MOSTLY HURLING:NOW THAT that a number of teams' interest in this year's proceedings is at an end, there is already much debate on managers and what they contribute to the overall picture, writes John Allen.

Many good football bosses have already walked this week (or were pushed) and no doubt there are a few hurling gaffers to follow before long. There has been the usual pillorying.

What a thin line there is between victory and defeat though? Ger Loughnane's ambitions for his team lay in tatters in Thurles last Saturday evening while Gerald McCarthy (being retired by many earlier that week) had crossed that line to the happy victorious side. So what should the manager be doing to get the most out of his team? (Besides consulting the Brian Cody manual.)

In my opinion, the manager's priority is to create the conditions for everything to run smoothly behind the scenes right up to throw-in on match day. After that, the drama script unfolds anew in full view of all.

But if I was to now prioritise, I would suggest that managing people is the number one requirement. The manager of a team today isn't a team manager, but a person manager. Yes, I know there are tactics and drills and fire in their bellies and motivation and discipline and all that as well.

The conditions created or facilitated by the manager can be vital (are vital) in running a team whose energies are all one-directional.

The manager firstly has to interact with a few separate and distinct groups of people. First and foremost there's the team, then the selectors, the physical trainers, the medical team which includes the doctor, the physio and the masseurs. There's the liaison with the county board as well as dealing with a very large media cohort these days. So a manager has to be properly able to work and deal with people on a very individual personal level and also be proficient at managing groups.

The group is a very important resource. A group of people working in the same room, or even on a common project, does not necessarily invoke the group process. If the group is managed in a totally autocratic manner, there may be little opportunity for interaction; if there are cliques within the group, the process may never evolve. But if the group is managed or led efficiently then it can achieve a serious amount. In simple terms, if the group process operates in a spirit of cooperation and commonly understood procedures then the resultant performance should mirror this all-inclusive practice.

So being able to get the most out of people individually and in groups is crucially important. It helps to create an atmosphere in which players and staff feel they are part of something good and wholesome and part of a well-run, caring, fair group.

In the Cork hurlers group that I was fortunate to work with we had the players' reps group, the selectors group, the players as a unit, the medical staff, and a group made up of reps from team management, players reps, a county board liaison officer and board rep. Once the groups met regularly and dealt with the current issues, planned ahead and kept the lines of communication open, then the whole camp ran quite smoothly.

Our team tactic meetings before championship games were a very good example of democracy at work.We had the players deciding how they were going to play; they were deciding the tactics to be used on the day. After all, they were the only people that had any control over events on the field on the day. So they should have the largest input into the tactics. Everybody attended these meetings. The player group in conjunction with the management made the decisions. For me this was always a win-win situation.

Next in order of importance I include delegation. Everyone knows about delegation. Delegation underpins a style of management which allows your backroom to use and develop their skills and knowledge to the full potential. Without delegation, you lose their full value. Delegation is primarily about entrusting your power to others. This means that they can act and initiate independently; and that they assume responsibility.

If something goes wrong, you remain responsible since you are the manager. You still are the one facing the fans, the press, the board and all others who want to have a go when things go wrong.

Preparation also comes high up in the list of priorities. Training sessions have to be planned from A to Z. Attention to detail is imperative. I would also prioritise time management. There's always less complaining if training starts and finishes on time. Proper preparation for the important team talks is essential and of course the delivering of key messages throughout the year has to be done in a professional, well thought out way.

But overall, if the happy camp mentality is cultivated then at least everybody feels they're an important cog in the wheel and consequently will be more likely to give all for the cause. Also, if the players feel a sense of ownership they are much more likely to deliver when the chips are down. If the conditions created are right then the chances of victory are greatly increased because, to borrow a phrase from a well-known soccer manager "at the end of the day", it really is all about getting the most out of the players you have at your disposal.

So which style of management will succeed on Sunday? Cork are refusing to leave this championship without a fight and I think they will live to battle for at least one more day. Wexford might be the surprise packet at the weekend as the Déise seem a little bit flat right now. But if Waterford can find some of the magic of the last few years they will be hard to beat.

Whatever the results they'll probably be two managers out of a job by Monday. Such is the harshness of life in this particularly fast lane.