Liam Cahill wants to get his hands on a trophy with Waterford in 2022.
“I’ve said it from the start, if our term finishes in Waterford without silverware, it will be classed a failure," he told WLR's Lár Na Páirce show. "That’s where I believe these players are capable of delivering. I know pundits in certain areas and fellas with big opinions will think that this Waterford team aren’t capable of dining at the top table. That’s been said. I think we’re up there, we’re up there in the top three or four teams in the country at the moment. It’s like anything, you have to keep knocking on the door to break through. That’s exactly what we’re going to do with these players. Silverware will be the gauge. This year is a big, big year for these players, it’s a big year for me and the management team. Ultimately, there’ll be no stone left unturned to make sure that silverware is delivered this year of some sort.”
Despite interest from his native Tipperary, the dedication of the Waterford players persuaded him to stick with the Déise for another twelve months. “The players ultimately was the deciding factor for me. Plus, the support I get from the county board as well, I have stated that already. I feel with this group of players that their potential hasn’t fully bottomed out yet. I hope that there’s a little bit more to find in these boys. They have given us everything over the last two years. They were a very hard bunch of players to walk away from.”
He has been impressed by the attitude of the players since he took over in the winter of 2019. “Ultimately, the respect they gave us from day one. We made difficult decisions when we started out and through the two years we worked together, these players they have treated myself, Mikey Bevans, Stephen Frampton, Tom Feeney and Stephen Molumphy and all the backroom team with the upmost respect. That’s something that you don’t come across too often. There’s usually, in a team environment, one or two that will challenge you and not challenge you for the right reasons. I know you’re not going to keep 35 or 36 players happy all the time but these players love feedback and they love trying to improve. As I said, that’s something that you don’t get too often in a set-up across the board. Every day, we ask these fellas to commit: to commit to training, commit to their lifestyle, commit to the way they prepare, their nutrition and ultimately on matchday to commit to the tackle and to commit to everything we’re about in a game plan. When you ask players to commit to that and commit to that level, it’s very hard to walk away and break the commitment. I’m not in the business of talking out of both sides of my mouth when it comes to commitment and honesty and respect. That was the ultimate decision when it came to going back to try and improve these players for 2022."
