DAVY FITZGERALD MADE a promise to himself that he would enjoy the 2016 season after being “kicked left, right and centre” by his critics.
And the Clare boss admits that he didn’t savour the Banner County’s 2013 All-Ireland success enough, as he feared what was coming down the tracks when the tide turned.
Clare limped out of the All-Ireland qualifiers in the last two seasons and Fitzgerald discovered that not even that recent Liam MacCarthy Cup success could stave off the inevitable brickbats.
But the smile is back on the face of Fitzgerald and Clare hurling this year after a first National League title in 38 years was secured against Waterford last month.
And it was a pertinent message from coach Donal Óg Cusack that helped Fitzgerald find a new perspective.
Fitzgerald reflected: “I didn’t actually enjoy the All-Ireland enough, because I knew what was coming.
“When you are up there, there’s only one place you are going to go and you are probably going to get kicked left right and centre and I probably knew that.
“I have regret; I should have enjoyed it way more. That’s why I enjoyed the League (win).
“I made a decision at the end of last year. I was getting kicked left right and centre in certain places and do you know what?
“I have fantastic people around me in Clare, love them. I have a great bunch of guys that stood by me unreal. And you know, I just made up my own mind to stay inside that.
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“I can’t do anything about what ye write or what other people say. That would have bothered me a lot probably at one stage. When I think back on it, Clare wouldn’t have been a historic county. I’ve been so lucky.
“I’ve got to play on the biggest days, I’ve got to win on the biggest days and I’ve got to win everything as a manager. Donal Óg actually said to me; ‘boy, you’ve done everything, what are you at?’ “I was thinking, let’s enjoy it.”
Next on the agenda for Fitzgerald is another crack at Waterford, the county he managed from 2008-2011.
The stakes are sky-high at Semple Stadium next Sunday with a passage to the Munster final, and the last six of the All-Ireland series, on offer for the winners.
Fitzgerald is predicting another intriguing tactical battle and he’s plotting a way around a midfield ‘cordon’ that he’s identified in the Waterford system.
Fitzgerald also admitted that Clare wouldn’t normally set up as they did for the two League finals against Sunday’s opponents but that the Déise’s formation effectively forces him them into it.
He explained: “Tactically, it’s probably one of the biggest battles.
“You’re looking every two seconds, how are our match-ups, are they playing that cordon? They have this thing where the play a cordon across the middle of the field, where they’re nearly touching hands, they have a line across.
“I know philosophies are out there, Pep Guardiola feels that if you win at midfield, you win the game. I know they think like that and we would probably be the same.
“Would we naturally set up the way we set up for the last two games? No. But when you have so many bodies across the middle, if we were to leave them loose, they’re going to go point, point, point.
“They’re a savage team to work a quick pass. I remember watching tapes of them for months, they could have the ball over on this side, four to five passes and they’ll score on the other side.
“They’re so quick at moving it and that’s why it’s crowded. The middle third is everything. It’s like dog and dog out there, this is nearly wolf on wolf.”
Fitzgerald added: “Waterford play a particular style that suits them, Derek McGrath is a very smart guy.
“I was mad for him to be involved with me in Waterford when I was down there at the time. He has a system that suits his team.
“We’ve looked at it, we have to set up a certain way at the start but then they have to look at us too in a certain way. I’m sure they’ve looked at shapes we play and stuff we do.
“It is tactical but it’s probably both teams trying to impose their game on it.
“You can’t leave players loose. If they leave us loose, we’ll hurt them. If we leave them loose, they’re going to hurt us.”
But Fitzgerald acknowledged too that he has a proven game-breaker in Tony Kelly, who fired over two points in stoppage time to settle the League final replay.
He said: “Tony Kelly, nothing he does surprises me. I remember when I got him to take the (equalising) free, that was maybe the first free all day he got to hit and it was a big call.
“I felt he was on fire that day, he wanted the ball. If you have a player that is on form, that’s looking to go at things, you’ll like him hitting a free.
“Did I expect him to go the other side of the field? Tony has a licence to do whatever he wants.
“He’ll go where he feels he can get on the ball. Fairy play to him.
“No matter what happens for the rest of the year, nobody can take away that Clare won their first National League title in 38 years. I take that very seriously, that’s a big plus for us.”
Donal Óg's Clare advice for Davy Fitz - 'Boy, you’ve done everything, what are you at?’
DAVY FITZGERALD MADE a promise to himself that he would enjoy the 2016 season after being “kicked left, right and centre” by his critics.
And the Clare boss admits that he didn’t savour the Banner County’s 2013 All-Ireland success enough, as he feared what was coming down the tracks when the tide turned.
Clare limped out of the All-Ireland qualifiers in the last two seasons and Fitzgerald discovered that not even that recent Liam MacCarthy Cup success could stave off the inevitable brickbats.
But the smile is back on the face of Fitzgerald and Clare hurling this year after a first National League title in 38 years was secured against Waterford last month.
And it was a pertinent message from coach Donal Óg Cusack that helped Fitzgerald find a new perspective.
Fitzgerald reflected: “I didn’t actually enjoy the All-Ireland enough, because I knew what was coming.
“When you are up there, there’s only one place you are going to go and you are probably going to get kicked left right and centre and I probably knew that.
“I have regret; I should have enjoyed it way more. That’s why I enjoyed the League (win).
“I made a decision at the end of last year. I was getting kicked left right and centre in certain places and do you know what?
“I have fantastic people around me in Clare, love them. I have a great bunch of guys that stood by me unreal. And you know, I just made up my own mind to stay inside that.
“I can’t do anything about what ye write or what other people say. That would have bothered me a lot probably at one stage. When I think back on it, Clare wouldn’t have been a historic county. I’ve been so lucky.
“I’ve got to play on the biggest days, I’ve got to win on the biggest days and I’ve got to win everything as a manager. Donal Óg actually said to me; ‘boy, you’ve done everything, what are you at?’ “I was thinking, let’s enjoy it.”
Next on the agenda for Fitzgerald is another crack at Waterford, the county he managed from 2008-2011.
The stakes are sky-high at Semple Stadium next Sunday with a passage to the Munster final, and the last six of the All-Ireland series, on offer for the winners.
Fitzgerald is predicting another intriguing tactical battle and he’s plotting a way around a midfield ‘cordon’ that he’s identified in the Waterford system.
Fitzgerald also admitted that Clare wouldn’t normally set up as they did for the two League finals against Sunday’s opponents but that the Déise’s formation effectively forces him them into it.
He explained: “Tactically, it’s probably one of the biggest battles.
“I know philosophies are out there, Pep Guardiola feels that if you win at midfield, you win the game. I know they think like that and we would probably be the same.
“Would we naturally set up the way we set up for the last two games? No. But when you have so many bodies across the middle, if we were to leave them loose, they’re going to go point, point, point.
“They’re a savage team to work a quick pass. I remember watching tapes of them for months, they could have the ball over on this side, four to five passes and they’ll score on the other side.
“They’re so quick at moving it and that’s why it’s crowded. The middle third is everything. It’s like dog and dog out there, this is nearly wolf on wolf.”
Fitzgerald added: “Waterford play a particular style that suits them, Derek McGrath is a very smart guy.
“I was mad for him to be involved with me in Waterford when I was down there at the time. He has a system that suits his team.
“We’ve looked at it, we have to set up a certain way at the start but then they have to look at us too in a certain way. I’m sure they’ve looked at shapes we play and stuff we do.
“It is tactical but it’s probably both teams trying to impose their game on it.
“You can’t leave players loose. If they leave us loose, we’ll hurt them. If we leave them loose, they’re going to hurt us.”
But Fitzgerald acknowledged too that he has a proven game-breaker in Tony Kelly, who fired over two points in stoppage time to settle the League final replay.
He said: “Tony Kelly, nothing he does surprises me. I remember when I got him to take the (equalising) free, that was maybe the first free all day he got to hit and it was a big call.
“I felt he was on fire that day, he wanted the ball. If you have a player that is on form, that’s looking to go at things, you’ll like him hitting a free.
“Did I expect him to go the other side of the field? Tony has a licence to do whatever he wants.
“He’ll go where he feels he can get on the ball. Fairy play to him.
“No matter what happens for the rest of the year, nobody can take away that Clare won their first National League title in 38 years. I take that very seriously, that’s a big plus for us.”
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