Liam Cahill pleased with players application
By Shane Brophy
Tipperary manager Liam Cahill was pleased to have secured a victory in the opening round of the National League on Sunday.
“A good start,” he began.
“You know, tough place to come to, Pearse Stadium always, but just really happy with the attitude of the players. They've prepared really well over the last couple of weeks since we've commenced training and they're bringing that out onto the field. Plenty of change in our formation and our personnel, that's where we are, we have to embrace this change and make sure that we're pointing in the right direction.
“You couldn't be too critical of fellas hurling today and touch for obvious reasons, but all we'd be looking for today as a key starting point is that desire and that determination and guts and belly to get around the field and put in the hard yards. I think we had that in abundance.”
There was a lot of be pleased about in terms of many aspects of the victory but a notable one in the early weeks of the campaign is how lean the Tipperary players look in terms of their physical make-up, something Liam Cahill felt he felt they didn’t get right last year.
“It would be no secret that we would have been very disappointed with the level of our fitness and our ability to see out games last year,” he revealed.
“A lot of what you saw today you would have seen for 45 minutes, 50 minutes last year but unfortunately championship hurling has played over 70 minutes and probably didn't get it right.
“Probably, I'm holding my hands up, we didn't get it right in that regard and I think we're on the road to getting it right this year to have us that little bit more consistent and seeing out games better.”
Twenty of the 38 man panel got game time on Sunday, including Seamus Kennedy who made a return from over ten months out with a knee injury with Cahill classing him as a new addition to the panel, while six players made their senior debuts, including Michael Corcoran who impressed in the first half with Cahill revealing a minor hamstring injury forced his withdrawal at half time.
Overall, what pleased the Tipperary manager most was the players application, particularly in different weather and pitch conditions.
“We understand that we have to show the traits of what we showed today to let people know that we're competing hard,” Cahill added.
“All I can say is that we are really trying hard behind the scenes, we really are.
“I mentioned bravery there earlier about the direction we're going and the change we have to make. I'd ask the Tipp supporters to be brave as well and come out and support them. There's not much bravery in going up to Croke Park every year over the last decade for semi-finals and All-Irelands and all that. They're easy things to do and I think regardless of whether people believe in Liam Cahill and his coaching team or his coaching philosophy, these players will be around long after I'm gone. They're the catalyst to everything that gives us the joy that is being a Tipperary supporter so get in behind them, support them and they'll respond, that I'm sure of.”