Ryan has plenty of help in Kildare
The sharpening of knives behind the back of former Wexford football manager Jason Ryan may have abated somewhat in the wake of Kildare's Leinster championship draw with Laois in Tullamore on Saturday.
The Waterford man has presided over successive National League relegations and is widely believed to be on borrowed time with the Lilywhites.
And while substitute Tommy Moolick earned them a 0-16 each draw, they were still just a Paul Kingston kick which went inches wides away from losing at the death.
Prior to Saturday's game, it was interesting to read a column in the 'Leinster Leader' by editor Ronan Early where he expressed the view that Ryan was probably praised too much when with Wexford and criticised too harshly in his new role.
His exact quote was: 'I didn't believe Jason Ryan was the managerial genius he was touted as when Wexford were making strides on his watch. Nor do I see him as the clueless bluffer some portray him as now that Kildare are struggling'.
While we cannot comment on the latter opinion, we agree wholeheartedly with the former; it got to the stage in Wexford where it was more about Ryan than his team, and that should never be the case with any manager.
Elsewhere in the 'Leader', the current Kildare playing panel was listed, along with the mentors.
Guess how many people are involved in preparing Ryan's team? An incredible 23 - truly the world has gone mad.
We kid you not; all of their individual roles were listed too. As well as Ryan as manager, there's three selectors, a coach, a goalkeeping coach, a head of strength and conditioning, a strength and conditioning coach, four strength and conditioning interns, a nutritionist, a nutritionist intern, two physios, a doctor, three kitmen, a video analyst, an analyst, and finally an intern GPS analyst.