Conor Counihan after both former U21 manager Cleary and last year’s senior selector Cuthbert were interviewed for the position.

Cleary won two All-Irelands as well as eight Munster crowns during nine seasons involved with the U21 management team. He was also a Castlehaven selector when they claimed a county senior title last year.

Bishopstown man Cuthbert was Cork’s minor manager when he led them to a Munster championship and an All-Ireland final in 2010.

Interestingly, both Cleary and Cuthbert have been sounded out by committee members about their attitude towards facilitating dual players.

Current footballers Aidan Walsh, Ciaran Sheehan, Colm O’Neill, Eoin Cadogan and Damien Cahalane all fall into this category.

Walsh had cast doubts about playing both codes and studying in DCU next year but he has since decided to take a year off and is living at home in Kanturk.

Half-forwards Walsh and Éire Óg’s Sheehan would be considered as front-runners for starting positions in Jimmy Barry-Murphy’s team.

There’s a strong argument that in the two All-Ireland games, the physical presence of Walsh, a former U21 hurler of the year, and Sheehan may have negated the aerial advantage gained by the Clare half-backs.

O’Neill is currently on the mend from his third cruciate operation and may elect to focus solely on the footballers.

Defenders Cadogan and Cahalane chose to concentrate on football this season although the former publicly queried the hurling management’s decision to axe Dónal Óg Cusack earlier this year. Cahalane is shortly to undergo surgery on a hip problem.

However, there may be questions raised as to why football managerial candidates were asked directly about matters that pertained to the hurlers.

The selection committee is made up of chairman Ryan, vice-chairman Ger Lane, secretary Frank Murphy, Dermot O’Regan (Douglas), Paul McCarthy (Kinsale) and Frank Long (Bandon).