Former Déise boss Derek McGrath insists that the Waterford players haven't downed tools in this year's championship.
After suffering three straight losses, Davy Fitzgerald's side will finish their Munster campaign against Tipperary on Sunday in Semple Stadium.
The players were accused of downing tools following the defeat to Clare but McGrath disagrees. "I don't think that players down tools in general. I heard the word spineless being used in reference to Wexford. I don't think that there's an inter county player that's spineless or downs tools. What we never take into account is the fact that we may have been comprehensively outplayed by a better team on a given day. That's a narrative that we never consider in Waterford."
He accepts that the Déise need to deliver a performance on Sunday to give fans hope for next year. "They need to be able to hang their coats on something for want of a better phrase. What they'd like to see is a Waterford team less structured and less prescribed if you want me to be completely honest. I think that's what the management will be working hard to do: how do you get the balance between structure and freedom?"
Hear more from Derek McGrath on Lár Na Páirce from 6.10.
