Davy Fitzgerald says 'unbelievable' Limerick can be beaten: 'Someone will come up with something different'
Davy Fitzgerald says he has some ideas how to set up to beat current All-Ireland champions Limerick, but the fact that he cannot put them into practice in 2022 is a 'killer'. While praising the 'unbelievable' Treaty side, the former Wexford boss is adamant they can be defeated.
Saturday 30 October 2021 06:59, UK
Despite John Kiely and Davy Fitzgerald taking the reins of Limerick and Wexford respectively at the start of 2017, they never met in the cauldron of championship hurling.
In recent seasons, Kiely led the Treaty to unprecedented success, claiming three All-Ireland titles between 2018 and 2021. Meanwhile, the Yellowbellies sealed a first Leinster crown in 15 years under the Clare-man's watch.
Fitzgerald didn't get a chance to have a crack at Limerick during his time with Wexford, but he feels they are beatable, although he nonetheless has huge admiration for their achievements.
Of course they can be beaten.
"Limerick are an unbelievable team. I think they have brought hurling to a different level," he said.
"They're well-coached, well-drilled, they're in great condition.
"Of course they can be beaten. I think they're good for hurling. It's like the Kilkenny team of the late 2000s, everybody said 'Is this ever going to end? It's going to be Kilkenny and Tipp forever, especially Kilkenny.' It wasn't, it changed.
"This will change too. But it's going to be hard for the next year, two or three. They're going to be there or thereabouts.
"The way they carry themselves is top-class. I really admire them.
"But someone will come up with something different and that's what you've got to do. You can't play Limerick at their game, you've got to develop another type of game yourself. I think that's the key to success."
Fitzgerald will not be involved with an intercounty team in 2022, having missed out on the Galway job. But he has a plan in his back pocket as to how a team could take down the current All-Ireland champions.
"I definitely have [ideas about that], I just don't get to try them out now, which is a killer," he commented.
"There are one or two things I'd love to do, but that takes time and you need to have the right material as well to do that.
"But we have to admire what John Kiely and Limerick have done. Fair play to them. They waited a long time and they made the best of it, they have three All-Irelands won. They got their underage structure right.
"You look at Limerick, Clare, they both have three All-Irelands in the last 20, 30 years. They have a lot of underage won between them so they haven't done too bad around the Shannon."
