Galway chief Murphy ready to lead his Tribesmen further this season

Alan Murphy started the new millennium as a young player in the Galway Utd first team, winning FAI Schoolboy of the Year in 2000. He entered the 2010s with the Tribesmen once more but failed to play in the League of Ireland due to a knee injury which derailed his season. A decade later and the Ballinrobe native is back at Eamonn Deacy Park, this time in the managerial hotseat.

After re-signing for the club in the 2018 season, Murphy overtook Paul 'Ski' McGee as the club’s leading scorer before replacing Shane Keegan in the summer of 2018. The following season saw a much reduced budget and the birth of Project DNA – an approach focused on developing players from Galway and the surrounding regions.

As such, expectations were measured. The relative success of the 2019 season I’ve outlined in a previous piece which can be read here.

The Tribesmen have been busy in the off season with changes to both the playing and non-playing staff and, in an exclusive interview with extratime.ie, Murphy spoke about how Project DNA currently shapes the squad, the importance of a connection with the locality, how the coaching dynamic has changed this season and what the hopes of the club are for the season ahead.

Given the large numbers of players signing up for the club this season it was pertinent to open the interview with a question on the recruitment policy and whether an increased budget for 2020 had altered their recruitment strategy.

“Project DNA came from a necessity to change the club and its values. We look at the structure within the club and the steps to be able to play senior football and those haven’t changed.

“We’ve 28 players signed for this year and 16 were previously at the club. Twenty of them are from the catchment area of Galway or a neighbouring county and that sits perfectly within the plan and identity that we have created.

“Yes, the budget has increased, but increased from nothing. We’d some really tough times last year. In terms of a huge change no but we’re stepping forward.

“It is hugely important that the players identify with the history and philosophy of the club and now the identity and the way we want to move forward.

“It’s very identifiable from the players we’ve brought in they speak about the ambition and vision we have for the club and that’s a hugely important indicator of the type of ambition that player has.”

With experience as both a successful Connacht Schools boss and Galway Utd under-17 manager, Murphy holds an experienced opinion when discussion turns to how useful the underage pathway is for his club.

“The Academies are hugely important for LOI clubs. A quarter of our squad have come through the Academy.

“In terms of what I’m trying to identify now, I want young players coming through and breaking into the first team squad, not always easy because it is a big jump coming from the Under 19s and yes it’s not easy but it’s possible.

“If you could get one a year that would be a huge thing. Also, for too long we’ve been exporting our talent for knockdown prices and it needs to change. It is changing and I think the eyes are very much on us. It is a hunting ground for English clubs.”

Another with experience of the underage pathway who returned to the club this year is coach Derek O’Brien, along with the new Assistant Manager Colin Fortune the trio form a new coaching setup for the Tribesmen with Kevin Murphy involved in video analysis and transfer recruitment.

O’Brien had been previously involved with Murphy at under-17 level while Fortune has experience of management in Athlone. Both men are praised by Murphy for their professional approach.

“Between Colin and Derek, they’d run the sessions between them to allow me to step back and assess the players and how it’s going. We plan the sessions together and the tactical and coaching side I’d be hugely involved in.

“The video analysis and preparation for the league, Kevin has been involved in that and there’s more going on in the background. It’s a work in progress.”

When asked about what this progress looked like in terms of success, Murphy spoke about how being competitive this year on the field and the development of players, especially those who had played for the first time in the league last season.

The blend of the quality and experience which arrived into the squad this season and how they fit into the assembled group.

The former Mayo GAA player went on to talk about markers and goals emerging throughout the season as measures of success rather than talking about specific targets such as promotion, play offs etc before a ball has been kicked.

Talk turned to the preseason programme and how there was a need for a high standard of teams in the schedule. He spoke of the importance of building year on year and the importance of seeing where the standard is.

The importance of experience was also brought up, especially with regards to the new signings this season who have won the First Division and with Premier Division experience.

“It’s important that we’ve players who’ve won the division, Shane Duggan, Timmy Molloy, Dean O'Halloran. It’s vital that you get that experience in if you’re going to try to push on and be competitive.

“If you look at the squad as a whole, I think about half of the squad have played in the Premier. I think there’s a good blend if you’re bringing sixteen who have played for the club previously and a good chunk that have played last year, they need to be reintroduced slower and less of them together.

“I suppose last year they got a rough berth. This year we’ll hopefully have that blend that we’ll be able to manage games better.”

For those thinking that the First Division teams are very much off the pace with regards to their Premier Division rivals, Murphy laid out the current weekly schedule for the side- training/gym work Monday to Friday, Saturday cooldown, Sunday off.

Seven sessions a week were quoted along with players eating together after training. The St Joseph’s College teacher went on to talk about the professionalism of the culture, remarking on the fact that experienced professionals have been visibly impressed by the standards set so far.

“If we’re going to be competitive and try and achieve our goals, we need to have real intensity and competition for places, that’s where we’re at. We hope to have created some of that. Only time will tell on that.”

2000 ended with personal silverware for Murphy as a Galway United schoolboy, twenty years later could he be once again making the Irish footballing public sit up and take notice?

Only time will tell but one thing is for sure, Galway United look forward to an exciting second full season under his reign and will be hoping that fortune will be on their side in 2020, in more than just the shape of their assistant manager.