“There is no point handing players up soft or not ready for battle.”
Liam Cahill has taken a lot of hassle in Tipperary. The minor hurling manager came under serious scrutiny after the Premier county’s loss to Waterford last month but he left it until Wednesday’s win over Clare to hit back.
And, my, did he hit back strongly.
Tipp advanced to the semi-finals against Cork and Cahill hit out at some of the comments he heard on Tipp FM and, indeed, some of the parents’ complaints about their sons not making the team.
Speaking to The Nenagh Guardian, the minor boss did not hold back with his riposte.
“We are going to have to get full buy-in from everybody, including a lot of these young players’ mothers and fathers,” he said. “I have shipped a lot of criticism since the Waterford match and received a couple of phone calls from parents – I suppose it’s a parent’s nature to feel that their own geese are swans, but the bottom line is that we are in a competitive environment here in Tipp and not all geese are swans.”
Cahill explained how these players need to be ready to take harsh words on the chin and that, if they want to make it further down the line, his moulding will be important.
“I have the biggest job preparing the next generation of young hurlers; the future hurlers for Tipperary. I am not going to send a group of young fellas soft up the line. Let’s be honest about it – there is no point in handing players up to Michael Ryan or William Maher at under-21 soft or not ready for the battle.
“They have to hear this at home as well.”
Cahill is a fair man though and he’s willing to give young lads their chances.
The Tipp under-18 manager is still trawling the county looking for more players he can bring on board and he’s going to give them a shot. He is also prepared to give a shot to those who have been “crying”.
“There are one or two that we let off early in the year that are doing a bit of crying and their mammies and daddies are doing a bit of crying that they are not in the squad. They will get a chance again to see whether they are up to it or not.”
