BY KIERAN McCARTHY
WHETHER it was the reaction of a frustrated manager trying to wrap his head around Cork’s championship exit or the musings of a man who is seriously considering his inter-county future, John Cleary’s non-committal response to continuing in his role has created an uncertainty about what’s next.
In July 2022 the Castlehaven man was appointed as Keith Ricken’s successor on a three-year term, but Cleary had also taken charge of the Rebels for the end of the 2022 league and full championship campaign after Ricken stepped back due to illness.
Even though Cleary has one season left, he has a decision to make: will he stick or twist?
‘We’ll see now. I’m three years at it and anyone involved in a county team will tell you it’s tough going, it’s a full-time job. Look, I’ll sit down with the lads. I’ll make no decision one way or the other,’ Cleary said after Cork were dumped out of the championship by Louth.
‘It’s definitely not a definite because the amount of effort that goes into it from all and I just have to see how the lads that worked with me this year are fixed. And even my own circumstances, it is tough going and we’ll just mull on it now for a few days and see after that then.’
Cleary’s honest answer will invite speculation over his future until he announces whether he intends to stay or go, but he’ll admit this season didn’t meet expectations – Cork came up well short in their Division 2 promotion bid and also didn’t match last year’s run to an All-Ireland quarter-final, getting knocked out a round earlier this year. That’s not progress. It’s stagnation, if not regression.
The manner of the one-point loss to Louth will define this season because it’s the same old failings that cost Cork again – missed chances and the lack of consistency from one game to the next. This team has to shed those two traits if they are to take the next step, otherwise Cork will be playing out similar seasons on loop for years to come, stuck in Division 2 and unable to break past All-Ireland quarter-finals. Cleary knows this, too, so why are Cork’s old failings popping up again and again? That’s a question he and his management team need to answer.
Under Cleary’s watch, Cork have a 50 percent win rate in championship football – the Rebels have played 16 games across the 2022 to ’24 campaigns, winning eight and losing eight. There have been wins against Mayo, Donegal and Roscommon, and losses to Clare and Louth. It’s that inconsistency again, the ability to beat teams ranked above them, but the inability to consistently beat teams of a similar standard, hence why Cork are still in Division 2 of the league. That table doesn’t lie because as much as Cork want – and need – to reach Division 1 and play regular games against the top teams, the reason they haven’t reached that goal is because Cork haven’t been good enough – and consistent – across a league campaign.
The same applies to the championship. Beat Mayo and Roscommon back-to-back in 2023, come up short against Derry. Defeat Clare and Donegal in 2024 to take control of their own destiny, then lose to Tyrone and slump to a first championship loss to Louth since 1957. For all those moments of progress – and the win against Donegal at Páirc Uí Rinn did feel like it was – they haven’t been backed up, so perhaps that’s why Cleary needs some time to figure out what’s next and why Cork haven’t been able to take that next step?
The make-up of Division 2 next season – Cavan, Down, Louth, Meath, Monaghan, Roscommon and Westmeath – makes promotion more attainable, with no Dublin or Galway or Donegal or Armagh in the mix, so maybe that might tempt Cleary to return. But until Cork become more clinical and consistent, expect more of the same.
