Cahill rounds on parents and critics following Tipp minor win

Following their playoff win over Clare last Wednesday evening, Tipperary minor manager Liam Cahill rounded on his critics who came down hard on the team following their opening round loss to Waterford last month.

The Ballingarry clubman didn't hold back in his anger, revealing following the Waterford loss that he got phonecalls from parents of some of the panel members that weren't selected or brought on while come of the comments on Tipp FM's Extra Time show the following Monday he felt went were very harsh.

Looking ahead to next months semi-final against Cork, Cahill used the moment to highlight improvements needed to beat the rebels and get back to another Munster final.

“We are going to have to improve a lot from tonight, and we are going to have to get an awful lot of things in order too - say with our team, our set-up and the young fellas, in particular, as well,” he began.

“We are going to have to get full buy-in from everybody, including a lot of these young players' mothers and fathers. I have shipped a lot of criticism since the Waterford match and received a couple of phone calls from parents - I suppose it's a parent's nature to feel that their own geese are swans, but the bottom line is that we are in a competitive environment here in Tipp and not all geese are swans. That's the bottom line.”

Cahill also revealed that the role of Tipperary minor manager is as tough as it gets as he has to prepare players in the best way possible for them to be ready to compete at under 21 and senior level and they must be prepared to take some harsh words, both on the training field and at home.

“The bottom line is that this job I have is a big job,” he stressed.

“They can say that Michael Ryan has the biggest job in Tipp, but I have the biggest job preparing the next generation of young hurlers; the future hurlers for Tipperary. And, I am not going to send a group of young fellas soft up the line. Let's be honest about it - there is no point in I handing players up to Michael Ryan or William Maher at under-21 soft or not ready for the battle.

“And, they have to hear this at home as well and they have to understand that hurling will prepare them for everything. We are going to bring them in under the influence of Michael Bevans and prepare these fellas every way possible for the battle required to play inter-county hurling which will stand them in good stead in life as well.”

Having made sweeping changes for the Clare game and with six weeks to prepare for the semi-final in Pairc Ui Rinn, Cahill revealed that he will be shaking up the panel to ensure it remains highly competitive.

“It's competitive in here and I am going to keep it competitive because I have been on the prowl for the last couple of weeks at club matches,” Liam Cahill explained.

“I have five fellas earmarked to come in next Tuesday night (to training) that have performed with their club and deserve to be in with us. And, there are one or two that we let off early in the year that are doing a bit of crying and their mammies and daddies are doing a bit of crying that they are not in the squad. They will get a chance again to see whether they are up to it or not. We are going to look forward now to really putting the shoulder to the wheel and driving on from this.”

Cahill added: 'The pressure is never off in Tipperary when you take these jobs. I hope the pressure is off for a little while because it will give us a chance again to get our house in order”.

“Hopefully the switch board in Tipp FM won't light up as bad as it did last Monday night with Ronan Quirke (presenter of the Extra Time show) and these so-called Tipperary supporters will start talking a bit of sense and stop talking through the sides of their mouths and start understanding that I am a Tipperary man, but they must also remember that I am a Tipperary hurling man and I love my hurling. I will do whatever is required to put Tipperary hurling where it needs to be. And, if that means going the route that I have gone - as long as I am here on my watch that's the way it will be. So, close the book on it now everybody. It's Tipperary hurling with me, end of story.”