Don’t write off the opposition, warns Deegan

CLARE selector Mike Deegan is “concerned that people are getting carried away” with their expectations ahead of the 2013 Schampionship. “It has happened before and one would be afraid that it would seep in. We try to keep that away from the players. People wrote off Waterford at the beginning of the recent league. This is a very experienced Waterford team and to write them off would be totally wrong. They have one of the best half-back lines in the country and it’s a serious ask to beat them,” the Cratloe man said this week.
“We started the season aiming to compete in the league and to hold our place there but championship is championship and everyone wants to play come championship time. Of course, we have been looking forward to Sunday’s game, especially after last year. We were bitterly disappointed to be so close and to lose out. We had the winning of that game and you always look for another chance,” the Clare selector said.
Deegan agreed, “As we have been playing Waterford on a regular basis in recent times, it’s only natural that a rivalry is building up. They have been around and they have a core of experienced players, while they have been bringing in a few new players. It’s easier to bring in new players when a team has experienced players who will be able to help them along. We lost too many experienced players at the one time. It would have helped if this had not been the case.”
Deegan is happy the longer-serving members of the side, Pat Donnellan, Brendan Bugler and Colin Ryan, have learned. “They have been there a few years and they have learned a lot,” he said.
According to the Cratloe official, “There has been a step up from everyone this year. We brought in some new stuff last year, which is more natural to all this year. The concentration is on the Waterford game and we cannot look past that. We will worry about what comes next, whatever it will be, after Sunday’s game. Whoever will be facing Cork will have a serious challenge. They were relegated from Division 1 of the league and nobody is happy to be relegated. A proud county like Cork will come out in the championship with serious intent.”
Deegan would have preferred if the domestic senior and intermediate championship first rounds had taken place a week earlier. “Having had the club games last week would not have been a help. We had to get the guys refocused when they came back on Tuesday night. This past week, we would not have been able to do much, just focus on working on touch. I would have preferred if we had three weeks between the club games and Sunday’s match,” the Clare selector admitted.
“Thirty-six guys are fighting to be the 25 or 26 who will be named for the match. They have all worked hard and we will be finalising the match day squad this week,” he concluded.