Sparrow’s results poor but investment in youth will pay off

Ger O’Loughlin didn’t hang about. With the best will in the world a manager in charge of a team that capitulated as meekly as Clare did in Salthill last Saturday, would have be honest with himself. In stepping down, although technically his term was up, Ger O’Loughlin faced up to reality. 
When a team is badly beaten, be it at club or county level, the manager cannot hide from taking much of the responsibility. Players should be held accountable too and in this instance the Clare County Board but most of the onus rests with the manager. Anybody who takes over a team, at any level, knows that. If they don’t, they shouldn’t take it on.
Ger O’Loughlin’s contribution to Clare hurling shouldn’t be viewed merely through the prism of his two-year management of the senior hurling team. Long before he went into management he was an integral part of Clare’s two All-Ireland winning teams and contributed hugely to Clarecastle in the 80s and 90s.
While most GAA people place more emphasise on championship than league, Clare’s failure to win promotion back to Division 1 of the NHL, held them back as much as losing the four championship games during Ger O’Loughlin’s reign. Undoubtedly the development of Clare’s young players has been stifled by two years of Division 2 hurling.
That’s three years of sub-standard league hurling that Clare have had to endure after their relegation under Mike McNamara. A year in Division 2 mighn’t have harmed Clare’s development but next year will be their third. Adapting to the pace of Munster championship hurling, having spent the spring hurling in Division 2 must be quite a task.
Yet it would be inaccurate to suggest that Clare have made no progress under Ger O’Loughlin. Thirteen of Clare’s 24 man All-Ireland U-21 panel have played championship hurling last year and this, while a core of experienced players are no longer part of the panel for several reasons.
Just five of Clare’s starting team that played Cork in their All-Ireland qualifier in Thurles on July 27, 2008 started for Clare in championship this year. (Philip Brennan, Pat Vaughan, Pat Donnellan, Diarmuid McMahon and Jonathon Clancy). That kind of turnover is impossible to sustain and remain competitive in the medium term. Yet in two or three years time, if most of the current Clare panel are employed close to the county, Ger O’Loughlin’s blooding of them will pay off. 
Changes could have been made earlier against Tipperary and the goalkeeping situation sorted during the league but the now ex-manager’s investment in youth will prove its worth in time.