Clondegad open football manager debate

Clare clubs should be given the opportunity to decide who manages the county senior football team in 2012, Clondegad GAA club chairman Fintan Meaney told The Clare Champion.

He made his comments following Clondegad delegate, Seamus O’Reilly’s assertion at last Thursday’s county board meeting that the Clare senior team had gone “backwards” under outgoing manager Micheál McDermott.
“The clubs should be asked to see if they want Micheál McDermott to be reinstated or would they like to go somewhere else,” Fintan Meaney commented.
He stressed it was his own personal viewpoint and not necessarily the view of his club. He also said Seamus O’Reilly’s comments at last week’s monthly county board meeting were his own views, as the club hadn’t held a meeting to discuss the county managerial issue. 
As for his take on who should manage Clare, Fintan Meaney said Micheál McDermott had been afforded a decent opportunity so far.
“Outside of the senior team, Micheál McDermott has been with the county junior team for 10 years and they haven’t progressed. Admittedly, he got Kilmurry-Ibrickane to the All-Ireland club final but Kilmurry have a serious squad and I’m sure most managers would have won the county title with them.
“You have to credit him with winning the Munster but as regards the Clare set up, is he the man that should be there?” Meaney asked before acknowledging the outgoing manager had worked hard in his role.
“I can’t knock him because Clare football isn’t great at the moment. He’s given everyone the opportunity to play that want to play. There’s probably lots of people criticising him and they’re probably doing nothing, at the end of the day, themselves,” the Clondegad chairman said.
On a closing note, Mr Meaney said there was no rush making the appointment at this stage.
“What’s the major panic about rushing someone into the job? Right, you’re coming up to the club quarter-finals and semi-finals but if it’s a person from within the county that’s going to be appointed, he’ll know who’s playing or what players are available to him,” he said.
Since the leagues reverted to four straight divisions in 2008, Clare have been playing Division 4 football. 2012 will herald the fifth successive year that the county’s senior football team has been in the lowest league division. Prior to 2008 Clare competed in Division 2 A and B for several years, which disguised their status.