From the comfy, luxurious surroundings of the Sunday Game couch, to patrolling Walsh Park - a Waterford training session on a calm, sunny night in mid-June; Davy Fitzgerald's brief stint as an RTÉ GAA analyst at an end - for now at least; it's back to patrolling the sidelines, but it's not with Limerick IT, or a club team in Clare - this is something different. It's a tough task for the treble All-Star, with a Waterford side who have just lost their manager Justin McCarthy. - the Déise crashing out of the Munster Championship; following a nine-point loss to Clare. Fast-forward to the present, and the dramatic turnaround in fortunes, that has seen Fitzgerald help steer Waterford to their first All-Ireland final in 45 years, and like his direct opponent Brian Cody in the decider, Fitzgerald has worked the oracle to guide his troops to 70 minutes away from possible glory in his debut year as an Inter-county Senior manager. Back in 1999 it finished in disappointment for Cody, as Cork prevailed by the minimum margin, but the primary-school teacher has done plenty since, and Fitzgerald knows exactly what to expect - he lost to Kilkenny in the 2002 final. Fast-forwarding to the present and it's all about the players according to the modest Sixmilebridge native, who is keen to shy away from his achievements to date and places sole focus on Waterford's dramatic turnaround as a result of the commitment and dedication of the Déise players. "There would be no me, me, me; without 36 other lads that worked hard and did it," the twice All-Ireland SHC winner said. "At the end of the day the manager is there to do a job and get things right but to me it's about the players. Some managers tend to forget that, but I just want to make that point. It's about players and when you have a group of players working hard for you and with you - well that's a great thing to be involved in!" One of the most vocal and passionate hurling people you are likely to meet, Davy also places great stock in divine inspiration, and is thrilled to be involved with a committed group of players. "I have been lucky above. These players have been criticised but they have been great to work with. I don't know what they would be like next year," he joked. "Whether I will I won't is another thing, but I will say this, for the three months it's been excellent and I have enjoyed it immensely down here." Davy's hurling passion hasn't come out of nowhere - the St. Flannan's influence, the influence in his club Sixmilebridge and of course in his time with Clare, but this has perhaps been outweighed by the infectious enthusiasm which he brings to the game. Managers can often be critical of the support they get from County Board's, but not 'Fitzy' who is full of praise for the Déise officials, and in particular Waterford Chairman Pat Flynn. "The County Board has been very important in this whole thing. I believe that if you are successful, your backroom team; your county board and your panel need to be working hard together. "We are all working well together and we are lead by a great Chairman and that is very important. This man is forward thinking, he is backing what we want to do. When we haven't done things right, he has given us an oul slap, but the most important thing is that we work well together and I'm happy with that! "Since I've come down here I've been treated well. Naturally enough you are going to get criticism over doing certain things but I accept that. The one thing that I promised when I came down here to the Waterford public is that everything I had inside me I would give it - that's all I can do." And the modest, honest Fitzgerald is also a realist. While previous managers and players may have placed all their stock in believing they can win an All-Ireland, and talking up the opposition; Fitzgerald promotes honesty and a realism that while an All-Ireland title is achievable for this group of Waterford players, nothing is guaranteed in sport. "I can't promise All-Ireland's, the only thing I can promise is me being as honest as I can. I love this game and I want to be successful, I want my team - Waterford to be successful. That is very important to me and I would like nothing more than to see Waterford win an All-Ireland. That is straight up and that's the way I feel." Talking to Fitzgerald, it's clear that his enthusiasm for the game is second-to-none, yet he doesn't forget his roots, the people who have helped him get where he is today, and those who have stuck with him through the lean times, as well as the good ones. "The way they have made me feel down here is great. And I have to say about my own county - they have been exceptional since I came down here, and the support I received. I had a tough 18-months (since retiring from Clare) - I'll never forget the people over the last 18 months that believed in me, and believed I wouldn't have done some of the things or said some of the things that was meant to have been said. "I am so proud of those people for sticking with me when times weren't as good, and I don't forget - I never forget." And Fitzgerald is delighted with the support he is getting within his own county, but also from neutrals dotted across the four corners of Ireland. "The Clare people that have come and supported me over the last number of weeks is fantastic. All the Waterford people should know that, the amount of goodwill in Clare is fantastic and isn't nice to see it. "The traditional counties are winning, winning, winning and Kilkenny will go out and do their best to win on Sunday, and that's what they are there to do - but wouldn't it be some story if we could just get over that line. "That to me is what hurling is and that's what we'll be trying for, but I do respect those Kilkenny guys. They have brought serious passion to the game, how they have kept going year after year, and going for this three-in-a-row - there isn't too many teams that can say that. They are going to be hard to stop, no matter what the story is, but we will be doing our very best on September 7th." Fitzgerald has been involved with Clare in three All-Ireland finals, winning two (1995 and 1997) and losing in 2002 to Kilkenny. Despite his All-Ireland experience, Fitzy believes that there is only so much talking that can be done about past glories, and the knowledge of those experiences which he can bring to the players. "I've used some of my experience to tell them what is, and isn't coming but I'm not going back into dwelling on it too much - this is Waterford versus Kilkenny 2008 - that's it, end of story! "We have got to take it as it comes. There's a lot of hype and a lot of media stuff going on. I've had a press night to do, would I've preferred to do it? I would have probably preferred not too - I'd prefer to be just concentrating on my game, but I have to (face the media) - so I have. It's important we don't get caught up in it and I won't. "I will try to do the best I can for Waterford on that day and that's all I can do. As I said previously I'll probably make bad decisions on the sideline and every manager does it but what can I do. I'll just try my best to be as honest as I can and so will the lads. "One thing I would say to supporters out there and even the support we have received outside Waterford has been fantastic, and don't think we don't appreciate that - everyone on the panel appreciates the goodwill we have got from outside the county so we do. Every bit of it we get, we need because we need that extra edge to try and get us over the line. "It will be hard to beat that unreal Kilkenny team, and you have that respect (for them); but I would just like to thank people for that. It's always nice to see the Underdog coming up again and doing it and that's what it's about and please God we can do it." Tweet

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