Initial Reaction?
"Really disappointing again today. Just I suppose the whole lack of energy, and Clare's movement was exceptional today. They seemed to have a lot of players giving options on the ball and we just couldn't seem to cope with it. It's disappointing for everybody - the Waterford people that traveled here today, there was a good few of them here as we came in on the bus. Fair play to them. The real die-hards. Very disappointed for the Waterford supporters that packed out Walsh Park last weekend. I'd love to have answers, but I haven't got any at the moment."
How would you sum up the year?
"The Championship is the judge really isn't it? Our prep was through the league, and when we ended up in the latter stages of the league we wanted to go on and win it, and we done so. I thought that would really give us the bit of a gee-up we need to try and kick on to a good Championship campaign. As of the last three weeks in particular, I just don't know where we've fell off the wagon."
The future is bright even though it might not look like it at the moment.
"These players - the admiration I have for these players, and Mikey Bevans, as well as the addition of Tony Browne this year who's been absolutely top class, with Stephen Frampton over the past three years. We really felt we had a good thing going as regards management, and putting the platform in place for these players to perform. To be fair to these players, they have performed a high percentage of the time. That [The Clare result] is just not them, and I know that's not them. There's nobody hurting more than them. I know I can be hard on them when they don't deliver when you really want them to, and I've never really had to get cross with these fellas during my reign here when they didn't hurl to the form. I'm just so disappointed for them and everybody associated with the setup."
Changes made prior to throw-in, why?
"Down to injuries? Not really. We had to be seen to come up with something new. We didn't perform to our capabilities in Walsh Park last week. That's always been our mantra here, that if you don't perform, we have a good strong panel who get their opportunity to step in. We tried that today, and it obviously didn't work in a lot of areas. It's bitterly disappointing, I just can't explain how we arrived in the way we arrived today."
How disappointing it is to lose three in a row?
"It's obvious. We're really disappointed. What can I say? Nobody went out for that to happen. The players are hurting massively inside, and they know that's not a reflection of their true selves. I've no problems in saying that it's my responsibility to have them right too. It's my job to have them right when they hit the white lines to perform. We'll have to look at that as well, maybe we didn't get it right from a preparation perspective - I don't know. Whatever happened over the last three weeks, it hasn't been good. I'm just so disappointed for the players who ultimately put in all the work."
Have you felt the confidence drain over the past weeks?
"There's a lot spoken and written about Waterford in general - that they don't do pressure, and expectations shouldn't be put on their shoulders. I don't think that weighs hard on these players. These players are not responsible for the history of not winning All-Ireland's. They can only hurl in the now and that's what we are trying to do. When this team are in full flow, they're a joy to watch and the whole country knows that. It's just that the form wasn't there as o0f last Sunday, and again today. What do we do? You put it behind you and try to put it right on the field - that's the only place you can put it right. It's going to be a long summer - we'll have plenty of time to reflect on it."
What's your plan for the future?
"Today is obviously very disappointing, and it's something that we won't make a rash decision on now, but you'd have to say from my side - I'd just wonder what else can be done to bring them to the next level? I'm not sure. I'm quite happy to sit down with these players - I have a very good healthy relationship with these players. They are extremely honest men, and I'll sit down and see where their heads are at first before we do anything too rash."
Did the pressure weigh on them too much?
"You can only control what you can control. We thought we had a good understanding inside in the environment that we've created to be able to deal with the likes of that. The bottom line is if you're going to be one of the top teams in the country you're going to have to deal with that, and just get on with it. These players are going to have to learn that because they will put themselves back in that position again. Talent like that just doesn't go away overnight. They're going to meet that obstacle again and if they do, we'll just have to deal with it that bit different and just understand that we can't just curl up and die under it which is what seems to have happened over the past two or three weeks."
