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Evans relishing year ahead
(06/02/2010)
By Shane Brophy
Facing into his third season as Tipperary Football manager, John Evans accepts that he challenges are becoming greater but that everyone involved with the senior football squad is relishing the opportunity to test themselves against the best.
Just over two years ago this weekend, Tipperary began their National Football League campaign in Division 4 against Kilkenny in front of just 280 spectators in Nowlan Park.
This Saturday night in Portlaoise they set out on another exciting journey of discovery to see if Tipperary have the capabilities to make even more progress on the senior football stage.
“It’s another new and exciting challenge,” admitted manager John Evans.
“The games will be bigger and more daunting as we climb the ladder and rub shoulders with the big hitters of Gaelic Football.”
As in 2009 when Tipperary were promoted to division 3, little will be expected of John Evan’s charges and that lack of expectation could again play into Tipperary’s and could prove vital if they are to achieve their stated ambition for the National League which is to avoid relegation.
However, John Evans believes that Tipperary’s winning habit over the last two campaigns will help them overcome any apprehension going into the division two campaign.
“Our ambition is to hold our own with these teams in what is a very competitive division. Winning has become a bit of a habit and the players are eager to give it their best shot,” he added.
Following Tipp’s exit from the 2009 championship at the hands of Sligo, Evans once again scoured the county to improve his panel and certainly the success of the past couple of years at all level of football in the county has led to an increased profile of the game within the county with players eager to come on board providing the Tipperary management with an increased pool of talent from which to choose from.
Many other counties similar to Tipperary would struggle having lost the experience of Eamonn Hanrahan, Damian O’Brien and Niall Fitzgerald but the Tipperary manager is confident that his young panel have the hunger and desire to succeed.
“Our panel is quite young but quite a number of them have a lot of football played at senior level over the past two years and have generated plenty of experience. You only have to look at the likes of Ciaran McDonald, Sean Carey and Christopher Aylward who are still eligible to play Under 21 again this year.”
For Tipperary to reach their stated aim of survival in division two, they need a minimum of two wins to give themselves and having four of their games at home will be a help. Privately, Tipperary will have targeted some games over others where they feel they can record a victory but Evans was keen to stress the importance of performance with the results taking care of themselves after that.
“Everyone’s ambition within the Tipperary senior football set-up is to improve themselves.
“We don’t talk about the past, we only look to the future. These are exciting times for Tipperary football and there has been a lot of talk about us in the build up the league, it’s time to turn that talk in action on the field.”
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