No clear candidate if John Cleary decides to step down as Cork boss

Eleven days on from Cork’s defeat to Louth in the All-Ireland SFC preliminary quarter-final, and the dust is still settling.

Rebels manager John Cleary was unsure about remaining on for next season when he spoke after the loss to the Wee County in Inniskeen in south Monaghan, but he is entitled to a fourth year at the helm, having been given a three-year term in July 2022 after initially being interim boss having replaced Keith Ricken midway through the 2022 campaign.

In what are now behind-closed-doors Cork County Board monthly meetings, the bulletin, circulated by the executive on Thursday morning, just over 35 hours after the meeting took place, didn’t go into any great detail on what was discussed. The Cork football management teams were thanked for their efforts this season and a constructive meeting was held regarding Cork football in general on Tuesday night.

“There was significant debate on the state of football in the county with all agreeing that there was ground to make up despite the recent progress on some fronts.

“The incredible work of volunteers with all teams was acknowledged and it was made clear that further debate and consideration of the challenges arising would follow, with the aim of improving results at all levels.”

It’s only natural that any manager would weigh up his options at the end of every season but the expectation is that Cleary will still be on the sideline guiding the Rebel footballers for the 2025 campaign. He will take his time though. There may be a possibility of tweaking his backroom team if he did stay put. Galway native Kevin Walsh who has just concluded his second season as coach of the team, could well move on having failed to make the desired impact.

Speaking on The Sunday Game after Cork’s one point defeat to Louth, former Kerry player and manager Eamonn Fitzmaurice says Cleary has brought a level of progress since he took over two years ago.

"People within Cork especially would want John Cleary to stay on,” he said.

“He has progressed the team, he's a steady hand, there's no dramatics with him win or lose. He has developed the group. The defeat to Louth is a setback, there's no point saying otherwise and it's a disappointment for them.

“They would have fancied getting in. Even against Tyrone, they had it in their grasp to get into the All-Ireland quarter-finals and avoid this preliminary quarter-final. But even if he decided to step back because it is such a huge commitment, I don't think there is a natural successor within Cork that's ready to go now.

"So I think the players and probably the board will certainly be putting pressure on him to hold on, continue with the development, keep progressing. They are not far away but they need to back up a couple of those wins in a row where they get into those real big games again." Fitzmaurice concluded.

There will obviously be huge disappointment on Cleary’s part that he hasn’t been able to guide Cork into the last eight of the Sam Maguire for a third successive season which would have been a great achievement. It came down to fine margins against Louth, a game where the Rebels created plenty of chances and even if they scored half of them they would have won.

Elsewhere, it was confirmed at the Cork County Board meeting on Tuesday that the 2024 county championship hurling and football quarter-finals will not be held at SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh and would instead be played at Páirc Uí Rinn and other venues.