So now we have to live through it all again – only in the hurling world.
Davy Fitzgerald unloaded on RTÉ’s Michael Duignan and Henry Shefflin during his post-match press conference on Sunday.
Wexford were sent packing by Waterford in the All-Ireland quarter-finals but all anybody wanted to talk about was the use of the sweepers.
For large spells, both teams seemingly had two extra defenders – meaning that, at times, four backs were keeping tabs on two full forwards. What that meant was that no-one could therefore catch the ball and lump it downfield – not with any logical explanation for it anyway because the maths didn’t add up and the purists did not like it.
Offaly man Michael Duignan’s solution was to outlaw sweepers.
Sweepers should be outlawed! Not the game I love. Coach players to tackle & to use their heads instead of using extra backs to compensate!
— Michael Duignan (@DuignanMichael) July 23, 2017
The king wasn’t happy either.
Who is marking who in this game ? One would hate to be playing in the full forward line – or be a forward full stop 😱#WatvWex
— Henry Shefflin (@ShefflinHenry) July 23, 2017
So now we’re in a similar instance to where football was at not that long ago. The game is going to evolve to get around these sweepers – it’s going to have to – and, if those extra defenders prove valuable (it must be harder in hurling though), then others will start doing it too.
Before you know it, there’ll be a national crisis declared and the death of hurling will be announced every weekend.
So Davy Fitzgerald took exception to the pundits’ criticism and didn’t mince his words either.
“Let me say this straight out, Michael Duignan and Henry have never managed a team at a high level,” the Wexford boss said after the defeat.
“The people need to wake up. If they want the same one or two teams to play hurling and be successful, that’s fine. Myself and Derek [McGrath] are trying to bring teams to the fore that haven’t been to the fore in a long time. I’m very strong about this.
“The job Derek McGrath has done and the stick he has taken is totally unwarranted. What he has done for Waterford and bringing them back to the top is incredible and I am backing him 110 per cent.
“I think RTÉ should go and have a look at themselves and get analysts who have been on the sideline and know what the story is about and that’s how I feel strongly about it.
“It’s easy to knock people. I’d like to see their track records when it comes to managing because it’s a lot different from playing I can promise you that.”
I guess he feels strongly.
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