Anthony Cunningham deserves sympathy as gloom descends on Galway

Yikes! That didn't take long. Thirteen weeks ago just after their epic All-Ireland semi-final, this column drew attention to the divergent paths of Tipperary and Galway hurling since the counties had met in a one-sided All-Ireland under-21 final in 2010.

The concluding lines – riddled with the hopeful possibilities that perennially break Galway spirits – read as follows: "For Anthony Cunningham and three of those who were on the field last Sunday – Johnny Coen, David Burke and Joseph Cooney – there will be the opportunity to celebrate the fifth anniversary of their annihilation in Thurles with the Liam MacCarthy west of the Shannon and not a single further senior All-Ireland medal in Tipperary since. Imagine the odds on that in September 2010."

Reality hasn’t taken long to intrude with the return of the more routine crushing disappointment, followed by controversy and rancour. On Monday evening Cunningham fired off the most wounded statement of withdrawal since Teddy Holland’s departing words in Cork after the failure to make his appointment as football manager stick nearly eight years ago.

As befits the spurned party in any relationship, the message hovered between fury – “it’s not me, it’s you” – and regret – “this could have worked out really well”. The spurning party, as is typical, shrugged shoulders and said nothing.

Complicated

The rights and wrongs of the whole business are complicated. Obviously managers shouldn’t hold on if they no longer have the confidence of their players, and maybe if Cunningham had taken a hard look at the situation he would have seen the sense in walking away, having had to quell an uprising in May.

Then again, Galway had in the meantime reached another All-Ireland final and if the challenge had petered out in familiar fashion in the second half, the team had shown enough evolution to suggest they were a work in progress. In September’s All-Ireland there were just six starters from the team that Cunningham named in the 2012 final.

The manager wondered how things could be so bad that he had to go. And it was a fair question. But unfortunately once anything happens to undermine the relationship between manager and players the way forward can’t be negotiated.

Cunningham's thinly veiled allegations that the Gaelic Player's Association were in some way behind the move are based on flimsy evidence, principally that last year's Galway captain and leading dissident David Collins is the GPA's secretary. That organisation represents and advises players and it's hard to know what would be in it for them to ferment dissent.

The impetus came from more senior players, some of them, Cunningham argued, “motivated by a desire to unjustly extend their lifespan as intercounty players, placing personal agendas above the greater good of Galway hurling”.

Whereas it is unlikely that younger players brought into the panel recently would have had many complaints about the 2015 season, the fact is that the panel in a secret ballot voted 26-6 at the weekend to express no confidence in the manager.

It is also fair to say that there is unhappiness amongst that minority, one player privately comparing the progress of anti-Cunningham sentiment in the dressing-room to a “disease”.

Cunningham had little choice. When a county says it is appointing an arbitration specialist – believed to be LRC’s Kevin Foley, who also oversaw Sunday’s ballot – to mediate between players and management, there isn’t much left to salvage.

It’s difficult to avoid the conclusion that Cunningham was badly treated in the whole sorry saga. Whatever the view of where things were going on the pitch, it is clear the players failed originally to communicate with sufficient clarity that they wanted revolution, not reform.

Another wrong was the impression that he had deliberately cut and run to the county committee in order to countermand the players’ objections through a rushed motion to re-appoint him after he had delivered his annual report.

Which brings us to the county administration. Why was a motion brought forward at that meeting without due notice? It served to do nothing more than place Cunningham in an invidious position and further provoke the players.

What now for Galway hurling?

On one hand, there is a growing pool of talented young players, many of whom have already been blooded. On the other, the players by their disinclination to articulate their grievances have contributed to what is now a toxic environment.

Bristled with hostility

A number of clubs are unhappy and local radio on Tuesday bristled with hostility towards the players.

There is no obvious new management ready to step in and, given the genesis of the players’ action, a difficult situation will face whoever does. New management may well feel they need to start afresh and end the careers of some or all of those Cunningham referred to so caustically.

It’s no wonder that after what has been the county’s second most successful season in the past 10 years, Galway hurling is back in default mode: gloom tending towards despair.

Note: In the print editions of today's Irish Times Kevin Foley was mistakenly referred to as Kevin Duffy. smoran@irishtimes.com