It looks like Friday’s trip to Dalymount Park will be one for John Sheridan’s trail.
The news that the former Irish international will become the new manager of the beleaguered Wigan Athletic means that the curtain on his short stay on these shores will be lowered. It certainly made its presence felt.
Sheridan’s 65-day stay will be remembered by then-Dundalk coach Vinny Perth’s claim that Waterford’s new coach had described the Irish top flight as a ‘pub league’ during a fierce 2-2 draw.
That version of events and the predictable outrage and handshakes that accompanied it made more headlines than Sheridan’s later explanation when he claimed that he would never be so “disrespectful.”
His version of events apparently is that the ‘league of pubs’ comment was directed at the performance of one particular player on his own side.
Either way, the Mancunian had been cast as some kind of pantomime villain. When Sligo Rovers came from behind to record a win over Waterford, their best player, Ronan Coughlan, celebrated by waving a pint in the direction of the opposition bench. It’s rare for a fresh face to make such a quick impression.
No one should be surprised by Sheridan’s quick departure. His managerial career has been characterized by short stays, and his deal with Waterford was effectively a favor to owner Lee Power, influenced by the pandemic.
Sheridan was taking a break from the game to get a knee replacement, but Covid-19 resulted in that plan being shelved. Meanwhile, uncertainty about the future of the club and the 2020 season led to Waterford boss Alan Reynolds leaving to become Dundalk’s assistant.
Sheridan was only signed until the end of October, and no one really knows what the plan will be for the 2021 league here at this stage, so it’s only natural that he will seize the opportunity to get back into the game close to home.
If anything, the Wigan gate opening highlights the value of working somewhere. Sheridan’s last job in the UK saw him part ways with the National League’s Chesterfield without tears from his fans. Get back into the game at the League One level.
Of course, there is a major asterisk with that. Wigan is in the administration and in chaos after his controversial relegation from the Championship and the departure of Paul Cook. They only have a handful of senior players on the books and a transfer embargo has been imposed on them. Most established managers would be running a mile, but Sheridan is clearly desperate to get back to that level.
Those who have seen him with Waterford will know that he will seek to organize a team and motivate his players with pointy, sarcastic, and often funny band behavior.
You are entering a dysfunctional situation and will use your experience to enter with your eyes open. Although they struggled to watch games, he did well at Waterford with a tight squad.
That Sligo match was rescheduled due to a Covid scare at Camp Waterford prior to the original date that resulted in the game being canceled 24 hours earlier.
The Waterford club doctor gave up on the later part of that episode, stating in a social media post that it was the right thing to do when “you feel like things are really bad.”
Neither Sheridan nor Waterford really directly answered questions on the subject. An attempt by this sector to get answers was rebuffed with Sheridan saying he was reluctant to get into “politics.”
You’ll find a lot of that in your new job, but hiring managers have to take the job where they can get it. To survive in your business, what matters most is the next battle.
