Ian Morris gone from Waterford

**Burnsie** · 20/04/2022, 12:40 PM

according to this

**sbgawa** · 20/04/2022, 1:41 PM

Breaking: Ian Morris sacked by Waterford (irishexaminer.com)

Still cant believe Waterford gave the job to this guy, the most obvious failure in waiting ive ever seen.
Bit of misplaced media sympathy for him getting sacked to make way for Duffer but ask yourself if the Shels board saw enough to sack him despite promotion what did the Waterford board expect???

The first division was infinitely easier to get out of last season and he made heavy weather of it. Waterford have a chance now to turn it around.

**Kiki Balboa** · 20/04/2022, 2:31 PM

Out of his depth... Could even see it the first time Shels won promotion.

**SPXcyan** · 20/04/2022, 3:14 PM

The best news all week, we just might put up a title challenge now if the owner brings in a quality replacement.

**total hoofball** · 20/04/2022, 5:30 PM

I'm sure Morris knew after the Bircham saga that taking that job was always going to have a high risk of being sacked under that owner if they fell behind early. With the full-time budgets Waterford, Cork and Galway have this season the only certain way to keep your job as manager is to finish 1st brutal stuff

I wasn't fan of his tight style of football under Shels but it was effective to win that division twice Waterford never seemed a right fit for him. I think he will get another chance, wonder how long Devlin is going to last at Bray that's where I thought Morris was going to end up before the Waterford appointment

**Joe Strummer** · 20/04/2022, 5:41 PM

Originally Posted by total hoofball

I'm sure Morris knew after the Bircham saga that taking that job was always going to have a high risk of being sacked under that owner if they fell behind early. With the full-time budgets Waterford, Cork and Galway have this season the only certain way to keep your job as manager is to finish 1st brutal stuff

I wasn't fan of his tight style of football under Shels but it was effective to win that division twice Waterford never seemed a right fit for him. I think he will get another chance, wonder how long Devlin is going to last at Bray that's where I thought Morris was going to end up before the Waterford appointment

Devlin is too much of a control freak to let anyone else manage Bray.

**joey B** · 20/04/2022, 5:58 PM

Leaving after 10 games is still pretty mad ,even for Waterford!

Is it true he didn’t move down and was only part time? Pretty sure the squad is full time so maybe that was another reason not to appoint him in the first place….

**pineapple stu** · 20/04/2022, 7:03 PM

Originally Posted by joey B

Leaving after 10 games is still pretty mad ,even for Waterford!

Is it longer than Sheedy lasted?

Whoever made the appointment should be sacked as well tbh. (Especially if your other comment is true!)

**trevy** · 20/04/2022, 7:21 PM

I think Sheedy was there slightly longer but not by much. There was a lot of talk that Morris still had another job in Dublin and was only part time in Waterford but was hard to get definite information on that. We have gone through a crazy amount of managers since Alan Reynolds left in mid 2020 so Sheridan, Rockett, Sheedy, Bircham and now Morris.
The next appointment needs to be got right to get Waterford back challenging near the top of the table as a good bit of ground to make up.

**Longfordian** · 20/04/2022, 7:30 PM

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roddy_Collins

**Nesta99** · 20/04/2022, 8:31 PM

Originally Posted by trevy

I think Sheedy was there slightly longer but not by much. There was a lot of talk that Morris still had another job in Dublin and was only part time in Waterford but was hard to get definite information on that. We have gone through a crazy amount of managers since Alan Reynolds left in mid 2020 so Sheridan, Rockett, Sheedy, Bircham and now Morris.
The next appointment needs to be got right to get Waterford back challenging near the top of the table as a good bit of ground to make up.

Full time squad with a part time manager?

**Stav** · 21/04/2022, 8:04 AM

You would have to wonder sometimes what actual planning goes into all this. Not sure if Waterford are any better than Galway and Cork so it was always going to be a tough job to win the First Division. What is the plan? Win Div 1 and then must make Europe or you're gone. Love or loath Rovers they stuck with their manager and are now reaping the rewards after years of dumping people. It may not be Ian Morris but there has to be a realistic plan and the manager has to be given time to implement it. Waterford have been in the doldrums for a long time and it would be great to see a well run club who are challenging for honors on a regular basis.

**2 Year Contract** · 21/04/2022, 8:45 AM

Gary Hunt taking over this weekend makes him the 9th man to manage Waterford (including interim managers) in less than 2 years. Soon to be 10 also when the new manager comes in. Must be mad for any of the players that are still there that entire time like Griffin and O'Keeffe.

**nr637** · 21/04/2022, 9:24 AM

Who are the potential candidates for the job from around the League scene here?

**Kiki Balboa** · 21/04/2022, 11:45 AM

It is a pity for Waterford, in 2018 (?) they seemed a team with massive potential and were going to challenge Dundalk and Cork. Bonkers stuff has happened since with it seems no long or medium term planning.

Morris was a mistake, but I see they are linked with Fenn now. That would be crazy and would further deepen them into crisis. Only other previous LOI manager you would maybe go for is Vinny Perth, who might be an addition for them. Other than that Kieth Long or Liam Buckley might be on the hot seat if they wanted to wait for someone with experience.

Again, Morris was a waste of time. Instead of being patient and getting the right man then, they picked someone who was already shown to be out of their depth and now have the consequnce of rushing mid season to find another quick fix.

I feel bad for Waterford, because if they had the stability, they could hve been consistently in Europe.

(Although Maybe John O'Shea would be interested ?

)

**Stav** · 21/04/2022, 12:23 PM

Think Fenn could be a good appointment. He wants to play football, has good knowledge of the game and did a good job with what he had in Longford. It does not matter who they appoint if the expectations are unrealistic. There is no instant fix in most clubs and just like across the water managers are given very little time. No matter how good you are it takes time to develop (after the initial bounce) a team.
The history of Waterford in the last number of years is not pretty and it would be good for them to get it right.

**Longfordian** · 21/04/2022, 12:29 PM

He did a decent enough job for us alright. Pretty much performed in line with expectations, without overachieving, and he does set out his team to try and play nice football. He had a disastrous time of it in Cork though.

**DCSIL** · 21/04/2022, 1:07 PM

The only good thing i can see about Fenn going to Waterford will be he and the owner can understand each other.

**Jd2793** · 21/04/2022, 1:19 PM

Fenn would be decent at waterford. Level of player there is above what he had at cork and his time was disrupted by covid too. He made plenty of mistakes but he was up against it something awful between the club nearly going bust and Covid.

**sulywaterfordfc** · 21/04/2022, 6:19 PM

There’s two problem men behind the scenes, unfortunately when the club changed ownership last summer both stay on. Unfortunately the local man on the board has been a problem for years now, and has played a big part in the clubs downfall. The another is a power greed academy coach with far too much say.

Morris was doomed for the get go, the style of the squad didn’t suit Morris, Morris didn’t 100% commit to the project. Morris has made himself look like a spoofer too by recently acknowledging the squad isn’t suited to hoofball, and go onto claim the team don’t play hoofball. The tactics are nonexistent and the style of play is one of the worst I’ve seen in the RSC. I read back a message the other day from a Shels in ‘19, at the point of the message Shels were top and after playing over half their games. He wanted Morris out, the reasons he listened for wanting him out were this season all weaknesses of Morris and areas the team were struggling with as a result. Morris seemed to hugely struggle with motivating the players, I’ve never seen such a disinterested group.

Personally from what I’ve seen, I wanted him out after the game in turners cross. It was the most embarrassing displays I’ve seen a blues side in a derby. From that point it was only a matter of time, I’m just surprised it lasted ten games.