Curran retains faith that Carlow's fortunes will improve

Carlow senior football manager, Shane Curran, is facing down criticism after a member of his management team and a number of players have left the panel. He said he is just determined to get on with the job in hand and rejected suggestions that his training sessions are old-fashioned and out of date.

Last week, James Clarke from the backroom team, stepped aside while there are stories of players severing their connections with the panel. Curran admitted this was the case.

“We are not really going to say anything. Four or five fellas cannot commit. Great lads to be fare. Ned Pender, Paddy Hickey. Darragh O’ Brien and Lee Walker and a few more for different reasons are gone,” the manager acknowledged while he confirmed he is not under pressure himself.

“I think the bottom line, in a group, you get players who want to commit. When you are committing to the group, you are committing to the group and not just yourself. That is the bottom line. Players have to understand they are part of a wider community when they are in that group. If they are not prepared to abide by those principles they have to decide to move on. It is not for them,” he said.

He rejected some of the rumours which are being associated with dissatisfaction among the players.

“Well I cannot comment what people have said. They biggest lie in the world is “they say”,” he remarked.

He defended himself about the quality of the training sessions.

“You are welcome to come out and see for yourself,” he stated.

“You don’t get better by chance. You only get better by change. It is no harm to ruffle a few feathers.” He said he is determined to continue in his quest to improve Carlow football.

“I am under no pressure whatsoever. I am a great believer in that if I believe in something, I will go after it. I will do it to the best my ability. We have a fantastic coaching team. A really strong set-up and I am really happy we are going in the right direction. We are a young team. They are developing. We are getting the people we want on the panel and not those who are there for their own.” 

 In five league games, Carlow have three points. They have suffered defeats at the hands of Limerick, Wexford and against Wicklow on Sunday they scored 2-14 but lost by four points. Their total would have won many matches but Curran says events conspired against the visitors in Aughrim.

“They hit five two pointers and we conceded soft goals. These are things we have to work through. As a group we will do that. We are filtering through all that sort of stuff. It is not a perfect world. We are trying to build a team. We are only five games in. You learn about individuals. You learn about those who have strong characters and players will have to see it through.

“There is a long way to go in the season. The league is through the first part of it now. Obviously the championship and the Tailteann Cup are next. There is a lot of learning to do, a lot to be taken from it and we will drive it forward as professionally as possible in terms of our commitment.” 

Carlow have two league games left where they entertain Longford at home on Saturday 15 March and eight days later they play London away from home.

They are away to Meath in the first round of the Leinster championship on 6 April.