GER O'LOUGHLIN was formally ratified as Clare's new hurling manager last night, but the Mike Mac saga hasn't fully gone away with several more pot-shots fired against the players who forced the latter's removal.

McNamara's eventual resignation on Tuesday night has prompted strong-worded responses on two fronts.

Ollie Baker, now a former selector, has claimed there was "an agenda to get Mike Mac out" after a crackdown on disciplinary breaches this season, while the county board's full-time secretary, Pat Fitzgerald, didn't hold back in his report to Clare's annual convention last night.

Fitzgerald told delegates that he expects O'Loughlin, affectionately known as Sparrow, to take over the Banner reins for "at least two years".

The appointment of the former All-Ireland-winning forward -- who has just led Adare to a hat-trick of Limerick SHC titles -- was seen as a formality after his name was initially proposed by Clare chairman Michael O'Neill on Tuesday night.

Fitzgerald also had plenty to say on the controversy that led to this unscheduled managerial vacancy.

"What has disappointed me in all of this is the manner in which it has been dealt with," the secretary's report stated. "The whole business should not have been transacted through the media. A less confrontational and acrimonious approach should have been adopted."

Ironically, there has been little enough public comment during the dispute from either McNamara or from the players -- apart from Tony Griffin in announcing his retirement, and skipper Brian O'Connell when criticising the board for recent delays in setting up meetings with the manager and his disaffected squad.

Fitzgerald's views on player power can be viewed as a thinly-veiled attack on the same panel. "Player revolt is a potentially explosive issue, just like it was in Cork a few years ago and in all truth, player power cannot dictate," he maintained.

"It is my very strong belief that the lines of demarcation should be adhered to. In real terms players should play, managers should manage and administrators should administrate."

One delegate, PJ Fitzpatrick of Sixmilebridge, took issue with the secretary. "I see this as a strong attack on the actions of the players," he declared.

"But the manner in which it was handled by the board and officers -- in hurling terms, we wouldn't be left on the panel for next year. Did we box the players into a corner? We should have seen the signs earlier, sorted it out. It ill-becomes us to lacerate players, the same players we jump the fence to acclaim, the same players we expect to give their blood again.

"Forming demarcation lines is not the way, leads to trouble, is too authoritarian; good management should be about constant consultation," he added, to applause.

- Frank Roche