The Echo Sport Podcast: John Cleary's future, Cork football's deep-lying issues and hurlers dip in form

THE Cork footballers' season came to a very underwhelming conclusion on Sunday afternoon in picturesque Inniskeen where the glorious weather didn't inspire the Rebels the way it had when they stunned Donegal at the start of the month.

On this week's Echo Sport Podcast, Denis Hurley and Barry O'Mahony join Éamonn Murphy in the studio to look on the major issues impacting Cork GAA, with a focus on the footballers' elimination and what the future holds.

Louth recorded their first championship success against the Rebels since the 1957 All-Ireland final to secure a place in the quarter-finals at Croke Park and leave us questioning whether Cork made any genuine progress this year. They failed to push for promotion from Division 2 and haven't been in the top flight since 2016.

Rattling Kerry in Killarney and defeating the Ulster champions didn't matter when the summer was cut short by two successive losses, to Tyrone in Tullamore and against Louth.

While Sunday's result was a shock, the tight game was reflective of the last four meetings between the counties in league and championship, where the biggest gap was four points. 

Cork paid a price for their conservatism and poor finishing, which saw them sit too deep for long spells and then squander some very scoreable point chances and waste two glaring goal opportunities in the last quarter.

Sam Mulroy converted an injury-time free to snatch the win but the Rebels went the last 13 minutes without raising a flag, their third scoring drought on the day. A haul of 1-8 summed up a miserable display, especially when the goal came from full-back Daniel O'Mahony and midfielder Colm O'Callaghan landed three points.

John Cleary was unsure about his future as Cork manager when he spoke to Barry O'Mahony and John Fogarty on Sunday, though he is entitled to a fourth year at the helm, having been given a three-year term after his first campaign when he replaced Keith Ricken midstream. Galway native Kevin Walsh has been on board as a coach but Cleary may decide to freshen up his backroom if he commits to 2025.

If he doesn't, there are no obvious candidates to replace him.

Looking at the bigger picture, Cork minor and U20 results, and performances in the Corn Uí Mhuirí schools competition, were alarming this year and Conor Counihan will step down in September as Director of Football. 

Who should fulfill that role now? And what targets should be set after the first Five-Year Plan didn't deliver?

DIP

On the hurling front, Cork were very unconvincing in beating Dublin and will need to be far sharper and more aggressive to have any hope of taking down Limerick in the All-Ireland semi-final.

On the podcast, we discuss the hurlers' dip in form since the Munster championship and the areas they need to target for the clash at Croke Park.

You can find us every week on echolive.ie/podcast or where-ever you get your podcasts.